Church Alive February 6, 2012 Issue

The following was written in support of Church Alive, a focus of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, that explores the meaning and possibilities of awakening to the spiritual basis and impact of Church.  

A deeper understanding of Church brings healing

By Joan Mikkelsen

As I was praying one day about church and Christian Science’s role in the world, I came across this passage from Leviticus: “And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people” (26:12). I had read this verse many times before, but because I was now looking for ideas that would help me to better pray for the world, it stood out to me and caught my attention. I started thinking that I could take Church—“the structure of Truth and Love”—with me everywhere. So I began to pray many times during the day with the whole definition of Church from Science and Health (see p. 583).

I also prayed to understand more deeply the passages in the chapter “Footsteps of Truth” in Science and Health where Mary Baker Eddy talks about how slavery was abolished in the United States. She says that “God has built a higher platform of human rights, and He has built it on diviner claims” (Science and Health, p. 226). As I continued to read, I thought about how “the utterance of truth is designed to rebuke and destroy error” (Science and Health, p. 233). By taking Church with me everywhere, I realized that Christian Science would reach everyone I came in contact with.

After a few weeks of prayer focused on the definition of Church, I began to have physical healings. My thought was lifted away from myself and out to God’s whole creation. I felt I was able to prove that “the Church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility . . . ,” and I could be a part of “elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding . . .” (Science and Health, p. 583). I held to the idea that if my own material beliefs could be replaced by the apprehension of spiritual ideas, that this would also bring healing to troubled areas in the world. This work certainly has lifted up my view of humanity and of myself. It has allowed me to see Christ more actively at work in the world.