Some people like to find differences and then debate them. I don’t. I prefer to find commonalities and then confirm them. I like bridges, not walls.
I’ve been recently inspired by a new Wilmington friend who practices meditation. He loves this activity and has found healing through its practice. No wonder he’s started a business teaching it to others.
Is meditation the same as prayer? I wondered because prayer is important to me as a Christian Scientist, although the Bible speaks also of meditation. Let the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, says the Psalmist more than once. More currently, Elizabeth Gilbert’s best seller Eat, Pray, Love focuses on the balm of meditation.
In some Bible versions meditation is translated “unspoken thought.” It refers to deep reflection or pondering. Interestingly, the word has common roots with the word medical, which comes from the verb to measure or consider. It’s a mental process we’re talking about here, the most profound kind there is. And it heals, as my friend Kyle Harper and I can attest.
Prayer adds the concept of God to this definition of deep thinking. Prayer implies an earnest, humble entreaty to the Creator. It can also include praise and thanksgiving. Prayer is meditation, but with reliance on a higher power than the human mind alone.
According to my friend’s practice of meditation, there must be a willingness to put aside material values and appetites and an openness or receptivity to better, more spiritual ideas. We prayer people totally agree! With practice, both meditation and prayer solve problems and bring peace.
So I’ve found our common ground. Hear ye, both meditators and prayer people: I’ve planted myself on the bridge between us. The view is lovely, whatever side you come from. Are you planning to stroll over any time soon? I hope so. I’ll be there to meet you.
There is just one game left, the Super Bowl. The regular season of the NFL (National Football League) is complete. It was a special year. The Green Bay Packers flirted with a perfect season. Tim Tebow’s faith and dramatic comebacks stole many a headline. The Houston Texans even won their first playoff game. Yet, the New England Patriots and the New York Giants will now decide which team is the best of the best at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on February 5.
I am a fan of the game. Although I spend more time watching games than I should admit, I spend even more helping to heal the pain and suffering of others. Therefore, it quickly caught my attention when Dallas Cowboys’ safety, Gerald Sensabaugh, recently said, “Pain is just mental.”
The news report I was reading stated that there are only a small number of football players who are able to complete a game with a strained arch and as well, play another game five days later. However, after he helped his team defeat the Miami Dolphins, Sensabaugh has been added to the list. Read more …
Keith Wommack is a Christian Science practitioner and teacher from Corpus Christi, TX. He also is a media and legislative liaison for Christian Science in Texas. He has been described as a spiritual spur (since every horse needs a little nudge now and then).
Most of us know a lot about music. We’re shower singers, ITunes listeners, spirited defenders of our favorite bands. We feel good when we sing, listen to, or even debate our music. We feel happy.
Now there’s growing evidence that music is therapy, not just entertainment. From helping children with special needs to lifting elders from incipient dementia, music heals. This discovery adds to the already huge evidence that alternatives to traditional medicine are effective and in demand. Even prestigious universities like Duke and UNC Chapel Hill are hiring music therapists and their individualized, patient oriented plans for music as treatment. At UNC, music therapist Elizabeth Fawcett became a full time employee when it was evident that “psychiatric patients were noticeably improving their behavior and quality of life” after her sessions. (Jay Price in The News & Observer, Jan. 18, 2012) A pastor in Jacksonville, NC would attest to that. (See video)
When we were children my mother often sang us to sleep. I remember having an earache one night and her sweet voice was like a balm. Actually, it was a balm. The pain faded quickly and I slept like a baby again. She sang, “O, gentle presence, peace and joy and power; O Life divine, that owns each waiting hour…Keep Thou my child on upward wing tonight.” (“Mother’s Evening Prayer” by Mary Baker Eddy)
Christian Scientists know the healing power expressed in all of God’s harmonious gifts to us. Music is one of them.
Evan Rachel Wood, Golden Globe Nominee: Photo by darkchacal (Cristian Krause)
Some folks like to be dressed up. No one likes to be dressed down. So if you’re one of the fortunate Beautiful People to be called to Hollywood’s Red Carpet, you’re probably happy. On the other hand, if the boss calls you up to his office, the carpeted one that yours is not, you may dread his anticipated criticism.
The Golden Globe awards last Sunday bowed to the celebrity beauty our nation worships. Gowns, tuxes and more gowns were the subject of chatter, both approving and disapproving. Did she look like a banana in that yellow gown? Did he realize his tux was really navy, not black? Was the trendy blush-colored fabric elegant or washed out? Only the Experts (read Critics) really know. And they’ll tell us, to be sure.
I loved the exquisite outer beauty the stars expressed in their choice of designers, silhouettes, up-dos, and make-up. I loved even more the inner beauty that sometimes shone through the glamour: the strong, philanthropic stand of Angelina Jolie; the radiant graciousness of Meryl Streep; the poignant appeal of Octavia Spencer for us to respect and dignify all workers, domestic maids included. These lovely women embody substantial spiritual graces that transcend mere physical appearance.
One local girl nominated for a Golden Globe is Even Rachel Wood from Raleigh, North Carolina. Noted for her roles in TV’s Mildred Pierce and the film The Ides of March, Woods was acclaimed for her dazzling looks on the Red Carpet. Ms. Woods may be too young to have yet accumulated a record for good works and altruism, but she has some wonderful role models to follow even in Hollywood.
“The recipe for all beauty is to have less illusion and more Soul,” one lovely woman wrote over a century ago.* Her demonstration of inner beauty was praised for the mental sharpness, grace and humor she expressed even into her late eighties when she had the vision and stamina to found the Christian Science Monitor, a Pulitzer winning newspaper which has blessed millions.
Soul-filled beauty is always the real winner on the carpet.
*(Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. p. 247)
The effect of religion on health is probably too huge a question to study easily. Certainly one short blog can’t give a definitive answer. But out of respect for my 40,000 Mormon neighbors in North Carolina, I’m going to venture a guess.
Mormons, or people of the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS), are taught clear and conservative ways to live. They focus on commitment to both marriage and family stability. They neither smoke nor drink alcohol or caffeine, although herbal tea is acceptable. They are sparing in their use of meat, and it’s understood they don’t use illegal drugs
Sounds too prissy for you? Listen up, anyone who wants a healthier life.
According to a Ford Motor Company newsletter on various faiths and religious practices:
1. A UCLA study revealed that practicing Mormons live longer than most Americans,: men by 11 years, women by 8.
2. Utah, arguably the state with the most Mormons, ranks 50th in smoking, alcohol consumption, drunk driving, heart disease and sick days. sdrencure@yahoo.com )
How incredible this simple tool of “living right” as Mormons might see it reduces health care costs and the incalculable suffering connected with drunk driving, heart disease and even sick days. Read your local paper today if you doubt the truth of that statement.
I’m not in the business of converting folks to religion, not even my own. But as a Christian Scientist whose religion also teaches avoidance of tobacco, alcohol and other harmful habits like gambling and overeating, I can’t help but be grateful to my Mormon neighbors for making the point for all of us: finding more healthful ways to be satisfied than in material indulgences is good for us all. These better ways are completely accessible and affordable. A more spiritual approach to life, found in one’s faith, improves the health of our community and all mankind.
Are you in serious hot water in this faltering economy? Perhaps you’re without a job, or your job is inadequate to pay your bills and meet your needs. Listen in on a conversation I had with friend David during a Fellowship lunch at church recently.
David remembered his Sunday School teacher told him never to be one of those “tea bag Christian Scientists.” Say what? I said. These are the folks who wait until they’re in hot water to activate their faith, he explained. I was especially interested because David had just gone through an unusual financial challenge in having to close the bank where he was CEO and then having to find another job pronto. (See previous blog, A Bank Not Behaving Badly.) And now, over honey- baked ham and sides, he was telling us he’d found another fine job at a different bank in our community. We rejoiced with him. He had prayed and his prayers were effective.
We all know David’s no “Tea Bag Christian Scientist.” Long before the hot water poured down he’d been praying consistently over daily challenges. His very sick puppy was healed through prayer, and prayer brought about a remarkable recovery for his mother who’d broken a hip. His earlier bank problems were resolved ethically and harmoniously and he credits prayer for each step. Others were also praying along with him during these times.
Now I hear my friend Cindy, a practicing Christian of another denomination, has also been praying for a better personal economy. Her “hot water” situation was that she needed more income, and fast. As a self-employed housecleaner, Cindy needed more clients to replace those who’d found they could no longer afford her services. Cindy is a faithful churchgoer and constantly brings prayer to her concerns about family and relationships. She’s no Tea Bag Christian.
Soon Cindy’s prayerful, expectant attitude revealed practical, helpful ideas. She asked her son who was employed by a large automotive service if he could suggest any business people who might need cleaning services. He could and they did! One has already employed her to clean two of his buildings and Cindy’s excited about new ways to reach others.
What if you’re not a “prayer type?” Hold that thought. Your expression of gratitude for good already received, your humility, your careful listening for good ideas and willingness to act on them—guess what? That’s prayer! You don’t need to wait for hot water to bring out all these wonderful spiritual qualities. You can lean on them now.
“To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings.” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, Pref. vii) So lean.
Well, it's the thought...or is it? Photo by daBinsi
The feeding frenzy under the Christmas tree is over; the wrapping paper is gone into the recycling bin. By now you’ve probably heard the seasonal nag of conscience (or your saintly mother) to Write Your Thank-You Notes. Sigh.
Still, you know how good it makes you feel to thank Aunt Tillie for even the ugly sweater or the pink bunny pajamas, now famous symbols of Hated Gifts. But did you know what else gratitude can do? It can actually increase your own good, even to the point of enriching you in literal, tangible ways. (See disclaimer, NOTE TO SELVES*)
Try John Kralik’s approach in A Simple Act of Gratitude, as reported in Parade Magazine January 1. In the doldrums due to divorce, downward spiraling finances, and excess weight, Kralik turned himself around and began writing thank-you notes to everyone he could think of.
“I heard a voice. It said I shouldn’t focus on what I… had lost but should be grateful for what I had. This project [of writing thank-you notes] transformed my life. I saw how much I had been blessed by so many people…and acknowledging their blessings seemed to make them multiply. After I thanked colleagues for directing cases to me, they referred more. When I expressed gratitude to clients for paying promptly, they began doing so even more quickly.” In other words, the love he extended came back to him in tangible and much needed supply.
Kralik’s project lasted about a year, and his book tells all. His example illustrates a truth expressed beautifully in Christian Science, founded by Mary Baker Eddy: Our gratitude is riches, complaint is poverty. (Hymn 249 by Vivian Burnett)
*NOTE TO SELVES: This praise for the power of gratitude is not for the purpose of enriching our pockets. It’s simply an admission that any one spiritual quality blesses one and blesses all. When gratitude governs, everyone is included.
NOTE TO SELF: Express gratitude for your readers and the opportunity to write about what you love. Thank them for their kind and helpful responses to those efforts. Listen up, people: this is a thank-you note!
Happy New Year has a hollow ring, sadly, to those who suffer from depression. No amount of “cheer ups” or “look on the bright sides” can reach those whose darkness is acute and/or chronic. So what’s one to do when a sincere desire to help is not enough? Look to one who’s been there. Ask and listen.
Raleigh musician Jordan Okrend qualifies. According to journalist Chelsea Kellner, Okrend hopes his new song “Bottled Up” and YouTube video will “remind young adults plagued by depression to open up in order to heal.” (Raleigh’s The News & Observer) Okrend once struggled with his own darkness and, now free, wants to help others. The performer on the video, Durham beauty queen Marina Montes, suffered herself from depression due to bullying. The video illustrates the emptiness of fighting the illness with alcohol, or “bottling” up.
Since ancient days people have battled depression. One sufferer found spiritual solutions, and generously left his advice for us in the Psalms. Another said simply, “I am absolutely convinced that nothing–nothing thinkable or unthinkable–absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love.” (Romans 8:38, Eugene Peterson’s The Message)
In Christian Science we are taught that these difficult challenges feel very real. They can be overcome, however, because we have the God-given right to challenge them, as Christ Jesus and other healers did. Many have recorded complete recovery from depression with persistent, prayerful expectancy. They have seen their real, sound-minded, loved selves come to light. (Visit local Christian Science Reading Rooms for documented healings in our regular periodicals. Or see www.spirituality.com )
If you are alive right now, this is proof that Life is here. Life is God and God is Love. Love is here and includes you. Watch for evidence of this, and depression will lift.
Have you ever thought that Happy New Year might refer not so much to fortunate events that may occur in your life, but rather to new perspectives you can bring to old problems?
Now that’s an interesting thought… What if each of us made (and kept!) a resolution to see each person in a kinder, gentler light this New Year? What if we extended that resolution to see each problem and situation in a new light as well? Liberals, conservatives, supporters of Palestinians, supporters of Jews, Muslims and Christians, white people and people of color, men and women, all the otherwise diverse and polarized groups, all dedicated to taking a new, fresh, and more charitable look at each other starting January 1st?
I had to do this when I was briefly a substitute teacher in a North Carolina high school years ago. Although an experienced teacher, and although a confirmed fan of teenagers, I was stymied when the lesson failed to engage them and they were rude and surly.
“It don’t matter what you ask us to do, we ain’t gonna do it anyway,” said one troublemaker. It got so bad in this one class that I called for back-up and told the administrator and the class I would not return the next day as originally planned. But a talk with the principal, a tough man with a tender streak, changed my mind.
That night I prayed because I really had no other choice. As taught in Christian Science, I prayed for a new view, a Christly view, of my fellow young men and women, particularly the students in this class. Ironically, their assignment had been to read the Bible’s 13th Chapter of I Corinthians where St. Paul speaks so movingly of charity, or brotherly love. They were also to read the parable of the Prodigal Son and his happy homecoming. You remember—the father welcomes the son joyfully, despite his wasteful past.
Although this was a public school, the community and staff believed an introduction to King James English would help the students understand Shakespeare better, as well as the many Biblical allusions which enrich our language. This lesson’s subject matter was not considered sectarian, and of course it was to be taught ecumenically. I could see that the lesson of unconditional love, the kind that gives us a wonderful new view of each other, was important to both the students and me. I was ready for it.
The next day I wrote a message on the whiteboard for the students: “Welcome, everyone. Today is a brand new day!” The kids read the words, whispered them excitedly to each other, and smiled at me. We began the lesson together in peace and mutual respect. At the end of the class the “troublemaker” said softly, “I sure wish my dad would love me that way.” I think he felt transformed by a new view of unconditional love. He wanted more of it. I know I did. And I never forgot that Brand New Day.
Some of us teetotalers are called stick-in-the-muds. And guess what, we are! If we refuse to acknowledge the need for merrymaking, and disdain our sisters and brothers for responsibly enjoying a perfectly legal past time, well then shame on us.
So you won’t catch me whining about others’ choices as I decide to drink only Martinelli’s sparkling cider– or heavens, even a Shirley Temple this New Year’s Eve. No, I say a good Christian attitude (or Christian Scientist’s attitude in this case) is to live and let live.
Which leads me to why I prefer an alcohol-free lifestyle. We Christian Scientists value clear thinking and the ability to respond quickly and compassionately in our daily lives. As our discoverer Mary Baker Eddy puts it, “The time for thinkers has come.” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, pref. vii) Because Christian Scientists find solutions to virtually all problems through prayer, they want to be “prayed up” 24/7 insofar as possible. Prayer, clear thinking and quick, compassionate responses are not helped by alcohol, even the little bit in a glass of wine. So you may not find us indulging that way.
Still, we wish everyone a happy, merry and prosperous New Year. And we’ll be celebrating alongside of family, friends and neighbors in our own way. If you come to our homes, please accept a cup of simple cider or pure eggnog and let’s raise a glass together for peace on earth in 2012. Now there’s a toast to bring all us jolly folks to our feet. And nobody can deny.
Welcome to the official site of the Christian Science Committee on Publication for North Carolina. I serve as a media spokesperson and legislative contact for Christian Science in the state and am responsible for conveying correct information about Christian Science, its practices, and its discoverer, Mary Baker Eddy.
Cynthia P. Barnett
Phone: 919-909-0169
Email: northcarolina@compub.org
Twitter: cynthiabarnettp
By Keith Wommack
