Dear People,
We heard yesterday in the Thanksgiving Lesson: “Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord” (I Chron 16:10) It is an exhortation and a promise; a promise that seeking God earnestly, with all your heart, brings joy.
Later we hear the Psalmist say, "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” (Ps 107:8)
There’s a hint of concern about the carnal mind in that question? Mortal mind often asks: "Where and how do we find those wonderful works?"
Well, just as for David in the Bible, the wonderful works of God are found in our own lives. It is through our witness that we see the reality of God’s goodness. This is both natural and normal for us and it is also an awe-filled experience. Appearing in opposition to the expectations of mortal mind, we are amazed by God’s goodness (hence all those testimonies on Wednesday evenings where the testifier forgets to mention the resolution of physical healing).
But back to those questions: It is the work of church to “rouse the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils or error, and healing the sick,” (SH 583:15) Our church is designed to wake us up, make us aware of God’s wonderful works, and show us how to respond with praise and Christian healing.
Association is one of the parts of our church that is ideally suited to this work.
Through our meetings and especially through the focus that God gives us each year; through the inspiration that impels us after our yearly meetings and the assignments we work at, we progress in our understanding and demonstration of the Science of Christ.
This year that focus is on the Christian Science seal, which says, “Heal the sick, Raise the dead, Cleanse the Lepers, and Cast out demons”. Those words beg an earnest question: Are we doing those things? And if not, “what hindereth you”?
The only thing that could keep us from following our Master’s example is a benighted sense of who we are and what God is. Our assignment is a way to remind us how wonderful the works of God really are and how natural they are to us.
Here is the assignment again, for your convenience:
1) Please read (or listen to) Mary Baker Eddy Christian Healer expanded edition by Yvonne Caché von Fettweis and Robert Townsend Warneck, Amplification by Robert Townsend Warneck. Read (or listen) to Parts One and Two, and Appendix A twice.
You can listen to the book on the JSH website or purchase it on Audible:
Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Healer - JSH-Online
2) As you go, please make notes on anything that you wish to apply to your practice.
For example - you might choose this:
"Mary Baker Eddy’s motto as a Christian Science practitioner was semper paratus [always prepared]. She did not have to prepare herself to heal. She was already prepared. A striking instance was seen in her healing of Mr. Calvin A. Frye soon after she moved to Chestnut Hill. He was found by a member of the household on the night of November 9, 1908, unconscious and apparently in a death stupor. She spoke in strong, clear tones. There was no fear, no doubt, no discouragement; only absolute confidence, only perfect assurance of the victory of Truth.
“...turning to me, she asked if I had any questions. “Yes,” I replied, “I would like to know how you heal the sick.” Leaning back in her chair she smilingly said, “I will tell you. I heal the same way today as I did when I commenced. My original way was instantaneous. The students did not understand any more than an English scholar could understand a foreign language without learning it. They therefore put it into their language. The argument used in healing is simply tuning-up. If your violin is in tune, it is unnecessary to tune it up. Keep your violin in tune.” This last sentence was repeated quite imperatively and much emphasized.
No matter what the world threw at her feet—disease, storms, insanity, death, or a legal attack that threatened everything she had worked to establish—Mary Baker Eddy treated them all as occasions for healing. To her they were opportunities to show the world that God is an ever-present Father-Mother, an unfailing Physician, and a perfect Judge.”
Having noted this, you would apply it to your own daily practice and then report back in writing about the result.
3) Please inform us when you have submitted a testimony to the Christian Science Publishing Society for publication. After last year’s meeting you all have testimonies to share. Please take the time and make the effort to contribute to Church in this way.
Here’s the link to the online submission page:
I’m delighted to be able to close this Thanksgiving message with a proof of our Association’s utility in a recently received response to the assignment:
"So far in the book (MBE Christian Healer) my very favorite, helpful message was on page 24-25: "All I have ever accomplished has been done by getting Mary out of the way, and letting God be reflected. When I would reach this tone, the sick would be healed without a word."
I have taken this to heart when preparing lesson plans for FaceTime Sunday School with the grandchildren. I refuse to let Patti get in between the precious children and God. This has helped me feel the lessons are more what God is doing, less what Patti thinks the kids might grasp. It's a constant practice, giving up human opinions for God's ideas.
One week when I felt especially thankful and sure that Patti was out of the way, we had the story of Job. We talked about how Job's "friends" were telling him that he must have done something really bad for God to send all these evil things to him. And his wife also blamed God for what was happening to him. I asked an 8-year-old student, "How do we know God didn't send all those evil things?" Without missing a beat she answered, "Because God delivers us from evil." (Wow. A much better answer than I would have given!)
Another time when I had been making up the lesson plans for the kids, and still working to leave Patti out of it, suddenly it became clear that I needed to change the whole plan for all of them. There was a clear need to change the focus, so I did. After all the classes were over, my son-in-law texted me to say thank you. He had felt that week went especially well. He had never done that before, and I wasn't even particularly sure how he even felt about Sunday School for the kids, since his background was in Buddhism, and he currently has no religion. But clearly he was thankful for that lesson.
Next, I finally chose a testimony to send to Boston.
Here it is:
I would like to express gratitude for a healing that I had years ago, whose lesson stays with me still. I was about 7 months pregnant, and my husband and I lived on the second floor of an apartment building. It was becoming difficult for me to climb the steps, as I would feel tired and out of breath. This didn't seem right to me, so I called my Journal-listed teacher of Christian Science for prayerful support with this.
His comments had to do with this passage from Mary Baker Eddy: "If we say that the sun stands for God, then all his rays collectively stand for Christ, and each separate ray for men and women." (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 344:3–5) As I recall, he said to me, in essence, that "each ray of the sun comes directly from the sun. The rays don't rely on each other for anything; there are no piggyback rays. In the same way, you and this child each get all of your energy directly from God. This child is not getting his energy from you." Wow. I had never considered that before. It was such a relief! Immediately the fatigue was gone, and it never returned. I was able to take those stairs easily from then on.
The lesson I learned from this experience has helped with so many things over the years since then. In considering my children even after they grew up, I knew God was their Source of everything they need. And the grandchildren, too. They get whatever they need directly from God. This has helped take away a false sense of responsibility for them. What a joy and relief it is, to know the one Source supplies all needs. “
Thank you, Patti for being our “first responder”!
I look forward to hearing more about how this focus on living Christian Science as our Leader taught and modeled it is impacting your lives.
with love and thanksgiving,
Caryl