Michelle Boccanfuso Nanouche, CSB Christian Science Practitioner & Teacher
  • THE HEALING PRACTICE
  • TEACHING
  • LECTURES
  • SCOPE OF SERVICES
  • FAQ
  • PUBLISHED CONTENT
  • MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT ME
  • RATES AND PAYMENT OPTIONS
  • PAY BILL ONLINE
  • THE HEALING PRACTICE
  • TEACHING
  • LECTURES
  • SCOPE OF SERVICES
  • FAQ
  • PUBLISHED CONTENT
  • MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT ME
  • RATES AND PAYMENT OPTIONS
  • PAY BILL ONLINE
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

11/23/2013

One-spit prayer. Really!

Picture
Have you ever tried a one-spit prayer ? Seriously.  There is one. I discovered it on a Google search one day.

Studying one of Christ Jesus’ healings - the one in John’s gospel, Chapter 9 (see also Mark 8), of a man healed of congenital blindness - I read that Jesus spat on the ground and anointed the man’s eyes with the muddy mix of spit and dirt. Then he sent him off to wash it away. After all this, the man could see.

 I have heard a variety of takes on this act act of spitting. Could it be that Jesus was using mud as a form of medication to cure blindness? That wouldn’t make any sense, because Jesus had already explained to his disciples that the blindness was not a material condition with a human cause. The disciples wanted to know who and what had caused the blindness. They assumed it was the result of sin; but whose? The man or his parents? Jesus explained that neither sin nor a person had caused any blindness. He suggested a new and healthier premise for their reasoning – that the man was a work of God made manifest.

Picture
To the Christ, man is a creation of God, not even temporarily damaged. To believe that God permitted even a momentary condition of sin or blindness would have rendered the case incurable to them. But Christ Jesus’ spirituality gave them a way out of disease. He redirected both the disciples’ and the man’s focus, from sin and sickness, to God and His perfect work. This new premise for spiritual reasoning would allow for healing in the case.

Christian Science explains Jesus’ healing methodology this way :

"Deducing one’s conclusions as to man from imperfection instead of perfection, one can no more arrive at the true conception or understanding of man, and make himself like it, than the sculptor can perfect his outlines from an imperfect model, or the painter can depict the form and face of Jesus, while holding in thought the character of Judas.

"The conceptions of mortal, erring thought must give way to the ideal of all that is perfect and eternal." (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, 259-260)
I think that this premise shift is what Jesus was talking about when he continued his explanation to the disciples, discussing “night work” and “day work”.  Jesus said:
“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Picture
To me, Jesus was saying he could only accept the Genesis Chapter 1 premise of life, revealed in the light of God’s perfect day, where all is known in its glory and perfection and goodness as the work of God.

He points out that although a darker “night” premise suggests itself – the material, sinful man premise introduced in Genesis Chapters 2 and 3 – we don’t have to stay there and struggle in the dark. We can upgrade our premise with spiritual understanding and reason from the basis the ever-present Christ gives. That is where healing is found.

Next, Jesus spat on the ground, made clay, and anointed the man’s eyes.

We don’t know for sure what he was thinking. But we do know that he didn’t see the man as diseased, so medicating that disease would make no sense. We also know that Jesus and the disciples (and most probably the patient) received a Jewish education. Jesus preached in synagogues. One doesn’t get to do that unless they are faithful in their Jewish practice.

So I did a search on ONE SPIT JEWISH PRAYER and I came across the Aleinu, a beautiful prayer recited at the end of each of the three daily Jewish services. The Aleinu is the one occasion when the act of spitting is performed in Jewish prayers. After the first line of the prayer, the congregants would spit on the ground before continuing.

Picture
In the first line, the prayer praises and ascribes greatness to God as the Master of all creation, a creation not formed like earth-nations; that God hasn’t placed them in the same situations, or given them the destiny, of those who worship vanity and nothingness and pray to a god who can’t save.    

Then they spit.

The prayer continues, “But we bow in worship and thank the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, Blessed be He, who extends the heavens and establishes the earth, whose throne of glory is in the heavens above, and whose power’s Presence is in the highest of heights. He is our God; there is no other. Truly He is our King, there is none else, as it is written in His Torah: You shall know and take to heart this day that the Lord is God, in the heavens above and on the earth below. There is no other.”

Of course, we could pray such a prayer with a personal sense of God as a tribal protector. Or, we could pray it with the understanding that Christ gives of a universal and loving God that heals and saves and leaves no one out.

In this second sense, the Aleinu is a prayer that worships and ascribes greatness to God as the Master of all creation, and identifies all of God’s creation as not formed like earth-nations – that is, not formed after the Adam-man type, out of dust and sin; that God hasn’t placed man in the same situations as Adam and his tribe, or given us the destiny of sin and mortality that comes from worshiping the vanity and nothingness of matter, which is a god who can’t save.

From the Christ-perspective, the Aleinu spits on the belief of life and intelligence in matter – the belief that we are sentenced by sin or by our gene pool to a lifetime of disease. It promotes the worship, in all humility, of God as supreme, as the true Life, the King of kings, and the one Parent of the real man - the Christ-man - who is spiritual and perfect.

We don’t know what Jesus was thinking or how he was praying. But we do know that his words and his actions were consistent throughout his career.

Mary Baker Eddy wrote,

“The method of Jesus was purely metaphysical; and no other method is Christian Science. In the passage recording Jesus’ proceedings with the blind man (Mark viii.) he is said to have spat upon the dust. Spitting was the Hebrew method of expressing the utmost contempt. So Jesus is recorded as having expressed contempt for the belief of material eyes as having any power to see. Having eyes, ye see not; and ears, ye hear not, he had just told them.” (Miscellaneous Writings, 170)
Picture
Jesus sent the man away to wash his eyes – to wash away the false belief that matter or sin controlled his life or his health. And in so washing, he could see.

If you have been feeling stuck in your prayers, searching for a healing, and aren’t satisfied with the results, you may well find that a good one-spit prayer is what you need.

Remember, Jesus didn’t believe he had a blind patient. His prayers always uncovered the true facts of God and of man as pure and perfect and good. Christian Science offers a perspective on the Aleinu that can make a night to day difference in the outcomes of your prayers.


Did you enjoy this post? Did you find it helpful?
The readership of this blog is growing by leaps and bounds due to readers like you
- sharing, emailing, tweeting, and posting the link so that others can find it.

If you wish to subscribe, simply scroll up and submit your email in the box shown in the sidebar.

You may also wish to:

VISIT MY WEBSITE HOME PAGE
FIND LINKS TO MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT

LISTEN TO A COLLECTION OF MY "YOUR DAILY LIFT" 2-MINUTE PODCASTS
    Picture
    Français?

    Ask a question?
    Wish to receive blog updates? Enter your Email

    Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz

    RSS Feed

    Find me on YouTube​

    Michelle Nanouche, Christian Science teacher, spirituality, healing, prayer

    ​






    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. 

    Find out more
    Follow @mnanouchecsb
    Tweets by mnanouchecsb

    Archives

    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    September 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011

    Categories

    All 23rd Psalm About Michelle Abraham Abundance Abuse Action Actions Of Grace Adam Addiction Adultery Affirmation Afraid Of Questions Age Aging Alcohol All Amen Angels Angelsong Anger Angry Anxiety Arrest Evil Astrology Atmosphere Authority Awake Baby Back Pain Bad Days Balloon Balm In Gilead Barbara Pettis CSB Baseball Bbc-radio Bear-dreams Beatitudes Beauty Beauty-illusion Bedside Manner Beek Behold Betrayal Bible Bible Lesson Bible Translation Billing Blindness Blog Body Boyfriend Breaking Bad Habits Broken Toe Bruce K Waltke4a6f762dee Brylcream Burden Business Cancer Caption This Photo Caption This Photo76ad201eac Car Caroling Cat Celebrate Change Chaos Charity Chastity Chemicalisation Chicken Chicks Child Child Healing Children Choices Christ Christ Healing Christian Healing Christianity Christian Science Christian Science Practice Christian Science Practitioner Christine Dreissen Christ Jesus Christman Christmas Church Church Of Ephesus Class Instruction Clergy Killer Clutter College Communication Compassion Complaint Condemnation Conflict Congregations Connie Coddington Consent Contagion Contribution Control Coolidge Core Creation Creationism Crises Crisis Criticism Csb Daddy Daily Lift Daily Lift Daily Prayer Darkness Darwin Dating David Stevens Deafness Death Decisions Delight Depression Devil Diane Marrapodi Csb Diet Discipline Disconnected Disease Dislocated Leg Dislocation Distraction Divine Economy Divine Life Divorce Doctor Dog Dolly Parton Doubt Dreamer Dreams Dysfunction Eagle Easter Eating Ebola Doctor Editors Education Effective Egg Election Elijah Elise Moore Emotional Pain Employment England Envy Eternal Life Evan Mehlenbacher Evil Example Exercise Expunge Exterminator Ezekiel Faith Faithcure9041dbcdb0 Fall Family Family Conflict Father Fear Finding God Finding Your Prayer Mojo Find Your Prayer Mojo Fleas Flight Fly Focus Food Food Illnesses Foot Washing Forgiveness Found French-consulate Friendship Frustration Fully Funded Gender Generation Me Generation We Generation X Genesis Genesis 1134ab414725b George Ritchie Georgia-bulloch Georgia-bulloch-csb Getting Unstuck Ghosts Gift Gifts Giving Gluttony Goals God Godwords Going Home Good Good Deeds Goodness Good Will Gospel Grace Gratitude Grief Grocery Store Growth Guilt Habits Hagar Handwashing84dcc1ba2e Hanukkah Harvest Hate Headaches Healer Healing Healing Of Scabies Healing Prayer Health Hebrew Scripture Hell Helping Others Hitler Hoarding Holiday Preparations Holocaust Home Homeless Homeopathy Honesty Hopeless House Humanity Human Progress Humility Hurricane Hygiene Ichabod Crane Identity Illusion Immanuel Immigration Importunity Incorporeal Infertility Influence Influences Injustice Innocence Insanity Insistence Inspiration Integrity Internet Intuition Invisible Isaiah Isaiah 45 Ishmael Italy Jenny Burton Jessi Binnix Jesus Jewish Job Jonathan Pearson Joseph Joy Judas Judgment Julia Wade Kaleidoscope Karen Mandan Kate Robertson Kay Olson Kay Olson Csb Keith Wommack Kids Kindness Kingdom-of-god Kingdom Of Heaven Kitten Lameice Elaine Harding Language Laughter Lecture Legion Letting Go Life Light Lipstick Life Savers Loaves And Fish Lois Herr Csb Lord Loss Lost Love Love Note Love Yourself Lust Majesty Manhood Marcel Marceau Mark Swinney Marriage Mary Baker Eddy Mashupe451c72f2d Masks Material Law Material Sense Math Matter Media Medicine Memory Mental Influence Mental Sweat Mercy Messages Michelle Nanouche Mind Mindfulness Mindreading8c8b669ff4 Mission Mojo Monday Moral Code Morality Mormons Morning Has Broken Mortal Belief Moses Mother Motives Mountains Mourn Mouth Move Movement Moving On Nadia Bolzweber2632578709 Name Nehemiah Neighbors New Life New Opportunities News Newton New Year No Noise Nurse Obscene Calls Ocean O Holy Night Oil-well Omnipotence Omnipresence Omniscience Oprah Oprah-winfrey Oreos Pain Panic Paralysis Parent Parenting Passion Past Pastor Patience Patient Paul Pause Peacemaker Pearl Peeking Penn State Persecution Persistence Perspective Pest Control Peter Phenomena Pilates Plan Pneumonia Podcasts Politics Position When Praying Possibilities Poverty Powerhouse Power Of Truth Prayer Prayer For Self Prayer Heals Prayer In Church Prayer Mojo Pray First Pray For Children Premise Presence Presents Pride Principle Procrastination Prodigal Son Progress Project Psalms Public Service Public Speaking Publish Pull Punctuality Punctuation Puppy Purpose Radical Acts Radical Reliance Radio Rat Rats Reality Reflection Regret Relationships Remember Renewal Repationships Resistance Resolutions Resources Retrospection Return From Tomorrow Revelation Revision Road Rage Roots Rules Running Sabrina Stillwell Csb Sad Safety Salt Salvation Sand Bags Sarah Satan Scales Schools Sciatica Science And Health Scotland Second Isaiah Seeker Self Condemnation Selfcondemnation695d9c2fbc Self Destructive Selfdestructive515c04d53d Self Examination Selfexamination2b0941cdeb Self Image Selfimageccc8536b7c Selfless Love Selfrighteous5f6e4896b6 Sensuality Sermon Sermon On Mount Sermon On The Mount Seven Deadly Sins Sex Sexual Abuse Shame Shine Shoes Shoplifting Shopping Shut Up Silent Cal7dad7e1da9 Silent Prayer Simple Prayer Sin Sincerity Siyahamba Slab Sloth Smell Snakes Solutions Song Sorrow Soul Soulmate00b25c4b6c Space Spider Web Spirituality Spiritual Qualities Spiritual Sense Spiritual Study Sports Spring Star Stars Stealing Stepparent22b2fbb651 Stillbirth Storms Stress Stubborn Study Tools Substance Summer Supply Support Swine Swine Herder Swineherder0ca3e587ab Symptoms Synonyms Teacher Tears Technology Teenager Telephone Ten Commandments Testimony Thanksgiving Think Thought Thoughts Three Names Time Time Management Timing Tithe Tomb Trampoline Transparency Trapped Treatment Tree Trial Troublemakers Turbulence Ulrike Prinz Cs Universal Universe Up Victories Virgin Virginia Harris Vision Void Vote Walk On Water Warfare With Self Way Out Weather Whole World Why Pray Will Without Form Women Woody Allen World Wowbdde4b5c9f Writer Writing You Your Potential Zacchaeus

INFORMATION

ABOUT
FAQ
​PUBLISHED CONTENT

YOUTUBE CHANNEL

SERVICES

HEALING
LECTURES
TEACHING
​​ASSOCIATION

HELP

CONTACT
RATES
MAKE PAYMENT


Picture
© 2011-2023 Michelle Boccanfuso Nanouche, CSB. All rights reserved.  Pages updated 2 December, 2022.