Member Testimonies and Gratitude in a Time of Global Challenge

The following testimonies are given by members of our local Green Valley church who have experienced healing through sole reliance on Christian Science. You are invited to visit our Sunday church services or Wednesday testimony meetings to learn more about Christian Science and healing.

Testimony written 8/19/2022 by Joy Bormann
About 2 decades ago when our son was about 13 years old, his dad passed on after a brief illness. Did you notice I said “passed on” not “died”? He had relied on Christian Science treatment completely and none of us expected that outcome. After the outpouring of much love from family and friends upon me and my son, I became very concerned of how to comfort our son. Both son and I were not suffering from grief, which I attribute to the prayer that my husband and the Christian Science practitioner had been doing. I prayed for what to say in order to have our son truly understand the meaning of Comforter-God with us. I sat him on my lap and cuddled him (as much as you can cuddle a baby giraffe!) As I was praying, he suddenly sat up straight as an arrow and announced “I know what I am going to do!” I thought he was going out to play. But instead, he said, “I will live dad’s God-given qualities and then I won’t miss him so much.” I was so touched to see that the answer I was seeking did not have to come through me, but instead, it came directly to our son from his Father-Mother God.

His declaration was not just briefly stated and then forgotten. He proceeded through his teen years living those God-given qualities as his own. There was only one incident, that I remember, where his promise to himself was not adhered to. After it happened, he came to me and said he knew he could do better and that he would. And, so it was. He is now a dad to his own two boys and those (and more) God-qualities live on. Is this not a proof that there is no death? Or, in other words, that God’s qualities and His ideas are immortal.

November 26, 2020

GREEN VALLEY CHURCH CALL-IN “THANKSGIVING DAY” : GRATITUDE EXPRESSED

Hello everyone. Judy Piercy here.
~~~
I wanted to let you know that … Instead of wintering in Tucson as in past years — husband Keith Miller and I are wintering this year in our travel trailer, in Desert Hot Springs — in the Palm Springs, Calif area — home of date farms and date milk shakes!I’m calling in this Thanksgiving day to express gratitude for Christian Science and to its discover Mary Baker Eddy… and of course God, the Love of our lives.

And special gratitude to Green Valley church for establishing a call-in service for those of us who cannot be there in person. Much gratitude for the music, the Readings, the volunteers, the staff. The many things you all do for your members and visitors, make it so clear how your love of Christian Science and your love of neighbor is ever-present and all-important to you.

I join you in church, and I feel at home.

Keith and I have visited many Christian Science churches around America in our four years of travel to visit all of America’s National Parks and Presidential libraries. No church was ever as welcoming to us as Green Valley church.

My gratitude to all who welcomed us in with open arms, and made us feel at home, away from home. Happy Thanksgiving and love to everyone in church and listening in. Have a beautiful thank-full day!

Judy A. Piercy
Eugene, Oregon (hometown)

April 8, 2020

First of all I would like to express my profound gratitude for Christian Science, Christ Jesus, Mary Baker Eddy, this church and the universal structure of Truth and Love. While deepening my study of the unreality of fear and my exemption from it and its material effects, I have been led to study more of the spiritual meaning of the Passover.

Today is the day millions of people start to celebrate this event which won the Israelites freedom from the oppression of the Egyptian Pharaoh. In reading the history of this event it was against Egyptian law for the Jewish people to sacrifice sheep to God. The night of the Passover they not only sacrificed sheep but burned the remains publically and painted their doors with their blood. To me, this means that spiritually they were standing strong for the Truth, for the one true God in defiance of the material laws or AM trying to dictate to them and keep them in bondage. The people standing for the one true God were passed over by the plague that came that night. The blood on the doors would have been visible proof to the Egyptians of the truth the Israelites stood strongly for in this way.

Mrs. Eddy talks about the spiritual meaning of the Passover in Miscellany, pg 156 in this way: “When Jesus directed his disciples to prepare the material Passover, which spiritually speaking is the Passover from sense to Soul, he bade them say to the goodman of the house: “The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guest chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? And he shall show you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.”In obedience to this command may these communicants come with the upper chambers of thought prepared for the reception of Truth – with hope, faith, and love ready to partake of the bread that cometh down from heaven, and to “drink of his blood” – to receive into their affections and lives the inspiration which giveth victory over sin disease, and death.”

This study has helped me so much to realize what a strong stand must be taken in these times against the aggressive mental suggestions attempting to keep us in bondage to material health laws. We can claim victory as the pandemic is an aggressive suggestion of mental assassination in the form of out of control virus particles – the opposite of the freeing grains of Truth coming constantly to us from the one Mind. One belief is that it is only a matter of time before all must come down with this disease. Today’s Daily Lift is lovely on this by Ann Carter titled “Don’t come down with something – come up!” I am so grateful for the spiritual message of the Passover which is so helpful and relevant in these times and am taking a strong stand daily against these false aggressive suggestions for myself, church, family, friends, community and the world. We all can rise up together in the power of the spirit and declare “This far and no farther will you come” per Job 38:11! On page 442 of Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy ends her chapter on Christian Science Practice with this: “Christian Scientists be a law to yourselves that mental malpractice cannot harm you either when asleep or when awake.” Onward Christian Soldiers! We can do this with the cross of Jesus going on before! When reading on Sundays I feel your presence, love and support and reflect it back to you. We are together in Christ no matter the visual. Thank you – love you all

— Helene B.

The recent Bible Lessons in the Christian Science Quarterly on Reality and Unreality have been very helpful to me to understand the reality of health and the unreality of a virus. These Bible Lessons have helped me not to consent to contagion. These Bible lessons have also reminded me of a healing I experienced about five years ago.

My husband, his brother, and his wife, and I went to a restaurant near their home in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. We had directions to find the restaurant tucked away in what was a residential neighborhood. We entered the restaurant through the pastry shop. We proceeded to be seated in the “dining room” which was probably the living room of the house. We learned that the wife was the pastry chef, and the husband was the chef and the waiter.

It was apparent that the man taking our order was experiencing a belief in some type of virus. We enjoyed a tasty meal and an assortment of Lebanese pastries from the pastry shop in the lobby.

The next day after returning home to Baltimore, I began to experience symptoms similar to those of our waiter / chef. At first, I thought, “Why was he waiting on us in that condition?” Then, my next thought was forgiveness. It seemed that they were refugees from Lebanon and were doing what they knew how to do to make a living in America. They were clearly appreciating their freedom. Then, I thought I could claim my freedom as well, which included freedom from contagion.

I am grateful for one of the quickest healings I have ever experienced. And, oh yes, the Bible Lesson that week was “Are Sin, Disease, and Death Real?” When I returned home and was experiencing symptoms like those of the waiter, I delved into that Bible Lesson like I had never done before. That was key to that healing. I am so grateful for the Bible Lessons in the Christian Science Quarterly.

— submitted by Oveta Hall Popjoy

Thank you David for what I know will be wonderful readings this afternoon and for taking on the many duties of the First Reader for the year. How grateful I am!

I have started thinking about all I am grateful for when I begin my walks each day. Today the beauty of the cactus that are beginning to bloom just jumped out at me. I am grateful that the concept of “time” is changing in my thought by not having so many material limits and mortal measurements. The Golden Text this week …”thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” has been a wonderful way for me to start a daily prayer for the whole world. This verse starts with gratitude!

I was also grateful for the lesson from CedarS by Christie Hanzlik this week. She asked the question “Have you forgiven Judas?” I had never thought of doing this. I always wondered if he hadn’t betrayed Jesus, what would have happened next. So this set me off on a journey into Matthew 26 and 27 beyond our lesson to see in more detail what happened to him. Christie also suggested an article by Nathan Talbot titled “The other side of Judas”. December 7, 1992 issue of Sentinel. He talks about the other side which calls for our compassion. What happened to Judas after the betrayal really opened my eyes. I see how we all at some point have to learn to deal with our own experiences of betrayals by demonstrating the power of divine Love. Forgiveness, compassion, patience are all qualities that help us grow spiritually out of the consequences of our actions of betrayal. This article was very helpful to me in understanding the importance Jesus put on loving all.

I am also very grateful for the articles in both the Journal and Sentinels about resurrection. They, as well as our lesson this week, shows us clearly God’s ever-presence and our oneness with divine Mind. What a joy to know this for myself and the whole world during this Easter week and every day!

Thank you,
Jan E.

April 2, 2020

Just want to express gratitude to all the people in this congregation and on the streets and in the places of business which are still open, for their kindness and cheerfulness in this time of world challenge. Mary Baker Eddy tells us … “Jesus demonstrations sift the chaff from the wheat, and unfold the unity and reality of good, the unreality, the nothingness of evil.” (from Science and Health page 269, line 5).

It seems to me that in spite of the many dire medical and economic predictions associated with COVID-19, our community is holding its head high. …and with its prayers and turning to God, will be able to see its way through the unreality and nothingness of evil to the reality of perfect health and harmony. I love Martin Luther’s prayer: “Here I stand. I can do no otherwise; so help me God!” (quoted on page 268 of Science and Health).

Larry Backus

This week I have been especially grateful for the mothering, comforting, and guidance of The Mother Church. We have been receiving updates from TMC regularly and they are very supportive of congregations which are needing to stay at home during the proclaimed “national emergency”. The Mother Church has offered many tools to help us during this time of non in-person services including posters for our church and reading room doors, telephone numbers for churches who are holding call-in services, etc.

I am especially grateful for the added content on JSH-Online addressing the issues of today including handling the belief of contagion. Suzanne has many times referred to the blessings of listening to the Audio Chats of the past. Yesterday, while pulling weeds from our stones, I found the chats on JSH-Online and this time I was alert in tuning in. One I found especially helpful was a Question and Answer chat with Marion English, CSB, about the practical benefits from praying the Lord’s Prayer. That talk brought home the spiritual growth that comes from really praying with our hearts and not just saying the words.

Needless to say, I am grateful for our branch church and its efforts to be good neighbors in this trying time and for the love The Mother Church has for us and for mankind throughout the world.

Gratefully,
Cene Backus

Hi all, I was sharing some thoughts with someone who mentioned I should send it in so here it is. First of all, my gratitude for Christian Science is unbounded. Especially in times like these. In praying for myself, family, community and world I found I had some fear deep down over the word virus. It came to me to look it up. What I found was so exciting – this revelation took all vestiges of fear away. The main agreement within the material scientists community is that it is a super small microbe — quite inert and dead if you will. It becomes active, feeds and replicates only when entering a cell in a human body. Oh my gosh how mental is that!!! Wow! Mrs Eddy gives us everything we need to bar this entrance. In her article Contagion she talks about consent. I do not consent to open the door of my thought to any little wandering material thoughts! Clad in Loves panoply — I and my family and all upon whom my thought rests are also shielded from this form of mortal thought entering in. There is so much Mrs Eddy gives us to pursue this path if study. I am so grateful to have found the way to eradicate all fear — love love love — these little erroneous thought bits are not real and cannot become a part of our thought if we do not consent. Let us stay strong together my friends !!! Onward Christian soldiers!

Paraphrasing Mrs Eddy — nothing inharmonious can enter our being. We are a closed system — expressed by and connected inviolately to God right here and right now. Where else and when else!!

Helene Benedikte

Thank you, as always, for the readings that open our thoughts to the truth and allow us to ponder spiritual ideas in new and different ways.

I am so grateful for the many different ways we can connect with each other, especially spiritually, during these times of “social distancing”.

I thought that Chet Manchester’s Daily Lift on Monday titled “Gathering spiritually, calming pandemic fears” was so perfect. He talked about another kind of gathering essential to healing fear from Matthew 18:20 where Christ Jesus says “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”. Chet shares that even when we can’t meet in person, we can come together in thought and that collective prayer is a powerful way to do it. He shares other ideas and a testimony of his own healing through the Lord’s Prayer.

Spiritview, the blog by Evan Mehlenbacher, shared today the passage by Mary Baker Eddy from p. 96 of Science and Health, “This material world is even now becoming the arena for conflicting forces. On one side there will be discord and dismay; on the other side there will be Science and peace. The breaking up of material beliefs may seem to be famine and pestilence, want and woe, sin, sickness, and death, which assume new phases until their nothingness appears. These disturbances will continue until the end of error, when all discord will be swallowed up in spiritual Truth.” I felt this was so pertinent to what we are facing today. This coronavirus is the evil that is trying to tempt us. One of the “new phases”. We can choose as Mary Baker Eddy says, to be on the side of “discord and dismay” or “Science and peace”. I know where my thoughts will continue to rest upon!

It has been fun to see all the people out walking. I have had a chance to see many friends and neighbors that I usually don’t see much when I walk the dog. Of course we share the sidewalks and roads with loving distance and we have shared some interesting and sometimes hilarious stories.

I was reading the Metaphysical ideas from CedarS about the lesson this week by David Price, CS, from Denver, Colorado and he shared his personal thoughts about what’s happening in the world today and some ways we can help. It has been helpful in confirming some of my own feelings.

He wrote: “It is really easy to criticize the way the world is handling what seems to be chaos right now. It’s easy to say “Fear is gripping the world and it is irrational.” In your own thought you can and should argue against fear and argue against any supposed power that would attempt to usurp God’s present care and all-Power, omnipotence. It is also a Christian thing to do to respect your neighbor’s concerns and to follow those recommendations which are society’s best intentions for keeping everyone safe. I went on a run on Tuesday. As I was stretching on the sidewalk I noticed a woman walking on the same sidewalk, so I took four steps back into the grass to give her plenty of “social distance,” She smiled at me and thanked me for stepping aside. Was I afraid? Nope. Was I giving in to something I didn’t believe? Nope. It’s better to pray in secret and let your life bear witness to the power of Spirit exemplified in health and especially in holiness.”

With this week’s lesson and such wonderful, prayerful thoughts being generated all around us, how can we not have only good come about all around us.

So grateful!
Jan E.

As I was praying yesterday, I was expressing gratitude for some news I had heard the night before.

There was a report indicating that attention was being given to directing ideas and action to aspects of our government other than the “pandemic”,.. where health authorities seem to be “governing”, and very vigorously directing our future with all kinds of prognosis and predictions!

Another article, earlier in the day, had expressed encouragement and probable solutions and directions our government might take to bring things into balance in a variety of areas.

As I pursued the thought of Government; the direction and operation of it…in perfect balance, under God’s control, I was led to an article in a pamphlet, “God’s Government”. The article is “The Might of God’s Spiritual Government” by L. Ivimy Gwalter. The reading, and praying with these ideas, lifted my thought as I had been striving to do, but was not finding the “light” needed.

I began to realize I was trying to change a condition; a problem of mortal mind’s suggestion, rather than understanding that no matter how aggressive, heavy, and all pervading this imposition “seemed” to be…GOD GOVERNS!

(Here is a quote from the article).

“Wherever God is, government is; wherever true government is, God is. This is true because God by His very nature is All-in-all. There is none beside Him. He is not corporeal, unpredictable, and finite. He is all the Mind there is, all the Life and Truth and wisdom. He is Spirit, unseen to spiritual sense. He is the Soul of all because in Him alone are all order, beauty, perfection, harmony, and immortality.”…

…and it goes on. As you can see, this is a very powerful article. It is proving to be an ongoing healing treatment for me. The heaviness immediately has left and my thoughts and prayers have become joyfully inspired as I am realizing, that the lessons that I am learning today, are re-positioning my goals and expectations. From this experience, and the experiences our government, and all governments are facing, healing is possible.” Our Leader says…” “Every day makes it’s demands upon us for higher proofs….” and “progress is the law of God whose law demands of us only what we can certainly fulfill! (S&H 233)

It is true, as this article says; “The purpose and function of God’s law is to bless”. I am more grateful thank I can say, to understand these spiritual facts in some way, to feel the blessing…and know it is available for all mankind right now and in every way!

Jane MartiJ

How grateful I am for the ever present care of God’s love that is available to all of his children.

The other night while washing up for bed, I felt a sharp pain in my chest and it seemed difficult to breathe. In no time, immediately, I was flooded with grateful and harmonious thoughts of Divine Love. Familiar truths reminded me that I had been made in the image and likeness of only Good. I was and am that clear reflection of strength, wisdom, health, and perfection. I closed my eyes and prayed the Lord’s Prayer and it’s all encompassing Truth. It disintegrates all sense of fear and leaves only comfort, only complete healing.

Continuing to hold onto these thoughts, I left the bathroom to sit on my bed. I knew that my true identity as God’s own child was my health, my status and foundation. Nothing could interfere, distract or alter this strong relationship with my Father, Mother God. Listening to Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy online reinforced the Truths I am learning and endeavoring to demonstrate. As she states on page 261 of her book, “The effect of mortal mind on health and happiness is seen in this: If one turns away from the body with such absorbed interest as to forget it, the body experiences no pain.”

And this is exactly what happened. I felt at peace and filled with gratitude. The pain stopped and I was breathing normally as I went to bed.

Not for one moment did I ask myself why was I in pain, why can’t I breathe? I had immediately turned from the body to lean on my maker.

Thank you Father, Mother God for your unceasing Love which is always available….. whenever, wherever. Always.

Ellen Woodburn

I was advised by a practitioner at one time when seeking prayerful support that it was important what I followed the words, “I AM…” with; as that was the name given to Moses by God to be used by him to explain who had sent him to deliver the people of Israel from Egypt.

In researching this name given to Moses by God, I found that there were other interpretations of this verse in the Bible; The Interpreter’s Bible states that …”in the Bible a name, whether of man, angel, or deity, sets forth the character of its bearer.” The word used for God’s name in Exodus 3:13 is translated as “I Am who I Am”…I Am, Because I Am”, “I will Be”… and “I AM,”

Mary Baker Eddy uses ‘I Am” in her textbook, Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures numerous times in referring to God. See pages 253, 256, 267, and 290 among other pages.

The definition of God begins…”God, the great I AM…” I found researching the name of God as “I Am” to be very helpful-especially following a poem by Timothy MacDonald in his audio chat “Victor not Victim” given 9/29/2015. He was regretting the past and fearing the future at one time in his life when suddenly God was speaking to him with these words:

“My name is I AM;
I waited, God continued;
when you live in the past with its mistakes and regrets,
it is hard. I am not there; my name is not, I was….
When you live in the future with its problems and fears,
it is hard. I am not there; my name is not I will be….
When you live in this moment, it is NOT hard ;
I am here. My name is I AM!”

This has been a reminder to me to guard carefully, especially at this time of challenge, what I follow the words “I AM” with as I am the reflection, the expression of God, the “I AM.”