The members of the Christian Science community in Canberra share their experiences and thoughts on Christian Science:
About two weeks ago, along with others around the world I watched on TV the fall of Kabul and the urgent rush for people to get on a plane out of Afghanistan. The scenes were horrific and prompted me to pray about the presence of Love and order operating right there, even though it only looked like chaos.
A couple of days after I was prompted to pray this way, on Monday 16th August, I received a text message from a friend of one of my daughters. She knew I was a Christian Science practitioner and she asked me if I could pray for the safety of the wife and baby daughter of a good friend of hers. The friend worked for the Australian government and was in Canberra but his wife and daughter were in Kabul, in all the mayhem, trying to get out on a Defence plane.
I texted back immediately reminding her and her friend that Allah, being another word for I AM or God, was with the little family and I would pray to see evidence of this. I also assured my friend that she had the spiritual capacity to recognise God’s protective love and we could catch a glimpse of this together.
Later the same day, they received an email from the Australian Government saying that the application for citizenship had been escalated and steps were being taken in Kabul to forward the administration. I knew that ‘red tape’ didn’t have more power than the divine law of good.
The next contact was two days later, to tell me that the little family had been told by government to wait at home till instructed to go to the airport. This was a period of quiet trust in God and hope that safe passage to the airport was being organised. My friend texted me “divine law is operating despite appearances” – I was thrilled to see this tone of her thought.
A few days later a text came at 2:30 am to tell me that the mother and baby were safely inside the airport. As I lay in bed I thought further about the safety of the mother and child and the tender care God was taking of all His creation. Even in the best of circumstances I’ve flown long flights with babies and young children and it can be challenging. Seeing the images of those fleeing Afghanistan crushed into defence planes, I prayed specifically for the baby to feel at peace. Later that morning another text came to say they were on the plane and close to landing in Dubai. I shared with my friend a Bible verse I often use when travelling: “Behold I send an angel before you to keep you in the way’ (Exodus 23:20). We were gratefully watching this promise from God being fulfilled.
The next text told of how the mother and child had had a couple of nights at a military base in Dubai. Accompanying this message was a photo of the smiling baby girl in a little pink dress, looking very much at peace. Next they let me know they were in Melbourne in quarantine and the friend of my friend, who had sparked this prayer journey a week earlier, was on his way from Canberra to meet up with his wife and child. He had official permission to be with them during their COVID quarantine period.
When the request came to pray for someone trying to escape from Kabul under those chaotic circumstances, I was grateful that Principle, the law of Love, was powerful enough to respond. Once I started giving focussed prayer to the danger as the Taliban took over, I felt the power of prayer from around the world. There was a palpable sense of God being on the field. These last couple of weeks have brought into focus for me a little more of what Mary Baker Eddy hoped for Christian Scientists:
“During this final conflict, wicked minds will endeavor to find means by which to accomplish more evil; but those who discern Christian Science will hold crime in check. They will aid in the ejection of error. They will maintain law and order, and cheerfully await the certainty of ultimate perfection.” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy p96:31)
With humility and gratitude I’m glad I could contribute to some modest ‘aid’ and I “cheerfully await the certainty of ultimate perfection”. There is so much to be grateful for, as bit by bit I learn of the joy and relief of those involved in this escape from danger.
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.
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)
The Christian Science Church – a part of the Canberra community. Members share testimonies and talk about their lives as Christian Scientists.
This article, Needs Met, is by Mary who is a member of the Christian Science Church in Canberra. She describes how a change of thinking to a more spiritual perspective saw finance problems solved and employment found.
We lived in Germany for almost a year and during this time neither my husband or I was allowed to work there because we did not have the necessary permission. Our funds had been used up on rent and living expenses. Three of our six children were apprentices and the other three were at school. Things were very tight and our need was great.
One morning my husband asked me to look for a document in a cupboard where we kept all our paper work. I was not looking forward to this task because there was so much paper in this cupboard. Then the thought struck me that there must be a reason for this, and who knows perhaps I will find something else in the cupboard. This was time to put into practice what I have learnt in Christian Science.
My thought turned to a passage in Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy (p180: 25): “When man is governed by God, the ever-present Mind who understands all things, man knows that with God all things are possible”. This made me sit back and take notice. Here I was resenting the thought that I had to unpack the cupboard I kept the thought that “with God all things are possible” while I unpacked the cupboard. Suddenly, there was my wallet which I had not used since flying to Germany. I opened the back flap, and to my delight I found A$2000 of travellers’ cheques. I could not stop thanking God for His guidance and love for his children. I also found the document my husband was looking for.
The same afternoon I went to the bank to change the cheques and we could pay our rent and buy what we needed for the rest of the month.
Within two weeks both my husband and I found work and got our permissions to work in Germany.
How grateful I am for Christian Science and Mary Baker Eddy for giving us this practical and demonstrable religion.
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 and June 2016.
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.
Not Limiting God – Readings from the Bible and the textbook of Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.
When man is governed by God, the ever-present Mind who understands all things, man knows that with God all things are possible (Science and Health p180).
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:Not Limiting God.
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.
Here in Canberra winter is now upon us. The yellow and gold trees have given way to bare branches and we have already had our first frosty mornings.
Many of us who have lived in Canberra for a while have come to love this climate and its four distinct seasons. With each there are certain expectations: the regenerating bloom of the spring heralded by the brilliance of the wattle; the long dry heat of the summer and trips to the coast; the vivid colours of the autumn and the swirling brown leaves.
The crispness of winter, the clear blue skies and trips to the snow are often accompanied by calls to be wary of colds and flu. TV commercials remind us of the available remedies and we are sometimes tempted to wonder whether we will ‘go down’ with something this year, or will we be lucky?
Nowadays there is a strong body of evidence that attests to the influence of one’s thought on health. For over 100 years now we have been aware of the placebo effect: the apparent strong positive effect of sugar pills and non-medicated treatments on patients who believed them to be remedial agents. These experiments alone must ask us to question the nature of the effect of thought on the body. To question how the quality of our consciousness and our belief systems can affect our wellbeing? There is also growing evidence to suggest that spirituality, our natural attraction to the good and the true, has a positive impact on physical resilience and recuperation.
About 150 years ago Mary Baker Eddy investigated this link between spirituality and health. Her experiments and study culminated in her textbook: Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. In it she states (p208): Mind, not matter, is causation. A material body only expresses a material and mortal mind. … You embrace your body in your thought, and you should delineate upon it thoughts of health, not of sickness.
She goes on to say (p392): The physical affirmation of disease should always be met with the mental negation. Whatever benefit is produced on the body, must be expressed mentally, and thought should be held fast to this ideal. If you believe in inflamed and weak nerves, you are liable to an attack from that source. … If you decide that climate or atmosphere is unhealthy, it will be so to you. Your decisions will master you, whichever direction they take.
Reverse the case. Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will control yourself harmoniously. When the condition is present which you say induces disease, whether it be air, exercise, heredity, contagion, or accident, then perform your office as porter and shut out these unhealthy thoughts and fears. Exclude from mortal mind the offending errors; then the body cannot suffer from them. The issues of pain or pleasure must come through mind, and like a watchman forsaking his post, we admit the intruding belief, forgetting that through divine help we can forbid this entrance.
Let’s determine this winter to hold thought to the higher qualities of Truth and Love, of wholeness and harmony and turn away from contemplation of disease, and so build our spiritual immunity.
This article was contributed by Deborah Packer of Canberra.
To purchase a copy of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy click here.
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.
Christian Science Canberra 