 Have you heard of Your Daily Lift? It is a free Monday thru Friday audio series. Christian Science lecturers share brief inspirational thoughts for the day. Each lift runs between 2 and 3 minutes and is available to play on your laptop or desktop computer, and you also can download a free app for your smart phone so you can hear and share the message wherever you are. You also can follow Your Daily Lift on Facebook and Twitter if you subscribe to either of these services. I feel pretty honored to have the opportunity to join this amazing group of public speakers in sharing inspiration on these Lifts. Today, my very first Lift airs. Regular readers will notice that it is adapted from a wildly popular blog post that went viral on the web a couple of weeks ago - Radical Acts: Marriage and Forgiveness. That post struck a chord with many and has received more views than any other on the blog. I hope you enjoy it! Like it? Please share.
Also, if you aren't yet a subscriber, a full-text version of the blog can be delivered to your email inbox. It's easy to sign up in the sidebar. You may also wish to: VISIT MY WEBSITE HOME PAGE READ MORE BLOG POSTS FIND A LIST OF MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT 7/30/2012 The simple theology that heals Christian Science has this beautiful, clear, pure, spiritual simplicity to it. The entire theology can be boiled down to a few basic points: 1) God exists. 2) God is good. 3) God is all. 4) The universe, including man, is the reflection of God. 5) There is no evil. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science, explained that her work consisted of 2 parts: 1) Discovery of this Science – of these five basic points 2) Proof by present demonstration that this is the Principle by which Jesus healed. We can’t have the discovery without the proof. Mrs. Eddy discovered the action of the divine Mind on human minds and bodies. But limited mortal thought patterns have worn a groove in collective human consciousness, probing, diagnosing and picking apart matter as both cause and effect. Hence we are drawn into thinking that problems are material and thus complicated or difficult to heal. For Christ Jesus, theology and medicine were one. Jesus’ theology is simple and clear. God is all, Good. Evil is nothing, unreal. What we face in every case is a challenge to the simple theology of the Christ. Can we depend on the fact that God is good? Can we prove it? Is man really reflection – the image and likeness of God? Can we demonstrate it?  Every case touches on a theological question. The task of a Christian healer is to simply answer the question and watch the proof appear. The work should always be this simple. But it isn’t without opposition. That which Mrs Eddy named mortal mind – limited, matter-based reasoning that generates doubt and fear - would make the task of healing seem complicated, unclear and difficult. Fear and doubt impel us to overwork, or underwork the healing activity of prayer, to doubt our experience with the Christ, to change methods repeatedly and ultimately let the problem run the case. I received a phone call from a father whose child had jumped from a tree house and injured his calf. It appeared to be broken. I was asked to pray for him while the family sorted out the practical care. When I hung up the phone I immediately thought, Well, God, what do you have to say about this? I had Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures open on my desk. My eyes fell on a statement of Jesus found on page 45, “Spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” Looking up from the book, I thought, Don’t be fooled by the picture of flesh and bones. That is not who this child really is. His substance is Spirit. All that he is and has comes from the Spirit that is God. It seemed such a simple response to the theological question, Is this boy the image and likeness of God?  As I considered the implications in prayer – that he was in fact spiritual and that anything pro or con going on with flesh and bones didn’t touch him – a doubt cropped up. I wanted to be sure I was getting the message correctly. I wondered, But wasn’t Jesus just talking about himself? Then I turned the page and read, “The divine Spirit, which identified Jesus thus centuries ago, has spoken through the inspired Word and will speak through it in every age and clime. It is revealed to the receptive heart, and is again seen casting out evil and healing the sick.” (46) OK, I thought, so Spirit knows this child the same way it knew Jesus - as perfect, spiritual, whole, unbroken, invulnerable, unfallen. The same Spirit voicing truth through Jesus' words to his disciples was communicating to me in the inspired Word of Science and Health in this age. My receptive heart was accepting the message. Then up popped a fear. Can it be this easy? What about the broken bone? Don’t I have to do something about this in my prayer? I looked down once again at the book and read the next phrase as though it was being spoken with force, “The Master said plainly that physique was not Spirit…” I remembered Jesus’ instruction in the Sermon on the Mount and thought of it in relation to prayer, “Let your statement be, 'Yes, yes ' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil." Matthew 5:37 I needed to say Yes, Yes to the plain and simple reality of unbroken, uninterrupted spiritual being. And I needed to say a direct and clear No, No to the physical belief that the child was material and breakable.  That was it. I consented and said YES, YES. In fact, I was so taken by what I was saying YES to, that I forgot the case entirely and continued reading. The phone rang about 30 minutes later. It was the mother. She told me that two minutes after they placed the call, she was holding her son and praying to know what to do next. They had discussed calling an ambulance or driving him to the hospital. Then they heard a distinct sound coming from his leg “like the sound of a zipper.” And he was healed just like that. The pure simple theology of the Christ is revealed. And it heals. Love it? Please share it for others to enjoy.
Let's work together to share the love. Also, if you aren't yet a subscriber, a full-text version of the blog can be delivered to your email inbox. It's easy to sign up in the sidebar. You may also wish to: VISIT MY WEBSITE HOME PAGE READ MORE BLOG POSTS FIND A LIST OF MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT  “Sell what you have and give to the poor...and follow me.” Now, this is a Radical Act! It was Jesus’ recipe for the man who wanted to be assured of eternal life. But it also relates to another Radical Act of Jesus: "To live abundantly." Jesus said, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." When Jesus suggested the man sell all his stuff, he didn’t take it very well. It must have been a shock to consider losing all his possessions and, then, to give money away. Although he was promised "treasure in heaven", maybe heaven seemed far off. So, he walked away. (See Matthew 19:21) But surely, Jesus didn’t intend for the man to become homeless and hungry. Perhaps he perceived that the man cherished things and money more than he valued a spiritual outlook. Maybe the radical move to let go of his material possessions meant to leave a material way of thinking and living for a spiritual standpoint that would open him to spiritual and tangible abundance. I think the third point of Jesus’ instruction is really the key: “Follow me.” The way I see it, when we follow Jesus - his teachings and his way of living - we have everything we need. And more. We have abundance. We learn what eternal life is. And we learn to live that life now.  Eternal life isn’t an endless extension of material living. It is everpresent spiritual life without limits. It is heaven on earth, available right now; and we can find it by clearing away the mental and material clutter that distracts us from our genuine spirituality. Of Christ Jesus, Mary Baker Eddy - Discoverer of Christian Science - wrote, "Understanding the nothingness of material things, he spoke of flesh and Spirit as the two opposites, — as error and Truth, not contributing in any way to each other's happiness and existence. Jesus knew, 'It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing.'" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, 356) I recently asked myself, if Jesus asked me to do what he asked that man to do, would I? Or would I walk away? My husband and I live in different states and have been taking turns living in my house and his house. More and more, we stay in his house. One day, thinking about my empty house, a tiny thought skittered by, “Maybe you should sell your house.” I pushed the thought away. “I love my house!” The tiny thought became more insistent. And, I began to see how sensible it was. So, I made the decision to go ahead and list it for sale. Then, an insistent thought loudly clamored, “Since you have a full house here, you will have to sell, give away, or trash everything you own.” Was I ready to get rid of all my possessions?  While thinking about that, another thought gently flittered to me: “Are you living with your possessions now, or just thinking about them?” Of course, I was only thinking of them. I could give my children whatever they wanted, sell the rest and still think of them. Now, the house is listed, the children have their names on the things they would like to have, and I see there will be opportunities to give to the poor. All this is well and good. But what has me really excited are my prayers to more radically follow Jesus - to live and love more generously, to cherish my spirituality more than material thoughts and things, and to live my abundant, eternal, unlimited life every day. Kay Olson is a Christian Science practitioner and teacher. She contributes regularly to this blog and is loving the summer project on Time4thinkers.com: Radical Acts of Jesus.  If you are interested in this, or other Radical Acts we're focusing on this summer, check out these links: 1. BE childlike. 2. BEFRIEND lepers, prostitutes, “undesirables.” 3. CAST the beam out of your own eye. 4. CHALLENGE Pharisees. 5. DO GOOD to people who hate you. 6. FEED the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter strangers, visit prisoners. 7. FORGIVE 70 x 7. 8. HEAL the sick, cast out evil, raise the dead. 9. LIVE more abundantly. 10. LOSE your life to find it. 11. LOVE your neighbor as yourself. 12. MULTIPLY loaves and fishes. 13. SEEK the kingdom first — don’t worry about food/drink/clothing. 14. SELL what you have - give to the poor. 15. TAKE up your bed and walk. 16. TRAVEL without a wallet. 17. WASH someone’s feet. 18. WALK on water. Love it? Please share it for others to enjoy.
Let's work together to share the love. Also, if you aren't yet a subscriber, a full-text version of the blog can be delivered to your email inbox. It's easy to sign up in the sidebar. You may also wish to: VISIT MY WEBSITE HOME PAGE READ MORE BLOG POSTS FIND A LIST OF MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT 7/21/2012 Aurora violence: You can do something "From the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it." (Matthew 11:12) So said Christ Jesus whose own experience proved that senseless violence cannot stop the advancing of the kingdom of heaven, the perpetual unfoldment of God's goodness and love on earth. Twentieth century Christian, Mary Baker Eddy, once gave her response to the aggressive, destructive mentality, the evil or error that seeks to betray innocence and massacre life. She wrote, "I will love, if another hates. I will gain a balance on the side of good, my true being. This alone gives me the forces of God wherewith to overcome all error." (Miscellaneous Writings, 104) As we wrap the wide, strong arms of prayer around the victims in Aurora, Colorado - and of massacres, suicide bombings and violent conflicts occurring worldwide - we should remember two things:
 There is a helpful discussion going on at Time4thinkers.com under the "Radical Acts of Jesus" blog "Do good to people who hate you." If you are looking for fuel for your prayers and support for your radical acts of God's love today, I recommend it as a great read. Also, every link in this post takes you to an article, a blog, a discussion, a song, or a podcast to lift you and free you to let your love shine. Your prayers are so effective. Your love is so needed. If you think this is helpful, please share.
7/19/2012 Radical Act: How to stay inspired At Time4thinkers.com, one of the Radical Acts of Jesus receiving focus this summer is the demand to "Challenge Pharisees". Justin Belote is one of the Radical Actors giving attention to this demand. I loved his take on it. He wrote: "A Pharisee, in Jesus’ words, is a hypocrite. All about the law and not the spirit. The talk and not the walk. The rules left behind by moments of true inspiration -- not the inspiration itself. "We all know these people. A boss, a teacher, or even a friend. Someone who just seems to miss the point — someone who sacrifices true meaning in order to live by the book. "But for me, this summer isn’t about challenging an unfair boss or setting a friend straight. It’s about challenging the Pharisee within. Do I always act out of true inspiration — out of that true oneness with the infinite? As an artist, am I always creating from the truest source, or from a surface-level, uninspired place?  "Mary Baker Eddy, who founded the Christian Science church, said “Honesty is spiritual power.” She also talked about becoming a “transparency for Truth” -- a transparency for God. She even thought it was possible “to keep human consciousness in constant relation with the divine, the spiritual, and the eternal.” Rather than just rising to the occasion once in a while. "People expect that our relationship with God should flicker off and on. That we should have dry moments -- even whole dry seasons. But Jesus didn’t. As far as we know, he lived in the sacred present. Every moment, a moment of Truth. "This summer I want to live in that sacred present, and make decisions as well as create art from there. So go ahead and challenge Pharisees this summer. Out there. In here..." Wonderful and right on target, I think. Justin referred to one of my favorite statements of Mary Baker Eddy. The full quote is, "To live so as to keep human consciousness in constant relation with the divine, the spiritual, and the eternal, is to individualize infinite power; and this is Christian Science." (First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany, Eddy, 159)  When it comes to quotes, my faves are often the ones I have struggled the most to get my head around. And that is certainly the case here. Initially Eddy's statement made me mad. I often struggled with roller-coaster inspiration and I couldn't figure out how I would ever be able to keep human consciousness in line with spirituality for a sustained period of time, let alone constantly. Then I was inspired to turn the statement around, like in a math equation. I reasoned that Christian Science involves individualizing infinite power - that is, understanding God as the infinite and only power and that I reflect that power as God's image and likeness. The result of this individualizing - or seeing my relation to God and not leaving my sense of God or of my spiritual self to remain abstract - I would find my human consciousness in constant relation with the divine, the spiritual, and the eternal. It works, guys. It isn't even that hard. Here's how I do it. I make sure I individualize the power of pretty much every clear thought I have about God. With every "fact" I read or "truth" I know about God, I try to see how it applies to me as reflection. It's simple. The way "to live so as to keep human consciousness in constant relation with the divine, the spiritual, and the eternal, is to individualize infinite power; and this is Christian Science." Individualizing the power, not leaving myself out of the inspiration equation, is the key. Cool, huh? The comments that follow Justin's "Radical Acts" post are wonderful. I hope you will take a moment to check them out and add your own to the discussion! Love it? Please share.
Also, if you aren't yet a subscriber, a full-text version of the blog can be delivered to your email inbox. It's easy to sign up in the sidebar. You may also wish to: VISIT MY WEBSITE HOME PAGE READ MORE BLOG POSTS FIND A LIST OF MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT 7/16/2012 Radical Acts: Marriage and forgiveness I have wondered if Jesus was thinking of marriage when he answered Peter's question, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus said, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven!" I have been married twice, to two lovely men. And the need to forgive seems to be a recurring theme. It isn't easy living in such close quarters in the workshop for spiritual growth called marriage. Someone is always watching. From important life decisions and family relations, to personal habits and attitudes, each one bears witness to their partner's progress as well as to the lessons they have yet to learn. Patience is helpful. Forgiveness is essential. A comment that appeared recently on the Radical Act of Jesus to Forgive 70 times 7 really helped me. Nancy wrote: "Someone told me once that the phrase "no condemnation" includes the meaning of nothing incurable. One day, as I was praying with the thought of radical love and forgiveness, it came to me that there was nothing that couldn’t be healed, because there was nothing that couldn’t be forgiven." Honestly, sometimes that is all it takes. To remember that nothing is incurable. No habit, no attitude, no behavior, no condition, no disease, no sin, is without an antidote in God's love. I think the pain of anger, at least for me, often stems from the frustration that I will have to put up with a problem forever. That it is incurable. Now I can't be sure of the source of Nancy's "no condemnation" reference, but I will take a shot that it comes from Romans 8, where Paul says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."
 Forgiveness is never really between two people anyway. The forgiver is ultimately making a pact with himself to release the hurt, the anger, the angst, over another's learning and growing curve. This release is empowering. It isn't dependent on anyone else. Maybe he/she messed up. Perhaps you did. It helps to know that nothing is incurable. The Spirit of life that we know as God assures that everyone will ultimately know and express their true nature as sons and daughters of God. No one will be allowed to miss the boat. And if it takes a little forgiveness every two minutes to help each other along the spiritual path to discover of who we really are, can't we do that for ourselves and for those we love? Love it? Please share.
Also, if you aren't yet a subscriber, a full-text version of the blog can be delivered to your email inbox. It's easy to sign up in the sidebar. You may also wish to: VISIT MY WEBSITE HOME PAGE READ MORE BLOG POSTS FIND A LIST OF MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT  Some years ago, when I was teaching Sunday School, one of our lessons included the story of Jesus washing the disciples feet. The students wondered: “Why did Jesus do this, anyway?" Well, he had met his disciples for an important meal and they had neglected to wash his feet. This was a natural, hospitable act in those days of sandals and dirt roads. Feet could be very dusty in dry weather and muddy in wet weather! After their meal together, Jesus kneeled down in front of his students and began to wash their feet. You can imagine their discomfort. Their Teacher, not a servant, was on his knees performing this menial duty! When Jesus finished the washing, he asked: “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’, and you are right for that is what I am. So, if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master, an employee does not give orders to the employer. If you understand what I am telling you, act like it, and live a blessed life. (John 13:12-17 New Living Translation, The Message.)  Did we understand what Jesus was telling them? I decided we could try this out for ourselves. The following Sunday, I carried a large bowl and a towel to the class. The students were wide-eyed. One of them said: “Not my feet!” She decided, though, that she would go outside with the rest of us and watch the proceedings. I washed their feet and they washed mine. Still, they were puzzled. Jesus taught that we should follow his example but we weren’t seeing any foot-washing going on in our community! Should we be doing this today? If we got on our knees and began to wash our friend’s feet, they would think we were crazy! Finally, we came to the conclusion that Jesus’ example was one of humility. Perhaps he was asking his followers to see everyone as “dust-free”. In other words, we should understand that each of us is a child of God. We are equal in His eyes. After all, each of us walks on the same ground - each of us has the same relation to God - and each of us has the same need of Christ, the spirit of God. So, I just washed my husband's feet. I simply asked if I could, and he said yes. At first, he thought I'd lost it! But then he loved it. What he might not have known is, I have been seeing him as dust-free for a long, long time. The foot bath was just a tender way to say "I know who you are, and I love you." Kay Olson CSB is loving blogging on the Radical Acts of Jesus that are part of a summer project on Time4Thinkers.com. Kay is a Christian Science practitioner and teacher in Pennsylvannia, USA. Click the following link if you are interested in reading up on this, or one of the other 17 Radical Acts being practiced this summer. Love it? Please share it for others to enjoy.
Let's work together to share the love. Also, if you aren't yet a subscriber, a full-text version of the blog can be delivered to your email inbox. It's easy to sign up in the sidebar. You may also wish to: VISIT MY WEBSITE HOME PAGE READ MORE BLOG POSTS FIND A LIST OF MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT  Most Christians will say that the Sermon on the Mount is among their favorite Scriptures, but how many of us actually practice what it preaches? Taken verse by verse, the Sermon on the Mount contains some of Christ Jesus' strictest (read: toughest) teachings. For example, he says, "And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." Matthew 5:40-42 I think Jesus asks something pretty extraordinary. He asks that we practice a Christianity where our personal losses can be a gain. It is a charity – a level of love that puts the needs of others above our own. Give, love, share, think of others. Do more than they ask, give more than they think they need or want. He says we need to do this. To enjoy giving to others. No self-justification, no feelings of injustice. No ME ME ME in our prayers and giving and doing. Sound hard? The Sermon on the Mount does raise the bar very high. These lessons aren’t always easy to hear. They certainly aren’t always easy to practice. But how much do we want to be able to heal? How much do we really want to change the world? To be a blessing to others?  A man once told Jesus that he had followed the Ten Commandments since a child, but he wanted to know what more he needed to do to obtain eternal life. Matthew says, "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” Matthew 19:21-22 His problem was not too much stuff. His problem was too much love for his stuff. More love for his stuff than for his own life. Think about it. Releasing materiality he would gain eternal life. Doesn't that sort of indicate that holding onto materiality is certain death? Like a death to freedom, death to joy, death to spiritual progress, death to stress-free, unburdened life? Materiality - the ME ME ME, MINE MINE MINE - has got to go if we want to progress. One day when I was 18, I read in Mary Baker Eddy's Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, “A great sacrifice of material things must precede this advanced spiritual understanding.” I thought, “But I want to get married! I want a house, a nice car, a good life!” Then, I realized that this was a demand was for a sacrifice of material things - that which could be destroyed, that isn’t fixed or permanent. I realized that I would always have in my life whatever expressed the bounty of God and that supported my practice of prayer and healing – that which is permanent and spiritual.  I remembered this each time I bought a house or car, or even with each marriage. I would ask myself, "Is this just another thing I want? Or does this house or relationship support my spirituality and give me opportunities to serve God and to express good?"
If I could answer yes to the second question, I knew there was no risk of loss. Change and progress, yes. But loss, no. In fact, husbands, wives, homes, bank accounts, transportation can be an expression of God's provision and care. We can put the arms of prayer around all the elements of good that supports spiritual progress in our lives. But stockpiling material things for one's personal, exclusive benefit is a deadly form of materialism. One of the "Radical Acts" challenges on Time4thinkers.com is: Sell what you have and give to the poor. One commenter who is striving to put this challenge into practice wrote, "I realized that it wasn’t enough to just sell the stuff that I don’t really care about anymore. But that I needed to sell those things that I still feel have value and worth." Thanks for that, Kate. I thought of my basement packed to the ceiling with boxes of the last treasures I didn't want to part with after our move - things of value, things I still love. Inspiration blew through me like a cool summer breeze. "Let it all go. Give it all to others who need it." So I have started distributing. My goal this summer is to empty the basement of everything except the Christmas decor. Whoa. This is big. And it feels just right.  Jesus once said, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” (John 7:24) He also said, First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:5) I think this emphasis on what we see and how we judge problems before our eyes can make a huge difference when it comes to healing the sick. A little girl hurt her arm while playing on the school playground and was sent home. When her dad tried to care for the injury, she said, “Daddy, don’t see what you are going to look at!” This little girl attended the Christian Science Sunday School and had been learning about God as Spirit, the only creator, and of His only creation as spiritual. She intuitively knew that the injury had nothing to do with her true and perfect spiritual selfhood as God’s child. While he cared for the physical injury, the dad saw, or understood, that his daughter’s spiritual, God-created selfhood, was untouched by evil, hence there was no basis for harm. The Dad was touched by his daughter’s faith and understanding. No doubt, this influenced his own prayer, and healing quickly followed.  Mary Baker Eddy placed a lot of importance on what we look at when praying for healing. She wrote, "The sculptor turns from the marble to his model in order to perfect his conception. We are all sculptors, working at various forms, moulding and chiseling thought. What is the model before mortal mind? Is it imperfection, joy, sorrow, sin, suffering? Have you accepted the mortal model? Are you reproducing it? hen you are haunted in your work by vicious sculptors and hideous forms." (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, 248) Further on she used Jesus’ example to show us a way out. She explained, “Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour saw God's own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick. Thus Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is intact, universal, and that man is pure and holy.” (Ibid. 476) I have seen, time and time again, that Jesus' approach to healing – looking for and seeing the perfect likeness of God – is quick and effective. Once, when my son was a teenager, an unsightly growth developed on one of his fingers. He asked a doctor to check it out and was told that it was unusual and would take a long time to heal. My son thought he could get faster results from prayer and decided to approach the situation from the spiritual standpoint of Christian Science. We prayed about his spiritual identity as God’s child untouched, unseen and unmarred by evil. Shortly after, one evening my son was teasing his sister. In the process, he bumped his finger which began to bleed a lot. Grabbing a towel to clean up, I thought that the scene I was witnessing – of teasing or of bleeding - couldn’t possibly have anything to do with Spirit, God, or with my son, His perfectly formed, well-behaved child. As I prayed, I no longer saw what I was looking at. I bandaged his finger and made sure he was OK, and I left with my husband to go to a long-planned dinner engagement with friends. I continued to pray to see only what was spiritually true about my son. During the dinner, our friends’ phone rang and it was our son. He couldn’t wait to tell us the strange growth had simply dropped clean off! He was healed. Kay Olson CSB is a Christian Science practitioner and teacher in Pennsylvania, USA. Her blog today supports “Radical Acts” on Time4thinkers.com - a summer program, online and ecumenical – encouraging and supporting the practice of 18 of Jesus radical statements to his followers. You can click on this link to find out more. Once you do, we hope you will join in. There are some pretty amazing things being shared by the radical actors! This blog helps spread the good news of healing prayer.
Every "like" and "share" blesses untold numbers. Thank you for visiting and for sharing when you find something that touches you! Also, if you aren't yet a subscriber, a full-text version of the blog can be delivered to your email inbox. It's easy to sign up in the sidebar. You may also wish to: VISIT MY WEBSITE HOME PAGE READ MORE BLOG POSTS FIND A LIST OF MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT 7/3/2012 Radical Act: Travel without a wallet When I was 18 I moved to London to pursue some specialized on job training. It was very low-paying. I was drawing down my small savings to meet expenses. After a few months it became necessary to prepare to return to the US to pursue other opportunities. During the last two weeks before I left England, I was invited to travel around the UK with a friend. She was a more experienced student of Christian Science. Realizing that I had very little money to travel with, she encouraged me to pray and study the weekly Christian Science Bible Lesson each morning during the trip to get a better understanding of God and of my spiritual substance.  The first Sunday, one week into our holiday, we attended a church service in Edinburgh, Scotland. I had been studying the Bible Lesson and praying so much during the week. This made me especially eager and happy to be in that church on Sunday morning. In fact, I was so eager, that I sat in the front row so I wouldn't be distracted by anything and could hear to every word. I had forgotten, though, that there would be a collection taken during the service and I hadn't prepared in advance what I would place in the basket. Since I was in the front row, the collection basket came to me first! I didn't have a lot of time to dig around in my purse. I knew I had four bills left in there - a fifty, a twenty, a ten and a five. This needed to last me a week. I reached in and pulled out the first bill I touched. The fifty. I put it in the basket. What else could I do? As I watched it go, I prayed: "Dear God, as your reflection, I give back in your service all that you give me." It was a very spontaneous prayer. Actually, that is exactly what a reflection does. From the Latin root reflectare, reflection is literally "bending back", or giving back to the original or source. I still had 35 pounds (the equivalent of about $50 USD at the time) in my purse to live on for one week on the road. But I had never felt so free of fear about my finances. When I saw myself as divine reflection in that moment of prayer, I saw what my eyes couldn't yet see - my permanent, unbreakable link to unfolding good. I felt richer than I ever had before.  Every place we stayed in that final week included an ample breakfast. Each evening we received a large rich cup of hot chocolate and a slice of shortbread. I never had a moment of hunger. I slept on the floor of my friend's room in a sleeping bag, and gave her 30 of my remaining pounds toward the expenses. When we arrived back in London on the day of my flight, I had five pounds left to cover exactly the expense of the taxi to the airport. At the last moment at the airport I realized that my bags were even more overweight than they had been when I arrived in England. On the first voyage I had to pay 100 dollars for the extra cargo. Then I remembered my prayer in that church and realized I would always be OK as long as I never forgot that I reflect the infinite Mind that is God, and was willing to give my all in service to God. So I decided that, if I had to, I was willing to leave all my personal possessions behind in England and let God supply my needs. I told the agent my bags were overweight. He was so cute. He gave me a wink and said, "Overweight? What is overweight?" And he threw everything on the conveyer belt to go to the plane. In the many years since, I have had a few brief moments of being quite low on money. The lowest was 37 cents. But I wasn't afraid. In fact, this lesson on reflecting all good from God has never failed to arrest the fear in each case. Giving back in service to God what I reflect from Him has been the saving grace that has brought employment, opportunity, housing, time, and even cash - whatever has supplied my needs.  Once, when Jesus sent his disciples out two by two to preach the Word, Mark's gospel says he "commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats." (8:9) I don't think Jesus was setting a policy of perpetual poverty or dependance on charity for his most devoted followers. He simply let them learn a powerful lesson on spiritual dependance and Love reflected in love as the supply for human needs. Once that lesson was learned, it became a supportive platform for later proofs of supply that enabled the same disciples to build up the Christian community. Luke's gospel recounts that later "he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip..." (22:35,36) I don't believe Jesus expected us to accept limitation in any form. A lack of, or block on, the perpetual flow of divine good, is simply a lie about God - our true Source. As God's image and likeness, we reflect infinite Good and expressing divine good places us squarely in line with a supply flow that simply can't run out. There is a "don't miss" conversation going on at Time4thinkers.com. "Radical Acts" is a summer project - online and ecumenical - inviting anyone and everyone to take one of 18 of Jesus' toughest teachings and to live it this summer. Come join in the discussion or simply have a look around! Love this post? Please share it. Let's work together to share the good.
Also, if you aren't yet a subscriber, a full-text version of the blog can be delivered to your email inbox. It's easy to sign up in the sidebar. You may also wish to: VISIT MY WEBSITE HOME PAGE READ MORE BLOG POSTS FIND A LIST OF MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT  There is a "don't miss" conversation going on at Time4thinkers.com. "Radical Acts" is a summer project - online and ecumenical - inviting anyone and everyone to take one of 18 of Jesus' toughest teachings and to live it this summer. One of these teachings is to befriend lepers, prostitutes - so-called undesirables or untouchables - and the comments and stories being shared on this subject are unbelievably powerful. Melody Colliate is one who has committed to living this radical act. She blogged: "What makes someone undesirable? Their physical appearance? Their actions? Does God see people as undesirable?  "I once had a roommate who I thought was 'undesirable.' This girl had a strong, opinionated attitude, and she was not afraid to show her full emotions and judgments toward people. I was quick to judge too and our interactions included many eye rolls and snotty glares. "I did what I could to change the situation and we ended up in separate rooms. But a week later I heard an angel voice telling me that I needed to befriend this girl so that I could grow..." What she did next was pretty remarkable. And the sharing in the comments section after her post will warm your heart and impel you to stretch your love muscles - finding no one is out of reach. I left a comment, too. I told a story that I also shared last Christmas in a post - an unforgetable experience of reaching out and touching someone who hadn't been touched in a long time.  About ten years ago I was scheduled to lecture in Vero Beach, Florida. Sunday morning before the lecture, I attended a local church. As we rose to sing, a homeless man entered the auditorium. Looking around, he spotted me sitting on my own and made a bee-line to sit next to me. It was clearly his first time in this church. I helped him with the hymnal and showed him how to follow the order of service. A few minutes into the worship, he became very restless and agitated. He smelled strongly of alcohol and appeared to be struggling with withdrawal. I reached out and took his hand. He became very still as he clutched mine. For the rest of the hour he barely moved. I had the sense that he hadn't had such human contact for a really long time and was afraid that I might let go. I couldn't let him go. My heart wouldn't let me. I held his hand for the entire service. At the end, he turned to me and said, "I love you." Then he made his way to the lobby where he was greeted by the church members.  Meeting this man was a gift. I thought about his courage. He broke through the resistance to attend a service at a church he had never visited before, to leave the bottle and his shopping cart full of his belongings outside, to enter even though he was unbathed and didn't know what type of reception he might receive. This man entered the church, sat next to me and gave me the gift of his presence. He loved me and gave me an opportunity to love him right back - simply by taking his hand in mine. This experience changed forever how I think of loving one's neighbor, and of the healing impact of touching the so-called "untouchables." Matthew tells of Jesus healing a man of leprosy simply through breaking cultural and religious laws that restricted human contact with a person in that state. The Message (Eugene Peterson) says, "A leper appeared and went to his knees before Jesus, praying, "Master, if you want to, you can heal my body." Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, "I want to. Be clean." Then and there, all signs of the leprosy were gone." Fear of contagion or of critics was nothing to Jesus when it came to loving and healing. No one was beyond his touch. Jesus was a true friend.  If you are interested in this, or other Radical Acts we're focusing on this summer, check out these links: 1. BE childlike. 2. BEFRIEND lepers, prostitutes, “undesirables.” 3. CAST the beam out of your own eye. 4. CHALLENGE Pharisees. 5. DO GOOD to people who hate you. 6. FEED the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter strangers, visit prisoners. 7. FORGIVE 70 x 7. 8. HEAL the sick, cast out evil, raise the dead. 9. LIVE more abundantly. 10. LOSE your life to find it. 11. LOVE your neighbor as yourself. 12. MULTIPLY loaves and fishes. 13. SEEK the kingdom first — don’t worry about food/drink/clothing. 14. SELL what you have - give to the poor. 15. TAKE up your bed and walk. 16. TRAVEL without a wallet. 17. WASH someone’s feet. 18. WALK on water. Love it? Please share it. Let's work together to share the love.
Also, if you aren't yet a subscriber, a full-text version of the blog can be delivered to your email inbox. It's easy to sign up in the sidebar. You may also wish to: VISIT MY WEBSITE HOME PAGE READ MORE BLOG POSTS FIND A LIST OF MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT |
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I have practiced Christian Science professionally in some form since 1979. But my journey with Christian Science started in a Sunday school where as a young child I was taught the Scriptures and some simple basics of Jesus' method of scientific Christian healing. A significant experience at the age of twelve opened my eyes to the great potential of this practice. After impaling my foot on a nail, I prayed the way I had learned in Sunday school. Within moments the pain stopped and healing began. By the next morning the wound had disappeared completely. Having experienced the great potential of Christian Science, there would be no turning back. |
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© 2011-2024 Michelle Boccanfuso Nanouche, CSB. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. Site updated November 25, 2024
© 2011-2024 Michelle Boccanfuso Nanouche, CSB. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. Site updated November 25, 2024