“God had brought us together”

Thank you, thank you for a most wonderful Association meeting this past Saturday! The sense of unity and warmth expressed by everyone at the meeting was sweet and pure, and naturally opened up an opportunity for me to talk about Christian Science with my seatmate on the flight home on Sunday. I ended up giving her my copy of Science and Health. She took it very gratefully, saying that God had brought us together. How right she was! She obviously felt that it may have the answer to a recent diagnosis of “incurability” that her daughter received.

“Upon arriving at Association, I had become completely free”

The night before Association, animal magnetism tried to detract from the purpose of my trip. I felt exhausted from little sleep on Thursday night and a very early flight to Boston. As I went to bed, I felt the symptoms of what in the past has turned into a long period of not feeling well. I immediately handled this suggestion and proclaimed that nothing could detract from this Association day.

When I woke up on Saturday morning, I felt rested but was still not feeling totally well. When I arrived at the Hynes, I was immediately greeted by the friendly, familiar faces of my Association family. Throughout the entire day, I was rejoicing at how awake I felt and cherishing the ever-presence of Love in the room. Although I don’t personally know many of the Association members and guests, there are so many familiar faces I love seeing year after year, and I love hearing yearly updates of progress and new adventures from those I do know.

I was really touched by the accounts of “finding Christian Science” from all three panelists. I rejoiced in each account and truly felt that we are “banded together” in our journey to demonstrate the relevance and freshness of Christian Science today.

It was not until the very end of the day that I remembered the symptoms I had felt during the night and realized that upon arriving at Association, I had become completely free. Thank you to every Association member and guest for your contributions to this day!

“Positively on fire with energy and spiritual impetus”

After Association meeting, I often feel that I just want to slip quietly away to absorb what I’ve been taking in. All day so many words popped into thought. Words like revolution, regeneration, humility, no rumination, expunge (the record), claim (the blessing)… .

I haven’t been such a good correspondent because I have thought that I am always taking such baby steps that it just doesn’t sound that exciting. But be assured that progress is being made all the time—and that now I feel ready for a giant step forward. At our meeting I had such an invigorating, strong sense that I don’t have to accept subtle progress, but can be more Biblical in my expectations.

A huge part of this is shedding the sense of tragedy and dysfunction that I have carried along, supposedly from my family. I have taken in the disappointment and sense of rejection too strongly. But lately the simple thought has been coming to me that God approves of me and appreciates who I am in His creation—and, for that matter, approves of everyone else, too.

Another thought that has been coming clearly over the last few days is that no one can opt out of Science. I don’t mean Christian Science the religion, but divine Science, the truth of being. We can choose to go off the cleared, straight path and bushwhack, and this “adventure” can go on for a long time, but eventually we will end up at the top of the mountain with a clear view. The confusion and ignorance we accept for ourselves do not change the pure reality. There are not two camps, two or more thoughts; there is not more than one reality. I am really determined to see my whole family the way God sees them, and I trust that I have this capacity and can express this healing freedom.

And, by the way, two friends from different churches have reported to me that church members recently gave testimonies that were positively on fire with energy and spiritual impetus. They both made reference to having just heard an address, and when asked, they replied that it had been yours. So, I wasn’t the only one who felt the transforming spirit. 

“I had a small but quick healing at the meeting. . . . I must have been listening!”

This is just a short note to say a big “Thank You!”

As always, it was a very special day. It was so moving to hear the three members share their trials and tribulations openly and honestly, to hear how Christian Science came into their lives newly or anew and healed them—even though you had to gently nudge one of them to mention the healing!

I had a small but quick healing at the meeting. I had a headache that was bothering me. While discussing Section Four, you said something about thought that was stuck in consciousness of the “old man” needed to be lifted to thought of the “new man.” At that moment, I had an instant healing. I must have been listening!

“I am now living in the spirit of the meeting.”

I wanted to thank you for such a spirit-filled day. It was also full of humility. The powerful thoughts that have been my companions since Association day are too numerous to write down and would fill too many pieces of paper.

The most indelible thought was that from the section on “mind-cure,” and you asked us to repeat it. Negativism, sarcasm, and general hypnotism would claim to control even our thoughts unless we are awake to them and cast them out. They are a lies, but claim to pervade mortal mind at present. But the Christ, Truth, can break through and is beginning to do so already. I work to watch my thought, and the Christ awakes me to watch and pray, “to be delivered from all evil.” I am also trying to awaken others, as Mrs. Eddy teaches us to do, and working to grow in humility.

I am now living in the spirit of the meeting. I know that this will be followed with a much deeper and stronger awareness of Truth, Life, and Love. As Science and Health says, “If spiritual sense always guided men, there would grow out of ecstatic moments a higher experience and a better life with more devout self-abnegation and purity” (S&H  7:18).