The members of the Christian Science community in Canberra share their experiences and thoughts on Christian Science:
A few years ago, my wife and I and our two daughters flew from Canberra to Cape Town in South Africa to spend Christmas with my family.
We set off from Canberra without any problems and landed somewhere in Australia – I forget where – to connect with our international flight to our next stop in Johannesburg. Wherever it was, we were delayed and very late taking off.
We arrived in Johannesburg very late – about midnight – and missed our connection to Cape Town, so the airline arranged for us to fly the following morning and put us up in an airport hotel for the night.
We collected our luggage and walked out of the airport terminus to wait for the shuttle bus to take us to the hotel feeling tired, hungry and harassed. When we arrived at the hotel and were in the queue to check in, I couldn’t find my small backpack with all our passports and travel documents and knew I’d left it at the airport terminus where we boarded the shuttle bus. My immediate feeling was despair because Johannesburg was known as a crime capital and I’d previously misplaced things there and never had them returned.
My wife and I follow the teachings of Christian Science, and when I told her what had happened, she immediately started to pray, as we are taught in Christian Science, to know that God’s presence is everywhere, so there is no room for anything else. We talked about God’s nature as only good, loving, honest and caring and as being the only qualities that everyone, everywhere could express. I began to feel a lot less fearful.
The shuttle bus was still bringing people to the hotel, so I boarded it, continuing to pray, and returned to the airport terminus pick-up point. I asked the people waiting there if they’d seen my bag and someone said they thought someone had taken it to the hotel.
When I got back to the hotel, there was my wife, with my bag, and the person who had found it. We thanked her and quietly thanked God for his tender, loving care.
I am very grateful for the way Christian Science teaches us that we can always pray to God in times of need.
Mary Baker Eddy writes in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (pp 12,13) “In divine Science, where prayers are mental, all may avail themselves of God as “a very present help in trouble.” Love is impartial and universal in its adaptation and bestowals. It is the open fount which cries, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.”
The members of the Christian Science community in Canberra share their experiences and thoughts on Christian Science:
One dark, very wet night, I was scheduled to attend a Church meeting in Barton, ACT. There was a forecast for heavy storms which might include hail. Our area had been affected by hailstorms the year before and, prior to going to the meeting, I had consciously acknowledged that as attending the meeting was a “right activity” all those attending, and all those in the vicinity of our Church, could know that they and their property (including their cars), are safe.
There was indeed a storm and heavy rain whilst we were at the meeting and when we were leaving it was still raining steadily. I put my papers and handbag on the boot of my car whilst I rummaged for my car keys and then my passenger and I drove towards home. When we had travelled for about 9 km, I stopped at red traffic lights and when the lights turned green I drove on. Suddenly, the driver behind me started flashing his headlights and hooting his horn. My first thought was that I had done something wrong. I checked that my headlights were on and I knew that I hadn’t been speeding and had stopped in good time at the red light. However, the car behind me persisted in trying to get me to pull over. I took the off ramp to the hospital and stopped the car. The other car pulled up in front of my car and we were not sure what the safe thing to do was. A passenger from the other car got out and ran black towards my car, so I got out. She wanted to let me know that my wallet was on the top of my car’s boot. It had stayed there safely for the whole journey despite several turns and changes of speed!
I was grateful for the alertness of these complete strangers and their kindness and persistence in letting me know about my wallet (which incidentally contained my driving licence, my credit cards and other important cards). The thing that has stayed with me most following this experience is the feeling of God’s protection.
I have learned through this and many other situations, that God, Love, is always with us and that we can trust in his care.
I love the promise from one of our hymns:
“His arm encircles me, and mine, and all.”
(Christian Science Hymnal – Hymn 209 (Verse 2)
and also this promise,
“Good thoughts are an impervious armour; clad therewith you are completely shielded from the attacks of error of every sort. And not only yourselves are safe, but all whom your thoughts rest upon are thereby benefited.”
(The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany by Mary Baker Eddy p210: 7–11).
The members of the Christian Science community in Canberra share their experiences and thoughts on Christian Science:
Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe. (The Bible -Psalm 119: 117)
Today in casual conversation with a friend the subject of cars came up. We were exchanging stories about how we came to have our present vehicles, and what previous cars we had. We discovered that we had in the past the same make of car which we really enjoyed because it was a road hugging car in which we felt very safe. I related that my car previous to this one had been written off with me driving and how I had been protected through this experience.
I would like to share my story with a heart full of gratitude to God, good, that I was not hurt, but walked away from the scene totally unscathed. The country road that I was travelling on was very well known to me as I used it daily travelling to work and home again and at weekends when I went out.
I was living rurally at the time in a hilly area and the road was winding down towards the township. There had been a lot of rain overnight which had caused a pothole to form in the road and I did not see the hole as I came around the bend. One wheel of the car hit the edge of the pothole which caused the car to spin. I found myself unable to right the car as it spun to the other side of the road facing the opposite direction and over on its side.
As the car was flying through the air, with anything loose in the car flying about as well, I heard myself shouting out, “God is my life, God is my life, I cannot be separated from God, my life.” When all the spinning was over I was able to climb out of a door and proceeded to walk home which was probably about a couple of miles away. Even this was taken care of, as at that time a neighbouring farmer and his wife came driving up the road and took me home.
My husband and I had then to do the calling of the police and arrange to get the car back on the road. I had been on my way to church at the time where I had a duty to perform. After ringing to make my apologies I decided that I may as well bake a cake which I had intended to do when I got home from church anyway.
There were no after-effects from this experience. In fact it did not occur to me that there could be until the next day at my place of work someone commented that at least I should have had a headache as the result of the incident. The protection was complete as I turned to the presence of my Father-Mother God as the source of my life. My subsequent car was the road hugger which I enjoyed driving for a good number of years.
All power unto our God is given, on Him we place reliance. (Hymn 10 – Christian Science Hymnal)
This recording is of the readings on the topic: My Shepherd is Beside Me, and Nothing Can I Lack, which formed part of the Testimony Meeting in Canberra. Citations were taken from the Bible (King James Version) and the textbook of Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.
The title of readings is taken from a line in hymn 148 from the Christian Science Hymnal:
Wherever He may guide me, / No want shall turn me back; / My Shepherd is beside me, / And nothing can I lack. / His wisdom ever waketh, / His sight is never dim; / He knows the way He taketh, / And I will walk with Him. / …
Bright skies will soon be o’er me, / Where darkest clouds have been. … / My Father has my treasure, / And He will walk with me.
If you are in Canberra on any Wednesday please join us at 6.15 pm – our Testimony Meetings are open to everyone. We are located on the corner of Macquarie and Bligh Streets, Barton in the ACT.
The Christian Science Church – a part of the Canberra community. Members share testimonies and talk about their lives as Christian Scientists.
This article, ‘Safe in God’s Care’, is by a member of the Christian Science Church in Canberra. In it the writer tells of protection from injury and a harmonious outcome after her car ran off the road.
God’s love and care are available to all mankind as man is God’s own child, whether that is accepted or not. As a Christian I study the Bible, and as a Christian Scientist I also study the textbook of Christian Science, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy, both on a daily basis.
Mankind have daily proofs of God’s care in many ways. Sometimes these proofs come as beautiful angel messages, or perhaps guidance to do or act differently. Other times they can be life-saving experiences.
Some years ago, I had a great need to reach out to God as I lost control of the car I was driving, and found myself spinning across the road with any loose items from my car flying round about me.
The road I was travelling on was very familiar to me – a curving slope in a rural area. Rain had caused a pot hole, which I did not see, to develop in the bitumen, and when the tyre of the car hit the hole the car spun around, rolled over and came to rest on the other side of the road facing in a different direction. The spinning probably only lasted moments, but in that time I remembered turning to God and shouting out, “God is my life”. I am not really sure if I shouted out verbally or in my thinking, but I do know that I was very vehement.
When the vehicle came to rest I was able to open the passengers door and climb out, entirely free from any damage or injury. The next car that came along was driven by some neighbours and they were able to take me home.
I continued to pray by affirming passages from Science and Health. One was about accidents and says, “Under divine Providence there can be no accidents, since there is no room for imperfection in perfection” (p 424: 9); and on page 207: 20 “There is but one primal cause, therefore there can be no effect from any other cause, and there can be no reality in aught which does not proceed from this great and only cause.”
There were no symptoms of shock or any other after effects, even though the car was written off by the insurance company.
How grateful I am to be able to share this experience and to give all glory to God.
To read more testimonies of healing shared by members of the Christian Science Church in Canberra click on the archive headings on the left for May, June and October 2016.
(Photo: Christian Science Church, Canberra from the air)
The Christian Science Church – a part of the Canberra community. Members share testimonies and talk about their lives as Christian Scientists.
My name is Jen and I am a member of the Christian Science Church in Canberra. I love learning about other people’s religions – I hope that some of you will love learning about mine.
Although Christian Science is very much based on what Jesus taught us, I often describe it to atheist and agnostic friends as a blend of Buddhism and Quantum Physics. This is because it has a focus on overcoming a material view of the world, and understanding God as a spiritual life force. It also presents us with a set of rules that we can use to understand God and His relation to man: spiritual laws that are the basis of reality.
So what does this mean for me, as a Christian Scientist? It means that I work every day to bring spirituality into my experience, and have seen healing as a result. I lived in Indonesia for a year and attracted a lot of attention as a fair-haired, blue-eyed foreigner. I developed anxiety during my time there due to the constant staring, catcalling and sexual harassment. When I came home to Australia, I struggled to shake the anxiety, which made me incredibly tense, neurotic and irritable. It took me a couple of years of prayer to overcome my anxiety: it was clear that I was safe, but I was facing mental suggestions that I should hold onto fear to protect myself.
I had the choice of turning to a powerful God who created me free of fear, to a God who made me feel unsafe and fearful, or to no God at all. I chose the first, as praying to know that I am the spiritual creation of a loving God has brought me healing in the past. I had a major light-bulb moment in this case when I realized that the opposite of anxiety is expecting good. I replaced thoughts of fear and anxiety with thoughts of safety and optimism, knowing that an All-Powerful God would always protect His creation. This allowed me to free my thought from fear, and I have felt relaxed and protected ever since.
This is a testimony of how I understand God and myself, and also of how I use Christian Science prayer in facing the challenges in my life. I use the laws that Jesus taught us to overcome limited views of myself, and rid myself of fear in living a peaceful life.
The Christian Science Church – a part of the Canberra community. Members share testimonies and talk about their lives as Christian Scientists.
This article, A Quick Healing of a Turned Ankle, is by Julie who is a member of the Christian Science Church in Canberra. She describes how she prayed when she sprained her ankle at work.
I work in a large, busy primary school. The week before last while rushing around in the morning organising relief staff for the day at school I rolled my ankle. Immediately I held firmly to the idea that God is always in control and that He loves me and protects me; that I was actually safe in His care. I went about my day joyously running between classrooms working with teachers and students.
However, by mid-afternoon I realised that I couldn’t walk. My ankle was swollen and throbbing. I felt that I couldn’t think. My colleagues became very concerned for me and wanted to take me to the hospital. I told them I was fine. I held to what the Bible tells me about man in the first chapter of Genesis: that I was made in the image and likeness of God – even though in the human sense I was in excruciating pain. I had to attend professional learning that afternoon so my colleagues lovingly drove me to and from the workshop. Things were so busy all afternoon I felt overwhelmed and couldn’t find any quiet time just to listen to my beloved Mother-Father God.
I arrived home after 7pm. Friends called and insisted that I elevate my ankle and apply ice. I lovingly told them that I would do so to alleviate their fears. I knew that I just wanted to have time alone. While having a hot shower I was earnestly praying to God and I realised that God’s love was law and it would adjust any inharmonious situation. I knew I had to be joyous. With that instant thought I walked out of the shower knowing all was well. I felt joy just bubbling out of me as I knew I was walking normally.
I arrived at school the next day just after 7am to begin yet another busy day. My colleagues, one by one throughout the day, approached me see how I was. They were amazed that I was about my usual busyness. They couldn’t believe I was running, skipping and walking everywhere across the school. They wanted to know what happened. I told them I just needed to pray. Some looked at me oddly. I said that I hadn’t been to a doctor for over 20 years. I just prayed when any health issues arose in my life. Furthermore, when any challenge ever arises in my human experience I just pray to God. I frequently ring a practitioner and they support me with prayer until there is harmony.
The Christian Science Church – a part of the Canberra community. Members share testimonies and talk about their lives as Christian Scientists.
This article, Gratitude for Protection, is shared by Barbara who is a member of the Christian Science Church in Canberra. In it she describes her introduction to Christian Science and a significant instance of protection during a bush fire.
Recently I read a verse from the Bible which I will quote in part, “Whatsoever things are of good report; … think on these things” (Phil 4:8). This verse reminded me of how much good I have to be grateful for in my life. I have come to recognize that our Creator, God, (ever present good) is the one and only source of all harmony for all of His children.
Many years ago I became interested in these teachings through witnessing a remarkable healing which my mother had. At this time, she was suffering from a nervous break-down with strong suicidal tendencies. She herself had heard of Christian Science through her brother who had been healed of a broken neck, and was leading a normal life. She sought the help of a Christian Science practitioner, one who prays, as Jesus did, for the recovery of the sick, or of any inharmony in one’s life.
Gradually literature such as the Christian Science Sentinel and Journal began to appear in the home, as well as the textbook. At first I started to read these, wondering if I could help my mother, and to find out what it was that she was studying. I was so taken by the logic of what I read, that I could not stop reading. This was my introduction to the teachings of Christian Science, and since then I have had daily proof of the omnipotence and omnipresence of God, good.
Apart from daily blessings there have been potentially life threatening experiences where the acknowledgement of God’s law of harmony has saved me and others from grim situations.
One such situation which I would like to share with you is being protected in a bush fire. My husband and I were living rurally at the time, and there were out breaks of fire in the district in a number of places. On this particular day the fire was roaring up from the gully towards several properties and fanned by a wind that seems to drive the fire forward.
The usual precautions had been taken to protect the house, like the grass being cut short around the home, gutters filled with water and buckets of water in place. The only water available was precious tank water. The rural fire brigade must have been elsewhere attending to other fires, and the fire fighters on our property had only wet bags on the ends of long handles to beat the flames as they engulfed the bush and the grass.
The picture was so overwhelming that I did not seem to be able to get a thought that would calm me, and I well knew that it had to be a message from God. I felt like a little child, and the prayer for little children written by Mary Baker Eddy, which I had taught to my children rescued me. It says “Father, Mother, God, loving me, Guard me when I sleep, Guide my little feet up to Thee.” What I got from that was a trust in God that He would guard and guide and all would be well.
Almost immediately we had people as it seemed, just come from everywhere, to assist. Our house and the fire were a goodly distance from the main road, but people just came down the house road with all manner of helpful things. One man came in a small utility truck with a tank on the back full of liquid which he sprayed from a pump. We later found that it was an insecticide, but it helped douse the flames. Others came just as they saw the smoke from the main road. Another man who lived further along the road eventually left us to go and check out his own property, and there were others, and more stories.
Both properties closest to the fire were saved, and of course those further up the hill were also out of danger. There was no loss of life in the vicinity, praise be to God. To me, this is indeed “good report”, and I love to “think on these things”.
Never Alone – Readings from the Bible and the textbook of Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
(Psalms 139: 7-10)
Every Wednesday at 6.15 pm a Testimony Meeting is held at the Christian Science Church in Canberra. Each meeting begins with readings selected from the two books designated as the Pastor of Christian Science: The Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scripturesby Mary Baker Eddy. A new topic for the readings is selected each week.
At the conclusion of the short readings the congregation is invited to share thoughts on this topic and relate how they have used the principles of Christian Science to solve life’s problems and bring physical healing.
If you are in Canberra on any Wednesday please join us. Everyone is welcome.
This recording represents the readings on the topic:Never Alone.
The Psalm of Love … Psalm 23 – Readings from the Bible and the textbook of Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy that were inspired by the 23rd Psalm.
Every Wednesday at 6.15 pm a Testimony Meeting is held at the Christian Science Church in Canberra. Each meeting begins with readings selected from the two books designated as the Pastor of Christian Science: The Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scripturesby Mary Baker Eddy A new topic for the readings is selected each week.
At the conclusion of the short readings the congregation is invited to share thoughts on this topic and relate how they have used the principles of Christian Science to solve life’s problems and bring physical healing.
If you are in Canberra on any Wednesday please join us. Everyone is welcome.
This recording represents the readings on the topic: The Psalm of Love … Psalm 23.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
This recording is of the readings on the topic: My Shepherd is Beside Me, and Nothing Can I Lack, which formed part of the Testimony Meeting in Canberra. Citations were taken from the Bible (King James Version) and the textbook of Christian Science, 
The Christian Science Church – a part of the Canberra community. Members share testimonies and talk about their lives as Christian Scientists. 
My name is Jen and I am a member of the Christian Science Church in Canberra. I love learning about other people’s religions – I hope that some of you will love learning about mine.
This article, A Quick Healing of a Turned Ankle, is by Julie who is a member of the Christian Science Church in Canberra. She describes how she prayed when she sprained her ankle at work.
This article, Gratitude for Protection, is shared by Barbara who is a member of the Christian Science Church in Canberra. In it she describes her introduction to Christian Science and a significant instance of protection during a bush fire.
Christian Science Canberra 