Article January 2, 2006 Issue

A feeling of fellowship

BY BEVERLY GOLDSMITH

They wanted to learn more about Christian Science healing. So I invited the two women to attend church with me and my husband. For several Sundays we would meet them in the foyer and sit with them during the service. Afterward, we would speak briefly, then go our separate ways for another week. From my perspective, it all seemed to be going well.

Then, one Sunday, the women asked if this was all there was to church—just "hi" and "bye." They'd thought there would be more.

Their question surprised me. What "more" had they been expecting? As I drove home from church that day, I looked back over my 45 years of church attendance. There had been a lot of just saying hello and goodbye on Sundays, and it had never bothered me. Then I realized something. I had always attended church with close relatives. We'd supported each other's interest in Christian Science, and had nurtured our relationship by spending time together. That love for each other and regular fellowship had certainly enhanced my church experience. I'd never felt alone.