Authentic Health New Mexico

New Mexico Christian Science Committee on Publication

Stability when the winds of change blow

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Stability when the winds of change blow
@Glowimages

In his latest blog Tim Mitchinson reminds us that “no matter what new challenges you may face, there is an unwavering, unconditional, divine Love enfolding you and those you love, right now.”  These ideas could not be more relevant than today. “Stability when the winds of change blow” was first published on September 5, 2017 in the Peoria Journal-Star.

As summer turns to fall in Illinois, the wonderful warm days of Indian summer arrive. This is a time of change, not only in the weather, as days become shorter and nights chillier, but often a time of personal changes as loved ones move off to attend college, start new jobs, make new friends, often leaving parents and others behind.

Bob Dylan once wrote, “May you have a strong foundation when the winds of change shift…”  Like many others, I have found the Bible to be that strong foundation when facing times of challenge or change.  Why? Because the Bible, spiritually interpreted, helps us understand that the power of God is mightier than any fearful situation we may be facing.  It’s a textbook on life.  Through counsel and example, it shows us how to face any situation, trusting that God’s love and protective power are sufficient to help us no matter the changes we face.

Throughout the Bible there are stories of people who, when they were up against something really challenging, felt the presence and power of God and His great love.  For instance, the life of Joseph, son of Hebrew patriarch Jacob, was full of twists and turns.  He was sold by his brothers into slavery, falsely accused when he took a moral stand, imprisoned and forgotten by those he had trusted.  But Joseph knew God’s great love surrounded him no matter where he was, no matter what was going on. He patiently lived his life under God’s guidance.  When he was finally released from prison, he saved a nation from famine.

King David may have been thinking of Joseph when he penned these words about God’s ever-presence and unchanging love during uncertain times: “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there” (Ps. 139: 7, 8).  This Psalm teaches that God’s direction and affection never leave us, no matter where we are, who we are with (or not with), or how severe the challenges we seem to be up against.

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Prayer as healthcare?

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@Glowimages

I love Tim Mitchinson’s simple and straightforward explanation of why he relies on prayer for his healthcare.  Tim’s blog was first published on March 23, 2017  in thePeoria Journal-Star.

I recently had a conversation with someone about health care.  When I told him that I was a Christian Scientist and depended upon prayer for the cure of illness, he mentioned that he felt Christian Science was “out there.”  He was kind and respectful, but behind his comment was the impression that prayer is not a dependable way to treat disease.

I understood his comment somewhat since most people consider drugs and surgery as the most effective, and often, the only treatment of disease; and prayer is often seen as an auxiliary to medicine.  But I have found prayer that brings new views of spiritual reality, to be very effective as my sole means of treating disease.  Everyone’s health choices are personal, and as a Christian Scientist, I am not under any church edict.  But prayer has met my health, as well as my religious, needs time and time again.

I am not alone in valuing prayer as a significant means of healing.  A 2008 Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life Survey found that 36% of Americans surveyed reported that they had experienced or witnessed a divine healing of an illness or injury.  And 75% reported that they pray at least once a week.

Divine healing does not need to be shocking or miraculous.  Have you ever thought that it is the nature of God to heal?  The Bible clearly characterizes God this way:  “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;” (Ps. 103: 3, 4).

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Meeting the human need – women’s accomplishments rediscovered

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Throughout history a primary role of women has been to meet the human need whether it occurs in the family, church, community or the world. Tim Mitchinson writes a poignant reminder of two compassionate women who changed the world.  Tim’s blog, “Meeting the Human Need  – Women’s Accomplishments Rediscovered” was first published in the Peoria Journal-Star on March 3, 2017

As March is National Women’s History Month, I’d like to recognize the achievements of two women.  Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, expressed exemplary devotion to humanity as a nurse.  This is summed up in her famous words, “You must never so much as think as whether you like it or not, whether it is bearable or not, you must never think of anything except the need, and how to meet it.”

Barton’s unselfishness, gallantry and self-abnegation were monumental, and a century after her death, her organization is still helping the victims of tragedy, violence and storms.  In view of this, what she said about one of her contemporaries is notable: “Love permeates all the teachings of this great woman, – so great, I believe, that at this perspective we can scarcely realize how great, and looking into her life history we see nothing but self-sacrifice and selflessness.”

Barton spoke this of Mary Baker Eddy, a fellow member of the National Women’s Hall of Fame.  Like Barton, Eddy’s life was devoted to meeting the human need.  But Eddy’s contribution was to help mankind find salvation as well as health.  Over a lifetime of prayer and deep study of the Bible, she grasped something that had been lost since the time of the early Christians.  In the Bible, especially in the words and works of Christ Jesus, she found divine laws that brought harmony, health, and holiness to humanity.  She called this discovery Christian Science.

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Prayer: Like Driving by Moonlight

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Prayer: Like driving by moonlightThere is a sweetness underlying the profound  power of prayer in this blog by my colleague from Indiana, Sharon Vincz Andrews. “Prayer: Like Driving by Moonlight” has some good ideas about how to make your daily prayers practical.  This blog was first published on Medium.com on February 23, 2017.

Our recent supermoon made me think of driving down dark country roads near my parents’ home at Lake Lemon years ago. Sometimes the moon was so bright that we turned off the headlights. On a dark night, even with headlights, a driver can see only 150–500 feet ahead. But we don’t stop driving, do we? We don’t fear what might be ahead in the gloom. We trust the limited light to take us forward.

I think daily prayer is something like that.

A recent Gallup survey indicates that 55% of Americans say they pray daily, 79% say they have prayed for themselves when ill, and 87% for someone else who was in need of healing from an illness. These results fly in the face of what is often presented as increased secularization of daily life and the popular culture that says prayer is a waste of time — i.e. its just “doing nothing.” Or, the messages out there that say God doesn’t really exist, so of course prayer is useless.

When I pray, I affirm God’s goodness and Love. I embrace myself as God’s image and likeness. And then I say “no” to what appears as evil or limitation in life and in the world. I read the Bible, listening for new inspiration from the life of Jesus Christ. I study Bible interpretations such as Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, rejoicing in some new insight and comfort.

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Jesus’ life: inspired and scientific

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Jesus' life: inspired and scientific
iStock photo/eugenesergev

Reading Steven Salt’s latest blog “Jesus’ life: inspired and scientific,” I’m reminded of a statement by 19th c. religious thinker, Mary Baker Eddy.  A student of the Bible who spent many years studying the healing works of Christ Jesus’ she concluded that to follow him “We must look deep into realism instead of accepting only the outward sense of things.”  Steven takes us on a deep dive in this article first published in Cleveland.com on January 23, 2017.

Ours is a world of immense complexity and confounding questions. Mankind’s devotion to science and to religion reveals our deep desire to make sense of it all.

Science and faith have revealed otherly realms normally unobservable to our physical senses.  Both have uncovered universes we never knew existed. From the macro to the micro, our accumulated knowledge has yielded information and wisdom which have partially tamed the physical universe and freed us somewhat from the bonds of materiality.

“You will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” Jesus’ statement uttered over two millennia ago is the impulse for the theology he taught. It also happens to be the underpinning of all scientific enterprise. Revealing fundamental truth is the incentive of religion and scientific endeavor. The resulting discernment encourages freedom to express mastery over life’s perplexities.

Jesus’ life was divinely inspired. His service to God, love of mankind, and unrelenting reliance on an infinite wisdom he referred to as “my Father” is obvious and recorded in Scripture for the ages.

At the same time Jesus’ life was profoundly scientific. How so? He looked deep into reality, past the obvious objects of physicality and into the creativity of Mind or God. “Jesus of Nazareth was the most scientific man that ever trod the globe,” wrote Mary Baker Eddy.  “He plunged beneath the material surface of things, and found the spiritual cause.”

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Why do we pray?

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prayer

In her article “Why do we Pray?” Moji Solanke, my colleague from Nigeria, asks an important question.  You will definitely want to read her answer!  Moji’s blog was first published on September 18 2016  in the The Guardian Sunday Magazine.

Prayer has been defined in several ways – desire, communication, intercession, travail, pleading, groaning in the spirit, a longing to be better and holier, and so on. Generally, in the religious sense, (as opposed to the legal sense of ‘praying the court’), praying involves communing with God or the Supreme Being, in some way. But why do we pray? And how does prayer benefit others and us?

We may pray for divine intervention in a human situation, such as relationships, employment, finance, illness and so on. Sometimes, we pray to express gratitude for some successful outcome. In some cases, we pray to inform or remind God about a problem. Then, there is pleading for forgiveness; asking Christ Jesus to come and dwell in the heart and so on. While there is no formula for praying aright, James 4:3 in the Bible enjoins us not to ask amiss.

As Christians, we can gain good guidance by following Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 6: 6, which reveals that prayer involves being still mentally – listening for God’s direction, being aware of His ever-present power and unconditional love.

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Healing the divisions that separate us

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Healing the divisions that separate us
@saltseasoned

“Healing the divisions that separate us,” by Steven Salt has important lessons for us as we pray to heal the divisions in our community, country and the world.  Steven’s blog was first published on September 14, 2016 on Cleveland.com.

No trespassing. Keep out. Violators will be …

Constructing borders and defending them seems an irresistible proclivity manifested on many levels. From national boundaries to backyard fences and even personal space, there is a strong impulse to establish lines of demarcation that separate us from each other for the purpose of safeguarding. There are consequences.

Territorial violations make the news everyday: illegal border crossings, mass immigration, international as well as personal property disputes, to name a few. The walls built to keep some in and others out are not confined to physical structures, but also ideated ones, less obvious but just as formidable.  Barriers such as distrust, prejudice, indifference and hatred can seem more impenetrable than a barbed wire fence.

On the other hand, an instinctive drive to associate and unite with others impels us to connect. It is an interesting dichotomy: the desire to relate juxtaposed against fears that keep outsiders at arms length. Lifting the barricades that divide us along with the suspicions and angst they foster requires a rethink of accepted comfort zones and an acknowledgement of our native oneness.

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Is it time to change course? Don’t be afraid!

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Is it time to change course? Don't be afraid!
@Glowimages

In her blog, “Is it time to change course? Don’t be afraid!” Malissa Lakin-Watson shares a time in her life when everything seemed to be going wrong.  Turning to prayer showed her the path  into a better life.  This blog was first published on September 7, 2016 in the East Atlanta Patch

Making a major life change can sometimes feel scary and stressful. But there may be many times in life when changing course is necessary because we have outgrown a job, a relationship, a home; or, something else has prompted a shift.

In this short YouTube video, Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski explains that when challenging, stressful times come along, they can be periods of great growth. He shares an analogy regarding, of all things, lobsters. He explains that as they grow, the rigid shell does not expand with their growing bodies. So, as the pressure builds up within the shell this signals that the now confining container must be discarded. The lobster then goes under a rock to shed the old shell where it can protect itself from predatory fish until a new shell is formed. It’s a very normal process for lobsters and they go through it several times in their lives.

I guess in a way, we are not so different from the lobster, except I don’t think a lobster is afraid of losing it’s limiting, confining shell. We, on the other hand, tend to stay in uncomfortable situations that don’t feel right a bit too long because of fear. Maybe we are afraid of the unknown or possibly of failing because the human circumstances surrounding us seem to be governing and limiting all that we do. Or, maybe we really want to make a needed change but the ways and means of doing so and moving forward aren’t clear, at least not at first. That’s been my experience anyway.

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Is racism contagious?

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Is racism contagious?
@Glowimages

Eric Nelson’s recent blog “Is racism contagious?” is timely and thought provoking.  He references a religious thought leader of the 19th c., Mary Baker Eddy, who wrote at length about the dangers of personal contagion.  She suggests that “Forgetting divine Principle brings on this contagion.” And, advises, “At a time of contagious disease, … rise in consciousness to the true sense of the omnipotence of Life, Truth, and Love, and this great fact in Christian Science realized will stop a contagion.”  Eric’s blog was first published on July 26, 2016 in Communities Digital News.  You will want to click through to read the entire article. 

“I’ve heard some people that I know and like saying quite offensive things,” said Carol Lindsay, a white, 80-year-old Londoner speaking with a reporter from NPR about the increase in racially motivated hostility she’s witnessed since the recent Brexit vote. “You know, just nastiness. I think it’s like a contagion.”

Given the universal aversion to disease, Lindsay’s analogy is unsettling. Chances are, though, that on average we do far more to protect ourselves from the proverbial common cold than any tendency we may have to see people of another color or race as a threat to our personal well-being.

“Floating with the popular current of mortal thought without questioning the reliability of its conclusions, we do what others do, believe what others believe, and say what others say,” cautioned Mary Baker Eddy in her Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896, addressing what she understood to be the root of all sickness – moral, physical, or otherwise. “Common consent is contagious, and it makes disease catching.”

The question then becomes, how do we prevent the spread of racism – a disease, if you will, that appears to have infected nearly every corner of the globe?

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Receiving Healing Power from Christ

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Receiving healing power from Christ
@Glowimages

Did you ever wonder how to heal like the Master, Jesus Christ did?  Moji Solanke from Nigeria has  written a clear and simple explanation in “Receiving Healing Power from Christ,” originally published The Guardian Nigeria on May 23, 2016

It is written in the Gospel of Matthew 10:1 that Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them power to cast out unclean spirits and to heal every type of disease. In John 8:31, Jesus says that anyone who continues in his word is his disciple indeed. Therefore anyone who continues in the word of Christ in the Twenty-First century, is as much Jesus’ disciple as the twelve in the First century. More pertinent for today’s disciple is Jesus’ promise, that signs shall follow anyone who believes on him [Mark 16:17, 18]. One of these signs is that they shall heal the sick as he did. This is an unequivocal promise, which all may claim today.

How may a Christian receive Christly power to heal? Mary Baker Eddy, discoverer of Christian Science and church founder, says in her textbook Science and Health with key to the Scriptures that the word ‘disciple’ means student, therefore Jesus, as Teacher, instructed his disciples how to heal. She goes on to say that the power of Christ healing is not a supernatural gift to a specially chosen few, but the result of cultivated spiritual understanding, learned by listening to, and seeing practically how, the Master healed the sick and sinning.

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