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:
Recently I experienced all the symptoms of a heavy head cold. It just seemed to sneak up on me as the day progressed.
I was fairly determined to not give in to this feeling and I accomplished all I needed to during the day but by the evening I felt physically overwhelmed by the symptoms and the unwell feeling. However, during the day I had been reminding myself that my true nature was spiritual – the image and likeness of God, as the Bible tell us (Genesis 1: 26, 27) and if God didn’t have a cold then really nor could I. Although I didn’t feel well I didn’t feel beaten by this situation. My mental well-being still felt very intact.
In the evening as I didn’t feel capable of doing anything physical, I curled up in my favourite chair and decided to listen to the Wednesday Testimony Meeting readings on the phone. They were perfect for me! The topic was spiritual healing and I became engrossed in the words and the message – a message that reminded me that I could mentally stand up to claims of ill-health. The readings assured me that matter couldn’t make conditions for me because Mind was the only cause. At the end of the readings I felt calm and forgot to think much about the cold situation.
That night I slept through peacefully and woke in the morning 100% well. There was not a single trace of the condition. Later that next day my husband and I took the dog on a long walk and we jogged much of the way. I kept up easily and pulled up after each jog without any puffing. I felt more energised than I had in a long time.
For this and all the other healings I have experienced through relying on the truths taught in Christian Science I am truly grateful. Armed with this understanding I approach each day with confidence and joy.
A recording of the readings mentioned above are posted on this blog below under the heading, Spiritual Healing – Past and Present.
Christian Science Canberra 