Article April 27, 1946 Issue

The Healing Value of Our Church Manual

ZEMMA L. DOBSON

The protection that comes with obedience to the Manual of The Mother Church by Mary Baker Eddy is the priceless heritage of every sincere student of Christian Science. On a flyleaf of this book is an extract from a letter appearing in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 148) in which our Leader tells us in simple but forceful words why study of and obedience to the Manual are necessary for individual progress in Christian Science. The practitioner who obeys the Manual and consults it often is helped in his healing work.

One afternoon a practitioner in a large eastern city returned from lunch to find a woman who obviously was quite ill waiting for him. After some silent work had been done, the difficulty came to light, for the patient related that a change in the plans of her employers made it seem impossible for her to attend her association meeting, which was to be held in a Midwestern city. She had planned to attend the meeting on the way east from her home in the Southwest. This plan, however, had been changed by instruction which had come telling her to make the trip east a week earlier than planned, and to represent her firm at meetings which were to be held the day preceding the association meeting and the week following. The only possible way to comply with her employer's request and to make the long trip to her association meeting and return over the week end was to fly to the meeting, and the difficulty in securing reservations with the uncertainties resulting from priorities had worried her and resulted in illness.

All question regarding her duty was instantly silenced as the practitioner, reaching for his Manual, answered with conviction: "Oh, yes, you can go if it is God's will for you to do so. Here is your authority." The patient arose, and returning to the hotel found that the plane reservation which she had previously requested, had been secured. She joyfully proceeded with plans to go, although she had not been able to get return transportation. She knew that the same law which provided for her going would also take care of the return.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

The Childlike Grasp of Truth