Some helpful testimonies

I like the angle taken by Daniel Maune in his testimony on pages 277-280.  He found that he could take four of the five qualities listed by Mary Baker Eddy as “conditions which you say induces disease” namely, “exercise, heredity, contagion and accident" and treat them as tares among the wheat in his thought.  He outlines his spiritual reasoning which brought healing with the help of a practitioner who, when hearing him voice a lack of faith to continue, said not to worry, she had faith enough for the both of them.  Lovely!

And how about the sea rescue which has some echoes of Paul’s experience in the Mediterranean.  See pages 307-310 - bravery and listening for Mind’s guidance.

Again on page 319, we are asked if we can imagine a mental light show. (I think of laser light.)  “How else can I describe the brilliant flashes of spiritual insight and understanding that flooded my consciousness with truth?” he writes.  He had found Mrs. Eddy’s Unity of Good in a rehabilitation centre for heroin addicts, and that was the initial effect of his reading.

On pages 325-327 we have a man describe how he was freed from the grip of the belief of homosexuality’s physical, emotional, and mental hold.

So many wonderful testimonies!  No.  I haven’t read them all, but I know they are there ready for another season of enlightenment and inspiration.

Where did October go?

Joyce Voysey

A cup of cold water and unlimited opportunites for intelligent action

Our Bible Lessons (from the Christian Science Quarterly) order our thoughts each day and it’s wonderful how often a passage from the Lesson will resonate with other reading or experiences during the week.

Section four this week includes the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well early in his ministry and also the loved passage from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy about “giving a cup of cold water…and never fearing the consequences”.  There are some beautiful examples of this joyous sharing in our book “Healing Spiritually”.

The first is from a fascinating interview (see pp 186 – 192) with Ardis Krainik, who was general director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and who had turned around a negative financial situation to see a healthy profit.  When asked about her mode of leadership she replied that “people want and need to be loved….I work very hard to see my colleagues and staff, friends and artists—everyone in the company—as perfect, spiritual expressions of the Father.  My goal isn’t to make happy artists; it’s to see each individual as he or she really is.”  She goes to explain that “if [people] ask” she would say “something that helps them recognize not just that I love them but that God loves them and that ‘underneath are the everlasting arms’ supporting them and their performance (Deuteronomy 33:27).”  Interestingly she adds that “…people still believe in the authority of the Bible!  The truth is true.  And people recognize and believe it when they hear it.”

I love her account of helping a colleague from another company which culminated in her asking him “Do you want me to pray for you?”  What a great example of how to share a cup of cold water with someone in need.

In thinking more about “giving a cup of cold water” I re-read a couple of testimonies to find out about those willing to offer that cup.  Here are some examples:

A girlfriend’s mother:  On p. 174 we read that the writer had found out about Christian Science “from having talked with the mother of a high-school girlfriend, who had spent a great deal of time answering my questions”.

A young woman on campus: On p. 177 we read that the writer “was introduced to Christian Science through a young woman I met on campus.  She intrigued me because she had such a different and positive philosophy of life…”

A radio program: On p. 184 Harold Dyer, whose wife, a Christian Scientist, had “tried for years to awaken [him]” and who at that time had left him, speaks of listening to the radio one Sunday morning “when a program came on that included healings that had come about through Christian Science”.  This proved a turning point.

Magazines in a Laundromat: On p. 208 Betty O’Neal (now a Christian Science lecturer) shares her experience of finding Christian Science magazines at a Laundromat.  “Every week while doing the laundry there I read more of the magazines” and then after several months she “found employment in the business field where a co-worker gave [her] a copy of Science and Health.”

A school administrator: Pages 212 – 214 tell us how a school administrator was able to share the idea brotherhood by referring gang members to the opening two words of the Lord’s Prayer “Our Father”.  He told them to notice that it doesn’t say “our Indian, Mexican, white, or black Father”.  Within a couple of months the gangs had broken up!  And “there was also general consensus that things were more peaceful, that “being different races doesn’t make that much difference now”.

Finally, here is a great idea from Leonard Offer in Kent, England when he had the threat of redundancy hanging over his head: “…there [are] unlimited opportunities for intelligent action” (p. 195).

Julie Swannell

Gaining control

The testimonies on pages 254 to 263* remind me of the Bible reference to the wise man who saved a city.  See Eccl. 9:13-18:“Wisdom is better than weapons of war” it says.  (Note: I found this reference very quickly by typing in Google “the man who saved a city.”  Wonderful reference point.)

Now I have long been a little fascinated by the Bible character Phinehas.  I can’t place it, but I think that somewhere in Garland’s Subject Guide to Bible Stories (a help-book for First Readers in Christian Science churches) he is mentioned as a negotiator.  I have never used his story in selecting passages for Wednesday readings.  Maybe this time – having recently started a term as First Reader at Gold Coast, Queensland, church – it may happen.  It looks like an interesting story – see Joshua 22.

Joyce Voysey

Ed – I’d never before heard of this chap!  I see that Phinehas is mentioned in various other places in the Bible, notable Psalms 107: 30 which says: “Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.” 

*These pages form part of Section III of our book Healing Spiritually.  The Section bears the title: Gaining control over the unexpected and includes Chapter 11 “Erasing the marks of crime, fear, and terrorism”.

Big message: few words

It only takes a few words to convey a big message, e.g. on page 238 of Healing Spiritually, a police officer wrote: “I think that was my first real demonstration of how useful I can be to God.  I was going to say, ‘how useful God could be to me as a policeman,’ but I remember being so elated that I had been led to do what I did.”  “How useful I can be to God.”  Isn’t that a wonderful thought?

And how about this one about spiritual insight?  “…a moment to love more deeply, more purely, more humbly…” p. 245.

Joyce Voysey

Common threads in the healing work

As I’ve been reading Healing Spiritually again, I’ve noticed something helpful –

a.      the attitude of those praying;

b.      the observations of those trained in the medical field; and

c.      that the motive for prayer must always be spiritual growth. 

a) Attitude:

Page 22:  “The turning point came with the practitioner’s earnest request that I understand myself unreservedly to be the child of God…Consequently I was able to, and had to, cancel out in my thinking (so to speak) the medical diagnosis that I was suffering from an incurable illness.”

Page 27: “The Bible, the textbook, and a dictionary were my constant companions.”

Page 61: “Finally, the steadfast insistence of the practitioner that when I thought of man I was to think of God’s own expression, began to awaken me.  I understood what when I thought of myself I was really thinking of God’s expression of good, not of a senior mortal subject to failing strength and faculties…I was able to make some progress each day in radically changing my view of myself, as well as unscientific concepts of others, which I had unthinkingly clung to for over half a century.”

Page 70: “I was not diligently striving to understand the truths of Christian Science myself, and healing did not come.”

Page 73: “…her unflinching confidence in God’s power to heal…”

Page 81: “Circumstances had now brought me to a point of total humility.  And now I also saw that absolute dedication to this demonstration was needed…I worked specifically to reverse, through prayerful treatment, whatever was predicted or diagnosed.”

Page 87: “I began to glorify God each day…Two errors in my own thought came to the surface during this period of spiritually scientific study.”

Page 91: “I…began really studying Christian Science…The practitioner stuck with me night and day…”

Page 132: “I prayed for everyone, my family and the world…a prayer one knows is answered because of a silent inner assurance…”

Page 153: “Now I began concentrated study.”

Page 159: “…our family, along with a Christian Science practitioner, prayed constantly to see our daughter as God had created her, whole and perfect.”

Page 160: “…I too studied and prayed for many hours each day to destroy the mesmeric suggestion of disease.”

Page 168: “…a childlike acceptance of good as real is not naïve, but powerful and healing.”

b) Comments from some with medical training:

Page 50 & 51: “Through all my nursing education and teaching, I’d seen what makes people sick.  It is not germs and viruses and organisms, but rather such problems as hate, fear, greed, guilt, grief, and an expectation of mental cause and physical effect, which I could see written on people’s bodies.  (I had reached these conclusions long before learning of Christian Science.)…Scientific Christian prayerful treatment goes beyond just healing symptoms.  It gets to the heart of the matter and solves the real problem, which is always mental, and this always leaves me a better person.  In the course of healing, I have grown spiritually.”

Page 110: Medical theory is the product of human thought.  All its reasoning is from effect to cause.  The illness is accepted as real, and then a possible cause is presumed to have resulted in that effect.  This presumption is then accepted as law.  Because sickness is accepted as real, a great deal of fear ensues.  But when you look away from the physical body and reason that perfect God could produce only perfect effect, you feel His presence and power.”

c) Spiritual growth:

Page 65: “This spiritual growth revealed to me that the main error needing to be eliminated was “righteous indignation.”  In the guise of righteousness, indignation can seem very justified; but any indignation is mortal mind and must be ruled out of the human experience…I was learning that victory can come by obeying rules, and I diligently sought out those rules…close scrutiny…strict obedience…”

Page 152: “…I reminded our son that prayerful treatment does not set out primarily to change the physical condition, but to spiritualize thought, and this brings healing…Apparently the fog of lethargy and self-pity had been broken as he sat down by himself and really studied ideas from the Bible and Science and Health…”

Page 155: “A side effect of this healing was that my daughter released the animosity and resentment she had felt toward another student…she became a much happier person.”

 And finally what has to be my favourite quote in the book so far: Page 93: “There is no destructive force in all of God’s kingdom…”  Jer Master, Bombay, India

Julie Swannell

October book - HEALING SPIRITUALLY

Hello everyone. There has been a slight hiatus as my old computer gave up and I'm learning how to get things done on the new one that arrived in the last couple of days.

This month, let's continue on with the book we didn't quite finish in June, Healing Spiritually.

Love to all
Julie

Jesus ministry and example

The book of John is a wonderfully satisfying read.  It’s so interesting to see how Jesus got his disciples around him so that his message could continue after his work was done.  He showed the way, but certainly he didn't do anyone’s work for them.

Here’s a very short summary. Quotes are from The Message by Eugene Petersen:

John 1 – John the Baptist’s special role and his attention to it (I LOVE John’s meekness.).  First disciples “sign up”.

John 2 – Jesus ministry launched: Wedding, Temple clean-up

Ministry expanding:

John 3 – Jesus meets with an important man, Nicodemus

Ministry extending to Samaritans and into Galilee:

John 4 – Jesus meets a woman at the well and a discussion follows.  What effect did this have on the new disciples?  Were they happier to be sticking to themselves?  Jesus was talking to a woman who wasn't even a Jew!  Golly!
Verse 23: "The time is coming - it has, in fact, come - when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter." Verse 24: “It’s who you are…that counts…Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth.”

John 5 – back in Jerusalem at the sheep gate – criticism from the Jews e.g. verses 9 – 10 “It’s against the rules”!! And verse 17 “My Father works straight through – even on the Sabbath.  So am I.”  The Jews wanted to kill him now.

John 6 – Jesus demonstrates wonderful generosity and hospitality with the huge crowd; walks on the sea; teaches a tough lesson which is too hard for many to swallow, when he speaks of himself as the Bread of life.  Verses 66 – 67 describes an exodus of followers, but in v 68 Peter says “to whom would we go?”

John 7 – opposition mounting

John 8 – In the temple at Jerusalem, religion scholars and Pharisees and woman caught in adultery – big interrogations  

John 9 – Man blind from birth: Jesus points out that the onlookers were looking for someone to blame.  How often do we look for a cause in people or things?  Jesus condemns hypocrisy and blind “know-it-all” bravado.  They argued: verse 28 “…we’re disciples of Moses.  We know for sure that God spoke to Moses, but we have no idea where this man even comes from.”

John 10 – Jesus has to defend his credentials.  Are you the Messiah? 

“the Good Shepherd”

John 11 – Lazarus dies.  Is it too late to save him?  Jesus says: “take away the stone”.  He proves that “time, space, and fear are naught” – see hymn 136.   Verse 45 “That was the turnaround for many of the Jews who were with Mary.  They saw what Jesus did, and believed in him.”  Verse 49 Chief Priest Caiaphas spoke up.  Verse 53 – plot to kill Jesus.  Public ministry ends.

John 12 – Passover dinner at home of Mary, Martha and the risen Lazarus.  Judas Iscariot criticized Mary’s action of anointing Jesus’ feet.  Verse 16 “The disciples didn’t notice the fulfilment of many Scriptures at the time, but after Jesus was glorified, they remembered that what was written about him matched what was done to him.”  Verse 20: Greeks.

John 13 – Foot-washing and betrayal.  Judas is identified.  Jesus tells them that discipleship is loving each other.  He predicts Peter’s panic during the events to follow.

John 14 – Jesus encourages his disciples and says there’s plenty of room for everyone.  His teaching continues (verses 11 – 14): “I…am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing.”  Verse 22 “Master, why is it that you are about to make yourself plain to us but not to the world?”  Verse 23 “Because a loveless world is a sightless world.”

John 15 – Verse 17 “Remember the root command: Love one another.”  Verses 18 – 19 “If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me.   If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own.  But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you.”  Tough words.

John 16 – Verse 5 “Not one of you has asked, ‘Where are you going?’ Instead, the longer I’ve talked, the sadder you’ve become.”

John 17 – Jesus prayer/conversation with God.

John 18 – Betrayal and response: Peter turns to his sword; Jesus responds with compassion and willingness to go through with God’s plan.

John 19 – Verse 35 “The eyewitness to these things has presented an accurate report.”

John 20 – Resurrection.  Verse 16 Jesus says “Mary”.  Thomas needs to get the facts here!

John 21 – Fishing and final instructions.

Julie Swannell