Church Alive August 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.

Gratitude and giving back

Will Radford

When I was 12 years old, I found myself taking a great interest in Christian Science. I used to ride my bike to the local Christian Science Reading Room, where the librarian showed me how to read the Christian Science Bible Lesson. I also spent time reading from the bound volumes of periodicals (The Christian Science Journal and Sentinel) and from Mary Baker Eddy’s writings.

The more I read, the more I felt that what I was reading made perfect sense to me. It just “felt right,” like learning how to play a musical instrument feels right when you begin to make progress with it. I noticed that every now and then my whole body would shake for just a moment or two while I was reading. At some point, I found a passage in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures where Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “If the reader of this book observes a great stir throughout his whole system, and certain moral and physical symptoms seem aggravated, these indications are favorable. Continue to read, and the book will become the physician, allaying the tremor which Truth often brings to error when destroying it” (p. 422). This comforted me, and I certainly did “continue to read” and found those little tremors subsiding.

It just felt so fulfilling to be letting my actions speak louder than my words.