Ten or twelve years ago, a group of guys from the local Church of Christ, Scientist, would get together on Saturday mornings to play basketball. I enjoyed these games but after a month or two began experiencing back pain. At the time, I wasn’t alert to the mental suggestion of physical limitation and aches and pains; I just figured the discomfort would go away as I got in better basketball shape. In other words, I didn’t challenge what the physical senses were reporting by praying to recognize what was spiritually true.

The pain didn’t go away. It got progressively worse until it became difficult for me to walk or to stand up straight. This went on for weeks. At a certain point I just wanted to be free to walk. I distinctly recall thinking that if Christian Science could heal this, then it would truly be proof of the healing power of prayer, because the mere passage of time certainly wasn’t improving things! 

I then called a Christian Science practitioner, whose calm sense of dominion banished my fear. He agreed to give me Christian Science treatment and also gave me a selection of readings from the Bible and Mary Baker Eddy’s writings to study.