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A Sentinel Watch podcast and Daily Lift by Beth Packer – The Daily Lift tells of a delightful and beautiful healing. If you like this short podcast, we invite you to listen to the whole interview, Of Course God Can Heal Me.
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Daily Lift: My Children’s Prayers Healed Me
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Sentinel Watch Podcast: Of Course God Can Heal Me – Beth Packer interviewed by David Brown.
Please join us at 10.00 am on Easer Sunday at the corner of Macquarie and Bligh Streets, Barton in Canberra.
An interview with Beth Packer, a Christian Science practitioner from NSW, Australia
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When a baby goat went missing, Beth learned a profound spiritual lesson about our oneness with God. She shares how a deepening understanding of this central Christian Science concept has helped bring healing to other areas of her life—and how it can in yours, too.
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Daily Lift by Beth Packer – If I know, you know.
A quick listen …
Sentinel Watch Podcast: The full interview with Beth.
If you enjoyed the ideas shared in this short Daily Lift podcast, then hear more of how Beth used these ideas to solve other problems in this longer interview.
‘Love’ what a word!
Isn’t it Love that makes us happy? Isn’t it Love that heals our hurts and fears? Isn’t Love the thing that at every stage of our lives we need in order to flourish and thrive, not just survive?
Isn’t it Love that makes life worth living? Isn’t it Love and only Love that can bring ‘… on earth peace, goodwill to men’?
Golden Rule
Love is what unites us all. No matter what our religion or philosophy, Christian, non-Christian, atheist, sectarian, Love is at the heart of us all. In fact, most great spiritual thinking has the Golden Rule as a core value.
Judaism says, ‘What is hateful to you do not do to your neighbour.’
Buddhism – ‘Hurt not others with that which hurts yourself.’
Sikhism – ‘Treat others as you would be treated yourself.’
Islam – ‘Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself.’
In the Christian Bible, Christ Jesus says, ‘… all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do even so to them.’
Love for one another is at the core of all of them.
However, this Love that is such a core principle, has to be more than mere human affection. So, what then is it?
What Does the Bible Say?
The Bible does tell us very clearly when it says in 1 John, ‘God is Love’.
For many, that term ‘God’ is variously thought of as the non-physical, all good, supreme Being; the governing benevolent power in our lives and of the universe. Too often though, we can also overlay our sense of God with all sorts of human traits and limitations. But, to think of the supreme, wholly good, governing power of all things, as Love, lifts our thoughts of God beyond the human into something far greater; it lifts it into the realm of the divine. It takes away a sense of the distance and unknowability of God, the humanness and variability, and brings it to the here and nowness, the closeness of Love, of what we already know within the core of ourselves.
A Powerful Force
It makes Love a powerful force in our lives.
Love is the true essence of all religion. This is certainly true of Christian Science. I grew up in Christian Science, but you can’t inherit an understanding of what a religion has to offer. There has to come a point when you decide for yourself that its ideas and Principles are right and good.
Personal Experience
For me it was this sense of God as Love, that helped me see its worth. Like most of us, I went through a period where I felt lost and alone, and very unloved, but it was the inner voice that kept telling me how much God loved me and knew me, that blew away the darkness and brought me into the light – the light of feeling loved. It literally transformed me.
In fact, the founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, has made Love an essential quality for being a Christian Scientist. She said, “Christian Scientists, their children and grandchildren to the latest generations, inevitably love one another with that love wherewith Christ loveth us; a love unselfish, unambitious, impartial, universal, — that loves only because it is Love.” (Pulpit and Press p21:1)
Original Christianity
It’s a high ideal to live up to, but no less a standard than Jesus set for original Christianity. Original Christianity loves without discrimination; unites and never divides; values a person by the quality of character not material riches. This original standard is at the heart of Christian Science.
Find Out More
If you would like to know more about this religion of Love, please meet us at our Sunday Services (10.00 am) and our Wednesday Testimony Meetings (6.15 pm). We are located on the corner of Macquarie and Bligh Streets in Barton. Sunday School for students up to the age of 20 is also at 10.00 am – new students are always welcome.
This article was contributed by Beth Packer who is a full-time Christian Science healer.
Christmas is one of the most important events in human history. That’s a big statement to make. It’s a big statement because the real Christmas relates to Christians, Muslims, Eastern and Western religionists, believers and non-believers. The real Christmas message is relevant all year round, not just on one day. So, what’s so big and important and relevant about Christmas?
It’s all about the underlying message that Jesus’ birth ushered into the world. Yes, the details of the story are important. That whilst Joseph and Mary were travelling she gave birth to Jesus in a stable (which was actually a cave rather than a barn). His birth had been long prophesied – he was the one who would save the Jewish people from oppression. But it’s the underlying message that’s of the greatest importance, both then and today. It’s important because Jesus’ birth was the beginning of a life lived with such love and dominion that it transformed the experience of the people around him, and its legacy is still felt and celebrated over 2000 years later.
Jesus’ mission was to show us what makes life work right for us. Maybe that doesn’t sound like such a big statement but look at the effect he had on the people around him. He turned poverty into overflowing abundance; ill health into full health; bad sinful behaviour into good honest character. His life was entirely motivated by love – love for God and love for his fellow man.
Jesus was revealing a different dynamic aspect to life that was not obvious to the senses but one that could bring practical healing solutions to life’s problems. He understood the tangible power of spirituality.
What is spirituality? Simply, spirituality pertains to things of the spirit, or the non-physical. It’s all those qualities of thought that are good and true. It’s ideas that make life work right for us, like kindness, honesty, trustworthiness, intelligence, creativity, happiness.
Spiritual thinking cares for all, never harming man nor beast nor the environment. It’s living the Golden Rule, the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes that Jesus, Moses and others have given us. These rules, when understood and lived, make our lives happy and successful. But here’s the big difference in Jesus’ message to us. If we think these are human qualities they are liable to human frailty and failure. Jesus showed us that these spiritual ideas and qualities have a divine source, not human. They’re sourced in God and so have divine authority and power.
The principle that Jesus continually turned to was divine, not material. He revealed to the world a non-physical power; a spiritual force for good, that could and did meet all human need. He revealed to us that the true governing harmonising power underpinning our experience was God, but he showed us an entirely different way of thinking about that term God. He showed that the true concept of God was Love, as the Bible states. He showed us the true power or Principle in our lives and in our world, that makes existence harmonious, well and peaceful, is Love, divine Love.
At Christmas, and all year round, don’t we all know, Christian, Muslim, Eastern, Western, believer and non-believer, that it is Love that makes the world go around. It’s Love that makes life worth living, it is Love and only Love that can bring ‘on earth peace, good will to men.’
This article was contributed by Beth Packer a member of the Christian Science Church in Wollongong. You can study these ideas in depth in the textbook of Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. You would be most welcome to attend our services (details are at the top of this page.)
The members of the Christian Science community in Canberra share their experiences and thoughts on Christian Science:
Just before the COVID restrictions came into force my sister and I were travelling in the US. At one point we were catching a flight from one of the larger airports. The terminal was extremely busy and there were long queues everywhere. We needed to check in our luggage so we queued at one of the self-serve terminals. There was a cost for each bag and my sister said that it was her turn to pay this time. She inserted her credit card into the slot in the machine and we filled out all the on-screen questions and received our baggage tags. From there we queued again to drop our bags and then joined the long winding queue going through security.
Finally we were through with just enough time to find lunch before our flight left. At this point my sister realised that she no longer had her credit card. We had left it in the self-serve terminal! This was the card that held all her travel money. A good hour had passed since we checked our baggage and with the queues everywhere it seemed impossible that the card could be found. My sister suggested that I wait near the café with the hand luggage and she would go back through to the check-in machines. My job was to stay calm and to pray. I knew my sister would be praying too.
I sat quietly in a corner and turned to God. I have come to know God as the all-knowing divine Mind. The All-knowing I reasoned knew exactly where that card was. I have also come to know God as divine, Father-Mother Love. As a loving parent God protects and guides His offspring. I have had many proofs of God’s loving care in other circumstances and this gave me confidence that all was well. In my prayer I also acknowledged that God’s man is honest. As I thought on these things I felt a sense of peace that replaced any sense of anxiety I had felt.
Within a very short time my sister was back – and smiling! She waved the card at me. ‘ Look what I found’, she said. ‘It was exactly where we left it in the check-in machine.’ My sister explained that she had intended to go to the information counter in the hope that the card had been handed in but she had a very strong mental message not to do this but to go to the terminal we had used and check there. She obeyed this direction and found the card in the slot just where we had left it. We had no human explanation as to how this could have happened given the number of people using the machines. A later check on her card showed that no extra charges had been made beyond our last baggage charge.
For what I am learning in Christian Science and for the peace that these teachings bring I am always grateful.
Thy hand in all things I behold,
And all things in Thy hand.
Thou leadest me by unsought ways,
Thou turn’st my mourning into praise.
(Christian Science Hymnal 134)
The members of the Christian Science community in Canberra share their experiences and thoughts on Christian Science:
Prior to these current COVID restrictions I travelled often with my sister. In 2019 she was invited to do a series of Christian Science lectures across the US. I was her support person. It was my job to take charge of the everyday organisational issues such as getting through airports and finding meals in strange cities. More importantly it was my job to prayerfully protect and support her lecturing work.
My prayers were prayers of affirmation, not petition. I acknowledged God as divine Love and as infinite all-knowing Mind. I acknowledged that these lectures were right ideas and as such they were God’s ideas, as all right activity is God’s. I knew that God protected and brought to fruition all His ideas harmoniously. I also knew that all those involved in bringing these lectures to the public were protected in this work and that only good could come of these activities.
On this particular day the lecture went off very harmoniously. The venue was perfect, the audience large and focussed and my sister spoke with such sincerity and inspiration that all were moved by the words. Afterwards we were taken back to our accommodation by one of the organisers. When we arrived the driver pulled up in the driveway and my sister jumped out. For a moment I sat half in and half out of the back seat while I passed bags and coats out to my sister. Without checking whether we were fully out the driver suddenly started forward. My sister immediately called for her to stop which she did. The quick movement of the car jerked me out onto the driveway. I didn’t fall but I landed awkwardly and the car came to a stop completely on my right foot. This wasn’t a small car and the pressure on my foot was immense. I was wearing only my little ‘going out’ shoes and these offered no protection. Because of the prayerful work I had been doing during the day I felt no fear. I also felt no pain. My sister called out to the driver to back up but she became confused about what had happened and asked a series of questions that didn’t quickly result in her taking the necessary action.
Eventually the driver did back up and I was able to pull my foot away. Throughout this I continued to feel calm. Despite the feeling of great pressure, at no point was there any pain or discomfort. As the driver pulled away we picked up our things and headed inside. I can honestly say I did not have a single twinge or any indication that anything untoward had happened. There were absolutely no after effects. I put this down totally to the fact that I had been keeping my thought fixed on the omnipotence of God, good, during that day and all the previous touring days. Christian Science teaches me that what I think is very important in determining the events of my life and my wellbeing. I am hugely grateful for all that I am learning as a student of Christian Science.
Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy p260:4)
A number of Christian Science lectures, including the ones given by my sister on this tour are available on this site. Click on the Christian Science Lectures tab in the menu at the top.
In Canberra the lengthy COVID restrictions are now being eased. Thank goodness! As we approach re-opening and a more normal way of living and interacting, it’s important that we make sure all we’ve been through in the last 18 months has not been in vain.
We can think of these months of social isolation in two ways – as an awful time that was so hard, so lonely and often scary, or, as a unique opportunity. Could anything else have given us the opportunity to stop the busyness of everyday life, be still, and re-evaluate how we’ve been living in this world and treating one another? That initial decision as to how we’re going to think about this time, is immensely important because it dictates the failure or success of our experience ahead.
The repercussions of the initial decisions we make was brought home to me in a very dramatic way. My husband and I and our two young girls were holidaying, staying in a country motel. It was the very darkest time of night, we were all deep asleep when the oldest girl, who normally slept very soundly, for no discernible reason, suddenly woke up. As we were settling her back down, we smelled smoke. My husband looked out and saw the bushes beside the building on fire. Being ex-army he jumped into action and began hosing down the flames, but then realised the underside of the building was also alight. That’s when he found the whole of the underneath of the motel, which was fully occupied, was also on fire, and the rooms were starting to fill with smoke. We roused everyone and soon the fire was being put out. When the police arrived, they said it was an act of deliberate arson and five minutes more the floors would have collapsed into the flames.
Fear was starting to govern everyone’s thinking as they realised that through the evil actions of others, they had all nearly been killed in their sleep. It was at that point I realised we had a decision to make. There was another way of looking at the situation. It was that, even in the middle of the night when we were all sleeping the most soundly, even then we were alerted, saved and kept unharmed, that even in that extreme situation evil could not win. It was that option that we voiced to the group, and when we did, the atmosphere tangibly changed. Feelings of fear and vulnerability were replaced with a deep sense of safety and protection. Too, instead of my daughter feeling frightened, she felt the exact opposite, she felt like a hero.
Afterwards when I was thinking about what had taken place, I realised that in the weeks leading up to that holiday, I had been doing a lot of praying. Praying to me is not a pleading to a far-off God for benevolence, but a deep, conscientious recognition of the divine goodness ever-present in our lives. Tuning our thought to all that is right and good and loving is a bit like practising our maths calculations – we get better at it and see more right results appear. To me that’s what God is, the Principle that makes life work right and brings out those good results.
As we now move forward into this new way of living, recognising the good we’ve all had the time to focus on and practice, can help us feel assured that good results lie ahead for us. Through this period, haven’t we all been diligently and selflessly caring for one another in being isolated and law-abiding? Haven’t we had the time to rethink how we value our families and community? Haven’t we all been re-evaluating how we can better care for our planet? The basis of this thinking is love, and the Bible defines God as Love. Thinking rightly and acting lovingly is like doing our maths correctly, it assures us of good outcomes. It gives us the assurance that our futures will work out rightly.
This way of thinking about God, life and ourselves is Christianly scientific. If you’d like to look into this powerful healing way of thinking then visit the beautiful official website christianscience.com.
What would Christianity of the kind that Jesus, the original Christian, lived be like if it were practiced today? Original Christianity simply loved; it loved gently, powerfully, universally. It met the human need right where that need was without judgement or limitation. It acted with the deepest, genuine humility – Jesus said, ‘Of my own self I can do nothing.’ It was not political. It had no robes, rituals or riches.
It loved with a divine love so transforming that it healed, or solved the human need, no matter what that need was – poverty, sorrow, sickness. It gave us an understanding of God that was not humanistic. ‘God is Love’ (The Bible – 1 John 3:23) lifts our sense from a limited, masculine, judgemental, far-off, traditional concept, to one that envelops us in a feeling of infinite closeness and care. To truly practise Christian worship we must live love for Love is the law of life that will bring, ‘on earth peace, good will to men.’ This is the type of worship that is at the core of Christian Science practice.
Real love reduces fear and that is the love that is most needed right now. It is needed for the current economic and public health crisis as well as global concerns about racial injustice.
The Bible quote “God is love” appears near the front of almost every Christian Science church, including in The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, the headquarters for the denomination.
To the degree that we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind — to that degree will our hearts and hands be moved by Christ to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters.
Our church is committed to spiritual healing, which endeavours to see the image of God in everyone. “Great charity and humility is necessary in this work of healing,” wrote church founder Mary Baker Eddy. “The loving patience of Jesus we must strive to emulate.” Healing can’t be approached dogmatically, Christian Scientists emphasise. Christian Scientists are always free to make their own health choices. Healing is about giving gratitude to God, who is love, and learning to acknowledge more of this saving presence.
The Christian Science church in Canberra has at its heart a great love for its community and shares an understanding of God that has brought healing and happiness to the lives of many. Anyone in need of some love and prayer, is welcome to come and visit.
(This article was contributed by Beth Packer, a Christian Science practitioner of healing and an international speaker on Christian Science and spiritual healing.)
Please join us at 10.00 am on Easer Sunday at the corner of Macquarie and Bligh Streets, Barton in Canberra.
Christian Science Canberra 