Church Alive February 20, 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.

Love is all around

Adeleen Brown

Before moving to Bloomington, Indiana, last year for graduate school, I had made contact with a member of a local Christian Science church over the summer and had made plans to catch a ride to church one Sunday. Once I arrived, I remember feeling immediate love from everyone I met. Many volunteered to say that they could give me rides to church, and I felt surrounded by love.

Through church, I met other Christian Scientist students at Indiana University and we decided to meet as an informal Christian Science Organization (CSO). Recently, we transformed this loving informal group into an official CSO at the IU-Bloomington campus. So between the now-formal CSO and the church, love simply abounded all around!

I remember feeling lots of love, especially in knowing that two members of the church were going out of their way to come to see me.

All of this new spiritual growth and my understanding of the definition of Church (see Science and Health, p. 583) led to a healing. One week, I experienced trouble swallowing as a result of some food that was stuck in my throat. After 15 minutes there was no change, and so I called my mom, who then called a Christian Science practitioner. Both called me back to share ideas and to support me. Then my mom had the idea to try to call some members of the Bloomington church to come over to pray with me. She was able to reach a member, who was able to catch a ride with another member. After 30 minutes, they came to my apartment. Before they arrived, I was working with the idea that “muscles are not self-acting” (Science and Health, p. 199) and that divine Love, God, created and loves us, so there was no way material parts of the body could appear to act on their own and trouble me. I remember feeling lots of love, especially in knowing that two members of the Bloomington church were going out of their way to come to see and support me.

When they arrived at my apartment, I felt the food go down immediately and I could swallow! I told them both what had just happened and they rejoiced. I invited them into the apartment and we shared some more healing ideas.

Two weeks later, I gave a testimony at a Wednesday night church service where I expressed my immense gratitude for the love expressed by all the members of the church since my arrival a year ago and for the love expressed by those two members during that recent healing. I’m so grateful for the support and love that abounds in church. I have really come to realize the healing power of God, Love, and the spiritual notion of Church. Love is all around and the concept of Church is with us wherever we are!

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NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
How I Found Christian Science
Jesus' teaching and practice have returned!
February 20, 2012
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