Sunday School teaching is spiritual growth

Just a quickie to let you know that I had my first day in Sunday School this past week. WOW! Since coming into CS, I've been on the platform singing on Sundays and had no idea how much work it was to teach SS!!!!!!!

Since class, I've been cherishing the idea of teaching in the SS, and have also been praying for it - both in my church and all over the world. When I had class, the SS in my church was 1 student a week, if that. These days, the norm is usually 9 - 11 students, and during the summer when people move back into town, there are 2 more regulars.

My class is the teens - 1-7th grader, 2 -8th graders, an 11th grader, and a senior. I'd love to see the class split w/ the younger students having their own class - there is a definite gap in concentration and experience!

Anyway, talking about teaching SS in class instruction was so very helpful. THANK YOU!!!!

I had originally planned to spend time on the Bible and had chosen my Bible story for the week fm the lesson. When the time came, the students were really quite interested in the Bible, seemed to not know it at all, and wanted to hear about Elisha. So, I actually gave them a little lesson on Elijah first and the passing of the mantel to Elisha. We went around the table and read fm the Bible, which they seemed to enjoy very much. There is a reading-challenged 8th grade boy who stepped right up and read his portion. He was misbehaving before the reading part came up, and once he read, he settled right down.


The entire hour was WORK like I don't think I've ever done before. CONSTANT replacing of what was before my eyes w/out a moment's break!!!! I must admit that for a moment I longed for the ease of my singing contribution. But, I do see that I am ready for this challenge and that it is right for me to be right where I am at this moment.

My practice of CS has changed (for the better!) and I'm rejoicing all the rugged way! Who knew that SS was so challenging! I am not dismayed, and am looking forward to the ensuing weeks.

I gave the class homework to be due in 2 weeks (I've got a concert this Sun and won't be in church) and the class seemed to be excited about the assignment - rewrite the 10 commandments in your own words - make it relevant to your lives today. They also liked the fact that I would keep in touch w/ them via e-mail during the week. [I found a great sub for my class for all of my upcoming out-of-town concert dates through June! He's a high school teacher who doesn't want to be tied down every week but is willing to sub].

So, this is my report. I'm sort of laughing at what a whimp I am.... being challenged by high school kids! But I'm happy to take on the challenge and am rising! Who knew that high schoolers were so very different fm college kids!

NEXT....

A student from West Chester University who is taking a comparative religion course asked to interview someone fm the CS church. That person was me. We had a delightful 90 mins together before t-giving, and she wrote me last evening w/ a list of unanswered questions. One question was, what did we believe about evolution. I immediately remembered your article Only One Intelligence, and I sent her a snippett from it. Thank you!!! I read this article before ever meeting you. Your articles have always spoken to me and seem to come to my aid when I need them! The Christ in them speaking to the Christ in me!

OK - that's it for now. As always, thank you for everything you are and everything you do. See - who knew that an article you wrote in 2006 would be touching a WC college student in the year 2009, or that your class teaching in 2006 would be touching a group of teenagers in WC, PA in the year 2009 and 10........

xo
Lorie

Southern Pines lecture preparation

"The Christ is active and attractive in Southern Pines!" This quote from Elise Moore is our motto for this year's lecture!

In our report at the November 12 membership meeting, we asked you all to think and pray daily for our community and our lecture, "Curing the Incurable," which is our annual gift to the community. Elise refers to this as "metaphysical marketing" - reaching out to our community leaders, merchants, clergy, doctors, nurses, teachers, radio hosts, and neighbors right NOW in our prayers and daily activities! In this way we support the attraction to the Christ that is innate in every heart and prepare these hearts to be receptive to our invitation to the lecture - and to our church services, as well. During our March 8 Lecture Preparatory Meeting, Elise will emphasize that “everyone is already spiritually minded. Holding the right idea of others in our thought and seeing them as spiritually minded makes communication so much easier.”

In her letter to the members that was handed out to everyone at the November meeting, Elise suggests that we read John 4:1-42 and look at this story as the first lecture preparatory meeting! What happened when the Samaritan woman discovered the Christ? How did she feel? How did her actions express her response to the Christ?

We need also to think about what our lecture title means to us and others. In researching the word “incurable” with the computer study program Bound Volumes, Joan Barriage has found 21 articles, testimonies, and editorials from 1898-present, as well as 8 testimonies in the Fruitage chapter of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. In addition, the theme of the July 14, 2008, Sentinel is “Curing the Incurable.” These are all available to you in our Reading Room.

At this time of gift-giving, we are so blessed to have the greatest gift of all - Christian Science and its practical application, as demonstrated by Jesus and discovered by Mary Baker Eddy. However, we need to know that we are not a select few who know this truth - God speaks to every heart in a way that it can understand!

Rejoice in the gift we have to give! Pray that God will provide daily opportunities for us to share the good news of the presence of the Christ!


Lovingly,
The Lecture Committee

Instant answer to logjam

WOW, you must know what you're talking about It was maybe 10 or 15 minutes after I received your email and I got a call to help. We can rent a system and someone else is handling the details!

Thanks for the affirmation!

Love, Bec

Worries about office politics healed

All aspects of the situation I described to you this morning were dispelled today. No one is leaving and we are all a stronger team. My work today was to listen and watch for Mind's unfoldment of right ideas and activity. There was open discussion of issues we were all working on and we even laughed a lot. And it was determined that the work I was doing with the schools is important and not to be abandoned. It was like we were all loosed to embrace and follow unfolding ideas.

I didn't really realize what happened until I thought about writing this note. It's all about dropping the false sense and embracing the good right at hand every moment like Elisha and his servant.

Thank you so much for your help!

Love,
Sandy

Kalamazoo feedback helpful to member

Thank you for your loving and meaningful message. I am still giving thanks and noting fruitage from your dear lecture.
I just received word from out lecture committee about the guest to the Kalamazoo lecture,that you wrote about, who is Roman Catholic and refused to attend your two PA lectures but came to the Kzoo lecture. This put me on my mental knees.

You may already know, but First Church of Christ, Scientist, Kalamazoo is only a few short blocks from a Roman Catholic church which has the largest Catholic congregation in Kalamazoo. Also, I have been dating a man who was stringently raised catholic, schooling and all. The handling of any belief of resistance to Christian Science due to Roman Catholicism has been an earnest prayer for the two years we have been at our current location. I, too, was raised catholic and dropped that system of beliefs when I came into Science at age 20. Your sharing of this healing is a breath of fresh air for me.
I thank God daily for your quiet and powerful healing work.
-S

Blessings of honesty

This morning as I laid next to my dear, sweet, wonderful, and peacefully-sleeping Matthew, I took a few moments to think about all I was grateful for. Although we're working it out each day (some days more than others ) he grows more and more precious to me. Sometimes I'm almost afraid to acknowledge how happy I am. I just had no idea that marriage (hard work!) could be so blissful!!! Really!

Anyway, as soon as I started expressing gratitude for all of the wonderful qualities of Matt and this marriage, and all the comforts of the wonderful home and life we're building together, it struck me that what I am most grateful for is honesty - Truth! And that led me to think about where this relationship was last year at this time, even 8 months ago. Although we were 'heady' over one another, the relationship was sort of perched on this precarious and not-so-solid treetop. We were going nowhere, but wanting so badly to move ahead. We did not see how to do this under the watchful eye of the 'the public' and kept going deeper and deeper into seclusion in an effort to figure things out in private. We also desperately wanted to live morally and were finding that more and more difficult as well.

That's when I called you. I felt ridiculous and stupid, but I poured out my story to you and you told me that I had to be moral and honest and that I had to be willing to have my actions exposed to the light of day. I had no idea how to do that, nor did I even want to have the world looking on while I figured things out. Matt pretty much felt the same way too. I had no thoughts that we would ever come to any conclusions about our relationship, let alone be married.

As we both pondered what it meant to be truthful and honest, the idea came very strongly (first to him) that we needed to be married! What an utterly ridiculous thought! How could it ever work? As we continued to cherish our desire for morality and honesty, this idea of marriage kept coming to us. And then even a ring - a ring that I didn't want and was not looking for- plopped right down in Matt's lap. And the ring was 1/7 th of its original marked price!!! And then a friend told us about a legal marriage ceremony (self-uniting) which would be easy and convenient. As we continued to marvel, yet remain unconvinced at the same time, the way was being paved to do what we really wanted to do - live honestly.

Fast forward.... now that we are married, we really do see that the problem wasn't the age difference and all of the family problems or gossip and scandal surrounding a relationship such as ours in the small community of a college where we both were visible. It was the fact that we were trying to hide and therefore deny honesty and truth its rightful place in our lives.

I will be ever-so-grateful for your stand for morality, for truth and for honesty, and for your courage to stand up to me and point out that I was indeed not being moral. I truly had no idea - I was hypnotized by the thoughts ever recurring to me about how things really were!!! Truth, honesty, morality. Matt and I often have discussions about these things now. We recognized that they are what saved us, and we so often are able to see that what appears to be a certain problem to the world is really not that problem at all, but a veil which is trying to hide truth - Truth itself.

So dear Elise, my gratitude this morning -not a long list of things - consisted of lots of thoughts about Truth, and the courage and love of those who stand for it, namely YOU!!!!!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

BIG HUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lorie

Kalamazoo feedback

Dear Mrs. Moore,
Deepest, heartfelt thanks again not only for your great gift of yesterday's lecture on The Healing Power of The Bible, but for all the prayerful work you poured into it for our church and our community. And, I believe you touched a spiritual cord with my daughter, who found her way to see you at the end. That is a first for her. I am so grateful for her receptivity to the ideas you presented.

May God's blessings abound to you and your family, as you have blessed us with this
great harvest-home.

Lovingly,
Sandy

Seneca SC feedback

Thank you for this warm and encouraging letter, Elise! I have shared your points with our membership and several have asked me to thank you for them and again for sharing your Friday night and Saturday with us. Several spoke during our Wednesday meeting about how meaningful the prep meeting was for them, too.

One member, Betsy McOmber, mentioned you'd be in Boston on Saturday and Kalamazoo on Sunday. Rest on eagles' wings and enjoy the trip!

Marybeth

Monclova

I just had an informal visit to Monclova Mexico. 25 people gathered in a hotel conference room to meet a Christian Science (me) and to talk about Christian Science. It’s a long story but one woman, Dora, contacted Cristina from C. Victoria. Cristina sent her a S&H and has been in email contact. Dora then began telling all her friends about CS. They began buying S&H through Cristina. Most everyone in the room had brought their Bible and Science and Health. We talked for 2 hours. At the end of it, a young man stood quietly at the door. As people were leaving he came in and told me that he’d been praying. And that God had told him to come to this hotel that there would be someone who could pray with him. So he’d walked to the hotel (which is all by itself not in a business district), and decided that I was the person God wanted him to talk to. We talked together briefly, prayed together, and he told me he was healed, the pain had gone away. Cristina had brought one copy of S&H with her so I gave it to him. The only copy of S&H available at that time in Monclova.

I met again with 17 of them the next day before we left. At the end of that meeting, they decided to start meeting every Weds to talk about the Bible Lesson together (which they’d just discovered existed). They are going to subscribe to the Bible Lesson and I encouraged them to subscribe to the Herald as well.

You knew that the group in C. Victoria is now a Society! They are now building a church on the outskirts of town because they are outgrowing their church space on the side of Cristina’s house. They are also now building a Reading Room space! I’ll have to tell you the whole story sometime when I have more time, but the bottom line is that an inspiration came to Cristina to have a second story RR on the side of her property in downtown C. Victoria that had a separate access from the street. Then the money to build it came in a divinely guided unfoldment and they are right now in the process of building the Reading Room!

Pittsburgh downtown

Hi Elise! I'm the fellow with the Hungarian name (Miklos) who came to your lecture at the YWCA in Pittsburgh. I just wanted to tell you (I had to leave early, I was on my lunch hour from work) what a blessing it was.

I happen to be a Jewish Scientist. A kind of subset of liberal Judaism, we have our own textbook and have much in common with Christian Science: we pray the same way.

Since high school days I've loved the works of Mrs Eddy, and am friends with all the folks who work in the downtown Pittsburgh Reading Room.

It wasn't surprising to hear of your work in interfaith circles; you have a warm, welcoming and non-judgmental manner, and I was thoroughly at home in your lecture.

With every good wish,

Miklos

Lecture in Pittsburgh

Thank you for the uplifting, inspiring and healing talk you gave yesterday at the Four Points Sheraton. I grew up attending a Christian Science Sunday School and have attended church recently, very sporadically for many years. I have really never understood how to pray. During silent prayer, my mind would wander. My prayers for healing, not very good! Yesterday, you explained simply and concisely how to pray. For this I will be always grateful. It was by the grace of God that I made it to your talk. I have had many so-called problems, and seeming limitations, and concerns for my children weighing me down the past years. Now I feel i have the tools to pray for healing and to be healed! Thank you so much
Ann S.

Dog healing

M Henry just sent a note saying that the treatment I gave was for her dog who had a complete healing in April 2004! She was grateful. It's never too late to acknowledge healing and be grateful to God.

Supply manifested

Money appeared to pay all my parents debts on time and even save some money for the future. A bank account of Mom's that I did not even know of appeared with three thousand dollars in it! Dad's care will be covered by Medicaid and is retroactive from day 21. I have hired a friend who is a Christian Scientist and a tax lawyer to look into the IRS situation with back taxes and he is hopeful that the government will forgive the debt. My parents affairs are in good order. This is Divine Science in action. I need to remember to worry less and let God, good, take its course. Thank you so much.
LOVE,
A Rogers

Wheeling WV

In accommodating Steubenville's desire to have me do a live 3 minute TV interview, we decided to stay the night in Wheeling where the interview is taking place. Turns out the hotel is having a grand reopening. They had tents with delicious free food including filet mignon, smoked salmon and strawberries with chocolate. Everyone got a door prize and ours was a lovely bag that is perfect to transport all the books that we bought at the Book Fair in VA.

In getting my charger from the car late one night, I'd seen a brochure on the rack talking about a Book Fair. It's only a couple weeks each month. We could make the last day of the Oct date after the lectures in VA! The place was open til 7pm. We got there at 4:30pm and enjoyed an hour and a half of browsing especially history and historical fiction titles. Got some marvelous books! 16 books for $71! So now we needed to buy a bag to check at the Pittsburgh airport to get all these books home for free. Thus, when we arrived in Wheeling, attended their little doo in the tents out back and discovered that our door prize was a book bag.... Well we saw God, divine Mind, providing all the way along!

Change in financial picture

A funny thing happened when I was out at the gates of the city yesterday gathering up sticks ...

Actually, I was at my accountant's office in Brentwood as he negotiated with the tax collector on my behalf.

The emergency has passed.

What a difference a day makes.

Thanks so much for your intuition and spiritual insight. It means the world to me.

Coincidentally not, the night before we talked, Tammy was, in essence, telling me the same thing. "Get out there and do something. Don't close yourself off to your connections and contacts."

You gotta get out there and mix it up. You never know who will show up, hungry and thirsty.
-Greg

Fruitage Mt Lebanon PA

Fruitage – Mt Lebanon, PA
The Possibilities of Prayer
Church edifice
Monday Oct 26 7:30pm

There were about 65 people although the committee thought there were 90. There were several children in the audience who participated and came up to me afterward. There were numerous visitors. Members had invited people who came. A man invited his dental hygienist. Then people came because of the sign outside. It’s on a main street. And others came because of the advertising. A whole family of Roman Catholics came at the invitation of a member and said how much they enjoyed it. A Roman Catholic couple came from either the sign or the ad. The Wife said she was feeling moved by God to do something other than the Catholic church, but didn’t want to come to the lecture. Her husband had insisted and then encouraged her to talk with me afterward. She was feeling that this might be the answer to her search. Several people brought friends who stayed and had cookies and punch afterward, talking about the lecture and the ideas in it. A man told me how he was praying for his mother who was in a nursing facility. He’d attended this church once or twice a year for 40 years and identified himself with Christian Science. He said he visited his mother each day and prayed for her. We talked about the effectiveness of this prayer. Another woman told me that her husband had become interested in CS and this was his first lecture. He was talking about CS with everyone he met and she was so grateful for being able to talk about spiritual concepts with him. A woman talked with me who had lost her mother recently. She was upset and really clung to the spiritual truths of inseparability that I shared with her. She came up to me again before she left and thanked me again. I stayed for 45 minutes talking with people after the lecture and left while there were still people talking in the lobby around the refreshments.

Poem sent to me

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, It is between you and God;
It never was between you and them anyway."

—Mother Theresa
________________________________________

Lecture comments

Thank you so much for sharing what happened on your cab ride to your hotel last April! And thank you so much for witnessing Christ's presence everywhere you go and in every thing you do. I don't know how to express how much the way you live your life simply blessing every one you come in contact with means to me. You brought fresh hope and courage to my branch church and now to my sister's as well. With deep respect and love from a sister in God's great harvest field.
-Georgia

Ft Aktinson

We truly feel buoyed up as if "on eagle's wings" by the entire lecture process you so lovingly prepared. Our first-ever Bible discussion in reading room this Wednesday on Psalm 23 to be followed by testimony meeting with Principia athletes visiting the area. Will provide details for lecture fruitage.

I am so glad God asked you to become a healer instead of a banker or stock broker. (Though no doubt you would have made that your practice if He had.)

Lovingly,
Robin

Liberia

We the little group of Christian Scientists here in Monrovia, Liberia wishes to expressed our thanks to you for your lovely contribution.
We have received the amount of $ 1800 Liberian dollars from the young honest and respectful Christian Scientist called Joseph L.
Joseph is a member for the mother church and the little group here in Liberia.
We hope you continuous this with Joseph.Your knowing Joseph is the open door way for you to Liberia and Africa.Please feel free to asked any question.
Once again, welcome you to Liberia..

Very truly yours,
Jesse

Pittsburgh prep

I loved your (as you put it) exemplification of what you’re going to be giving Pittsburgh next month. It was refreshingly simple, direct, clear – easy to take home with you.
-John

more feedback on addiction article

Elise's article "to break the hold of addiction" was most inspiring and insightful. How she shared her thoughtful prayers was most educational; the impact of her connection with God most evident. Thank you.
- Glenn

Addiction article helpful

The Sentinel for September 14 th on "Healing Addiction" is outstanding.
The articles by Elise Moore and Georgia Bullock have such clear steps and strong truths.
How encouraging for all of us, even if we ourselves are not dealing with such addictions as drugs and smoking. These articles help with what it takes to not only help ourselves but praying for others. Giving the world situations of what seems hopeless or uncontrollable a clear direction out of that type of thinking.

Since I have been going into the local prison and area nursing homes to give services and bible classes, it has been apparent that this message of Truth is as "the air we breath", so full of freshness and the very message of hope and "the way" the world is yearning for.

As in these articles, that message of the ready availability or accessibility of God with us is do clear.

I am truly grateful for these periodicals that are sharing this message with all of us and a world thirsty for that "cup of cold water". My gratitude is without measure!

Carolyn

twitter helpful

I just LOVE these postings. They are like a day of class in a few succinct sentences. They are great reminders of how to live CS and are easily sharable w/ everyone. They are also very present reminders that I can keep it short and to the point!!! THANK YOU for that!!!!

Quick story relating to short and to the point - during one of my office hours this past week a new student who had registered for one of my classes in error, came in to chat. She didn’t want to talk about the class or school, but about her home life. As I quieted my own personal reactions and words, I was reminded to keep it short. I felt God's love for her, and what seemed like a completely silly sentence came to me. I said it outloud, and it was exactly what she needed to hear. It made perfect sense to her. From God's lips to her ears!!!!! She left my office a different person.

Comments from Irving

Oh, you are such a dear. Thank you for this note of appreciation. Your efforts here have certainly given us a big boost to love and reach out to our neighbors. Yes, I believe all the metaphysical efforts and planning resulted in a successful lecture.
By the way, I totally forgot to mention how much we all enjoyed hearing you on the Sentinel Radio program this week. Your comments regarding overcoming addiction and substance abuse were so wonderful.
When I unpacked the items from our lecture to put away in our storeroom, I found that we had given away 29 Spanish edition S&Hs and 29 Spanish New Testaments, although one of those was for you. Isn't that great?! And just think, these have gone to all new people, not members. Awesome!
And we really enjoyed getting acquainted with Cathy. What a help she was.

Another take on addiction article

Thank you so much for your article “ Breaking the hold of addiction”. It is a wonderful treatise on the subject. Your experience in the homeless shelter was so instructive.

I think one of the things I realised in regard to addiction which always breaks the mesmerism behind it , is getting the patient to realise that they are not cursed. It seems that the only reason people take to drugs is that they feel cursed. They take the drugs to get over that sense…although they don’t realise the rationale for it.

A young man in Nigeria called me with an addiction to marijuana. When I pointed out to him that he had no need to feel cursed as the child of God and that he was trying to escape that feeling by smoking pot, the addiction fell away in 24 hours. And so it has been with every other addict I have encountered.

One of the problems is that mortal mind is very good at getting people to believe that they have a very good reason to feel cursed ( rather like the case on page 4 of the 14 Sept Sentinel).

Thank you once again for the wonderful article

God bless

Anthony

Healing from radio interview

I was very touched when I read Elise Moore's description of her visit to a homeless shelter where the reception room alone contained almost 100 drug-addicted individuals. The seeming chaos of the drug dealers and prostitutes milling about with the those drunken and aggravated could have been quite overwhelming. But as a chaplain there to help, she courageously relied on prayer and her understanding of the law of God's goodness to witness the evidence of the Christ in control. At first nothing happened, and she was even accused of making a disturbance as she quietly prayed! But as she persisted in seeing that only "the Christ is here," the tumult began to cease and soon the room was filled with a sense of peace. Human consciousness was being redeemed and uplifted.

I was reminded of the Bible verse from Isaiah 11:6: "The wolf shall also dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid ... And a little child shall lead them." This past week's my Bible Lesson referred to this verse in a Bible Note, and I thought it was a compelling description of the modern day scene which prevailed in this homeless shelter: "Picture this happy, untroubled and peaceful scene. Wild beasts and tamed animals lying side by side. No growling, no snarling, no fearful bleating, no attacking, no fleeing here. And standing with them is a little child ready to love, nurture, and guide them."

Yesterday our family enjoyed a visit to a local beach. It was extremely crowded and active, with hardly a spot to put your beach towel on the sand.
As I talked with the lifeguard while my husband and children were swimming out in the ocean, a frantic call came over all the lifeguards' phones that a child had been missing for over half an hour. I immediately recalled Elise Moore's experience in the room amidst the chaos, and I decided to pray with the idea that "the Christ is here." I sat down and continued to work along the same lines, recognizing that only the law of good, God, was operating right then and there and that in every situation, our prayers can have a healing effect. I knew that all concerned could feel the divine presence of the Christ, and this divine presence provides guidance and safety to each individual. I felt at peace as I knew that divine Spirit, Love, was present. In a short while, the little girl was found playing happily in the sand. I was so grateful.

The message of hope that Christian Science comforts us with is just what mankind needs today! This is true for those struggling with addiction but also for any individual feeling lost or separated from good. I will remain forever grateful for the periodicals and the Bible Lessons (in all their
formats) which are published by the Christian Science Publishing Society.
Thank you very much.

Feedback on addiction article

Kristi received her Healing Addiction Sentinel before I did and called to tell me about your lead article. She thought it was great and helpful as she has recognized that she drinks too much. Ithank you so much for your timelyGod directed article. I told her she could go on your website to see other articles. She is currentlyon her way to Afghanistan.

Progress in Turkey

Dear Elise,
It was truly a privilege to have had dinner with you, David, Judi, and Don. I feel so blessed to have sat by your side, if only for a short while, and listened to all the wonderful, inspiring things you had to tell.
After your visit I re-watched the video of this year's Annual Meeting and realized that, most probably, Marceil DeLacy mentioned the "on-fire" woman and church for which you gave 4 lectures in Mexico. So beautiful! And the time we spent together at dinner was, for me, like attending a lecture!
I'm still thinking about the tips you gave me and moving forward. My CS friend from Poland is now back in Ankara (she is a member of TMC and a branch church in London and just returned from having had Primary class instruction in London). We are starting up a monthly Bible discussion/study group and will use myBibleLesson as the centerpiece. I've requested permission from Ed Blomquist at CSPS to print 2-3 copies of my subscription to myBibleLesson to hand out when the group meets. I'm waiting to hear from him, most probably this week. All so good...
So, dear friend, thank you very much for looking me up on your visit to Ankara and for taking the time to inspire me to shift my paradigm. Yalcin and I send you and David our very best wishes, with lots and lots of love, Gloria

Feedback on addiction article

Hi! I’ve written you a short note on FaceBook, but this note is to thank you so much for the subject article in the CS Sentinel of September 14. I’m carrying this issue of the Sentinel with me everywhere I go, your article all highlighted in yellow, and want you to know that it has been so very helpful to me in praying about compulsive behavior to eat when it’s not mealtime and/or when I’m not really hungry. “The Christ is here” spoke right to my heart as a line from the first verse of Hymn 412. I’m finding that that simple sentence, “The Christ is here,” is easy to recall whenever I feel captivated by the thought of food. Thanks so much for sharing the clarity of your thought about addiction and compulsive behavior.

Much love and gratitude to you,

Gloria

Radio feedback

just a quick thankyou for your excellent contribution to Sentinel radio. We all felt like there was a real love, sincerity and tenderness to your piece that came through really nicely. That along with your establishing the Scriptural basis for Christian Science prayer and showing how practical that is, really will make for a strong program.

Anyway, it was a pleasure talking with you and I look forward to the next time!

All the best
Don

Association 2009 feedback

Once again, your address "addressed" every challenge we face -- as individuals or as world citizens. The Love that shines through your message is palpable, and Association Day's success lies in the way the Word will "enrich the affections of all mankind" as we develop the characteristics of successful healers. Thank you so much for listening to God and following His direction in planning every aspect of our Feast Day! They resulted in an event where the divine met the human and provided nourishment. (And speaking of nourishment: the lunch was fabulous--an expression of the perfection and bounty of the Soul-food which we'd been fed all morning!)

I so appreciate your allowing me to attend your wonderful Association days!

With much love and gratitude,
Cicely

Association 2009 feedback

I wanted to let you know that your address this year was the perfect boost for me - exactly the right message at exactly the right time. Of course! Thank you again for all you are doing. I believe everyone in attendance this year tangibly felt the healing presence of the Christ at work. I will attempt to express my gratitude through my acts this year, as no lesser expression would suffice. Thanks again!
Mike

Principle corrects improper actions

Elise,
Wanted to thank you again for your help last month. I gained a greater sense of dominion and peace and clarity from your work. Also wanted wanted to let you know the progress.
I so appreciated your emphasis on Principle and many times I have remembered your saying "Stand on Principle!"

I also worked with our Leader's words from Unity of Good, "God has no bastards to turn and rend their maker. The divine children are born of law and order and Truth knows only such".

After another reminder regarding the items removed and no return,I turned to the Matthew code and asked my brother to accompany me to call on my sister. We first spent 3 days inventorying the house and then dropped in on her and her family. I wasn't sure what I would say but I knew God would show me. After I informed her regarding the inventory of the house, her husband got up and brought out this huge box filled with items they had removed. None of which I had realized were missing. After we finished he got up and came back with another box filled with money and jewelry - some of which I had missed and some not. We discussed 3 other items that were missing but they offered no comments. They also asked about some other items that have not been found. I have gained a greater sense of peace about this although I know it is not finished. It is a start and I will stick with it. I suspect that some of the items have been disposed of. I know that Truth will uncover this or whatever the case is and lead me in the way to best proceed.

Many thanks,
Jane

Society formation

Val, What an amazing mothering job you have! Mothering these beautiful groups and shepherding the thought awakening to the Christ. I don't know if Oaxaca applied years ago but I do know that they were very close with dearest Eberhard. My intuition is that this is a moment for mothering from The Mother Church.

As I encouraged the C. Victoria group, to me it's not so much about becoming a Society for our benefit or support. It's letting others find us, know we are there, know where to find healing and help in a geographic area. We are shining whatever spiritual light we are reflecting like a beacon and all the spiritually minded will see it and be led to Christian Science.

Anything I can do any time to help these beacons of light especially in the Spanish field I'm willing.

Great conversation

There were many Pentecostal moments for me the past few days. The most important and the greatest for me was our conversation. It has given me hope, great hope, and renewed my spirit. I would go on any ship with you as captain, confident that you are primarily and ultimately entirely guided by God. My purpose is to the publish the word of God to all the world. Everyone truly is spiritually minded and as we remove the animal magnetism that would deceive or distract, that spiritual mindedness is seen and expressed ever more clearly. Preaching to the choir here.

But I mean it, last night was my Pentecost.

Forever grateful,

Spanish website

Definitely steps, to me big ones. There were many Pentecostal moments for me at this Annual Meeting. One was when Skip was announced as President. It felt like a 20 year journey had finally come full circle, closed the book, and we could truly move on. The theme of one accord took on a whole new significance for me in that moment. It was a Pentecostal moment.

Another was when you asked me to write a letter/proposal for an all-things Spanish website. It gives me such hope. I want to consult with my friends in the Spanish world to give a truly considered and realistic idea. As you might remember, I teach in June so if you will permit me, let me focus entirely on class and Association for the next 3 weeks. Then in July I'll focus on this project for a week and see what God reveals.

I've been thinking of several phrases. One is that we are preaching/promoting/demonstrating the Word of God. We aren't selling products or giving lectures per se. We are preaching, embodying the Word of God for the glory of God. Then it has all the power of God behind it. I've been thinking about a phrase, do more for less, meaning we can all do more with less money. It's not a matter of money but revelation. The more revelation, the less money it seems to take. I'm also thinking the revolution of revelation, and being the embodiment of that. Enough prosaics.

It's very comforting to have you in the lecture meetings at TMC. It makes us feel connected to the Board and to the Church. It's a tremendous commitment of your time, and it makes us all feel like we are a priority in that moment. Thank you for that, Nate. You are a towering shining light and you fan the spark of hope into a burning fire.

Practical use of I Chronicles 28:21

In April we bought a home. I had mixed feelings about moving because we had truly enjoyed our 10 years there.We had a large piece of property to maintain and it seemed time to find a place that met our present needs.

Because the move was only 4 miles,and there was work to be done to get our home ready for selling, we decided to move a little each day. Also, I needed to separate a lot of things to be taken to different places.

About this time I remembered a Bible verse from I Chronicles 28:21 "and there shall be with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing skillful man,f or any manner of service."

What a promise!

So after we moved things we could handle our son helped us move some heavy items. Then my brother-in-law and his brother came up for a week and did many repairs at the property. They also emptied out barns and garages and made several trips to the dump and recycle center. About the the same time a dear friend was having an estate sale and I was able to take many items there and also help out at the sale.

Then my 2 brother-in laws came up and helped for a weekend. My brother came down and took some things he needed.T hen a friend sent a computer "geek" over to install our electronics. A few days later a neighbor came over when he saw us trying to carry in a heavy piece of furniture and lent a hand. During our first few weeks there another neighbor sent their lawn service over to cut our grass. My son and his wife have been helping us get our pool set up because they used to work in that capacity.

On Mother's Day our AC compressor burnt up before we were able to pay for the home warranty, so my husband called an AC man he knew and the next day we had a new unit. We also had an old work truck for sale that he wanted, so we traded it out.

A week ago family members built bookshelves in my very own office!!!! And this week there is some one here organizing our garage and making a few more changes we needed done.

This Bible verse, this promise,"there shall be with thee every willing skillful (wo)man" continues to bless us all!!

Much love---Nancy

Twitter posts helpful

Thanks for the Helen Keller post yesterday. I had read it earlier in the day and had been thinking a lot about what was the one thing I could do. After contemplating the one thing I could could do (know that God WAS in control no matter what or how things seemed to be) I had a phone call from a friend. She was hysterical, felt that God had turned HIS back on her and her family, didn't want to live any longer, etc. She said that she had called a cs practitioner for the umpteenth time, but that once again, she just couldn't find peace - that CS didn't work for her - maybe for others, but not for her.

I knew that the practitioner's prayers had been effective, and I prayed to know what, if anything, to say. The first thing that came to me was YOU, LORIE, DO THE ONE THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW - KNOW THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL! And yes, the message came in capital letters! It was so simple - one thing, only one thing! And that one thing was not requiring anything of me except to confirm what I already knew. I could do that, and I did.

The second thing I thought of came from a day of class where you addressed those exact words - that cs works for others but not for me. I then gave a treatment (to myself) for AM. Thank you again for last year's address re treatment for oneself vs treatment for another. It's been getting more and more clear this year - the immediate need is to treat my own thought first!!!! And it's true, when I address my own thought, sometimes it's not necessary to address another. (OK, you know this, I'm letting you know that I'm getting it on a deeper level!)

At the end of the conversation I mentioned this twitter posting to my friend and sent it to her. She wrote back later in the evening and said that for the first time, she felt an indescribable sense of peace and well-being!!!! She said that she COULD hold on to one thing, and her thought was that God loved her and that He was directing her path.

Please know, Elise, that these postings are really appreciated and helping me and others! I've introduced at least 5 others to your postings, and who knows how many others they have in turn introduced.
xo
Lorie

Finishing the trip to Nashville

Well we rolled into Nashville this afternoon. Went directly to Calypso Cafe, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Doug was there and showed us precious pictures of his son who is now 11 months. Dave had nachos, of course. Abby enjoyed the patio and we felt at home.

Now to fill in the rest of the story. I left everyone in Las Cruces after a great side trip to Silver City and City of Rocks. Well, the next day reminded me why we don't drive I-20 between El Paso and Dallas. Borrrrriiiinnnngggg. Flat, no scenery, nothing fun doing. We already decided next year we'll go to Carlsbad Caverns and skip I-20. Did that years ago with Mother. Time to do it again.

Anyway, we stopped at a fabulous La Quinta. I highly recommend this one. It's in Eastland which is before Dallas. We will definitely stay there again. Great breakfast, brand new, lovely rooms, friendly staff and free for doggie.

Then we pushed on to Brandon MS. Scenery improved and then got looking very green again, sigh. Miss the open views of sky and desert. Anyway, the Brandon La Quinta is brand new too. Not as nice as Eastland but we'd do it again.

Then on to Montgomery and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, which is the entire reason for taking this route. Ah so worth it. The first play was Saturday at 2pm. We made it with 25 minutes to spare. As we walked down the aisle to the seats, Dave looked again at our tickets and the date was 6/6. Now mind you we are still in May at this point. I'm thinking..what?!? So we backed out and skittered over to the box office. Turns out good ole Elise had made the reservations for the wrong weekend (thinking the Annual Meeting was going to be June 1, how silly was that). Then Elise figured out the mistake, called ASF, changed the tickets, made notes in her daytimer and promptly forgot about it. Easily rectified. They had the new tickets waiting for us at will call. Not as good seats but good enough.

So, the first play was The Three Musketeers. Too wonderful. The black actor Esau Pritchett was elegant and convincing as the author Dumas. The swordplay was gifted and the fellow playing King Louis XIII was hilarious. He's an acting student but I wanted his part to be even bigger. Everything word and gesture was hilarious. My fav actor at ASF, Rodney Clarke had a nice role in this play along with Ray Chambers. Rodney brings something different to every role, and a vitality and energy that is palpable. Apparently he's been the leading role in some plays during the winter, sorry we missed them.

Then afterward they had a described changeover, meaning the head of sets stood out with the audience and talked about what they were doing to prepare the set for the evening show. It was quite detailed since there was a center block used for all three shows. But for Three Musketeers that had a moving periphery going around the block to make for action scenes with horses and indicate movement of time and place. Extremely effective. Anyway, we stayed for almost an hour watching them take down one set and construct the next. His information was fascinating, and some of the questions were excellent. It was like an insiders view of theater. Not to be missed.

Found a shortcut to the hotel, after almost 25 years coming here you'd think we might have figured this out earlier. Took care of Abby, the dog, went to Pickadilly cafeteria thankfully for the last time. I've been off of this place for several years. It's dirty and the food isn't good. Finally Dave agreed. The servers were serly. The food below par, and it's still so dirty I can't believe health codes allow them to stay open. But then this is Alabama folks.

Anyway, we just made it back in the nick of time for the evening bard talk with our favorite prof Susan W. We were seeing Comedy of Errors and she gave a delightful summary with written notes that were extraordinarily good.

The play was wonderful. Both sets of twins did a great acting job. Costuming and sets were good. The timing was excellent. Superb directing for the men, but we were disappointed with the two female roles. The director should have done a bit more directing there. We discovered from the last play that the female lead is an exquisite actress, but you'd never know it from this production. Which means it's the vision of the director that didn't translate well for the female roles. Other than the abbess Caroline Strong. She was exquisite. She was exquisite in all three roles. She played Madame de Winter in Three Musketeers, and Iago's wife in Othello as well. Three completely different personalities, all done perfectly. I'd like to see her as Lady MacBeth or in a play where the women have larger roles. The women were really on the sidelines this year. Matt Renskers, the hilarious Louis XIII was in this show in a tiny role Dr. Pinch which he drew out for every laugh possible. Put me on this guy's list of fans.

Sunday, we went to church, visited with friends. After more than 20 years people remember us, and I lectured here a couple years ago. Grabbed a quick lunch at Olive Garden, took care of the dog and made it once again in time for the pre talk for Othello. Susan wasn't there, but it was still good. This was the best production of Othello I've seen, and it was due to Esau Pritchett. This man is an acting genius. He doesn't overact. He doesn't posture. He's a man with a real personality and emotions who happens to be acting them, but you think he's living those emotions. Unbelievably good. They even did the epileptic fit scene which I've never seen done, and he was extraordinary. Here was where the female actors shone. Everyone was exquisite. I didn't care for Iago, but I don't think I've ever seen an Iago I liked. The part is so slimey. Actually I don't care for this play. I've never liked the play. The premise and lies and evil deception is painful to watch. But like many plays I go because of the acting and this production didn't disappoint. I'd drive miles to watch Esau Pritchett do anything. What a performance!

Afterward the did a talk with the actors and guess who came out? Othello and Iago! Astounding! The questions were excellent. We learned about their background, how they became actors, how they memorize lines, how they work on their acting craft. It was really good. Went for a nice walk in the waning warm sun, popcorn for dinner, finished a lecture, and left the next morning to arrive in Nashville. What a weekend!

Driving home from Tucson Day 1

Our last day in Tucson we had such a good time visiting with folks. Saw Stacey on her way to the HOA meeting. Then Teresa and Robert came over after the meeting to tell us all about it. They stayed for half an hour talking about issues regarding the complex. I recommended creating a list of all the residents by home number with contact phone number and giving to everyone. Also recommended gating the community and getting a half time property manager to oversee all the repairs and running of the complex. Dave recommended having a monthly cash flow report. We’ll have to write to the board with these recommendations. As Robert put it, we all need to be involved. He’s right.

We went to dinner at Leo’s. Had enchilada mole as our last meal. Ahhhh, it was wonderful. Then we visited with Rosemary and Elliott. Haven’t seen much of them this year. They are leaving the same day we are. Visited for about an hour. Then Jill showed us where the red tailed hawk has a nest on their golf course. We went back after 5pm and saw 22 species in 20 minutes. Quite a birdy place. Didn’t even go to their street where we knew there was a Vermillion Flycatcher. Just stayed right there around that fairway. The best birds were the Abert’s Towhee, Lincoln Sparrow, and Cassin’s Kingbird.

Visited with Lynn the morning we left. Gave her everything out of the frig, but this year we called it much closer. Just a few odds and ends and some fish that Dave overbought. He bought a dozen fillets instead of 2-4. But it made a nice gift. We visited for half an hour. Still managed to leave by 8:30. Then went to the PO since Dave couldn’t do the mail forwarding over the computer. Ate breakfast at Jack in the Box, nice burrito, saw a Cooper’s hawk in the parking lot of a grocery store, dropped a package in the mail and were on our way by 9:30.

What a pleasant ride. We drove to Silver City. Parked by the Big Ditch where a flood came through in 1895 with a wall of water 300’ wide and 12’ deep. Took out the entire town except for 1 house. Subsequent floods took it down to the bedrock 55’ below grade. Now it’s a little park walking along the river. Abby and I walked along for awhile. Then she was happy in the car under the trees while Dave and I walked the length of the town. All the restaurants were closed. We just missed them, forgot about change in time. Found a used bookstore and bought a couple of Mrs. Seeton’s books. Very cute. Had a nice conversation with the owner. He said they almost closed last summer. Usually does $600 per week, last summer less than $200 per week. The day of the election he said business picked up. It’s all perception.

Anyway, Dave got a sandwich at Diane’s Deli and I got soup and sandwich at a vegetarian restaurant. We sat ouside with purple picnic tables, big puffy clouds, under a nice awning and had a lovely lunch. I got a decaf latte and a couple of homemade little cookies and we had a nice dessert. Then off to City of Rocks. Bunch of volcanic tuff rocks apparently spit out in an explosion 175 miles away near Albuquerque, landing in a bundle in the middle of the desert. We drove around them and then Abby and I took a walk through some of them. Saw a roadrunner parked on top of a huge rock surveying his domain. A family group of incredibly furry bushy talked squirrels, no trees around, wonder what type they were. We also espied a jackrabbit with giant black tipped ears, totally unconcerned by Abby. We walked here and there over the rocks, just like walking on a shelf. The rocks sounded hollow when I thumped them. At least some of the outer edges. I wonder if that’s the way it sounds before it sheers off. Anyway we’ve wanted to see this area for years. It was different than I expected. Much more desert scrub and perhaps trees like San Antonio hill country around Silver City. I expected piney forest but not so. Crossed the Continental Divide before Silver City at 6355’. Silver City itself it around 5300’. Continued on to Las Cruces. Lovely drive, wonderful views. Dave and I love this drive. I don’t want to really read in the car, but drink in the wide expanses and think.

We had dinner at a Cracker Barrel in Las Cruces right in back of the other la Quinta. There are two at this exit. Lovely meal although I don’t think Dave will order steak there again. Looked good but was tough and he couldn’t eat most of it. The catfish was excellent. We went to bed early. Great beds, we both slept like logs. The breakfast wasn’t that great, but we got on the road by 8:30am. Perfect day for travel, no wind, sunny but not egg-frying hot. We’re loving the views as we cross through Texas, remembering the trip with Jeffrey where we birded around a little lake. Saw the lake from the road. One of these trips we want to stop at McDonald’s observatory near Van Horn. Another trip we really need to take time and see Big Bend national park and see the special birds they have there.

Increased RR activity in Perth

Reading Room Activity

8th April
Two young men came in to enquire about CS. One is living here from South Africa and one is an overseas student studying at Central TAFE. They were very receptive and left with free literature.

15th April
A gentleman came in asking, “What is Christian Science?” Much discussion followed. He left with the Tenets and a Sentinel.

16th April
A phone call was received from a gentleman wanting to know more about CS. A long discussion ensued. He was sent some Sentinels and “God’s Law of Adjustment”

Newcomer calling practitioner in Perth

One of our practitioners emailed the committee the day after the lecture saying,
“I'm not sure if a call I had last night around 9.30 was from someone who had attended the lecture or was as a result of the metaphysical work done in preparation. The caller obviously had some exposure to Christian Science and had many, many questions. During the approx. one hour conversation we covered a lot of ground. Someone had given the caller my name should she have any questions.

Later the same practitioner emailed saying:
“An update --- I have just had another session with my mystery caller. I still don't know if she attended the Lecture but she told me that she is a regular listener to Sentinel Radio and finds it most interesting.”

Handouts of articles working well

Perth isn't the first church to tell me that all their sets of articles were taken. This is becoming a very popular way of continuing the message of the lecture with those who attend. 50 is the legal limit set by TMC.

Many in the audience waited to speak to Elise after the lecture.
All fifty sets of Elise’s three articles: ‘Listen…God is Speaking ‘, ‘Your Best Defense’ and ‘When You Need Help Fast’, were given away. Emails with sets of these three articles as attachments were sent to 48 church people on the Lecture Committee email list. Appreciation was expressed by several people for the gift of that week’s My Bible Lesson.

Contact with newcomers

It's astounding that churches don't consider ways to keep in touch with the newcomers that God brings to lectures. Each one is a new student of Christian Science. I need to make a bigger point with churches next year on making it easy for people to leave their name and contact info.

One person left her contact address requesting to be informed of future lectures. This is the first time in the post duction that attendees were invited to leave their contact details to be informed of future events/lectures. The Calendar of Events showing service details and resources was available for all.

Comments about newcomers to Perth lecture

One young man, apparently visiting for the first time, who came in late and sat at the back looked at Science and Health, walked away three times then returned to purchase a copy.

Two friends of a member, one who was visiting for the first time, both expressed their appreciation for what was shared by the lecturer. The first time visitor purchased a copy of the text book. The other friend has been attending Sunday services and Testimony Meetings since and recently expressed her gratitude for what she is learning in Christian Science.

A friend of a member who has attended the last three lectures and has been attending Sunday services and Testimony meetings regularly stated that, “…there is so much love in this Church.”
On visiting the Sunday School for the first time before a Sunday service she stated, “…there is a wonderful feeling here …”

A few weeks before the Lecture a member and her daughter, on calling into Church around 7.30pm on a Saturday evening, noticed two young people intently reading and discussing the content in the Display Cabinet outside the Church building. At this time there was a large banner above the Display Cabinet advertising the coming Lecture with more detailed information in the cabinet including the theme of the display being ‘Financial Stability.’

A member’s neighbour was very happy to accept a copy of Science and Health as gift.

Comments from Perth on publicity and prayer

All the information and ideas and the wisdom behind them from Elise and her website were most useful and a great guide. The Metaphysical marketing in particular kept us on course and the church members fully involved. Guidelines for the introducer and flyer designer were greatly appreciated. Messages about the Christ on emails from Elise were appreciated and kept our planning ‘in focus.’

We were very happy that an interview by the local radio station, Radio Fremantle 107.9 FM took place. It was a telephone link up with Elise in Tuscon to a direct programme on Friday 13th March at 9.00 a.m. It was then replayed on the next three Tuesdays, the last on the day of the lecture. The church already has an hour’s time slot Tuesdays 1.00 – 2.00p.m. The station kindly inserted their recording of the Lecturer’s interview between the Sentinel Radio and The Bible Lesson. Spot advertisements were also played throughout the days in the three week period before the lecture.

The radio station later advised that weekly hits on its website, for the Christian Science Programme, for the four weeks up to 7 April (the date of our lecture) were 185+138+166+391. The committee was delighted with these results and most grateful for the cooperation from the management when making arrangements for the interview and replays.

From the start we were encouraged by Elise:
* to pray about each step before taking it
* to recognise that the Christ is active in, and attractive to, each individual in Perth;
* and to destroy the counter suggestions of animal magnetism.
All members were invited to participate in this metaphysical work and a special roster of volunteers was organised to cover all aspects between 20 February and 23 April 2009. Messages received from the Lecturer and shared with members of the prayer roster, plus the Preparatory Meeting held by Elise the day before the lecture provided additional impetus to this work.

1,000 flyers were handed or sent to all members to use as personal invitations and for display in libraries and other public places. Flyers were also sent to Family Support centres at seven prisons.

We decided not to use any newspaper advertisements as we had done in the past, but instead to focus on the following ideas suggested by Elise, which we used for the first time:

As our main advertising activity, an advertisement was placed on Face Book three weeks before the lecture. The advertisement appeared 1,406,313 times on Perth-based Face Book sites and was linked to a flyer advertising the lecture, displayed on the special events page on the church’s website. The Face Book advertisement read, “God is Speaking to You” followed by a photo of a lion lying down with a lamb, and then the words: “come hear a talk on how others have tuned in and found freedom and healing.”

648 visitors to these Face Book sites found this advertisement of sufficient interest to click on it and be connected to the church’s special events page. The ideas and expertise of two new committee members in organising this are greatly appreciated.

Also for the first time, we sent to members, who had agreed to help in this way, an email suitable for forwarding to friends and acquaintances, attaching a flyer advertising the lecture, and giving details of how to access Radio Fremantle’s website for a preview of the lecture, provided in the Lecturer’s radio interview.

Whilst we have received little direct information on what brought each one in, the total attendance and the number of visitors were substantially more than for other recent lectures.

Found Full Text

Lots of healings from the God is Speaking to You lecture in Perth. They are posted on the other blogs, but I'm putting this experience here.

The third person expressed gratitude for the Lecture and for the encouragement to listen to God for guidance to find a lost Full Text Quarterly which had been missing for about 10 days. The testifier was sitting in his car about the leave for church and asked to be shown where it was. He felt impelled to look in the glove compartment in front of him – and there it was.

Ocala FL feedback

Lecture planning began in August 2008. At the recommendation of a church member, Elise Moore was contacted and accepted our request. Her guidance, suggestions, and instructions were extraordinary. Her focus of being mindful of this being directed to the public and not necessarily to Christian Scientists was magnificent. I appreciated this as did many members of our church.

As the Sunday School supt I was especially happy when some of my kids showed up at the lecture. The next day in Sunday School. they enthusiastically told others in total detail about the saving and healing results of listening and obeying when God is speaking to you! The ideas shared by Elise at our prep meeting was like a day in Class. Not all members attended but those that did, love it. We had a prerecorded live interview on the local radio station. Attendance at the lecture was close to 150; many were new faces. Foud copies of Science and Health were taken as well as many of the Journals and Sentinels and all of the copies of Elise's articles that had been copied for distribution.
- Donna

Tangible being

Wanted to tell you this: As I was driving down to the dentist the other day it wasn't a mortal body sitting in that car but QUALITIES, just qualities, my real being, and I have never experienced that so vividly before. Thanks for your work and I WAS able to get thru all the errands. Much love, June

Gold Coast attendance

We had increased the seating from 70 to 80 seats. There were 9 members
of the church in attendance and 10 of our congregation of non-members
plus 5 visiting Christian Scientists - total of 24 people, the balance
in attendance were newcomers. I think David counted 50. So that's about 26 newcomers.
Thank you again for your enlightening lecture. We hope you enjoyed Australia (even though you did not get to see much of it, you were so busy doing God's work).

Gratefully, Love June

Thank you from Portsmouth VA

On behalf of the membership of First Church of Christ, Scientist Portsmouth VA, we would like to thank you again for your recent lecture in our city. We were very pleased with the attendance at the lecture and are sure much inspiration was received from your talk. We also would like to thank you for the preparatory meeting. We all walked away from that meeting feeling we definitely got 'two lectures for the price of one'. You have given us lots of wonderful study points to improve spiritual healing.

Thank you again.

More feedback from Gold Coast Australia

Everyone at Church was very appreciative of both your workshop and the lecture, gaining much from both attendances. There has been more harmony and loving within our congregation which is great.

We did more metaphysical work for your lecture than we have done in the past - due to your emailing metaphysical ideas to work with, which was passed on promptly and the printed information you sent which was copied and given to every one who came to church, members and non-members alike.

The feedback on the night of the lecture was very good. People hovered around asking questions before going home. A married couple bought two Science & Health - they said they needed one each. The lady also asked for one of Mrs Eddy's books to be held for her in the Reading Room which she has since picked up.

We didn't sell very many Science & Healths, 5, and one Bible. People gladly took the bags we had with Journals, Sentinels (with our name, address and phone number) information about our church, plus information of another Christian Science Church in Wynnum, who were having a lecture the next week.

One lady who attended the lecture followed up with a visit to Wynnum and now attends there. We have a gentleman who couldn't get to the lecture but has come to church a few times since.

With much gratitude for your work for us.
Love June

Fresh way of announcing readings

The readings I have been working on through this week (to be read when Mind so instructs) are on newness. How beautifully they came together. I titled them, “Eternal Newness” but then had a further idea of how to speak about them when the time comes. I thought I might say, “The readings for this coming Wednesday will take a closer look at the Bible passage, ‘all things are become new’”. The idea of “becoming” new was the starting point for these readings.

Thanks for your supportive thought in our recent conversation.

Love,
Debby

Dunedin NZ progress

Thank you for your lecture and enthusing our members in the lecture preparation meeting. We have held some Friday evening meetings sharing the Bible and how it has helped us in our daily life. Some people from the lecture have turned up and shared what they had learned. The tools you left with us are being used and have shown up in some testimonies. You left us with plenty of spiritual food.
Thank you.

-Ric

Mother's Day and before

Catching up, Dave and I had a lovely lunch with Janie and Julie. Julie had just returned from a pilgrimage to Jordan and Jerusalem. She did the 12 stations of the cross. Says there is a book about it. If,when we go, I'd like to get that book and do the same. She also had an Armenian monk lead their group several stories below the usual level of the main church to see an ancient carving of a ceremonial boat. Sounded fabulous. They saw the pillar of salt that was Lot's wife, the baptism site of Jesus in Jordan, Lot's cave, the site of Sodom and Gomorrah at the end of the current Dead Sea. She gave me the email address and name of their guide. Someday we'd like to go back to Jordan and just see all the Biblical sites, see more of the Christian mosaics in Madaba,and more of the Saracen and Christian crusader castles. Jordan is a fabulous place. In a couple years an Roman site where two armies stayed should be open to the public. It's along the King's Highway. We saw the site and their work on it.

We've been eating outside in the heat. Love it. But no one has been out until Sunday night when Stacey sprayed me with water over the wall. Missed the computer though. So we talked about NYC for awhile and enjoyed visiting. Also enjoyed lunch after church with Joe and Jean, Anne and Jim. Didn't talk about anything important, mainly Dave's cooking secrets and Jim's starting a new chapter of the Optimist club in Marana.

Writing the address is going so well, thank you Father. A quarter done and on track for the goal of first draft by May 20. Original goal was 1400 words per day. But couldn't write for 2 days because of practice and busyness with errands and tasks. Bought Dave a new min-computer for $50. Steal of the century and he loves it! Praise God. He was resisting it before. Now he has his own internet connection anywhere in the US through ATT, and it is small enough that he can throw it into his carryon and take it with him without taking up too much room. Anyway, now the goal is 1600 words per day to make deadline. Did that Sunday, amazing since so much going on. But God is good and obviously God has things that must be said in this address.

Georgia's healing and NYC lecture

Dear Elise,
Can you imagine my joy opening the new May Christian Science Journal, right after our uplifting Sunday workshop and Monday night powerful lecture and then the extra gift of sharing supper and thoughts at the little Italian restaurnat (attended by the kind waiter, DAvid) and finding your wonderful "Up to Speed" experience about your car engine and church?!

Your words, "Church as a spiritual idea is a holy power permeating individual lives, transforming, saving and healing them." was exactly what you lifted me to focusing on. I am so grateful. Our church is so grateful.

You are a holy warrior for the goodness and power of God and the innocence of man. And the prayer that backed up both Sunday afternoon and Monday evening at our church is still being tangible felt by all of us.

I didn't realize until I went to bed last Monday night, after we'd parted in the rain, that I'd been freed of a crook in the neck that had kept me from turning my head to the right for about a week.

And on Wednesday night we had three people in church who had attended the lecture. One man got up and said it was the most spiritual and practical talk on prayer he had ever heard. He expressed profound gratitude for it.

And yesterday, Sunday, six people who'd never attended our church service showed up as well as about five attendees who only come once in a blue moon. That doubled our usual attendance (since the controversial church decision happened). I know the numbers isn't the thing to focus on! It's the feeling of fresh possibilities. Thank you.

Only two days hearing you speak and you left a profound inspiration on my life. I'll never forget.

And you've given fresh courage to a small gand of church workers in New York City.

With love,
Georgia

Healings before Rockville MD lecture

We are so grateful to you for connecting with our community in a direct, healing way.

The weeks leading up to the lecture were a challenge to me personally. My son and his wife were healed of measles through spiritual means, but we experienced the greater challenge of the medical community and the media after it was over and my son went back to work. His boss wanted him to be checked out by a doctor, who sent him to the hospital for tests.

(My son's wife flew under the radar and never had to be checked.) After keeping him overnight and running myriad tests, four days later the doctors determined he had had measles and was no longer contagious. But they interviewed him intensively about all his movements from the day before he felt sick and then publicized all the locations in the press and on television. He was the "fourth case" in the area, although they were unrelated. I am grateful for the privacy rules, so that it wasn't reported where he lived, why he wasn't vaccinated, and even "nationality undetermined." For weeks, I continued to know that my son was not a threat to anyone, but a blessing, and he always has been.

On Monday before the lecture, I awoke with a stabbing pain in one eye and it was watering so much it was difficult to drive to work to teach my morning class. A practitioner helped me out, and I was able to do it, and by afternoon I was well again.

Praying my way through these things and other troubling issues, I could see that animal magnetism couldn't put a stop to presenting our gift to the community, even a biotech, medicalized, NIH-oriented community. I'm sending this as early fruitage.

We are having a meeting tomorrow after church to gather the rest and hope to have it to you soon. Again, we thank you for coming!Love,Lynn

Melbourne FL youth

We have been moving along wonderfully. We established a campership fund in the church. We have two new students that their grandmother who is a member has started to bring. They have a good Christian background and are asking all sorts of great questions. They are in the Junior High class. Their grandmother told me that she was planning on not coming to church and called her daughter, their niece, to see if they wanted to go to Sunday School and they said YES.

-Daryl

My thoughts about Reading Room

Sometimes the Reading Room becomes more of a symbol more than an activity. Moving the Reading Room into the church or in this case the Sunday School is perceived as a retrenchment rather than progress. But, if I were there, I would say the following.

Reading Room is an individual expression of ideas manifested by the members. To me this means that each member is responsible for fulfilling the activities of Reading Room ie selling and exhibiting Science and Health, other works by Mrs. Eddy and the publications of The Christian Science Publishing Society. If each member would pray about how they could individually exhibit and sell a copy of Science and Health each month, and other publications of CSPS we would have more than 50 Reading Room locations all around the city and surrounding communities!

I have often wondered if spending money for a downtown Reading Room location hasn’t been a substitute for individual involvement and willingness to bring Science and Health (and our other publications) to the notice of the public. True, strangers are led by God to find the Reading Room and the healing Christ presented in the publications. But how many new people actually come into the Reading Room in a month? Are we really reaching the hundreds of thousands of spiritually minded people in Nashville and surrounding communities? Are we really supporting The Mother Church and The Christian Science Publishing Society financially or are we giving our church’s money to local building owners?

To risk being perceived as blunt, over a half dozen of our foreign language Heralds have now been discontinued this year, and the remaining language Heralds will be discontinued if there isn’t a reverse in the subscription rate. The Spanish Full Text and Spanish Herald are at imminent risk of being discontinued due to lack of subscriptions. I am intimately involved in prayer, conversation and action to support the existence of these Spanish publications to support the rapidly growing Spanish field. It is incongruous to me that literally hundreds of newcomers come to Spanish lectures and yet there soon might not be Spanish language publications to support their interest and continuing study.

If our church moved the Reading Room into the Sunday School, put suitable signage both at Hillsboro and at the drive leading to the Sunday School building why wouldn’t God lead the newcomer to this new location for Reading Room? Our building is passed by thousands of cars daily and is at a freeway exit used by visitors to Nashville. With correct signage a Reading Room at this location is very well located.

If each member committed to exhibiting Science and Health in their car, workplace and strove to sell one copy a month to others, if this church purchased subscriptions to the periodicals and used them to introduce newcomers to Christian Science wouldn’t we be more directly supporting the mission and purpose of Reading Room, supporting the survival of the periodicals and supporting The Mother Church?

I’m not in favor of giving one more penny of the branch church’s money for building rental when that money is so desperately needed for the survival of periodicals which are the future of our movement. If our branch church took just $1000 to buy Spanish Herald subscriptions and Spanish Full Text and another $1000 to purchase Science and Healths for distribution/sale to newcomers it would do more to promote the real purpose of Reading Room than paying rent to a building manager.

I vote to move the Reading Room into the Sunday School building. I propose that the branch church spend $1000 for Spanish Herald subscriptions and Spanish Full Text subscriptions, using them to introduce new individuals each month to Christian Science. I propose that the branch church spend $1000 for copies of Science and Health to be sold/distributed by members to newcomers. I propose that each member become a Reading Room attendant in their daily life, exhibit and strive to sell one Science and Health a month, and strive to overcome the resistance of mortal mind that says it is someone else’s job to present Christian Science to the world.

No amount of money spent can substitute the individual effort required to silence the animal magnetism that would hide Christian Science. We need to move Reading Room out of downtown and into an active lively expression in our daily lives.

Newark DE feedback

I posted Susan's email on Wider World, but removed some comments that would be considered not appropriate for the public setting of that blog. But in keeping with my commitment to acknowledging and preserving gratitude, here they are....

The Wednesday night lecture preparation meeting was a beautiful gift to our church. It helped uplift the thought of everyone who attended. Everyone I’ve spoken to about it has been effusive in their appreciation of the wonderfully useful ideas (the five arguments of animal magnetism and their refutation; mental quackery!) Elise shared with us. Many people compared it in its power and usefulness to their annual Association meeting.

Elise’s lecture preparatory meeting and talk are gifts that keep on giving, and they were so beautifully expressive of God’s great love for each and every one of His children. I am very grateful for all the good that has unfolded from her visit, and know that it will continue to bear fruit!
Love
Susan

Newark DE thank you

Thank you so much for coming to Newark and delivering such an excellent Lecture Preparatory Meeting and Lecture. Our whole church and community have been greatly blessed with much healing. (Please see the letter by Susan, a member of the lecture committee.) The church members who attended the Lecture Preparatory Meeting all said how much the ideas that you shared helped them.

Everyone was also very enthusiastic about the Lecture and felt inspired by it. I know that the truths and healings that you shared in the talk are continuing to bless our church and community. We're grateful that so many newcomers came to hear about Christian Science for the first time and had such a positive experience.

Thank you for all the consecrated prayers you do to make the lectures so successful. Love,Sandra

Ocala FL lecture

About 150 people gathered in a beautiful auditorium with perhaps 15 newcomers and six children. Two children were the first to talk with me afterward. One little girl of 7 was quite taken with the talk. I heard later that she is very spiritually minded and applies spiritual ideas in healing on the family farm. Once when a group of bulls escaped from their enclosure and the adults scattered in fear, she scooped up a handful of feed, walked past a bull and holding out the feed quietly called, “Here bully bully.” Walking slowing toward the enclosure, the bulls followed her meekly.

Two people told me stories of listening to God and being protected. One man told of a friend who had heard God tell them to move, and right after doing so a sheet of ice and snow fell off a roof over the spot they had been standing. Another woman told of being kept safe in a theater situation similar to mine when she was young.

Other people told me that they had heard God telling them to come to this talk, and had done so. One man drove two hours from Orlando because he was impelled by God to attend. Another man said he’d recently returned to Christian Science after 60 years and this was his first lecture.

A woman drove from Orlando to tell me that she had been healed at the Longwood/Orlando lecture. She said she was going to call me to pray for her, but after the talk realized she had been healed.

Ocala FL

About 150 people gathered in a beautiful auditorium with perhaps 15 newcomers and six children. Two children were the first to talk with me afterward. One little girl of 7 was quite taken with the talk. I heard later that she is very spiritually minded and applies spiritual ideas in healing on the family farm. Once when a group of bulls escaped from their enclosure and the adults scattered in fear, she scooped up a handful of feed, walked past a bull and holding out the feed quietly called, “Here bully bully.” Walking slowing toward the enclosure, the bulls followed her meekly.

Two people told me stories of listening to God and being protected. One man told of a friend who had heard God tell them to move, and right after doing so a sheet of ice and snow fell off a roof over the spot they had been standing. Another woman told of being kept safe in a theater situation similar to mine when she was young.

Other people told me that they had heard God telling them to come to this talk, and had done so. They were glad they had. One man drove two hours from Orlando because he was impelled by God to attend. Another man said he’d recently returned to Christian Science after 60 years and this was his first lecture. He’d heard ideas that were helpful. A woman drove from Orlando to tell me that she had been healed at the Longwood/Orlando lecture. She said she was going to call me to pray for her, but after the talk realized she had been healed.

Several visitors took notes and told me afterward how much they enjoyed the talk. Others mentioned the atmosphere of love which they felt. All the articles they had Xeroxed were taken and four Science & Healths were given to newcomers.

Some friends from my childhood attended, a dear couple who were close friends of my parents. It was a special joy to visit with them afterwards. I met a man who had been a major influence in my life and that I hadn’t seen in over 30 years. We’d met at a youth meeting where we’d gone to Sunday School and sat together at some of the sessions. He’d gone through primary class at age 16, and that had greatly impressed me. At the time, I’d thought class was for people over 20 or when they graduated from college. His experience, and that he still attended Sunday School, had completely changed my thought and motivated me to take class the following summer. It was delightful to meet him and thank him for his positive influence. I’d like to get his facebook or email address and keep in touch.

Ocala has a growing and active Sunday School. After the lecture, a few of us talked in the parking lot about Wednesday night being “Family Night” and having a more youthful atmosphere. A member of Winter Park was quite taken with the idea and said she’d take that idea to her church. Ocala folks considered how they might include children in their Wednesday services.

Rio Rancho

This was one too many lectures. I was done in after the whole sequel leading up to Ocala. And then I stayed outside at an outdoor restaurant bar until 9pm because I felt like relaxing and picked up a bit of a cold which wasn't noticed by Rio Rancho, but just added an element I didn't need. Prayer works though. Every time I woke up last night I thought about the phrase, "man has dominion over the earth." Very helpful.

Anyway, here I am at the airport and really glad this lecture year is over. I'm not wanting to do any long tours next year. And I'm going to watch how long I'm away from home before touching base with Dave. I just want an easier schedule after 4 pretty grueling years.

That said, the Rio Rancho people were pleased. They were talking about inviting me back and actually wanted to schedule something. But I wouldn't have that, until Annual Meeting and the announcement of lecturers.

Albuquerque is beautiful. Prettier than I remembered. If I come here again I'd like Dave to be with me and go up the tram together. The mountains looked beautiful but it's not fun doing it alone. I spent an hour at a local park, Kitt Carson park, along the Rio Grande just soaking in the sun. There was a woodpecker in the tree above me. I think a Downy, but I'll have to check the bird book when I get home.

Feedback Spanish Lecture Rockville MD

Thank you so much for your comments! I am so grateful to hear that you felt it went well. And I am happy that you were redirecting folks to the "locals" for connections.

I have only spoken with Juan so far and he was just bubbling with how wonderful it was. He is a new member at our church and recently went through Class with his wife. He has shared some wonderful testimonies as he has embraced Science and prays for folks in El Salvador who can on him for help. I know he was happy to talk with people and said we should have had more copies of Ciencia & Salud there. I know our church will be willing to make those available there, if that seems right.

I did stop by about 11 today when I got back in town to ask the head how it was and he was very positive. I saw S&H on his desk and the secretary and many others with Heraldos. It was lovely to see this CS presence all over the Center! It almost felt like a Reading Room.

- Ann

Plans for DC Spanish

I'm really hoping that those involved in the Spanish lecture follow up.....
Thank you Elise. I will share this with our Spanish Committee and see what they can do on a regular basis. I will be in touch with June and Lynn about all this and we will move forward. I know our church is open to new ideas and I have thought about having SS elsewhere than at the church or even exactly the time of the church. It could certainly be when and wherever it works for those who wish to attend.

Our Heraldo programs in our Reading Room really serve as a way to launch dialogue. I don't think the gatherings have been less than 90 minutes and the radio program is only 30 minutes of that. The attendees always wish to share or ask questions. I know Juan is ready to do what he can. He so appreicated being there with you yesterday.

I know our membership has been more aware over the past few years of the lecture as a piece in a continuing relationship with the community and seeing that it is not just an isolated event. We will work to continue building communication with the Spanish speakers that live in our neighborhood and continue to increase in number. THe Worker's Center is a wonderful connection we now have!

Thank you very much for sharing your experience below. It is always so valuable to hear what has worked for others and learn from that. And thanks for taking the time to write it all.
- Anne

Feedback from Rockville MD God speaking to you

As I further think about your talk, I want to tell you how grateful I am that my "takeaways" had to do more with the "higher mission/ emphatic purpose" of Christian Science, i.e., the healing of sin (and all that implies), not physical healing. (MBE is very clear about this in S&H and Rud. Divine Science). This (healing of sin) unfortunately, is not what CS is best known for. I'd love to see our pews filled with people who just want to know "God is Speaking to Them" and let all the rest come later.

PS Being out of CS for a number of years, and in mainstream Christianity, I learned much about core Christian teachings that were both new to me and not really what I'd learned about them as a CS.

While I understand your working through "evangelical" and "inerrancy of the Scriptures" for a CS group -- well, most non-CS folks I've met over the years have been very kind and gentle with us. However, some come down quite forcefully on some basic Christian teachings they feel we violate. I'd never have picked up on this without being in a very evangelical organization (Los Angeles Mission) for so many years. We had 13 chaplains, and I frequently had to remind them to think of the Good Samaritan parable before asking people if they had "accepted Jesus" and to remember 1 John re we can't even know God if we're not loving. I said this after hearing long and loud prayers and then seeing them criticize other staff, come in for work late, etc. And, their (and others) very low tolerance level for those who "claim to know Jesus but really don't." Fun times!

-Marshall

Feedback Spanish Lecture Rockville MD

Thank you, Elise! When I went to pick up the equipment, I heard that the appetite for the literature was voracious. The whole DC area Hispanic Committee will be thrilled with these results. We look forward to hearing you in English tonight!

Gratefully,Lynn

Also comments from the Spanish speaking CSists at the lecture, that they appreciated the humility with which the lecture was given. They felt it helped the people connect with the message.

Spanish lecture in Rockville MD

This was a really good event. It was a lecture in a day workers organization called CASA. We started before the introducer arrived, because the people were assembled and the director started making announcements and introduced me. They were ready and off you go. I kept it short and concise, given the attention span and interest level of the assembly. Everyone stayed put and listened to the whole thing, except just a couple who were called into the office. Much better attention level than I expected. The staff got interested. The woman at the desk began listening and agreeing with points during the talk. She asked a good question (for the benefit of the others I’m sure) which let me talk about what is spiritual understanding.

There were around 50 people there. All the literature was taken. Everyone took the Bible and the secretary went over to get a copy for herself. There was a high interest in Science and Health. Since the copies were quickly taken other people took notes from the local contacts, as to where to get S&H etc. Several people talked with me as well, and I kept pointing them to the locals because I wanted them to make local connections. One man said specifically he was looking for a church, again I had him talk with a local.

This was a well conceived event. I’m hoping the CS community arranges with the staff to show up once a week on Thursdays for the next few weeks to follow up on this event. If a CSist shows up at about the same time 7:45 with literature, Heralds and some S&H and makes themselves known and available to talk with anyone who would like to pray about their situation, this would be a big blessing to the population as well as build a bridge between the CS church and these folks.

The seeds for a Spanish speaking group were in that room. There were both men and women interested in prayer and learning more. But my experience is that we have to go to them to establish an ongoing relationship. Then local CSists can discern who is interested in a Reading Room type experience or church or children for Sunday School, etc.

A lot of inspiration went into setting this up. The male director was skeptical right when we arrived, and I had to reassure him several times but he got behind it, and after I started, he became comfortable with what I was doing. Good work, to all those involved in the planning, prayer and execution of this event.

The Christ heals and saves in every language.

Reston VA

Remember this is my personal diary and place to vent....

Reston, VA
April 28, 2009
7:00pm
God is on the Job

Something is not right n this church and it showed up at the lecture prep and lecture. This group was very clingy all the way along, not able to find information when instructions were given, getting the information wrong, innumerable emails which frankly resulted in simply emails and no action.

When I arrived for the lecture prep, they had only 1 white board, no easel (it was propped up on a desk, what were they thinking was going to hold the white board the next day at the lecture) and children’s markers in bright colors with a line so fine it couldn’t be seen 15 feet away. They had also purchased 2 1x2 white boards thinking that 2 of them would make one larger board. What did they think would hold up 2 tiny boards? Then I hear that the venue for the lecture holds a max of 40 people! This was never mentioned in the deluge of emails coming from this committee.

I was really taken aback, since this group had communicated with me at least twice a week for months. There was underlying resistance to lecture and to the Manual provided activities. They had just had a Bible conference in their church the weekend before and had clearly expected more people there and had put more effort into that than the lecture. In fact I’d received an email basically saying I was being too demanding since they were already so busy with plans for this Bible seminar in their church.

They did manage to get an easel set up 5 minutes before the lecture started. Threw together a literature table at my recommendation outside the door of the venue. The introducer showed up, he hadn’t come to the prep, and actually started the introduction without looking at me and without my being in the room.

The room was so small that when visitors came by and would normally have come in, they stopped at the door and listened for a few minutes, but there were no seats and no room to stand even at the door. There was no ventilation and the room was very hot. The library said they couldn’t do anything about it. So we’d set up a fan pointing outward to create air circulation but no one could stand in the tiny doorway with this fan blowing at them. So the visitors would take some literature and leave. In four years of lecturing I’ve never seen anything like this.

Their last lecture had 75 people. What made them think a venue for 40 was suitable? One person wanted the venue in their specific town and so the lecture chair listened to the one person complaining. She said their lectures never got newcomers, and was surprised to learn that 3 newcomers came to this lecture. Actually more came but couldn’t get in.

The lecture itself went very well. A new student of Christian Science said this helped him understand how to pray, which he hadn’t understood from his reading the Bible Lesson. He asked if it was ok to pray for oneself or was that selfish. This is a question that comes from new students sometimes, and I was happy to encourage him. A newcomer bought Science and Health and said he never prayed but was very interesting in learning more about prayer. An Indian man, newcomer, left midway through the lecture when I started talking about Christ. My cousin came, which was a big surprise to me. None of my cousins have shown an interest in Christian Science since their dad was such a poor representative of it. But Ben drove from the farm where he is staying and took extensive notes. We went out to dinner afterward, his first Indian food, and then talked until midnight. It was a wonderful visit.

Lower Hutt NZ feedback

We have had some fruitage:

1. A man has been attending our services and is so enthusiastic about what he's reading. He stood up on Wednesday and talked about his "spiritual journey" then read marked passages from several Sentinels and Journals.

2. Here is the text of an email from a woman who lives 50 minutes drive from Lower Hutt. Apparently she was class taught but attends her late husband's church.

Thank you Jenny for your letter of 10 April, which it was lovely to receive, and I do appreciate your copy of notes on the Beatitudes from the Lecture. Much more legible and full than mine and I am so glad to have them. I was sorry to have to slip away so quickly - the lecture ran over time somewhat, but I wouldnt have wanted to miss any of it, but as friends were expecting me for lunch at 12.30 and I had to traverse much of LHutt to get there, relying on my memory going back 22 years! (managed ok) I couldn't linger!
I thought it was an outstanding lecture, one of the best I've been to, and so relaxed, and your venue so suitable.

Portsmouth VA

Portsmouth, VA
April 25, 2009
2:30pm
Library
Curing the Incurable

The prayer and advertising which this church did clearly reached the receptive thought. One newcomer remarked on entering that she had read the ad but wasn’t going to come because she lived in another town. But, she added, she just felt impelled by God to attend. She got a Science and Health and Journal afterward.

A man from another city said basically the same. He was sitting in church and heard the announcement read. He heard a voice in his thoughts tell him to attend, so he did. He said the lecture addressed his specific needs.

A visiting couple had questions afterward including, How do you tell the difference between righteousness and self-righteousness. Good question. So we looked at p115-116 of Science & Health together. Righteousness is the moral and spiritual qualities in the second and third degrees (Scientific Translation of Mortal Mind). Self-righteousness is the first degree. We talked about motive and how judging the difference between right and wrong isn't the same as criticizing or judgmentalism. They took a Science and Health on their way out.

Of the 70 people attending about 15 were newcomers. All of the Journals and Monitors which the church obtained for the lecture were taken by visitors. Seven Science & Healths were taken as well.

One person began attending the branch church two weeks prior to the lecture. Church members saw his appearance as a result of the same prayer for the lecture, embracing the spiritually minded in the community. He attended both the lecture prep and the lecture, reading one of the Bible passages aloud during the lecture from the very fine New American Standard Bible which provided a clear and inspired rendition of the passage.

Christian Scientists from neighboring communities came along with more than half a dozen teens and children. One six year old sat in the front row and watched in rapt attention for most of the hour.

This is a branch church where men are not only active but lead. There is a unique energy and vitality when men lead a lecture committee. When I arrived at the library the seating needed to be turned 90 degrees. With no discussion and only a split second hesitation, the men turned the entire venue around in less than 5 minutes. Everyone agreed afterward that the second configuration permitted the audience to see and hear more easily. But the grace and good humor in which this task was accomplished, I shall always remember and cherish. It was a privilege to lecture for this church of spiritual thinkers and doers.

From an email right after the lecture....
I learned a lot from both presentations. I'm a very visual learner, and I appreciated having so much on the boards. Although I know I've heard most of your presentation before, sometimes it's helpful to boil things down to a few essentials. I'll copy those passages down for quick reference. My friend Anne loved the talk. Her mother was a member of the Portsmouth church, but Anne has not been a member (I don't think). She's my mother's best friend and is a dear person.