Authentic Health New Mexico

New Mexico Christian Science Committee on Publication

Showers of Love

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Dear Friends,

From the Christian Science Sentinel, some thoughts on drought…

Showers of Love

Drought-seared landscapes, barren prospects,
hang like Dali scenes;
drought-seared hope yearns to break
the bondage of this dream.

"Prayer is the language of a man burdened with a sense of need." E. M. Bounds, Photo courtesy of Leland Francisco, Dededo Guam
“Prayer is the language of a man burdened with a sense of need.” E. M. Bounds, Photo courtesy of Leland Francisco, Dededo Guam

Yet hope persists, gathers strength,
and swells to prayer ascending
where, buoyed by unsinking faith,
meets angel thoughts descending.

In dewless dawn, a woman in prayer
to the Fount of Living Waters
finds sweet communion, affirming good
from an ever-present Father.

If God is All and creates only good,
she reasons with deep conviction,
then sterile wastelands of earth and heart
are baseless contradictions!

Love divine, moving upon the waters,
breathes life to arid air.
And drought—adamant, unrelenting—
is broken by humble prayer.

Mankind now awakes to blessings at hand—
the joy of unfolding creation—
refreshed by showers, greening the leaves
of the tree for the healing of nations.

Kirk Tharpe

All, in All Includes You and Me

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Dear Friends,

Below is a reposting of today’s piece.  I apologize that the links were not inserted in the original.  Thanks for your patience and thank God there’s a delete button on every computer!

Dear Friends,

In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures Mary Baker Eddy writes, “Infinite Mind creates and governs all, from the mental molecule to infinity.  This divine Principle of all expresses Science and art throughout His creation, and the immortality of man and the universe.”

Further on we read, “God is individual, incorporeal.  He is divine Principle, Love, the universal cause, the only creator, and there is no other self-existence.  He is all-inclusive, and is reflected by all that is real and eternal and by nothing else.  He fills all space, and it is impossible to conceive of such omnipresence and individuality except as infinite Spirit or Mind.  Hence all is Spirit and spiritual.”

Photo courtesy of Kevin Dean

It’s easy to see the art of God, Spirit, as responsible for a beautiful sunrise, a mountain lake, or majestic peaks.  And I can find the Science of God in the intricacies and magic of how things work.  The exactness of mathematical calculation, the architecture of each solar system , and the botanical genius behind each plant and its seed.

But what about man?  What about you and me?  Where do we fit into the divine Creator and Its infinite scheme of things?  Are we not also scientifically and beautifully created?  And as such, are we not equally subject to the glorious precision, harmony and beauty of divine Love’s allness?

The answer to this question is “Yes!”  And support for this affirmative response is found in Psalms 100, Verse 3 where David has just finished insistently encouraging us to celebrate our  Father-Mother-child relationship with God.  He exclaims, “Know ye that the Lord is God : it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves.”

In the Wake of Tragedy

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Dear Friends,

The cover article of the  May 20, 2013 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel explores one man’s way of finding healing after experiencing tragic circumstances.  Johnsrud draws a parallel between his horrific personal experience and that of the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing.  His approach speaks to matters of the heart and what he found effective in his efforts to heal the immediate feelings of loss and anger.

sentinelIn the wake of tragedy

By Richard Johnsrud

God has given us an answer to every expression of hate—whether it is a hurtful comment or a terrorist attack that shakes our whole sense of personal and national security. The recent act of terror in Boston, which impacts so many, immediately captured the attention of so much of the media and of individuals throughout the United States and the world. We all want to know the details. We are all looking for answers to the question “Why?” We must, though, ask another question: “How do we turn to God for answers in a situation such as this?”

When we are directly involved in a frightening situation, turning to God might not be our first response. We might be tempted to ask, “Why did this happen to me, or to my loved one?” The answer to that might not be revealed immediately. God will, though, always respond to our need for answers when we sincerely turn to Him.

When I was in my early 20s, my wife of two months was brutally murdered during a home robbery while I was at work at my office. I came home to discover the scene, and the incident became the immediate subject of attention of the city’s police and media.

Not unlike so many other individuals who are confronted by such a terrible act, that very night I asked, “Who, why, what, and how?” That night, when there was not a single individual to consult with, I was given a message from God. I remembered a line from a poem written by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, in Poems. The line reads, “Wait, and love more for every hate, and fear / No ill,—since God is good, and loss is gain” ( p. 4).

The evil crime was based on an erroneous concept—a belief in the absence of Love, God.

Mrs. Eddy’s inspired message gave me the most important answer to my questions. Wait! The immediate answers to “Who did it?” and “Why?” and “What happened?” could wait. But the need to deal with the bigger picture couldn’t wait. The answer was right there—right when I needed it: “Love more for every hate.” I had to elevate my concept of love for my wife above a human sense of physical beauty, personality, and personal companionship. I realized a much deeper love based on shared spiritual truths, joy, and beauty. I could never be separated from, nor deprived of, those eternal qualities that were the foundation of our love.

But the verse also says to “love … for every hate.” I had to love the perpetrator, too. I had to see him as a child of God, reflecting all the spiritual qualities that my wife did.

This led to the next answer: the evil was not personal. It was not aimed personally at my wife or me—nor was it aimed at anyone in Boston. The evil crime was based on an erroneous concept—a belief in the absence of Love, God. I had to see past all the labels, clichés, and human theories that we are tempted to attach to individuals. I had to see the spiritual qualities of everyone just as if they were my brother or sister.

By holding on to this truth about humanity—whether the perpetrator was sitting in a jail cell, or fleeing from capture—I gained a great sense of peace. Following my wife’s passing, that understanding of spiritual purity opened up the opportunity to volunteer as a prison worker, helping numerous individuals to see their real identity as the child of God.

When we love more, we see God’s love more clearly. No matter what we see as a human condition, no matter how much hate we see, loving more opens our thought to God’s messages—and God does indeed answer our questions.

‘Pray Without Ceasing’-What Does It Mean?

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Dear Friends,

The cover article of the April 29, 2013 Christian Science Sentinel, written by Judith Hardy Olson, has even more to add to this subject.

The habitual struggle to be always good is unceasing prayer. Its motives are made manifest in the blessings they bring,—blessings which, even if not acknowledged in audible words, attest our worthiness to be partakers of Love.

—Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 4

Multitudes followed Christ Jesus for the good news that the kingdom of God is right here, now. But as soon as they learned that there was a cross to be taken up in following him, all mere “groupies”—those there only for the good words, free food, and maybe even a “free ride”—were out of there!

So Christianity is not without its demands. And, at first, these demands can seem daunting. For instance, to love God “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37, New International Version) includes every single thought, doesn’t it? And “Pray[ing] without ceasing” ( First Thessalonians 5:17) means 24/7. I have a way to go on both of these, but here’s something I’m learning more every day.

The God whose love enters our hearts and minds, giving us beautiful, solid, sound, healing glimpses of His almighty love, is the same God who shows us His demands are doable, and how to do them! He who demands our affection, strength, and obedience also supplies them. Isn’t our love for and loyalty to God really His love for us reflected back?

 

Photo courtesy of Final Gather
Photo courtesy of Final Gather


For years whenever I heard or read the Apostle Paul’s admonition, “Pray without ceasing,” I’d smile a smirky smile and think that was a nice goal but that only someone who has nothing else to do could possibly do that. Yet it kept turning up again and again in my study of Christian Science. Finally, I realized it must be important—and, if so, it must be doable. But God would have to show me how.Continue Reading

God and Health

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Dear Friends,

The following lecture focusing on the link between God and our health, was given by Rob Gilbert last weekend at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Santa Fe.  For those of us who were not able to hear it in person, I thought it would be nice if I included it in this week’s series.  I sincerely hope you can find 59 minutes in your busy schedule to listen to the ideas Rob presents and think about them.  They take the idea of the biopsychosocial model to a whole new level.  

God and Health

Photo courtesy of Laura Ferreira, USA
Photo courtesy of Laura Ferreira, USA

Healthy Thought, Healthy Body

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Dear Friends,

Originally written in Hindi and found in the Christian Science Monitor , Poonam Likhi has the following to say on the influence of thought on not only body and action but on ones entire life experience.

When I first heard about 15 years ago that our thoughts affect our health, I was startled. At the time, I wasn’t able to appreciate the connection between pure thoughts and a healthy body. Moreover, who would want to think that his or her thoughts are less than pure, even if the body is full of troubles?

Then when I examined my thoughts, I found them full of resentment over my bad marriage, anger because of manipulation going on where I worked, fears about the future, and self-pity over not being able to conceive a child.

Above all, poor health was multiplying my frustrations, until I came across a wonderful truth in a book given to me by a friend, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy. It says: “Consciousness constructs a better body when faith in matter has been conquered. Correct material belief by spiritual understanding, and Spirit will form you anew. You will never fear again except to offend God, and you will never believe that heart or any portion of the body can destroy you” (p. 425).Continue Reading

Obsessions With the Body; Do They Produce Health?

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Dear Friends,

I hope you can find the time this week to listen to this interview with Mark Swinney and Lynn Gray Jackson.  Given our topic this week, I feel the ideas it shares are well worth the time.

Mark and Lynn have both spent many years in the full time “practice” of Christian Science, praying with and helping others to find healing.  This interview was produced by the Sentinel Radio Program.

Click Here

Photo courtesy of Ed Yourdon, Florida, USA
Photo courtesy of Ed Yourdon, Florida, USA

Essential Mental Weeding

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Dear Friends,

In an interview with Caryl Farkas in the April 2013 issue of the Christian Science Journal she states, “It’s vitally important to recognize that all we think and do has a mental starting point, and then to be conscious of what that is.”  In the following Sentinel article, entitled “True Planting”, Regina B. M. Nash explores this idea a little more fully.  Enjoy!

In the spring, more than at any other season of the year, there is much activity of preparation—the breaking up and the turning over of the soil—for the planting and sowing of seed. The prudent farmer and the thoughtful gardener or florist are very careful that the soil is put into the right condition for the seed; and the seed too is closely inspected as to its quality before planting, and if not good it is cast aside.

Photo courtesy of Robin, USA
Photo courtesy of Robin, USA

In the gladsome spring the birds sing for very joy, the little green buds come forth: these and many other manifestations of this joyous season remind the Christian Scientist of the possibility of eternal spring in his consciousness. Truth has dawned on his thought, and, if faithful, good is continually unfolding to him. Then, should not he be even more careful of his mental garden than is the agriculturist of his soil?Continue Reading

No More Regrets

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Dear Friends,

This article on regret by Jim Baker can be found in the March 18th, 2013 Christian Science Sentinel.  You can purchase the weekly issues of the Sentinel at any Christian Science Reading Room, or order a subscription at www.JSH-Online.  Enjoy!

Are we destined to live with anguished thoughts of regret, guilt, or grief? Do we struggle with memories of disappointments, missed opportunities, or unsatisfied longings?

Thinking hard
Photo courtesy of Fabiana Zonca, UK

Human history appears to consist of good parts we remember with pleasure and parts we would rather forget because they are uncomfortable or painful—and, like old specters may even sneak back into our thoughts to haunt our sense of peace and harmony.

But must we believe we are doomed to live with troubling thoughts that stain our sense of self-worth, keep us trapped in the past, and prevent us from making progress on our spiritual journey? That would certainly not be a sentence imposed by God on His beloved daughters and sons.

That was how I reasoned a few years ago when I found myself wrestling with some family and other interpersonal relationships. The more I allowed myself to dwell on the disturbing memories tumbling through my mind, the more persistent and distressful they became until I recalled a statement by Mary Baker Eddy that “… suffering is self-inflicted, and good is the master of evil” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 209).

In addressing my ghosts of self-recrimination for past mistakes, I came to realize that since the wounds of regret, guilt, grief, and so on, were self-inflicted, I had the God-given right to see them self-corrected, self-healed, and self-eliminated. I also found a fresh and comforting perspective on mortal history and the basis for its correction in another of Mrs. Eddy’s books, Retrospection and Introspection. There she writes: “It is well to know, dear reader, that our material, mortal history is but the record of dreams, not of man’s real existence, and the dream has no place in the Science of being” ( p. 21).

So, in addressing old memories we are often dealing with dreams of our own making. And, since the penalty of harboring and rehashing those dreams is “self-inflicted,” we have the right to revise and eliminate them, and awake from the concept of a flawed mortal history.

We are often dealing with dreams of our own making.

As I prayed, I began by establishing a strong mental defense to confront the baseless suggestions I was dealing with. I recognized that those disturbing illusions had no power to trespass on my present sense of harmony. They were like outgrown garments saved from my childhood that no longer fit and deserved no space in my mental closet.

I found “A Rule for Motives and Acts” in the Manual of The Mother Church instructive in directing me to address the concept of “mere personal attachment” ( p. 40). As I refused to stay attached to memories of my outdated personal history, they became increasingly less intrusive. And soon they faded from thought, leaving no wounds to be healed and no scars.

That experience confirmed that when we awake from a dream, the dream ends, no matter how long we may have been dreaming, or how vivid the dream appeared to be. That dream never becomes part of our present, eternal spiritual identity.

We always have the opportunity to learn the lessons of past experiences to help us in our spiritual growth. Part of the process is learning to love and forgive ourselves enough to drop outgrown experiences from our present thinking lest they impede our progress with needless baggage.

Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once observed that only his tailor took his measurements anew every time he saw him. We have the opportunity to keep measuring ourselves anew, too, based on our present understanding of our spiritual identity.

When we view everyone around us the way we know God sees them, as sinless, spiritual, and perfect, we mentally liberate them, as well as ourselves, from the limitations of discordant memories. We are all free to rejoice in God’s uninterrupted harmony—with no more regrets!

In God’s Name

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Dear Friends,

This article was published in May 2001 in the Christian Science Journal.  It was written by Jeanne Steeley Laitner.

In bible times, the names of individuals were more an identification—names indicated character and nature. Sometimes an individual’s name was changed when he went through a transforming experience. Jacob, for example, became Israel after his experience at Peniel.1   And Saul began to use the name Paul after his conversion to Christianity on the road to Damascus.2Paul

It was natural, then, to place great emphasis on God’s name as denoting His nature. God revealed Himself to Moses as “I AM” when He told Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. Later, the growing perception of God’s nature was expressed in names such as “the Holy One of Israel,” “Shepherd,” “Father,” “Love.” Of course, an expanding understanding of God’s nature expands our perception of our own identity as His likeness.

Other Bible-based terms for God are Mind, Spirit, Soul, Life, and Truth. In Christian Science the term Principle is also a name for God. God is Principle because He is the Lawgiver, as the Bible teaches. He is the divine source of order and harmony. And His nature is scientifically provable.  Science and Health says: “Our Master healed the sick, practised Christian healing, and taught the generalities of its divine Principle to his students; but he left no definite rule for demonstrating this Principle of healing and preventing disease. This rule remained to be discovered in Christian Science.”3Continue Reading

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