The Thanksgiving Service in Berlin

E. P. R.

Just a year ago Thanksgiving Day, we held our first service in the comfortable rooms which we now occupy, and only those who have had a similar experience can understand our satisfaction and happiness in the manifestation of harmony which has been brought out by loving hearts and willing hands. Practically the entire demonstration was made in about two weeks; and as we sat down to our first Thanksgiving feast, as contained in the beautiful lesson provided for the day, it was with hearts overflowing with gratitude and love. Nothing, it seemed, could be more beautiful, and yet this year, being able to receive more, we have had more. Instead of the one service in English, we have had two meetings, one in German on Wednesday evening, and our English one on Thursday morning. Never before has it been so fully revealed to us that with one Father,—One Mind,—there can be no division of thought, only one great brotherhood, one kingdom, one language,—the language of Spirit.

I am sure that the depth of gratitude expressed for the knowledge of Truth would have gladdened the heart of our beloved Leader, Mrs. Eddy, through whom all this joy and gladness has come to us.

The German meeting was the largest ever held in our present quarters. The time given for testimonies was opened with a brief explanation of the origin of Thanksgiving Day, and its present application to all those interested in Christian Science, without regard to land or speech. During the following sixteen minutes fourteen people gave testimonies. One told of gratitude for victory over fear and the depression and unhappiness which fear always brings. Another, who only heard of Christian Science a few weeks ago, but who is now a regular attendant at our meetings and a subscriber to Der Christian Science Herold, gave thanks for the blessing of having her Bible made plain to her, and questions answered which all her life have caused her disquietude and sorrow.

A man spoke of the difference in his home-life since Christian Science came into it, saying that now harmony and brightness had taken the place of sickness and discord, and that he could not be grateful enough for that change and for the weekly meetings which were so full of help and comfort for all present. Another man rose to give thanks that because of Christian Science his mother is today living, a strong, well woman. He added that perhaps his deepest sense of gratitude on this particular evening was for the fact that we now had authorized Christian Science literature in German, and that the Herold was so ably fulfilling its mission for Truth. A lady said that above all else she was thankful that Christian Science had been brought to Germany, and that so many were seeing its beauty and power. Another warmly endorsed that thought, for she had first heard of Christian Science here, and was very grateful for the help that it had been to her in her special work,—music. Others told of healing from throat trouble (the escape from an operation which had been pronounced absolutely necessary), healing of life-long difficulty with eyes, the healing of pneumonia, nervous headaches, and numerous other difficulties, chief among them being the claims of sorrow and sin.

The English service was equally interesting and earnest, and there were about the same number of testimonies. Thanks were given for our revised Science and Health, for the Concordance, Manual, and the publications of our Publishing Society; for the great blessing which has come through our last Communion season in Boston, and for many physical healings.

One said that she was unspeakably grateful for Christian Science, for it had taught her that she had a right to be happy, something which she never had been until she found Science. Now when it seemed as if she were not progressing as she should, she could always find encouragement in the thought of what she had been, and the contrast with the present manifestation helped her to persevere with fresh hope. Another told how her household was preserved from ill effects when poisoned food had been unwittingly eaten, through an understanding of the promise, "and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them."

In this meeting, as in the one of Wednesday evening, the giving of thanks was about equally divided between our German and English speaking brothers and sisters. All mentioned the Herold with deepest appreciation, and expressed loving gratitude to God and to our beloved Leader, Mrs. Eddy, for this blessed truth, which is daily proving to us that "Now are we the sons of God."

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