Article July 23, 1990 Issue

Church: a warm welcome awaits you!

Written for the Sentinel

I had been in Christian Science for many years and had relied on it completely for healing all my problems—physical, human relations, emotional, social—you name it. Suddenly I was faced with extreme mental and verbal harassment and persecution at my job. I was devastated and overwhelmed to the point that I was constantly teary-eyed and very depressed. My study and prayers seemed to have little effect, although I tried my best to cling to at least one healing thought in each week's Bible Lesson from the Christian Science Quarterly.

I felt that some of my Christian Scientist friends didn't understand what I was experiencing daily, even though they did their best under the circumstances to try to help me. The pressure mounted as several of my friends who were not Christian Scientists suggested I have psychological counseling or therapy and join a support group to help me sort out my problems and find a sense of peace. These friends suggested I ask myself if my religion was really meeting my needs, because they felt sure it wasn't.

My church attendance became irregular, and when I did attend, I came late and left early. Frequently I would burst into tears in church, particularly when someone would say I had been missed and it was good to see me at church. This really embarrassed me, so I just stopped attending church. No matter where I was when I ran into friends, tears would stream down my face. I was actually considering making an appointment to see a psychologist or counselor.

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July 23, 1990
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