Independent Christian Science articles

Make Room for God in Your Heart

by

I was greatly touched recently by a song that I wasn’t familiar with, called, “Make Room for God in your Heart.” One of the verses was, “Is there room in your heart for God to write His story, and trade your dreams for His glory?” The song kept asking that question, is there room in your heart?

I thought that any growth I’ve had in Science has been because I needed to make room in my heart for Christ to come. We all need to change our dreams, our willful planning, or our sense of what life is, to God’s will in our lives, and the true divine spiritual sense of what life is.

Even in the beginning, if you only think you have maybe just a little room in your heart, as you grow and take in those truths, you find that your heart just expands more and more, and soon that Love of God is just flooding through you, and you have made room in your heart for Him. All those past material dreams are now all for His Glory.

I read something so lovely recently about Handel, who wrote the beautiful Messiah, that so many of us listen to at this time of year. He wrote it in a very short time, and it was absolutely divine inspiration. He said it just came through him. He was given these beautiful verses to write music to. He said he wept when he wrote the “Hallelujah” Chorus, because he felt as if he’d seen the face of God, and then had experienced a touch of heaven with that beautiful music. Handel’s Messiah has gone out to reach so many people. Even people who have never believed in God and when they hear that holy music and those sacred words, find it is so uplifting and powerful. When Handel was praised for what he did, he said, “to God I give all the glory.” It is such a beautiful story.

We are all here to make room for God in our hearts. There couldn’t be a more glorious purpose!

Courage and Kindness

by

Courage and Kindness by Mary Beth Singleterry Kindness is an important quality of God. A few years ago there was a British production of the story of Cinderella. It wasn’t in cartoon form, it was live, with real actors. It was very beautifully done. It transcended just the fairytale story to something much more substantial.

In this production, the mother, the real mother of Cinderella, would tell her as a child to always remember to have courage and to be kind.

That left quite an impression on this little girl, and those two qualities of God — courage and kindness — kept Cinderella safe during such a difficult time with her stepmother and stepsisters. And because she was faithful to that — despite abusive behavior toward her — she was lifted out of that situation into something quite wonderful, as you know the story. This production gave a richer and deeper meaning, and I think of it often in my own life — to have courage, and to be kind.

The definition of kindness is “the disposition which delights in contributing to the happiness of others.” Kindness ever accompanies love. How true that is. What a wonderful quality kindness is and how it certainly would heal so many of the troubles we seem to have these days. So have courage and be kind. All good is possible, because in doing that you are reflecting your Father-Mother God.

The Sword of Spirit

by

I remember the first time I read the article from Miscellaneous Writings by Mrs. Eddy, “Put up Thy Sword.” I had been raised in Science most of my life, but I had never read Prose Works and never read that article. I remember being dumbfounded; I couldn’t believe it. I thought I was supposed to be peaceful all the time. As a child my favorite beatitude was “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matt. 5:9) So I always worked at trying to be very peaceful. As some people say, how did that work for you? Well, it didn’t work for me. I wasn’t being honest in addressing any situation. I would often stifle what I felt and what I thought.

When I read this I realized that yes, as Christian Scientists we do have to carry a sword, the sword of Spirit, the sword of Truth; and as this article explains, it’s the sword that cuts off the head of false beliefs. The false beliefs are things we think to be true; but because they are not of God, they are not true! Of course, we have to carry this sword.

I love it where Mrs. Eddy says, “My students are at the beginning of their demonstration; they have a long warfare with error in themselves and in others to finish, and they must at this stage use the sword of Spirit. They cannot in the beginning take the attitude, nor adopt the words, that Jesus used at the end of his demonstration.” (Mis. page 215)

Once learning that lesson, I began to realize that peace is earned, and it’s earned by raising that sword and sometimes maybe raising a little ruckus, doing whatever we need to do to correct the situation with the truth. But it is always done with the motive of love, to bless and to heal. With that motive it does bless and heal, and the situation changes, and true healing takes place. Also, true peace takes place, the real peace, “the peace that passeth all understanding.” (Phil. 4:7) That peace is an amazing, wonderful part of Christian Science that we all can experience.

Disease Will Diminish Until It Finally Disappears

by

It’s wonderful to know that, in Truth, there are no chronic diseases or incurable diseases. Christian Science heals everything.

When I first came back to this church, after I had been away for a while, I had many chronic problems that just went on and on. They were physical, emotional, depression, as well as other things, and I began working with a really wonderful practitioner in this church.

The practitioner gave me many things to work with. One was to make sure that I was expecting healing. Sometimes you get to where you’re not even expecting to be healed.

Another thing that she gave me was a statement from Science and Health (page 248): “Let unselfishness, goodness, mercy, justice, health, holiness, love — the kingdom of heaven — reign within us, and sin, disease, and death will diminish until they finally disappear.”

This is how many healings occur. I’ve always loved that statement. It was a statement we were encouraged to teach our children to say as a nightly prayer. I was told, instead of focusing on my problems that were going on and on, to focus on these qualities. Unselfishness, goodness, mercy, justice, health, holiness, love, the kingdom of heaven. How much was I expressing those qualities? I needed to focus on that! And truly, as I did that, all these so-called chronic problems that had plagued me for a long time, one by one, did diminish, until they finally disappeared. It was a remarkable healing, and one that I’m so very grateful for. It’s the healing power of Christ, and it is available to everyone!

Conquer Fear and Live Courageously!

by

In The People’s Idea of God (p. 10), Mrs. Eddy writes, “Mental Science alone grasps the standard of liberty, and battles for man’s whole rights, divine as well as human. It assures us, of a verity, that mortal beliefs, and not a law of nature, have made men sinning and sick, — that they alone have fettered free limbs, and marred in mind the model of man.”

I’ve read an interesting book entitled Dying To Be Me, which is, briefly, about a person who was very afraid of getting cancer. She got it, and she died of it. It was all recorded by the medical doctors, pictures, records, and all the things that the medical does. She passes on, and she sees her father who had passed on before her. The father tells her it’s not her time and that she is to go back and to be courageous and help others, so she does. She re-enters her body, and much to the surprise of the doctors, there’s absolutely no evidence of cancer, or that she ever had it — even though they have all these pictures of it. She recovers quite quickly; in fact, they had to take her out of the intensive care unit because she was so happy and laughing. She gained weight rapidly, and since then she has gone around and told people about this experience.

One of the things that impressed me most about this story — and this is a person who didn’t know anything about Christian Science — she said that it wasn’t the cancer that killed her. She said it was her beliefs, her fears, her belief, basically, in a power other than God. This is what Mrs. Eddy says in this statement, and she says it throughout Science and Health. It is our beliefs that do us damage. And what are our beliefs? It is believing that there is a power apart from God. It is a belief that we are subject to sin, disease, and death. These seem to make these false rules and laws that we become afraid of. All of this is what is the problem. Once we get an understanding of God, who God is, and this understanding replaces these beliefs, we find a freedom that we didn’t know possible.

So, I am grateful for this book. It has helped a lot of people, people who are doubtful about Christian Science, because it gives clear examples of how you can be healed. And of course, this woman, when she came back, never feared again. She certainly didn’t fear cancer, she didn’t fear death. She didn’t fear anything, because she knew that there is a wonderful, benevolent, divine God looking out for us all. She knew it, and it became understanding, and the beliefs left her experience. I am so grateful for Mrs. Eddy who explains this Science so thoroughly and completely. Thank God for her. Thank God for Christ Jesus, our Independent Church, and that we can practice this Science continually in our lives, day by day.

Flow Through Me, Spirit of Divine Love

by

John, that dear, beloved apostle, said, “For this is the message that ye have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” I remember reading an account about John, how during his last days, that is what he would tell everyone. Everywhere he spoke, he would say, “Little children, love one another.” What a wonderful and important lesson that is. How much happier, healthier, holier, we all would be if we would just love one another as God loves.

Mary Baker Eddy has taught us some beautiful things about love. One statement that has meant a lot to me recently is from the “Blue Book” on page 63. “Thou infinite Life, Thou infinite strength, Thou art here. You are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. You are strengthened with might by His spirit in the inner man. Flow through me, spirit of divine Love, to do this healing. Divine Love flows everywhere and is reflected through you as well as through the most advanced Scientist. Look up and feel its beams of warmth and live in it.” (Mary Baker Eddy)

I work with this almost daily. Think of it for yourself, to know that divine Love is flowing everywhere, and is reflected through you. Our own human love is useless, but God’s love is reflected in you when you allow it to be. Then look up and feel its beams of warmth and live in it. What could be more beautiful or healing than that!

There Is No Incurable Disease

There is a prayer that I love very much found in Watches, Prayers, and Arguments by Mrs. Eddy which says, “There is no fatal mistake; there is no unforgivable wrong; there is no unpardonable sin; there is no permanent injury; there is no incurable disease; there is no such thing as too late.” In this one sentence, Mrs. Eddy covers every kind of situation that could possibly be plaguing us.

In Science we know all things are possible to God. I was thinking about the word incurable. The dictionary definition of it is: “a person diseased beyond the reach of cure; beyond the power or skill of medicine.” Well it might be beyond the power or skill of medicine, but it is never beyond the power or skill of God, who is our Great Physician!

I once read that the word incurable means the cure must come from within — incurable. If you are harboring thoughts of unforgiveness, resentment, jealousy, etc., this would prevent the love of God from reaching you. His love is aways ever-present and shines upon all, but we need to be receptive to it. So the cure must come from within. We must be willing to cast out those ungodlike thoughts and replace them with all that is good and true and lovely. Mrs. Eddy states on page 261 of Science and Health, “Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts.” Thus you will begin to prove for yourself there is no incurable disease! And you will also find out those negative thoughts are no more real than the seeming physical manifestation — they are not of God, therefore powerless! Nothing but good has ever touched the child of God.

I am so grateful for Christian Science where we learn, and can know, and can prove for ourselves that there is no incurable disease — God wipes it all away with His tender loving care for us all. I am also very grateful to Mary Baker Eddy for giving us this Science and this precious way of life.

Preserve the Tablet of Your Being

by

Christian Science, its “Clear Correct Teaching” and Complete Writings by Herbert W. Eustace is a book that wonderfully deals with, and handles, animal magnetism. In it he speaks about one of the ways that animal magnetism will try to get to us. And what is that? It is the belief that there’s a power other than God.

Mr. Eustace writes on page 560, “One of the most insidious and aggressive forms of this ‘direction by malicious minds’ comes as the pollution of the ‘air’ by hourly and daily harangues and mental absurdities. Because radio has many uses, it has by the false sense of the law of reversal, many abuses.” We can now also add television and the internet.

“Since radio is rarefied matter it is a nearer approximation to mentality, hence its hidden danger and the great need for carefully guarding against the subtlety of its use for suggestions, political, financial and religious. The Christian Scientist must think alone with God, and preserve the tablet of his mind ‘from every blemish free.’”

That is our clarion call, and that is why it is very wise to silence all noise pollution in whatever form it tries to enter consciousness. It is a mesmeric suggestion, animal magnetism, a belief that there is a power apart from God. And we can prove, and we do prove in our lives, that it is not the truth. There is one power, one God that we worship.

Church of the ever-living God,
 The Father’s gracious choice;
Amid the voices of this earth
 How mighty is thy voice.
Thy words, amid the words of earth,
 How noiseless and how pure;
Amid the hurrying crowds of time
 Thy step how calm and sure.

Horatius Bonar
Hymn No. 36, verses 1 and 2

Man’s Only Real Relative

by

Sometimes, after spending time with family members, especially during the holiday season, you may feel the need to cleanse yourself from “family” activity. By this, I mean, to cleanse yourself from the unpleasant feelings of comparison or irritation or false responsibility about our human family (and friends) that may have swept over you undetected while being in their presence.

After coming to Plainfield, I was reminded the Bible teaches us that Christ acknowledged no ties of the flesh — only those who did the will of his Father were considered his “family.” I love to think about the fact that Jesus almost always referred to God as his “Father.” It was such a tender and close relationship!

We can all have a close relationship with the Father and with Christ Jesus. Mrs. Eddy wrote, “God is our Father and our Mother, our only real relative on earth and in heaven. David sang, ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon the earth that I desire beside thee.’” (Miscellaneous Writings) Reading and pondering those lines has given me a great sense of joy, and also a deep settled calm. It cleanses and purifies one from all human strife and discontentment.

And I so love this passage from the book The Destiny of the Mother Church by Bliss Knapp (page 45) because it shows Mrs. Eddy’s deep love for Christ Jesus. “After Mrs. Eddy’s return to Concord, N.H., Mr. Knapp was asked to search again for the home Mrs. Eddy knew God had prepared for her. Early in December, 1891, she herself was led to a beautiful tract of land on the outskirts of Concord, which she had purchased. She named the home ‘Pleasant View;’ and in writing to Mr. Knapp about it, she said she had longed for a home by the seaside, but instead God had prepared it on a hillside. She wrote, ‘My house stands upon a very sight hill, and the sides remind me of the Galilean slopes where my brother walked, and wept, and prayed.’” Isn’t that so touching and beautiful? Her “brother.”

And so, dear friend, open your heart for you too can have a deep connection and love for your Father-Mother God and for his son Christ Jesus. You will find such joy in this relationship, and you will find it will bless all other relationships as well. There will be such a freedom and tenderness for all of God’s creation and the personal human sense of things will drop quietly away.

Truth and Love Persist!

by

Persistence — what an important quality that is! I remember as a child, my dad had a quote from Calvin Coolidge on his desk, and it is this: “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

I remember, even as a child, thinking, well yes, one could have talent, and education, and genius. These things, however, may not be available to all. But, the one thing everyone can have is persistence. That is a quality of God, and it is given to all of us, so it really doesn’t matter so much about all these other things. Persistence is what is important! And what is persistence? It’s sticking to the task at hand. What motivates that persistence? It has to be love, because if you don’t love, you’ll get tired and just give up. But if it’s love, love for God, love for mankind, you will persist.

I was thinking of those of us who are still left in our church who went through the times of trial here. We’re not special people, but why are we still here and others are not? Persistence, it’s just that simple. We didn’t give up, and we also had a great love for Mrs. Eddy, for Christian Science, and for what this church had to offer. So even though there were many trials, many temptations to give up, to turn around, to go back, we didn’t. We persisted.

So, in many ways, when Calvin Coolidge says it’s omnipotent, it is Omnipotent, because it is from God Almighty. He gives it to all His people. And those who use it and persist, win the crown. Mrs. Eddy has said, “Truth persists, error does not.” So we can all persist with the Truth, a quality of God to get us where we need to be and keep us there!

Love is the liberator.