Church Alive April 2, 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.

Praying for others lifts burdens

Suzanne Riedel

One Wednesday night when my husband came home late from work, he offered to take care of all five of our little children, including our small infant, so I could go to a church testimony meeting. I decided to go, but I was feeling overwhelmed with burdens and responsibilities. Before I left, I opened the Christian Science Hymnal, through tears, to the words:

Is thy burden hard and heavy?
Do thy steps drag wearily?
Help to bear thy brother’s burden,
God will bear both it and thee.
(No. 360)

That message seemed very directly related to how I was feeling, but I didn’t want more burden! As I drove the 30 minutes to church from our ranch, I prayed, with an edge, “OK, God, who else’s burden do You want me to bear?” Immediately, the words came to my thought: the Christian Science Board of Directors. At that early point in my practice of Christian Science, I didn’t even know who these directors were! The answer was absolutely out of the blue, but I knew it was God’s message.

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