Article January 31, 1983 Issue

Work? What kind of work?

PAUL BROCK

A person unfamiliar with Christian Science, after attending a Wednesday evening testimony meeting, asked his friend (who was a church member), "What did that woman mean when she said she 'did some work' about a physical condition?" His friend replied that the word "work" illustrates a major difference between Christian Science treatment and many material methods. For example, he pointed out, when a person is ill and seeks medical help, he goes to a doctor and submits his body for examination, diagnosis, tests; he then relies on the doctor's conclusions, follows his directions, and waits for the body to improve. The doctor, drug, diet, or medical method is supposed to do the work of curing the trouble.

Contrariwise, when a person seeks treatment from a Christian Science practitioner, he may outline the problem to the practitioner. But then both practitioner and patient work together to apply spiritual law, the law of God, or good, as set forth in the Bible and elaborated in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy. This form of treatment, or prayer, offers a great additional reward: it strengthens the patient mentally and morally, as well as physically, increasing his spiritual understanding so that he comes out of the experience not only healed but also less vulnerable to sickness or sin than he was before. And Christian Science treatment is the worship of God. Every instance of spiritual healing glorifies the Father and reveals the redemptive power of His Christ.

Before becoming a student of Christian Science, I had been a victim of periodic attacks of acute indigestion, which left me weak for hours. Treatment in Science showed me how I could resist these attacks by knowing God's all-power; ward them off by trusting in Christ, Truth, and spiritualizing my thoughts; and finally be free from the attacks altogether. In a similar way, heart trouble was permanently overcome.

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