 I had been looking forward to this lecture trip to the TMC Youth Summit in Togo for months. Now, finally belted into my Air France seat and on my way to Africa for the very first time, I wasn’t feeling well at all. I hadn’t slept much the night before and was dealing with general flu symptoms, so I tried to take a good nap as the plane took off. Although I wore my noise-blocking headset for the next few hours, my sleep was frequently interrupted by the muffled sounds of conversation around me. I don’t think I have ever been on a flight with so many happy people. The plane was full of Togolese returning home for the holidays, all whom seemed to know each other, talking, laughing, and passing plump, contented babies around from seat to seat. The man sitting next to me was somewhat of a celebrity, recognized by other passengers who stopped to chat with him. In between their conversations I noticed my seatmate intently reading from a small book of the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. A few hours into the Paris-Lomé flight, I still felt poorly. I pulled off my headset for the first time since the flight began, to engage a bit with what was going on around me. Before the earphones ever touched my lap, my seatmate asked, « Is this your first visit to Togo ? » And the conversation began.  I learned that he is a Mayor of Lomé, the capital of Togo. Lomé is a large city, spread out over many miles, bubbling and brimming with colorful, multicultural life. This bustling community requires an assistant Mayor for each of its five sectors to keep up with the day to day running of the city. My new friend was one of these five. He learned that I am a Christian Science practitioner and teacher, visiting for the first time to lecture for a church organization he had not yet heard of – the Christian Science Society of Lomé. « Monsieur le Maire, » as he would be addressed in French, is a church-loving Baptist who knows his Bible very well. He shared favorite passages with me and I shared mine with him. We were both moved to think deeply and to discuss the spiritual meaning of many different scriptures and their application particularly to prayer and healing. This spontaneous sharing lasted for more than two hours. Interestingly, every question he asked me about prayer was going to be thoroughly covered in my lecture. Just before we landed he asked if he could come to the lecture, scheduled to occur during the Summit the following Saturday. Of course, he was welcome. As we stepped off the plane I realized that I had been healed of the illness during our chat. The thirst for the Christ message of prayer and healing in Lomé, so evident in that first contact on the plane, was a foretaste of things to come. Upon arrival at my hotel, a young man in security insisted on taking my bags to my room. I felt they were quite manageable and tried every which way to get him to let me handle them myself. But, he just quietly continued on, carrying my bags and brushing off my protests. When we arrived to the room and had complete privacy he inquired with such an intent and serious expression, « You are a Christian Scientist ? » I am not sure how he knew this, but I said yes. He then said, « I want to know the Bible. I want to study Christian Science. »  I learned that he is a college student working part time at the hotel. He was unable to attend the Summit. So I put him in touch with the active CSO at the University of Lome and with a member of the local Christian Science Society. I also gave him a copy of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy to help him get started with his study. The Summit was a great success. Tom McElroy and I gave two lectures each. The local church members and TMC Youth team conducted workshops. My understanding is that a large percentage, well over half of those attending, learned about Christian Science for the first time at the Summit. Monsieur le Maire did come to my lecture, the first one I have ever given in French, squeezing it into his very busy schedule. He had ten different marriages to officiate during the rest of the day. But he came and listened intently, taking notes and asking sincere, astute questions. Before he left, he obtained his own copy of Science and Health to help his Bible study. We plan to stay in touch to continue the conversation that began on our flight. I could report on hundreds of conversations and contacts made over the course of my five days in Lomé – each one illustrating the same things: a pure love of the Bible and the heartfelt desire to grow in the practice of effective, healing prayer. I would be pleased and ready to go back to Lomé at any time. God’s beautiful, radiant, happy children, with pure hearts hungering and thirsting after righteousness, are found everywhere there. 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 FIND A LIST OF MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT 12/11/2012 Power Pause I am not playing hookie from the blog. Really, I am not! :) I am preparing my lecture in French for a trip to Togo, Africa, this week, and I'm getting some Christmas cookies baked for the holidays. So here is a Daily Lift that celebrates the quiet pauses for renewal that God gives to precede inspired, progressive activity. (This Lift is a short version of the blog post "Prayer Mojo - When doing nothing is really doing something" which originally appeared on June 20, 2012)
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WEBSITE HOME PAGE TOP OF MAIN BLOG PAGE LINKS TO MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT 12/4/2012 Follow your star Have you ever found yourself in such a dark place that you have wondered if there was truly a way out? I have been thinking about the Bethlehem star. On the blackest night, a beam of light illuminated the place where the Christ child lay. Was this Jesus’ star? I always thought so. But the prophet-shepherds and wisemen saw it and followed. I now believe that star belonged to them and it belongs to each of us. In a Christmas message, Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science, wrote, “The star that looked lovingly down on the manger of our Lord, lends its resplendent light to this hour: the light of Truth, to cheer, guide, and bless man as he reaches forth for the infant idea of divine perfection dawning upon human imperfection, — that calms man's fears, bears his burdens, beckons him on to Truth and Love and the sweet immunity these bring from sin, sickness, and death.” Miscellaneous Writings, 320  I remember a time when mental darkness was threatening to take me out. As much as I longed to, I couldn’t see a way forward. In a particularly desperate moment, I felt the impetus to become completely still. Then, I realized that I didn’t have a personal mind with personal thoughts that needed to be controlled. I could trust that the one divine Mind, my real and only Mind, knew everything for and about me. I could have confidence that Mind, God knew me as His child, all good - only good - and I could trust Him with the details of revealing what that meant. I felt safe. I fell asleep, and upon waking, I found I’d broken free of the fixating depression. In the next hours and days I followed God's illuminating presence, thought by thought, from darkness to light. My thoughts were clear and directed. I stayed with the fact of Mind as the unopposed knower and revealer of all the good in my life until I was well.  Shepherds in the eastern sky Saw a pale star passing by, Guiding them at break of day Where the babe in meekness lay, Born the gracious news to tell, God with us, Immanuel. Star of being, still thy light Shines before us in the night, By those radiant beams we find Christ, the Truth, for all mankind. Marion Susan Campbell Christian Science Hymnal, #11 This post first appeared a year ago on this blog. It has been edited for this repost, as my mastery of English writing impoves bit by bit. You may also like to visit my:
WEBSITE HOME PAGE TOP OF MAIN BLOG PAGE LINKS TO MY OTHER PUBLISHED CONTENT  Some time back, I blogged on marriage and forgiveness. The post struck a chord with readers - thousands of readers, actually. So, I developed it into a Daily Lift. (The Daily Lift is a 2 minute free podcast, sharing inspiration and practical spirituality.) After hearing the Lift, an editor contacted me and asked if I would develop the marriage subject into a full length article for the Christian Science Sentinel. Hey, don't get me wrong. I am no marriage expert. But a few years of marriage and a whole lot of prayer have probably taught me a thing or two that could help smooth the path for someone else. So, if you are interested in my two cents on marriage, here you go! 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 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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© 2011-2021 Michelle Boccanfuso Nanouche, CSB. All rights reserved. Pages reviewed and updates 6/30/2021.