Living Church February 9, 2026 Issue

Healed during church service

Mary Bothwell

One Sunday morning, I began praying, as I usually do, for that morning’s service at the branch Church of Christ, Scientist, where I am a member. Frankly, I didn’t want to go to church that morning. I was in a funk and didn’t want to interact with people. It would have been much easier to be a silent, remote listener than an in-person participant.

Over the years, however, I’ve learned that one of the reasons to attend church in person is to heal and be healed. Not that one can’t experience healing as a remote participant, but being physically present helps me see what needs to be healed and builds a stronger sense of community with the other congregants.

I have had many instances of healing during church services and am grateful for the Church Manual guidance that “the prayers in Christian Science churches shall be offered for the congregations collectively and exclusively” (Mary Baker Eddy, p. 42). Even if a problem isn’t completely healed during a service, I gain spiritual insights from the Sunday Bible Lesson-Sermon found in the Christian Science Quarterly and from the readings and experiences shared during Wednesday testimony meetings—insights that propel me toward quick healing. Obviously, that morning, my “funk” needed to be overcome so I could enjoy the benefits of the church service.