CHURCH LIVES November 22, 2004 ISSUE

The satisfaction of giving back

By Fran Turetsky—Santa Rosa,—California

I was raised in the religion that was part of my ethnic heritage, but eventually I realized that this faith was not meeting my spiritual needs. I felt left out and unwelcome when I went to religious services. Our home was not peaceful because of my parents' unhappy marriage. There was constant fighting and arguing. In order to alleviate my depression, I began taking tranquilizers and making regular visits to a psychiatrist.

In 1968, I heard the words Christian Science spoken for the first time. In a casual conversation, the mother of one of my elementary school students mentioned to me that her children were enrolled in a Christian Science Sunday School. It was a period of my life when I was looking for a new religion. I was tired of a materialistic life and of taking medicine. And I was impressed by how very caring, with-it, and alive this family was. So I decided to visit a Christian Science church service. I felt warmly welcomed and loved there. I attended those services regularly and made wonderful new friends, some of whom are still my friends today. I threw away all the tranquilizers, stopped seeing a psychiatrist, and became a member of The Mother Church and that branch church.

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