Church Alive April 9, 2012 Issue

The following was written in support of Church Alive, a focus of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, that explores the meaning and possibilities of awakening to the spiritual basis and impact of Church.

Church-related healings

Sarah Gall, Susan Sherwood, Charlene Anne Miller

A few years ago when I was serving as First Reader, I began to feel very ill during a Wednesday testimony meeting and had to lean on the lectern for support. I listened earnestly to what I was reading and managed to keep going, but when it was time to announce silent prayer and the Lord’s Prayer, I thought I would have to stand down and let someone else take over. Then, I remembered something I’d read in the Church Manual: “The prayers in Christian Science churches shall be offered for the congregations collectively and exclusively” (Article VIII, Sect. 5, p. 42). I thought about how the prayers are for everyone here, including me. During silent prayer, I acknowledged that the whole church was full of prayers that were for me and the congregation. By the time we had finished saying the Lord’s Prayer together, I was completely well.

Sarah Gall — Godalming, Surrey, United Kingdom

One Wednesday, I went to the noon testimony meeting at The Mother Church. As I sat down in a pew, I began to get a headache and thought, “Oh no, not a headache.” The first citation from the readings was Isaiah 26:3: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Right away, I stopped focusing on how much my head was hurting, and started focusing on God and His love for me. It was like going from darkness to light. The promise that I would experience peace by focusing my thought on God, the one Mind, was something that I could trust because it was God’s promise to me. It was like my thought went from dread to trust. In that same moment the headache was gone, and I enjoyed the church service.

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