This was a live radio lecture with a host. The host, Bryan Smith, was a former Episcopal priest who also has had a healing ministry. We talked for a few minutes before going on the air to work out some interactive bits. I gave some recommendations of where we might have an interactive conversation (the places where I normally invite audience participation).
It was a smooth and lovely broadcast. I gave the entire lecture except for a little part about Christ Jesus which just didn’t fit in for one reason or other. So I added a Bible quotation from Jesus to make that important connection.
Bryan made appropriate remarks, added a healing of his own, asked good questions and made the lecture feel like a conversation. It was a holy experience with God clearly in control. We naturally worked together as a team. From the audience perspective it was as if we had done this many times before.
Several people came to the inperson lecture who had heard the radio lecture. One woman said she’d used two radios so that she would be sure and hear the entire program. Didn’t want to miss anything due to poor reception.
This was a very successful lecture idea. Doing this particular lecture on live radio was seamless, effective, and healing. I’d encourage this type of lecture, doing a live radio lecture in conjunction with an inperson lecture.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
New Zealand lectures
You left us fizzing! We enjoyed every minute. Our New Plymouth Scott and Coreen were blown away with the 35 people that turned up, the largest ever! Ric reported Dunedin’s feeling of refreshment also. Your prep talks were just what we needed, that little extra with “new views of divine goodness and love”. Your presentation style suited us so well. I hope you enjoy all the rest of your journey. A very sincere and warm thank you.
-Nelson New Zealand
-Nelson New Zealand
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Melbourne FL feedback
We had 96 in attendance. And we had a number of new attendees. We had one woman that we know of who was between movies, saw our poster in the lobby and stated she would like to hear the talk but had a ticket to another movie. She was told by one of our members, staffing the literature table in the lobby, to just go in until her movie started. She told the Lecturer she could only stay for 5 minutes and she stayed about 15. We had others that we believe came in rather that go to a movie.
The following were comments by attendees of the lecture that were expressed to committee members: “very down to earth”- a 1st time lecture attendee; “she gave simple statements about prayer” – another 1st time attendee; “the talk kept moving and was never boring”; “I heard every single word”; “loved it, used it the next day”; “she was talking to each & every person” (we heard this a lot).
A son-in-law of a committee member who has only been to one other lecture, had been concerned about the fact that he might be laid off from his job and the next morning he awoke and announced to his wife he was applying for a new position in his company. When asked what had prompted him to make such a drastic change, his response was that when he awoke he was very clear in his thought about this change and refused to listen to the static.
The husband of a committee member who is not a Christian Scientist attended with their family. He later told her that the static the Lecturer spoke of represented a very negative habit he had of listening to negative talkshows on the radio and he was going to stop listening to these particular shows.
A member brought two friends, one of which spoke Spanish (one of the reasons she came as Elise is fluent in Spanish and they were able to speak with her before the lecture) and told Elise that she spoke very little English and did not think she would understand her talk. Elise told her that she would understand the Christ message. Afterwards she told Elise that she understood every word.
A young woman in Sunday School had told her teacher, who was also the Lecture Chair that she felt very uncomfortable about talking about religion with her friends as they were mostly atheist. They discussed this in class with the other students getting ready for the lecture. They discussed how they needed to live Christian Science and they would attract friends of a like mind. She showed up at the lecture with a friend and yes she had become reacquainted with a former friend who was very spiritual and wanted to come to the talk. Her friend stated after the talk that she too believed in what the Lecturer had spoken about.
We are so grateful for the opportunity to sponsor a Lecture in our community. One area of fruitage has been that both churches are supporting one another and are participating in activities together.
The following were comments by attendees of the lecture that were expressed to committee members: “very down to earth”- a 1st time lecture attendee; “she gave simple statements about prayer” – another 1st time attendee; “the talk kept moving and was never boring”; “I heard every single word”; “loved it, used it the next day”; “she was talking to each & every person” (we heard this a lot).
A son-in-law of a committee member who has only been to one other lecture, had been concerned about the fact that he might be laid off from his job and the next morning he awoke and announced to his wife he was applying for a new position in his company. When asked what had prompted him to make such a drastic change, his response was that when he awoke he was very clear in his thought about this change and refused to listen to the static.
The husband of a committee member who is not a Christian Scientist attended with their family. He later told her that the static the Lecturer spoke of represented a very negative habit he had of listening to negative talkshows on the radio and he was going to stop listening to these particular shows.
A member brought two friends, one of which spoke Spanish (one of the reasons she came as Elise is fluent in Spanish and they were able to speak with her before the lecture) and told Elise that she spoke very little English and did not think she would understand her talk. Elise told her that she would understand the Christ message. Afterwards she told Elise that she understood every word.
A young woman in Sunday School had told her teacher, who was also the Lecture Chair that she felt very uncomfortable about talking about religion with her friends as they were mostly atheist. They discussed this in class with the other students getting ready for the lecture. They discussed how they needed to live Christian Science and they would attract friends of a like mind. She showed up at the lecture with a friend and yes she had become reacquainted with a former friend who was very spiritual and wanted to come to the talk. Her friend stated after the talk that she too believed in what the Lecturer had spoken about.
We are so grateful for the opportunity to sponsor a Lecture in our community. One area of fruitage has been that both churches are supporting one another and are participating in activities together.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Ciudad Victoria encourages having multiple lectures
Tuvimos en los 8 eventos más de 400 personas en total. De las cuales totalmente nuevas a la Ciencia Cristiana fueron como 350. Hubo personas que vinieron de fuera ( más de 12 horas de viaje (3 personas), una más de 3 horas de viaje que se enteró por el periódico) Otras más que escucharon en la Radio.
Escribo este relato con la idea de ayudar a otras organizaciones a llevar Conferencias a sus lugares y alrededores; no sólo cumpliendo con el Manual sobre ofrecer una Conferencia Anual; sino con el mandato divino de llevar el mensaje sanador del Cristo por doquier. A mí en lo particular Dios me ha bendecido tanto que siento que es poco lo que hacemos; y que el talento aunque sea sólo uno en mi caso no puedo dejarlo enterrado y quiero que el bien que ha llegado a mi vida con el conocimiento de la bendita Ciencia Cristiana, tengo que manifestarlo a cuantos quieran escucharme!! Dios es maravilloso!! El Cristo que sanó en la antigüedad todavía lo hace y lo seguirá haciendo!! La actividad del Cristo es continua!! No nos quedemos callados conociendo este tesoro que es inagotable!! Nadie se enriquece con retener!! Las ideas que bendicen se multiplican!!! Lo económico no es una limitante!!! Tampoco lo es el número de personas que participan en la organización!! Sólo necesitamos pedir guía a Dios y obedecer!!!Escucha y actúa!!
Ma. Cristina Canales Reyna
Representante del Grupo de Estudio Informal de Ciencia Cristiana de
Cd. Victoria, Tam.
Escribo este relato con la idea de ayudar a otras organizaciones a llevar Conferencias a sus lugares y alrededores; no sólo cumpliendo con el Manual sobre ofrecer una Conferencia Anual; sino con el mandato divino de llevar el mensaje sanador del Cristo por doquier. A mí en lo particular Dios me ha bendecido tanto que siento que es poco lo que hacemos; y que el talento aunque sea sólo uno en mi caso no puedo dejarlo enterrado y quiero que el bien que ha llegado a mi vida con el conocimiento de la bendita Ciencia Cristiana, tengo que manifestarlo a cuantos quieran escucharme!! Dios es maravilloso!! El Cristo que sanó en la antigüedad todavía lo hace y lo seguirá haciendo!! La actividad del Cristo es continua!! No nos quedemos callados conociendo este tesoro que es inagotable!! Nadie se enriquece con retener!! Las ideas que bendicen se multiplican!!! Lo económico no es una limitante!!! Tampoco lo es el número de personas que participan en la organización!! Sólo necesitamos pedir guía a Dios y obedecer!!!Escucha y actúa!!
Ma. Cristina Canales Reyna
Representante del Grupo de Estudio Informal de Ciencia Cristiana de
Cd. Victoria, Tam.
God is Speaking to You in Melbourne Australia
A hundred people crowded into Sunday School room of the Ringwood church in suburban Melbourne Australia to hear "God is Speaking to You". There were only a few seats in the front not taken and people were sitting outside the door in the entryway.
Healings:
A woman said that she helped a young man overcome wanting to commit suicide the day before the lecture prep workshop. All the prayer she was doing for the lecture contributed to what she told him. We rejoiced together in God's tender loving care.
I had an instantaneous healing at this lecture. At the very beginning of the lecture, just as I thanked the introducer and was about to say that we were going without microphone and could everyone hear…I lost my voice! Poof. So I croaked to no one in particular that a glass of water would be nice. Someone ran off. I turned to the introducer and said now would be a good time for him to do a comedy routine, sort of filling the space. My husband and I were both praying. The water came, I took a drink and just decided to plunge on. The intro was croaky but after a couple minutes the voice came back and whenever it started to waiver I’d know it was the Christ message speaking, no personality involved. That took care of the problem. No one mentioned it afterward, as only the Christ message was heard, received or remembered. I'm grateful.
This lecture touched some people very deeply. There were tears and people saying the lecture seemed to be speaking directly to them and their problems.
There was lots of good participation. Interestingly a couple of people spoke out during the lecture when participation usually isn’t involved. One woman raised her hand in the middle and said it kept coming to her that this was all about gratitude and she wanted to share that thought. It was appropriate and meaningful to her, so I just wove it into my next remarks. Another woman burst out at one point saying, I had an experience like that and told how her son’s life was saved by a stranger listening to an intuition to not move his car. It was appropriate and fit right into the lecture. I was grateful that everyone was so involved in the talk and felt comfortable.
Healings:
A woman said that she helped a young man overcome wanting to commit suicide the day before the lecture prep workshop. All the prayer she was doing for the lecture contributed to what she told him. We rejoiced together in God's tender loving care.
I had an instantaneous healing at this lecture. At the very beginning of the lecture, just as I thanked the introducer and was about to say that we were going without microphone and could everyone hear…I lost my voice! Poof. So I croaked to no one in particular that a glass of water would be nice. Someone ran off. I turned to the introducer and said now would be a good time for him to do a comedy routine, sort of filling the space. My husband and I were both praying. The water came, I took a drink and just decided to plunge on. The intro was croaky but after a couple minutes the voice came back and whenever it started to waiver I’d know it was the Christ message speaking, no personality involved. That took care of the problem. No one mentioned it afterward, as only the Christ message was heard, received or remembered. I'm grateful.
This lecture touched some people very deeply. There were tears and people saying the lecture seemed to be speaking directly to them and their problems.
There was lots of good participation. Interestingly a couple of people spoke out during the lecture when participation usually isn’t involved. One woman raised her hand in the middle and said it kept coming to her that this was all about gratitude and she wanted to share that thought. It was appropriate and meaningful to her, so I just wove it into my next remarks. Another woman burst out at one point saying, I had an experience like that and told how her son’s life was saved by a stranger listening to an intuition to not move his car. It was appropriate and fit right into the lecture. I was grateful that everyone was so involved in the talk and felt comfortable.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Link to Australian interview plays Tuesdays
I have just been listening to a really thrilling radio interview on radio Fremantle!
If you would like to hear a recording of it, it will be played by Radio Fremantle after our Sentinel Radio and Bible Lesson program each Tuesday 1pm to 2pm (Perth time) until 7th April. So you can hear it any time on or after Tuesday 17 March (your time) on http://www.radiofremantle.com/archives/index.htm. Scroll down to Tuesday at 1300 and double click on the “1300”. Once the next screen opens, if you wish to “fast forward” to your interview, you can drag the sliding time indicator across to the right to find it.
Many, many thanks from all of us!
Sam
If you would like to hear a recording of it, it will be played by Radio Fremantle after our Sentinel Radio and Bible Lesson program each Tuesday 1pm to 2pm (Perth time) until 7th April. So you can hear it any time on or after Tuesday 17 March (your time) on http://www.radiofremantle.com/archives/index.htm. Scroll down to Tuesday at 1300 and double click on the “1300”. Once the next screen opens, if you wish to “fast forward” to your interview, you can drag the sliding time indicator across to the right to find it.
Many, many thanks from all of us!
Sam
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Twitter messages helping others
It was only about 2 weeks ago that I finally got a twitter account and logged onto your site this past weekend. I was sorry that I hadn't done it sooner. Thank you for posting these inspiring thoughts.Great reminders without having to open my notebook! Anyway, it was all so fresh after my first reading, and I was quite inspired.
Anyway, the day after reading all of these wonderfully uplifting postings, a friend called for help. At first I felt at a loss as to what to say to her, and addressed her as a friend. A few sentences into the conversation, I moved to my computer and logged onto your twitter site to remind myself of some of the things I had read just the day before. I worked a lot of these thoughts into the conversation, and my friend said somewhere along the line that I really did need to speed things along and sign up to become a practitioner'!!!! I told her that a lot the thoughts I was sharing WERE coming from a Christian Science practitioner, and then I shared your site with her. She and I thank you!!!!
- from Pennsylvania
Anyway, the day after reading all of these wonderfully uplifting postings, a friend called for help. At first I felt at a loss as to what to say to her, and addressed her as a friend. A few sentences into the conversation, I moved to my computer and logged onto your twitter site to remind myself of some of the things I had read just the day before. I worked a lot of these thoughts into the conversation, and my friend said somewhere along the line that I really did need to speed things along and sign up to become a practitioner'!!!! I told her that a lot the thoughts I was sharing WERE coming from a Christian Science practitioner, and then I shared your site with her. She and I thank you!!!!
- from Pennsylvania
From Publicly Speaking - broadcasting talks
This post is from material copyrighted by The Mother Church from "Publicly Speaking" sent by The Board of Lectureship, March/April 2009 edition. All rights reserved by The Mother Church.
Yorba Linda, California, USA
In November 2008, the “Freeway Complex Fire” burned over 30,000 acres and destroyed or damaged approximately 300 homes in Yorba Linda, Brea, and Anaheim Hills in California. A member from First Church of Christ, Scientist, Yorba Linda, shared how their branch sponsored a lecture in response.
“Ginny Luedeman was scheduled to lecture in seven days in a nearby city. Her title was Finding Home…‘on earth as it is in heaven.’ With the approval of our Executive Board, we asked Ginny if she could add us to her schedule. Ginny agreed.
“Our Lecture Committee had recently located a facility for our already planned lecture in February. We were able to book the facility for a date that week that fit into Ginny’s schedule.
“We quickly designed a flyer. A partial list of affected properties had been published in the newspaper, so we mailed flyers to them. Flyers were placed at the local emergency centers where people were meeting with officials and insurance agents, as well as at the copy center, police and fire stations, and farmers’ market.
“Approximately one hundred people attended the lecture. We offered literature, lecture references, and snacks. Our aim was to comfort. A teenager stated after the lecture that he really connected with the message as he had been homeless and was a foster child.
“Ginny allowed us to record the lecture, and the videographer reduced his price as a contribution to the fire recovery effort.
“We broadcast the lecture on the local public access channel. Our lecture was longer than the usual time slot, but the station waived this constraint and showed it once a week for six weeks, and played it in its entirety. Two other local churches posted the lecture on their web sites with the approval of the lecturer. To date, one of the churches reported that it has been viewed over 900 times in many states and countries. A new student of Christian Science e-mailed the lecturer from London asking how she could further her spiritual growth.
“To advertise the cable and online access we put ads in the newspaper and mailed flyers to a now more complete list of properties as well as local fire departments, police, Red Cross, homeless shelters, school officials, and others.
“We kept turning to God, even in the smallest of decisions and in meeting with several new people. Obstacles became irrelevant and the way opened up. It illustrated that statement in Science and Health,454:18:
Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action. Love is priestess at the altar of Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept. Patience must ‘have her perfect work.’ ”
Yorba Linda, California, USA
In November 2008, the “Freeway Complex Fire” burned over 30,000 acres and destroyed or damaged approximately 300 homes in Yorba Linda, Brea, and Anaheim Hills in California. A member from First Church of Christ, Scientist, Yorba Linda, shared how their branch sponsored a lecture in response.
“Ginny Luedeman was scheduled to lecture in seven days in a nearby city. Her title was Finding Home…‘on earth as it is in heaven.’ With the approval of our Executive Board, we asked Ginny if she could add us to her schedule. Ginny agreed.
“Our Lecture Committee had recently located a facility for our already planned lecture in February. We were able to book the facility for a date that week that fit into Ginny’s schedule.
“We quickly designed a flyer. A partial list of affected properties had been published in the newspaper, so we mailed flyers to them. Flyers were placed at the local emergency centers where people were meeting with officials and insurance agents, as well as at the copy center, police and fire stations, and farmers’ market.
“Approximately one hundred people attended the lecture. We offered literature, lecture references, and snacks. Our aim was to comfort. A teenager stated after the lecture that he really connected with the message as he had been homeless and was a foster child.
“Ginny allowed us to record the lecture, and the videographer reduced his price as a contribution to the fire recovery effort.
“We broadcast the lecture on the local public access channel. Our lecture was longer than the usual time slot, but the station waived this constraint and showed it once a week for six weeks, and played it in its entirety. Two other local churches posted the lecture on their web sites with the approval of the lecturer. To date, one of the churches reported that it has been viewed over 900 times in many states and countries. A new student of Christian Science e-mailed the lecturer from London asking how she could further her spiritual growth.
“To advertise the cable and online access we put ads in the newspaper and mailed flyers to a now more complete list of properties as well as local fire departments, police, Red Cross, homeless shelters, school officials, and others.
“We kept turning to God, even in the smallest of decisions and in meeting with several new people. Obstacles became irrelevant and the way opened up. It illustrated that statement in Science and Health,454:18:
Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action. Love is priestess at the altar of Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept. Patience must ‘have her perfect work.’ ”
Healings from Longwood Orlando lecture
At the prep meeting on spiritual healing, the lecturer spoke about seeing or identifying individuals through the qualities and spiritual attributes they reflect. At the lecture we had a woman who was unable to control her coughing and stepped outside the room, but could still hear the lecture message. A couple hostesses quietly prayed with the ideas from the prep meeting. As they held to the spiritual qualities reflected by the woman (poise, dominion, patience, beauty, calmness, e.g.) the coughing stilled and she returned to the room.
Following the talk:
· One individual told of a very quick healing she had by applying the truths that were shared by the lecturer. This person fell while taking an evening walk and injured her knee. She prayed with the idea that “God hadn’t fallen and therefore she hadn’t fallen – that God wasn’t hurt so she couldn’t be hurt!” She was immediately able to get up and walk and by morning she was completely free.
· Another person told of how she had diligently studied notes she had taken from both the metaphysical meeting and the public talk and was able to resolve a difficult financial situation with a family member.
· Someone else shared that during the week following the lectures she had experienced three very quick healings – two grandsons were healed of the symptoms of the flu and she, herself, was instantaneously healed of severe burns on her fingers when she picked up a pan top that had been sitting on a red hot burner. She, too, worked with the idea that “God had not been burned and therefore, as God’s reflection or image she had not been burned – that God could not be in pain, and therefore, she could not be in pain.” When her son asked if she was injured, she was able to reply, “I was healed!”
Following the talk:
· One individual told of a very quick healing she had by applying the truths that were shared by the lecturer. This person fell while taking an evening walk and injured her knee. She prayed with the idea that “God hadn’t fallen and therefore she hadn’t fallen – that God wasn’t hurt so she couldn’t be hurt!” She was immediately able to get up and walk and by morning she was completely free.
· Another person told of how she had diligently studied notes she had taken from both the metaphysical meeting and the public talk and was able to resolve a difficult financial situation with a family member.
· Someone else shared that during the week following the lectures she had experienced three very quick healings – two grandsons were healed of the symptoms of the flu and she, herself, was instantaneously healed of severe burns on her fingers when she picked up a pan top that had been sitting on a red hot burner. She, too, worked with the idea that “God had not been burned and therefore, as God’s reflection or image she had not been burned – that God could not be in pain, and therefore, she could not be in pain.” When her son asked if she was injured, she was able to reply, “I was healed!”
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Mobile Reading Room on bus
I have retired now, but the last four years that I worked at UNC-Charlotte, I rode the bus. The ride was about one hour long, and gave me a chance to read the lesson going to UNC-Charlotte, and again on the way home. I didn't realize that people were reading over my shoulder. You see, I often sat opposite the rear door, and the level of the seats beyond that point are higher than the front part of the bus. If someone was reading something seated at my spot the person seated in the next row could read what you were reading. Well one day, while reading the lesson, a young lady asked, "How can I get that"? I explained about how it could be purchased over the internet, or by going to a Christian Science Reading Room. She responded again, "but how can I get that?" I said, "you mean you would like my copy?" she said, "yes". Well, I handed over my copy of the lesson, and I want you to know that lady was beaming as she got off the bus. At that moment an idea came about a new way of sharing Christian Science with my neighbors.
Now knowing that people could read over my shoulder, I made an effort to sit at that location when ever that seat was free. Over the four years I rode the bus, several others asked about C.S. because of what they were reading over my shoulder. One man asked for the lesson once, and then came back every week wanting to know if he could received a copy. It came to the point that we just ran off an extra copy to share and when I saw him on Monday, I would smile and hand him a copy of the Weekly Bible Lesson. He was from Africa, and because of a job change we didn't keep up sharing the lesson, but he did receive a copy every week for months as well as a Sentinel after we had finished reading it. Every so often at a Christian Science Wed Testimony Service, I would share my "Testimony from the Bus", where I would share a story about some event that had happened on the bus.
One such happening involved a street person. She was a lady that would ride the bus from time to time. One time she got on the bus and she really smelled very bad. My first thought was to move away like several others already had. Then I started to think about what Jesus would have been seeing if he were in my place. You know I just couldn't see this person or any person, as anything other than the image and likeness of God. I got so wrapped up in this thinking, that I forgot the smell. Well, several weeks went by and I hadn't seen this person riding the bus, when someone got on who was well dressed, and I realized that it was the same woman I had seen earlier. I would like to say that she wasn't the same person at all, but she was. She was the person she had always really been. I hadn't worked for her, I had worked to see everyone as God's perfect image and likeness. This type of prayer does bring harmony into our lives in tangible ways that we can see.
Now that I am retired, I no longer ride the bus like I used to. But there are always ways for us to be able to share Christian Science. I never planned for any of this. It just naturally happened. One point I would like to add. When I left for work on the bus, over half of the people on their way to work were reading some form of Bible study. They had items similar to our Sentinel and many had a Bible open in their lap. Some people have expressed fear of riding the bus, but where can you ever go that God isn't already there? And if you ride the bus every day, it can become a Christian Science Reading Room on wheels. And, I now have started serving in a Christian Science Reading Room where I am ready to serve who ever comes through that door.
-Chuck
Now knowing that people could read over my shoulder, I made an effort to sit at that location when ever that seat was free. Over the four years I rode the bus, several others asked about C.S. because of what they were reading over my shoulder. One man asked for the lesson once, and then came back every week wanting to know if he could received a copy. It came to the point that we just ran off an extra copy to share and when I saw him on Monday, I would smile and hand him a copy of the Weekly Bible Lesson. He was from Africa, and because of a job change we didn't keep up sharing the lesson, but he did receive a copy every week for months as well as a Sentinel after we had finished reading it. Every so often at a Christian Science Wed Testimony Service, I would share my "Testimony from the Bus", where I would share a story about some event that had happened on the bus.
One such happening involved a street person. She was a lady that would ride the bus from time to time. One time she got on the bus and she really smelled very bad. My first thought was to move away like several others already had. Then I started to think about what Jesus would have been seeing if he were in my place. You know I just couldn't see this person or any person, as anything other than the image and likeness of God. I got so wrapped up in this thinking, that I forgot the smell. Well, several weeks went by and I hadn't seen this person riding the bus, when someone got on who was well dressed, and I realized that it was the same woman I had seen earlier. I would like to say that she wasn't the same person at all, but she was. She was the person she had always really been. I hadn't worked for her, I had worked to see everyone as God's perfect image and likeness. This type of prayer does bring harmony into our lives in tangible ways that we can see.
Now that I am retired, I no longer ride the bus like I used to. But there are always ways for us to be able to share Christian Science. I never planned for any of this. It just naturally happened. One point I would like to add. When I left for work on the bus, over half of the people on their way to work were reading some form of Bible study. They had items similar to our Sentinel and many had a Bible open in their lap. Some people have expressed fear of riding the bus, but where can you ever go that God isn't already there? And if you ride the bus every day, it can become a Christian Science Reading Room on wheels. And, I now have started serving in a Christian Science Reading Room where I am ready to serve who ever comes through that door.
-Chuck
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Email and Sunday School
I have kids that are no longer in my class that request a email that I send out each week. I used to send the Cedars Camp Mets, but one mother said it was to old for her daughter. Now I send out things that I find that fit the lesson, either from Mybiblelesson.com, or from TMC site. It has paid off big time in staying in contact. I now receive email from on boy who lives in Florida, and another who moved to England because of keeping that contact going to them. In one case, it is from a broken home, and they don't received any church at all except the email that I send them. I didn't come up with this on my own, the superintendent started me sending these emails out. I did the follow through though, and God has shown me what to share. I am getting ready to leave for our Bible Lesson Discussion Group, but I will send you another way to share CS that found me while I was riding the bus to work. One hour each way, and people reading the lesson over my back requested a copy. Ended giving several away over the four years that I rode the bus to work.
-Chuck
-Chuck
New technology in McAllen lecture
McAllen did newspaper advertising, running several ads. Every visitor mentioned seeing the ads. This advertising was key to the success of the lecture. One person did invite two newcomers, but they had already seen the ads and I believe came because they had seen them.
The location was superb. The location was a healing. They had reserved a conference room at the local university only to be informed less than two weeks before the lecture that the room suddenly wasn’t available. Nor would any other room be made available for the lecture. The chair’s response to me was that they were going to move the lecture into the church. In my view this would have resulted in almost none of the visitors coming. Visitors came to this lecture because of the well-known high profile neutral location, ie the university.
Anyway, the other co-chair prayed and decided to pursue the matter with the president of the university. The President and her husband have stopped by the Reading Room on a Friday night when this Reading Room participates in a once a month downtown Art Walk. They keep the Reading Room open and offer materials etc. The President had stopped in and talked with Reading Room attendants etc. When the co-chair called to make an appointment to speak to the President, no time was available until a week later which would be only a few days before the lecture. However he began talking with the President’s secretary and explained the situation. Continuing to pray within 2-3 days, he received a call from the person who had cancelled their reservation saying the room would be available after all. No explanation was ever given for the cancellation or the reinstatement. The feeling here is that there was opposition to Christian Science. That the President was favorably disposed to Christian Science after their visit to the Reading Room during the Art Walk and the problem was resolved.
Anyway, the room was excellent. I used some technology new to me--a computer screen that put the writing up on two huge screens easily visible from all over the room, and a pad that projected pages of a book or paper onto the same big screens. The room was set up with big round tables and chairs. They put a Bible and Science and Health on each table. They had a nice literature table at the entrance. Both before and after the lecture, the visitors were perusing the literature table and selected free literature. One visitor bought Science & Health after the lecture. Several people were looking at it but not prepared to spend the money. I think Science & Health copies might be sold at the Reading Room later or gotten at bookstores or Amazon.com. People actually asked after the lecture for us to repeat the address of the Reading Room and church. They also asked for the time and titles of the lectures in Brownsville to be repeated.
One man came who comes to the Reading Room once a week, spends two hours reading the Bible Lesson and studying. He has never come to a church service or a lecture, although he has been invited for years. When the Reading Room attendant invited him to this lecture, he mentioned that I was lecturing in Mexico. The man became interested in this and a lengthy discussion followed at the end of which the man said he thought he would come to this lecture, which he did. This was seen by the Reading Room attendant as a big healing, that the man came to some event sponsored by the church.
A visitor came with her daughter who is in need of healing. The visitor said her relative has been telling her things about Christian Science for years, but that she needs to see proof, and didn’t understand anything that wasn’t physical. However, she said that the lecture explained Christian Science in a way she could understand. We talked about the examples given in the lecture about Moses, and how Moses had to trust God without seeing how things would work out. Also how the children of Israel had to stop thinking they were in control and instead follow God. We prayed together right then and both she and her daughter were very touched by the lecture and the conversation.
Three women visitors came to help one of them that has a problem with depression. They talked with both before and after the lecture. They all wanted to pray with me after the lecture and we did.
Two school teachers came. They had seen the ads. The one called the other saying she was going. The other said she was in her pajamas and going to bed. The first one said, I’m going anyway. The second one said, Well you can’t go alone so she got dressed in 5 minutes and they both arrived on time. They were the ones who bought Science and Health. They might also come to Brownsville lecture in Spanish or they they will just call their relatives who live near Brownsville. They asked for my card and to check out websites. We had quite a lovely talk.
Almost every visitor came up afterward and wanted to talk about personal issues or issues for their friends/relatives. Everyone was committed to praying and putting into immediate practice the ideas they’d learned in the lecture.
I’m hopeful that the church will keep in email contact with the visitors and expand their concept of church beyond attendance at services. They had contact cards which all the visitors filled out.
There was an atmosphere of healing at this lecture that I think was felt by many of the people present.
The location was superb. The location was a healing. They had reserved a conference room at the local university only to be informed less than two weeks before the lecture that the room suddenly wasn’t available. Nor would any other room be made available for the lecture. The chair’s response to me was that they were going to move the lecture into the church. In my view this would have resulted in almost none of the visitors coming. Visitors came to this lecture because of the well-known high profile neutral location, ie the university.
Anyway, the other co-chair prayed and decided to pursue the matter with the president of the university. The President and her husband have stopped by the Reading Room on a Friday night when this Reading Room participates in a once a month downtown Art Walk. They keep the Reading Room open and offer materials etc. The President had stopped in and talked with Reading Room attendants etc. When the co-chair called to make an appointment to speak to the President, no time was available until a week later which would be only a few days before the lecture. However he began talking with the President’s secretary and explained the situation. Continuing to pray within 2-3 days, he received a call from the person who had cancelled their reservation saying the room would be available after all. No explanation was ever given for the cancellation or the reinstatement. The feeling here is that there was opposition to Christian Science. That the President was favorably disposed to Christian Science after their visit to the Reading Room during the Art Walk and the problem was resolved.
Anyway, the room was excellent. I used some technology new to me--a computer screen that put the writing up on two huge screens easily visible from all over the room, and a pad that projected pages of a book or paper onto the same big screens. The room was set up with big round tables and chairs. They put a Bible and Science and Health on each table. They had a nice literature table at the entrance. Both before and after the lecture, the visitors were perusing the literature table and selected free literature. One visitor bought Science & Health after the lecture. Several people were looking at it but not prepared to spend the money. I think Science & Health copies might be sold at the Reading Room later or gotten at bookstores or Amazon.com. People actually asked after the lecture for us to repeat the address of the Reading Room and church. They also asked for the time and titles of the lectures in Brownsville to be repeated.
One man came who comes to the Reading Room once a week, spends two hours reading the Bible Lesson and studying. He has never come to a church service or a lecture, although he has been invited for years. When the Reading Room attendant invited him to this lecture, he mentioned that I was lecturing in Mexico. The man became interested in this and a lengthy discussion followed at the end of which the man said he thought he would come to this lecture, which he did. This was seen by the Reading Room attendant as a big healing, that the man came to some event sponsored by the church.
A visitor came with her daughter who is in need of healing. The visitor said her relative has been telling her things about Christian Science for years, but that she needs to see proof, and didn’t understand anything that wasn’t physical. However, she said that the lecture explained Christian Science in a way she could understand. We talked about the examples given in the lecture about Moses, and how Moses had to trust God without seeing how things would work out. Also how the children of Israel had to stop thinking they were in control and instead follow God. We prayed together right then and both she and her daughter were very touched by the lecture and the conversation.
Three women visitors came to help one of them that has a problem with depression. They talked with both before and after the lecture. They all wanted to pray with me after the lecture and we did.
Two school teachers came. They had seen the ads. The one called the other saying she was going. The other said she was in her pajamas and going to bed. The first one said, I’m going anyway. The second one said, Well you can’t go alone so she got dressed in 5 minutes and they both arrived on time. They were the ones who bought Science and Health. They might also come to Brownsville lecture in Spanish or they they will just call their relatives who live near Brownsville. They asked for my card and to check out websites. We had quite a lovely talk.
Almost every visitor came up afterward and wanted to talk about personal issues or issues for their friends/relatives. Everyone was committed to praying and putting into immediate practice the ideas they’d learned in the lecture.
I’m hopeful that the church will keep in email contact with the visitors and expand their concept of church beyond attendance at services. They had contact cards which all the visitors filled out.
There was an atmosphere of healing at this lecture that I think was felt by many of the people present.
Informal lecture at a funeral home
I want to briefly add that the group wanted me to do another lecture prep for those people who couldn’t come to the first one held on Thursday night when I arrived in Ciudad Victoria.
I agreed and they held it in a public place ie the funeral home. It’s not as macabre as it sounds. They have nice rooms with chairs and good location in a part of town that is very accessible. By the time we arrived at this event, I no longer wanted to do the lecture prep workshop that I’d given at the beginning of the time here.
This was the afternoon right after the prison workshop. That had gone so well, I basically did the same thing. I used the opening to my lecture What is CS? and then included reading together selections from the Bible Lesson on Christ Jesus and making the same points as at the prison. Three S&Hs were sold and several people said they wanted to buy the book but hadn’t brought enough money. They were arranging to buy it later.
Several newcomers said they had seen the advertising for the lectures but couldn’t come so they had determined that they had to come at least to this event because it was nearer where they worked/lived. Some newcomers were part of a grief group meeting at the funeral home. A few others came from the lectures because they wanted to hear more. They brought people who they wanted to hear something about Christian Science. The radio interviewer came! I was very surprised.
The doctor and his wife came and he introduced me. He told me afterward that the lecture that he attended, our conversation after church, and this prep workshop had helped him to understand some of the fundamentals of Christian Science that he hadn’t gotten before. Spiritual identity was becoming clearer and he was beginning to see how he could resolve some of his own challenges. He had gotten a new view of himself as God’s son.
One woman who had gone to 2 lectures, and brought her mom to one of them, brought her daughter to have me pray with them.
I talked to most of the newcomers afterwards about various issues they wanted to discuss.
There was a young man who had been hired to shuttle the lecture materials all over town for the various events. He and the driver of the van used to shuttle the white board, books etc came in to listen to this event. They took notes and afterward the young man told me how much he had learned, and gave me a lovely little gift in appreciation for my coming to CV and sharing Christian Science with them. This was precious. At the beginning of these lectures, he was just setting things up and then hanging out with his friends until the event was over, then he’d take things down and disappear. But by the last lecture at the university, he was hanging out near the door and standing inside the door for part of the lecture. Now at this last event he wanted to attend the entire thing as a participant. How grateful I am for his receptivity! The Christ is at work in each individual's heart transforming, healing, and revealing their harmonious, healthy, real identity. Praise be to God Almighty!
I agreed and they held it in a public place ie the funeral home. It’s not as macabre as it sounds. They have nice rooms with chairs and good location in a part of town that is very accessible. By the time we arrived at this event, I no longer wanted to do the lecture prep workshop that I’d given at the beginning of the time here.
This was the afternoon right after the prison workshop. That had gone so well, I basically did the same thing. I used the opening to my lecture What is CS? and then included reading together selections from the Bible Lesson on Christ Jesus and making the same points as at the prison. Three S&Hs were sold and several people said they wanted to buy the book but hadn’t brought enough money. They were arranging to buy it later.
Several newcomers said they had seen the advertising for the lectures but couldn’t come so they had determined that they had to come at least to this event because it was nearer where they worked/lived. Some newcomers were part of a grief group meeting at the funeral home. A few others came from the lectures because they wanted to hear more. They brought people who they wanted to hear something about Christian Science. The radio interviewer came! I was very surprised.
The doctor and his wife came and he introduced me. He told me afterward that the lecture that he attended, our conversation after church, and this prep workshop had helped him to understand some of the fundamentals of Christian Science that he hadn’t gotten before. Spiritual identity was becoming clearer and he was beginning to see how he could resolve some of his own challenges. He had gotten a new view of himself as God’s son.
One woman who had gone to 2 lectures, and brought her mom to one of them, brought her daughter to have me pray with them.
I talked to most of the newcomers afterwards about various issues they wanted to discuss.
There was a young man who had been hired to shuttle the lecture materials all over town for the various events. He and the driver of the van used to shuttle the white board, books etc came in to listen to this event. They took notes and afterward the young man told me how much he had learned, and gave me a lovely little gift in appreciation for my coming to CV and sharing Christian Science with them. This was precious. At the beginning of these lectures, he was just setting things up and then hanging out with his friends until the event was over, then he’d take things down and disappear. But by the last lecture at the university, he was hanging out near the door and standing inside the door for part of the lecture. Now at this last event he wanted to attend the entire thing as a participant. How grateful I am for his receptivity! The Christ is at work in each individual's heart transforming, healing, and revealing their harmonious, healthy, real identity. Praise be to God Almighty!
Lecture in Mexican prison part 2
Cristina had envisioned from the beginning that the prison lecture would be a two part event. She wanted me to do a lecture and then come back and do a workshop. She didn’t have an agenda for what the workshop should be, but it was clear to her that there was need for a follow up where the inmates could interact with me a second time. I was fine with this. When the new administration came in, the workshop went out. They would permit only the lecture. Then McAllen came in and the dates had to be changed altogether and it looked like there was no time for a workshop or second visit. But just one week before I arrived divine Mind opened the way and Cristina got clearance for a workshop the morning after the lecture at 9am. This meant that I gave a lecture at 6:30-7:30pm talked with people until almost 9pm, went to dinner, and then had to be ready and at the prison for a 9am workshop. But it just seemed to be the right idea.
I had no idea what I was going to do at this workshop. I’d asked Cristina what she had in mind and all I got from her was the conviction that I needed to go back and talk with them a second time. Ok. Even at the beginning of this group of lectures while I was in CV, I asked again what she thought might be appropriate. Same answer. So I just prayed and what came to me was to take part of a lecture that I have in English on Christian Science theology and its Scriptural foundation, and do the first part of that lecture. Then God gave me the inspiration to read the Bible Lesson from their perspective and a host of inspiration came regarding some of the stories on this week's Bible lesson on Christ Jesus. In fact the inspirations were ideas that I’d never thought about before but were very appropriate for a prison population. So I put together an outline.
The lecture and workshop took place in a tin roof chapel with benches and some chairs at the back. Anyway, after a standing room only lecture I expected the chapel to be packed again. Not so. The women came and more women came with them. But the preacher type and the men who had questioned my not talking about repentance and confession being the first step, etc. were not back. The man who had sponsored the lecture with the prison administration, however, was there, and so was a woman prison worker who had helped at last night’s lecture but hadn’t attended.
There were maybe 50 people at the workshop. An incredibly noisy soccer game was taking place right outside the door with the soccer ball crashing into the chapel building numerous times, whistles blowing and raucous noise. But the sound worked perfectly. I gave what I came prepared to do and it took about half an hour. Then I opened it up for questions.
Turns out that it had ripped through the prison last night that I wasn’t using the Bible, since I wasn’t using Reina Valera translation (how typical; it sounds like these guys would fit right in with members in some of our Christian Science churches saying the same about KJV). Also that this was heresy because I didn’t hit them over the head with repent, repent, repent, and confess your sins. I was unconcerned and happy to answer the questions. Actually there were new people present who had heard the inmates rallying to keep people away from the workshop, so they had decided to come and see what it was all about. The people present got the fact that we were telling them about their real identity as beloved sons and daughters of God. They also clung to the fact that it didn’t matter what they had done, that God would never abandon them and that everyone was good enough to be saved.
I answered questions about whether one religion was the only one; if someone was a really bad person wouldn’t he go to hell eternally how could he be saved; idol worship; devil worship, etc.
I kept the talk including questions to an hour. The woman official was the one who asked questions saying, this is what the men who attended last night are saying and spreading through the prison. She just let me know what was going on and then gave me the opportunity to respond. She came because I think she wanted to check out the rumors. She obviously liked the answers because she stayed afterward and asked me to pray with her for her work with the prisoners. She also took two copies of S&H, one for her the other for a colleague. She also asked Cristina to come back and set up a Bible Lesson study group.
I don’t want to give the impression that the lecture wasn’t effective. It was extremely successful, just wanted to say that there was doctrinal opposition that was uncovered and needed to be addressed. Going back in the morning for the workshop turned out to be the key. If I hadn’t gone back, the opposition would have had the last word and all the fruitage and conversations after the lecture could have been lost. Instead, truth was given the last word and Christian Science is now established as a legitimate religion in this prison.
There was a man on crutches who knew Cristina and her husband. He had been kicked out of their school many years ago. He came to the lecture and talked quite a lot with Jose. When we arrived in the morning for the workshop, he had on a suit and tie. He’d shaved and obviously bathed. He looked like an usher at church. He prayed with me afterward for healing. He also volunteered to Cristina to organize a Bible study group and invite inmates to participate. He so wanted to be involved and have an opportunity to study more of the ideas of Christian Science. He walked us to the door of the prison. He was acting as an usher for us, rather than ushering in the inmates.
A young man told me before the lecture that he wanted to be a lecturer like me. I immediately encouraged him and told him he certainly could. He sat in the front row of the workshop. After the workshop, he waited until I’d talked with most everyone, then he asked me if he could have my copy of Science & Health. We’d given everyone Bibles and had given a dozen Science & Healths to the prison library. McAllen had donated those books. He was the only one who asked me for a copy of Science & Health, and I just decided to give it to him. He asked me to sign it and then we talked about the chapter on prayer, and some of the references that I had given during the lecture and workshop. He took notes on a little piece of paper, and immediately began feeding back to me what I was telling him on how to pray and use Science & Health to pray for others. He instantly took the definition of man and grasped substituting his own name or that of another. He was humble, earnest. We talked about how one has to walk the walk and live what we preach or it has no substance. He asked if I was coming back, if I would come back next year if I came to Mexico. I told him I wouldn’t expect to see him again, that I would expect him to be released. He got the message, that I expected him to overcome his problems and make demonstrations for himself as well as others.
I have to say here that inmates in this prison are not like in the US. Jose, Cristina’s husband has worked with prison inmates here for years. A person can be put in prison and not be charged and stay there for years if they have no one to run the paperwork around to various offices for signatures to release them. Some people are in prison because they can’t pay $20 in fines. They can be in prison indefinitely for lack of the equivalent of $20. It sounds absurd, but I met some of these people. One beautiful young woman with uncontrollable tears asked that we pray together that she would find a way to get out of prison. She’d been there for 5 years because of not being able to pay her way out.
There are men there who are alcoholics and are in prison simply because they were on the street and someone reported them to the police. Then they can’t get out of the system. I talked with one man who told me a story like this and said that now he realizes he was put in prison so that he could hear this message, that he has a spiritual identity that can’t be taken from him. We talked for quite awhile. He really grasped the message of Christian Science and it was touching him deeply. He’s been there for 2 years, just picked up from the street like a stray dog without having committed any crime, violence, or even being disorderly. I need to pray about this entire prison picture and know that God governs and that red tape is subordinate to the government of divine Truth, Life and Love.
Another older man, obviously an alcoholic, we had a long talk together. Right in front of my eyes, he realized that he was worth something and had value. It was very moving. He realized he was loved by God. He said it was the first time he’d ever realized he had value, that he could even hope to be saved, or that he had an identity at all. This was the most moving experience of all the dozens of conversations I had. His eyes and the light of the Christ dawning will stay with me forever.
There are gang members here and more violent folks. Gang members came to the lecture. I’m not sure if any of them came back for the workshop. Although I think there might have been a couple young people in the workshop who might have been gang affiliated. None of them spoke to me after either event. They silently came and went.
There is also a devil/death worship cult very strong in this prison. I was told about it after the workshop, and told that several of the questions were related to this. I hadn’t grasped that while answering the questions or I would have answered differently. I’ll know next time. Apparently there is a worship of death and the devil that is very strong among the drug lords and drug culture. Basically it’s if you don’t worship death and sacrifice to it, then death will come and take you away. It’s a cult of fear and intimidation, as well as control. I was shown the symbols of the cult afterward and that it’s all over mexico now. This is something I will continue to pray about, and was grateful to have this explained and uncovered for me.
There were so many men and women that I prayed with, that were transformed by this message of spiritual identity which only Christian Science offers. The man who arranged for the lecture and workshop, and introduced me at the workshop, said to me over and over again that this was an incredible message, that this was a message that he had never heard before. He kept saying how important it was for him to realize that everyone has a spiritual identity, and has good qualities that they can’t lose. He said that the workshop (he hadn’t heard the lecture) was life transforming and was what everyone in the prison needed to hear. That it would change their thought about themselves and that this message was unlike any other and he was glad to hear it. He walked us to the car and invited Cristina to come back and start a study group. He and the woman official agreed to pave the way and help Cristina with the paperwork. Cristina’s comment was that at first he had helped her through the bureaucracy because she was Jose’s wife. But now he wanted to help her because of the message of Christian Science.
Being in this prison was very much like working with the homeless folks in Nashville. It’s a very similar population. I saw the same kind of instant results and transformation, as well as the deep sincere humility and willingness to adopt new ideas. At the same time, I was surprised by the intransigent, belligerent, and intolerant views of some of the Christian inmates who viewed the prison basically as their personal church turf and saw Christian Science and me as interlopers. I am encouraging Cristina to follow up with a Bible Lesson study group. Tremendous seeds were planted but they will be gobbled up by the birds of prey if we don’t nurture and protect them.
I had no idea what I was going to do at this workshop. I’d asked Cristina what she had in mind and all I got from her was the conviction that I needed to go back and talk with them a second time. Ok. Even at the beginning of this group of lectures while I was in CV, I asked again what she thought might be appropriate. Same answer. So I just prayed and what came to me was to take part of a lecture that I have in English on Christian Science theology and its Scriptural foundation, and do the first part of that lecture. Then God gave me the inspiration to read the Bible Lesson from their perspective and a host of inspiration came regarding some of the stories on this week's Bible lesson on Christ Jesus. In fact the inspirations were ideas that I’d never thought about before but were very appropriate for a prison population. So I put together an outline.
The lecture and workshop took place in a tin roof chapel with benches and some chairs at the back. Anyway, after a standing room only lecture I expected the chapel to be packed again. Not so. The women came and more women came with them. But the preacher type and the men who had questioned my not talking about repentance and confession being the first step, etc. were not back. The man who had sponsored the lecture with the prison administration, however, was there, and so was a woman prison worker who had helped at last night’s lecture but hadn’t attended.
There were maybe 50 people at the workshop. An incredibly noisy soccer game was taking place right outside the door with the soccer ball crashing into the chapel building numerous times, whistles blowing and raucous noise. But the sound worked perfectly. I gave what I came prepared to do and it took about half an hour. Then I opened it up for questions.
Turns out that it had ripped through the prison last night that I wasn’t using the Bible, since I wasn’t using Reina Valera translation (how typical; it sounds like these guys would fit right in with members in some of our Christian Science churches saying the same about KJV). Also that this was heresy because I didn’t hit them over the head with repent, repent, repent, and confess your sins. I was unconcerned and happy to answer the questions. Actually there were new people present who had heard the inmates rallying to keep people away from the workshop, so they had decided to come and see what it was all about. The people present got the fact that we were telling them about their real identity as beloved sons and daughters of God. They also clung to the fact that it didn’t matter what they had done, that God would never abandon them and that everyone was good enough to be saved.
I answered questions about whether one religion was the only one; if someone was a really bad person wouldn’t he go to hell eternally how could he be saved; idol worship; devil worship, etc.
I kept the talk including questions to an hour. The woman official was the one who asked questions saying, this is what the men who attended last night are saying and spreading through the prison. She just let me know what was going on and then gave me the opportunity to respond. She came because I think she wanted to check out the rumors. She obviously liked the answers because she stayed afterward and asked me to pray with her for her work with the prisoners. She also took two copies of S&H, one for her the other for a colleague. She also asked Cristina to come back and set up a Bible Lesson study group.
I don’t want to give the impression that the lecture wasn’t effective. It was extremely successful, just wanted to say that there was doctrinal opposition that was uncovered and needed to be addressed. Going back in the morning for the workshop turned out to be the key. If I hadn’t gone back, the opposition would have had the last word and all the fruitage and conversations after the lecture could have been lost. Instead, truth was given the last word and Christian Science is now established as a legitimate religion in this prison.
There was a man on crutches who knew Cristina and her husband. He had been kicked out of their school many years ago. He came to the lecture and talked quite a lot with Jose. When we arrived in the morning for the workshop, he had on a suit and tie. He’d shaved and obviously bathed. He looked like an usher at church. He prayed with me afterward for healing. He also volunteered to Cristina to organize a Bible study group and invite inmates to participate. He so wanted to be involved and have an opportunity to study more of the ideas of Christian Science. He walked us to the door of the prison. He was acting as an usher for us, rather than ushering in the inmates.
A young man told me before the lecture that he wanted to be a lecturer like me. I immediately encouraged him and told him he certainly could. He sat in the front row of the workshop. After the workshop, he waited until I’d talked with most everyone, then he asked me if he could have my copy of Science & Health. We’d given everyone Bibles and had given a dozen Science & Healths to the prison library. McAllen had donated those books. He was the only one who asked me for a copy of Science & Health, and I just decided to give it to him. He asked me to sign it and then we talked about the chapter on prayer, and some of the references that I had given during the lecture and workshop. He took notes on a little piece of paper, and immediately began feeding back to me what I was telling him on how to pray and use Science & Health to pray for others. He instantly took the definition of man and grasped substituting his own name or that of another. He was humble, earnest. We talked about how one has to walk the walk and live what we preach or it has no substance. He asked if I was coming back, if I would come back next year if I came to Mexico. I told him I wouldn’t expect to see him again, that I would expect him to be released. He got the message, that I expected him to overcome his problems and make demonstrations for himself as well as others.
I have to say here that inmates in this prison are not like in the US. Jose, Cristina’s husband has worked with prison inmates here for years. A person can be put in prison and not be charged and stay there for years if they have no one to run the paperwork around to various offices for signatures to release them. Some people are in prison because they can’t pay $20 in fines. They can be in prison indefinitely for lack of the equivalent of $20. It sounds absurd, but I met some of these people. One beautiful young woman with uncontrollable tears asked that we pray together that she would find a way to get out of prison. She’d been there for 5 years because of not being able to pay her way out.
There are men there who are alcoholics and are in prison simply because they were on the street and someone reported them to the police. Then they can’t get out of the system. I talked with one man who told me a story like this and said that now he realizes he was put in prison so that he could hear this message, that he has a spiritual identity that can’t be taken from him. We talked for quite awhile. He really grasped the message of Christian Science and it was touching him deeply. He’s been there for 2 years, just picked up from the street like a stray dog without having committed any crime, violence, or even being disorderly. I need to pray about this entire prison picture and know that God governs and that red tape is subordinate to the government of divine Truth, Life and Love.
Another older man, obviously an alcoholic, we had a long talk together. Right in front of my eyes, he realized that he was worth something and had value. It was very moving. He realized he was loved by God. He said it was the first time he’d ever realized he had value, that he could even hope to be saved, or that he had an identity at all. This was the most moving experience of all the dozens of conversations I had. His eyes and the light of the Christ dawning will stay with me forever.
There are gang members here and more violent folks. Gang members came to the lecture. I’m not sure if any of them came back for the workshop. Although I think there might have been a couple young people in the workshop who might have been gang affiliated. None of them spoke to me after either event. They silently came and went.
There is also a devil/death worship cult very strong in this prison. I was told about it after the workshop, and told that several of the questions were related to this. I hadn’t grasped that while answering the questions or I would have answered differently. I’ll know next time. Apparently there is a worship of death and the devil that is very strong among the drug lords and drug culture. Basically it’s if you don’t worship death and sacrifice to it, then death will come and take you away. It’s a cult of fear and intimidation, as well as control. I was shown the symbols of the cult afterward and that it’s all over mexico now. This is something I will continue to pray about, and was grateful to have this explained and uncovered for me.
There were so many men and women that I prayed with, that were transformed by this message of spiritual identity which only Christian Science offers. The man who arranged for the lecture and workshop, and introduced me at the workshop, said to me over and over again that this was an incredible message, that this was a message that he had never heard before. He kept saying how important it was for him to realize that everyone has a spiritual identity, and has good qualities that they can’t lose. He said that the workshop (he hadn’t heard the lecture) was life transforming and was what everyone in the prison needed to hear. That it would change their thought about themselves and that this message was unlike any other and he was glad to hear it. He walked us to the car and invited Cristina to come back and start a study group. He and the woman official agreed to pave the way and help Cristina with the paperwork. Cristina’s comment was that at first he had helped her through the bureaucracy because she was Jose’s wife. But now he wanted to help her because of the message of Christian Science.
Being in this prison was very much like working with the homeless folks in Nashville. It’s a very similar population. I saw the same kind of instant results and transformation, as well as the deep sincere humility and willingness to adopt new ideas. At the same time, I was surprised by the intransigent, belligerent, and intolerant views of some of the Christian inmates who viewed the prison basically as their personal church turf and saw Christian Science and me as interlopers. I am encouraging Cristina to follow up with a Bible Lesson study group. Tremendous seeds were planted but they will be gobbled up by the birds of prey if we don’t nurture and protect them.
Lecture in Mexican prison
This was an incredible experience. Words will never do it justice.
The first healing was having the lecture. Cristina had made several contacts with government and prison officials, with no result. But she felt convinced that it was important to present Christian Science to the prison community. Her husband overheard her talking one day and recommended an official with whom he had worked. As a favor to the husband, the official spoke to the head of the prison and a lecture was set up. However, while Cristina was out of town just 2 weeks before the lectures, there was a change in prison administration. All the work had to be done all over again. But through prayer and confidence that this was a right idea, all the paperwork and details were worked out and the new administration agreed to permit me to give a lecture.
This was a unique experience. When we went into the prison, people were milling everywhere. Men and women are mixed together. There are women with infants and children up to the age of 5 living in the prison. They have little ramshackle booths where prisoners have set up little businesses like selling gum and sundry items, food items, fixing tacos, etc. If you have money you don’t have to eat the prison food you can buy your own or have relatives bring food into you. There was a huge soccer field with people playing until 6:30 when it was dark and the lecture finally started. The place appears chaotic and completely unsecure. But I think that’s an illusion. At 6pm everyone disappeared for a role call type event. Lines formed, people checked and lists were made of who was going to attend the lecture. We started at 6:30 although people continued to come in after that.
Women with babies sat in chairs at the back. But most of the seating was just crude benches. Some people stood at the door at the back but most everyone sat.
Then we find out that they had all expected me three weeks earlier! And had sat for an hour or more waiting for me. Somehow a mistake had been made with some paperwork and that incorrect date had been given to the inmates. This had caused a lot of bad feelings about me and the lecture, that I had stood them up. As soon as I heard this from the men, I began praying about opposition to Christian Science. I let them know that I was never scheduled for that date but always for this date.
There was a prisoner there who basically was trying to take over the event, or at least the beginning of the event. He sang and played a keyboard while the men were gathering. He obviously considers himself a preacher and was letting everyone know that he was in charge. I had another person have him tone it down, turn down the volume, and then moved him off the stage when the lecture started. But I had sound problems in the middle of the lecture and I’m convinced it was because he had fiddled with the sound to cause problems. He was on and off the stage several times while I was speaking. Then the sound started feedback and hissing and quit. I turned it off. He’d set up a standing mike right in front of me, in the middle of the lecture while I was talking and before the sound started really acting up. I refused to use the mike. I wasn’t going to be limited nor was I going to participate in this distractive behavior. It didn’t bother me. I went right on and none of the Christian Science folks even paid any attention to this behind the scenes stuff going on. I turned the mike and sound system off completely and just used my Southern preacher voice. God gave me plenty of voice to fill the room for the rest of the talk. Error silenced. The man quit coming onto the stage. He sort of stormed out immediately after the lecture.
We had a lot of amens and verbal participation other than the usual reading and participation that I have in my normal lectures. It was clear that evangelical preaching takes place in this prison.
After the lecture, several of the men were pretty upset. They believed that repentance had to come first. They didn’t like the new bible in simple Spanish language which the Ciudad Victoria people had purchased from the American Bible Society and given free to everyone. It is the simple language new translation of the New Testament and Psalms. But it wasn’t Reina Valera and some of the men were offended. They were also offended that I wasn't preaching fire and brimstone, talking about guilt and repentance, etc.
At the same time, after the lecture I stayed for over an hour praying with inmates, talking with them individually. I can’t even remember all the people I talked with. So this was a very successful event.
The first healing was having the lecture. Cristina had made several contacts with government and prison officials, with no result. But she felt convinced that it was important to present Christian Science to the prison community. Her husband overheard her talking one day and recommended an official with whom he had worked. As a favor to the husband, the official spoke to the head of the prison and a lecture was set up. However, while Cristina was out of town just 2 weeks before the lectures, there was a change in prison administration. All the work had to be done all over again. But through prayer and confidence that this was a right idea, all the paperwork and details were worked out and the new administration agreed to permit me to give a lecture.
This was a unique experience. When we went into the prison, people were milling everywhere. Men and women are mixed together. There are women with infants and children up to the age of 5 living in the prison. They have little ramshackle booths where prisoners have set up little businesses like selling gum and sundry items, food items, fixing tacos, etc. If you have money you don’t have to eat the prison food you can buy your own or have relatives bring food into you. There was a huge soccer field with people playing until 6:30 when it was dark and the lecture finally started. The place appears chaotic and completely unsecure. But I think that’s an illusion. At 6pm everyone disappeared for a role call type event. Lines formed, people checked and lists were made of who was going to attend the lecture. We started at 6:30 although people continued to come in after that.
Women with babies sat in chairs at the back. But most of the seating was just crude benches. Some people stood at the door at the back but most everyone sat.
Then we find out that they had all expected me three weeks earlier! And had sat for an hour or more waiting for me. Somehow a mistake had been made with some paperwork and that incorrect date had been given to the inmates. This had caused a lot of bad feelings about me and the lecture, that I had stood them up. As soon as I heard this from the men, I began praying about opposition to Christian Science. I let them know that I was never scheduled for that date but always for this date.
There was a prisoner there who basically was trying to take over the event, or at least the beginning of the event. He sang and played a keyboard while the men were gathering. He obviously considers himself a preacher and was letting everyone know that he was in charge. I had another person have him tone it down, turn down the volume, and then moved him off the stage when the lecture started. But I had sound problems in the middle of the lecture and I’m convinced it was because he had fiddled with the sound to cause problems. He was on and off the stage several times while I was speaking. Then the sound started feedback and hissing and quit. I turned it off. He’d set up a standing mike right in front of me, in the middle of the lecture while I was talking and before the sound started really acting up. I refused to use the mike. I wasn’t going to be limited nor was I going to participate in this distractive behavior. It didn’t bother me. I went right on and none of the Christian Science folks even paid any attention to this behind the scenes stuff going on. I turned the mike and sound system off completely and just used my Southern preacher voice. God gave me plenty of voice to fill the room for the rest of the talk. Error silenced. The man quit coming onto the stage. He sort of stormed out immediately after the lecture.
We had a lot of amens and verbal participation other than the usual reading and participation that I have in my normal lectures. It was clear that evangelical preaching takes place in this prison.
After the lecture, several of the men were pretty upset. They believed that repentance had to come first. They didn’t like the new bible in simple Spanish language which the Ciudad Victoria people had purchased from the American Bible Society and given free to everyone. It is the simple language new translation of the New Testament and Psalms. But it wasn’t Reina Valera and some of the men were offended. They were also offended that I wasn't preaching fire and brimstone, talking about guilt and repentance, etc.
At the same time, after the lecture I stayed for over an hour praying with inmates, talking with them individually. I can’t even remember all the people I talked with. So this was a very successful event.
Nothing can distract from the Christ healing message
There were several things that attempted to distract me at this lecture. I left my purse sitting in the lobby of the Holiday Inn because my ride was a little late, and when they arrived I rushed off not realizing I’d put it down. Thank you Father, but I’d also been talking with the hotel security guard standing nearby. He obviously saw the purse after I left. He put it safely at the desk along with hundreds of dollars, credit cards, etc untouched. I was infinitely grateful for this demonstration. Before the lecture we checked the cordless lapel mike which the group purchased specifically for these lectures. It worked perfectly. But when the lectures started, nothing. We fiddled with it for a couple minutes and then I just decided to go ahead without any mike. It was fine, but another attempt at distraction. Then during the lecture a family of newcomers had a very noisy child. After about half the lecture Cristina took the child out and kept him entertained. I’ve been praying that all anyone can ever hear is the Christ message. Not one memory of error, but total memory of divine Truth and the Christ presence. Nothing interferes with the healing Christ.
Healing from lecture
A woman came up to me and asked if I recognized her. She had come to the lecture last year at the Holiday Inn. She told me her one side had been paralyzed. She walked with difficulty using a cane. I did recall her. She was unkempt, had suffered a stroke or some other type of debilitating problem. She’d come to that lecture for healing and had talked with me and asked me to pray with her. Apparently she had begun the study of Christian Science after the lecture and was completely healed. She was a beautiful, completely normal woman walking with total freedom, looking radiant. She’d come to the lecture to tell me of this healing. She talked to me afterward saying she wanted to continue the study of Christian Science. I don’t know if she is studying with the group. I have the feeling, no. So this indicates that there are others studying Christian Science on their own in Ciudad Victoria from these lectures.
Fresh views of church in Ciudad Victoria
Church service:
The room filled. The church is a room with separate entrance very near the city center. The couple who had come with their daughter to the first English lecture attended. This was the first time the wife has come to a Sunday service, although she has attended some of the study sessions or Weds meetings. The husband said he wanted to come to church regularly, and the wife agreed. So it looks like this family is going to become part of the group.
Another couple was invited by a member of the group. They hadn’t come to the lecture nor did they know anything about Christian Science. The member simply saw them on the street during this weekend and with the enthusiasm of the lectures invited them to come to church with her. They came, enjoyed the participatory service, bought a Science and Health and then came to the lecture this afternoon at the university theater. They indicated they were interested in continuing with studying Christian Science with the group.
The church service was full of participation. The First Reader invited the congregation to read the Scriptural selection along with her. It was projected onto the front wall. Then the congregation was invited to read A Rule for Motives and Acts with the Reader, also projected onto the front wall. The same was true for the closing Scientific Statement of Being, I John 3, and Benediction.
After the church service and before lunch, they asked if anyone wanted to share a testimony. A member told of being healed of an inflamed leg during last year’s round of lectures. That after the lectures she was healed of diabetes, a heart condition, and something else I couldn’t understand. She said she’d been taking pills for all these conditions and more. She said that now she was taking no medication at all and was in perfect health. She then hugged me saying how grateful she was for the lectures and for Christian Science. She told me she had grown up in an evangelical church and learned the Bible. Now she was actually being healed by spiritual study.
After the church service, those present moved into Cristina’s house for tamales and tacos. During the lunch the teenager who is a niece was talking with Cristina and volunteered to start teaching a Sunday School class. This is a healing in and of itself! Cristina and I had just started talking about their beginning a Sunday School when she drove me down on Thursday. I’d mentioned a couple ideas like having a Sunday School after the church service instead of during, which opened her thought to the practical possibilities of having a Sunday School now instead of sometime when they had a larger space. They have now ordered MyBibleLesson for this teenager as she reads English. The purpose is for her to share the inspirations and ideas with the other youngsters attending. They are also praying about how to establish a Sunday School class.
The room filled. The church is a room with separate entrance very near the city center. The couple who had come with their daughter to the first English lecture attended. This was the first time the wife has come to a Sunday service, although she has attended some of the study sessions or Weds meetings. The husband said he wanted to come to church regularly, and the wife agreed. So it looks like this family is going to become part of the group.
Another couple was invited by a member of the group. They hadn’t come to the lecture nor did they know anything about Christian Science. The member simply saw them on the street during this weekend and with the enthusiasm of the lectures invited them to come to church with her. They came, enjoyed the participatory service, bought a Science and Health and then came to the lecture this afternoon at the university theater. They indicated they were interested in continuing with studying Christian Science with the group.
The church service was full of participation. The First Reader invited the congregation to read the Scriptural selection along with her. It was projected onto the front wall. Then the congregation was invited to read A Rule for Motives and Acts with the Reader, also projected onto the front wall. The same was true for the closing Scientific Statement of Being, I John 3, and Benediction.
After the church service and before lunch, they asked if anyone wanted to share a testimony. A member told of being healed of an inflamed leg during last year’s round of lectures. That after the lectures she was healed of diabetes, a heart condition, and something else I couldn’t understand. She said she’d been taking pills for all these conditions and more. She said that now she was taking no medication at all and was in perfect health. She then hugged me saying how grateful she was for the lectures and for Christian Science. She told me she had grown up in an evangelical church and learned the Bible. Now she was actually being healed by spiritual study.
After the church service, those present moved into Cristina’s house for tamales and tacos. During the lunch the teenager who is a niece was talking with Cristina and volunteered to start teaching a Sunday School class. This is a healing in and of itself! Cristina and I had just started talking about their beginning a Sunday School when she drove me down on Thursday. I’d mentioned a couple ideas like having a Sunday School after the church service instead of during, which opened her thought to the practical possibilities of having a Sunday School now instead of sometime when they had a larger space. They have now ordered MyBibleLesson for this teenager as she reads English. The purpose is for her to share the inspirations and ideas with the other youngsters attending. They are also praying about how to establish a Sunday School class.
Ciudad Victoria radio interview
At 9am Sunday, which is an excellent time for radio, the group had arranged for me to be interviewed for 15 minutes on a live program. The program is on a station sponsored by the university. The program is hosted by a woman senior citizen who has an hour program Sunday mornings called the “Golden Years”. The co-host this week was the doctor who has become interested in Christian Science. When we arrived the hostess wasn’t present. This turned out to be God’s blessing for us. Apparently she might not have permitted much talk about religion and I was warned that she might not want me to talk about this and that.
The doctor opened the program and we talked specifically about how to pray. I mentioned Jesus, the Lord’s Prayer, how my family came to study Christian Science through healings of my paternal great grandmother and maternal grandmother. Today is a state holiday about the family. So talking about my family was very relevant. Then the hostess arrived. She immediately began correcting me with her ideas about prayer on air. But actually she made a lovely point. So I took her point and expanded on it. I’m aware of how to control an on air interview when needed, and so with much humility I brought the discussion to the infinite possibilities of prayer and illustrated that.
The end result was that I was on air for 45 minutes. I also read from Science and Health, talked about Mary Baker Eddy. The hostess then actually came to the lecture this evening at the university! She was having dinner with friends but told them she wanted to go to the talk and so left them and came. Several others in the audience of the talk recognized her. She seems to be a local celebrity. We talked before the lecture. The doctor and his wife also came to the lecture tonight. Some people who came to the lecture had heard the program and appreciated the ideas shared.
Then both the doctor and hostess came to the final informal lecture/workshop. She purchased Science and Health and said that she was interested in studying more about prayer and healing. The doctor said that through the lectures he attended this weekend he had gained a new view of identity and been able to overcome unsettling thoughts about the past. The Christ is at work!
The doctor opened the program and we talked specifically about how to pray. I mentioned Jesus, the Lord’s Prayer, how my family came to study Christian Science through healings of my paternal great grandmother and maternal grandmother. Today is a state holiday about the family. So talking about my family was very relevant. Then the hostess arrived. She immediately began correcting me with her ideas about prayer on air. But actually she made a lovely point. So I took her point and expanded on it. I’m aware of how to control an on air interview when needed, and so with much humility I brought the discussion to the infinite possibilities of prayer and illustrated that.
The end result was that I was on air for 45 minutes. I also read from Science and Health, talked about Mary Baker Eddy. The hostess then actually came to the lecture this evening at the university! She was having dinner with friends but told them she wanted to go to the talk and so left them and came. Several others in the audience of the talk recognized her. She seems to be a local celebrity. We talked before the lecture. The doctor and his wife also came to the lecture tonight. Some people who came to the lecture had heard the program and appreciated the ideas shared.
Then both the doctor and hostess came to the final informal lecture/workshop. She purchased Science and Health and said that she was interested in studying more about prayer and healing. The doctor said that through the lectures he attended this weekend he had gained a new view of identity and been able to overcome unsettling thoughts about the past. The Christ is at work!
Lecture Publicity
The publicity on these lectures in Ciudad Victoria was amazing. This is a small group of people studying Christian Science. Through prayer and donations they arranged the following. They had a full page in the newspaper dedicated to talking about the talk with a testimony written by a local person, an article written by the journalist which was quite good and my picture splashed 8 inches square! I’ve never seen anything like this. They also had additional ads in the paper. In fact I saw one the day of the lecture, a large 4x4 inch ad on the back page of the science section with photos of nebula in space and some interesting articles on the comet passing by and developments in space. They also ran TV ads. They had a banner in front of the Holiday Inn which is on a main street and two other banners around town. People all over Ciudad Victoria seemed to know about these lectures. The maid in the hotel knew my entire schedule saying she heard it advertised on the radio and heard my interview on the radio.
God's Safety in Mexico
A very important healing took place between yesterday’s lecture and tonight. Cristina’s brother is in Chiapas, a southern state of Mexico which has been an area involved in revolutionary activities, paramilitary groups etc for many years. Earlier today he was taken by Federal soldiers or people posing as soldiers saying that he was to come identify his nephew who had been taken by this group and beaten. More than 6000 people have been killed in the past year in Mexico. Tristan (the brother) was very upset and called Cristina for prayerful help. Other members of the family were calling her for prayer as well. She said that during the workshop after this lecture she received a call from Tristan, saying that they had both been released, no ransom paid. We are giving gratitude to God. I’ve been praying the entire time I’ve been here about the incredible violence. I was specifically praying today about power of mothering Love and that Love is supreme over human will, etc. I am so grateful for this safe and harmonious outcome. It reminds me of what happened around the last time I was here. A member’s brother was kidnapped. Through prayer alone he was released basically unharmed without ransom in three days. These healings are very important here.
Continuing church progress
Our church continues to grow, and more than half of the people who attend are not members. Our Sunday School has had as many as 33 students one Sunday, though it is normally smaller than that. I used to think that we were full when we had 18 but now it looks empty when we have over 20.
Our Bible Lession Discussion Group meets every other Tuesday and we have lively talks about what we are learning about Christian Science. We have one person who has been coming to a Christian Science Church for only three months, and is eating this truth up. He is a member of an AA group, and finds that much of what we talk about he already believed in. He has already had several healings. It is fun to watch him because he was raised Catholic, and never has read the Bible. He can't wait to read a story that comes up in the lesson from the Bible. He doesn't know how the story is going to end, so he says he can't put the book down. We have recommended that he read the whole story as the lesson can only cover a small part of the full story as given in the Bible. We have another small group that eats out after church and this man has never missed going out with us.
Our Reading Room is active and we have a traveling Reading Room that comes to church every Wed. We are in the process of having to move, as they are about to take down the building we are now in and build an inn on that spot. We don't know where we are going, but we are already loving the place, where ever it may be. We are going to have a hymn sing using the new supplement to the hymnal after one of our Sunday Services. There are members who would like to get together and do that at least once a month. So you see, what good is going on here. I know that we give God the credit for this increase, but it started with your lecture. Life is good.
-Chuck
Our Bible Lession Discussion Group meets every other Tuesday and we have lively talks about what we are learning about Christian Science. We have one person who has been coming to a Christian Science Church for only three months, and is eating this truth up. He is a member of an AA group, and finds that much of what we talk about he already believed in. He has already had several healings. It is fun to watch him because he was raised Catholic, and never has read the Bible. He can't wait to read a story that comes up in the lesson from the Bible. He doesn't know how the story is going to end, so he says he can't put the book down. We have recommended that he read the whole story as the lesson can only cover a small part of the full story as given in the Bible. We have another small group that eats out after church and this man has never missed going out with us.
Our Reading Room is active and we have a traveling Reading Room that comes to church every Wed. We are in the process of having to move, as they are about to take down the building we are now in and build an inn on that spot. We don't know where we are going, but we are already loving the place, where ever it may be. We are going to have a hymn sing using the new supplement to the hymnal after one of our Sunday Services. There are members who would like to get together and do that at least once a month. So you see, what good is going on here. I know that we give God the credit for this increase, but it started with your lecture. Life is good.
-Chuck
Feedback from Ft Walton Beach FL
Such a marvelous two days! The lecture prep. and the lecture were so uplifting. So many good comments. Good testimonies and a good fruitage meeting afterward.
Two of our attendees had never heard a Christian Science lecture before. Both walked back down the aisle with tears on their cheeks - tears of joy and understanding they had not previously had. I think we all felt a sense of renewal.
At the Fruitage meeting, everybody spoke up! They liked being a part of the lecture. Many spoke of how approachable you were - how good it was to meet you at the entrance, and how relaxed the atmosphere was (Love divine). They liked the white boards and particularly, the writing out of the qualities of God. When I say "they", one or two people would mention something and it would be echoed and all agreed.
The use of Bible quotations was so well received. By the way, many have asked if we could please get the Bible citations you used at the Lecture. (We took better notes at the Prep. meeting, so we have those.) People loved your testimonies - and the practical application you explained. Many commented how you brought about overcoming negativity. They felt it so good to have the quiet moment to see correctly someone in the news.
And several said that they had never heard a lecturer end the lecture with treatment. Telling ourselves, "I am good",they felt truly blessed. I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that we are so grateful for your talks and shared moments of truth.
Much love, Barbara
Two of our attendees had never heard a Christian Science lecture before. Both walked back down the aisle with tears on their cheeks - tears of joy and understanding they had not previously had. I think we all felt a sense of renewal.
At the Fruitage meeting, everybody spoke up! They liked being a part of the lecture. Many spoke of how approachable you were - how good it was to meet you at the entrance, and how relaxed the atmosphere was (Love divine). They liked the white boards and particularly, the writing out of the qualities of God. When I say "they", one or two people would mention something and it would be echoed and all agreed.
The use of Bible quotations was so well received. By the way, many have asked if we could please get the Bible citations you used at the Lecture. (We took better notes at the Prep. meeting, so we have those.) People loved your testimonies - and the practical application you explained. Many commented how you brought about overcoming negativity. They felt it so good to have the quiet moment to see correctly someone in the news.
And several said that they had never heard a lecturer end the lecture with treatment. Telling ourselves, "I am good",they felt truly blessed. I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that we are so grateful for your talks and shared moments of truth.
Much love, Barbara
Saturday, March 7, 2009
McAllen TX lecture
Great technology put info on large screens at this English lecture. Everyone read the passages together in this lecture workshop. There was a very holy feeling as newcomers prayed with me afterward for healing. More than 10 visitors took literature and 1 bought S&H.
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Friday, March 6, 2009
English lecture at Spanish university
Just having this particular lecture was a healing and demonstration of prayer and the power of God. Cristina tried for several months to arrange a lecture at the University. There is a separation of church and state here and the university refused a lecture on that basis. Cristina continued praying and talking with different people, with the same negative response. Recently she was talking with a women involved in the English department and the woman was receptive to Christian Science. Actually she asked for prayer. Cristina had the inspiration to ask her if the evening English classes ie those preparing to teach English might be interested in having a lecture in English. The answer was yes! So they publicized the lecture among all the English professors and invited them and their students. The lecture took place on a Friday, when only two classes are held, and it was the beginning of a long weekend so not many people were at the university. This actually was a plus. It was possible to park and move around when otherwise this university is incredibly congested. Anyway, 29 people attended the lecture including several people from the community who speak some English and were interested in the topic. All 29 were entirely new to Christian Science. The niece was in one of the classes and actually helped that class to attend. The professor wasn’t going to allow her students to come, but the niece and another student said it was only an hour and they wanted to go. The rest of the class agreed and they all came. That professor however did not attend.
The original professor arranging for the lecture ended up not coming due to an illness. So her assistant came, introduced me and acted as the university host. This was most certainly God’s unfoldment. The assistant told me that she had overheard Cristina talking about lecture and had decided at the time that she would like to come. She has a family member for whom she wants to pray. She eagerly took Science and Health before the lecture. In total 3 Science and Healths were sold and lots of free literature was taken. This professor talked with me quite a bit before the lecture and then with Cristina and myself afterward. She was very engaged in the ideas and was full of receptivity to the Christ spirit.
Since it was a university class situation I invited questions and answers after the talk. There were 3 or 4 good questions, which enabled me to clarify some ideas. They all liked the answers and it helped me as well to see how they were thinking.
This was a remarkable experience and think of the effect this introduction to Christian Science will have on these future educators! It will certainly extend the awareness and understanding of Christian Science far beyond these 29 people. Each of these students is going to be a teacher of English somewhere in Mexico or in other parts of the world. They now have a basic understanding of how to pray effectively for healing and understand that this is Christian Science. What a blessing for their students and for their families!
The original professor arranging for the lecture ended up not coming due to an illness. So her assistant came, introduced me and acted as the university host. This was most certainly God’s unfoldment. The assistant told me that she had overheard Cristina talking about lecture and had decided at the time that she would like to come. She has a family member for whom she wants to pray. She eagerly took Science and Health before the lecture. In total 3 Science and Healths were sold and lots of free literature was taken. This professor talked with me quite a bit before the lecture and then with Cristina and myself afterward. She was very engaged in the ideas and was full of receptivity to the Christ spirit.
Since it was a university class situation I invited questions and answers after the talk. There were 3 or 4 good questions, which enabled me to clarify some ideas. They all liked the answers and it helped me as well to see how they were thinking.
This was a remarkable experience and think of the effect this introduction to Christian Science will have on these future educators! It will certainly extend the awareness and understanding of Christian Science far beyond these 29 people. Each of these students is going to be a teacher of English somewhere in Mexico or in other parts of the world. They now have a basic understanding of how to pray effectively for healing and understand that this is Christian Science. What a blessing for their students and for their families!
Church beginnings in Ciudad Victoria
I was stunned to see the beautiful church space which they have created. I took photos which don’t do it justice since I used my cell phone and it was at night. The location is right in the center of town, accessible by bus. They have hymnals for everyone. They have a projector which they use to project the hymns with words and music onto the front wall so those who don’t see too well can sing along. They use the recorded hymns from TMC. They have recorded solos in Spanish and sing along. It is such an inspiring service with lots of participation.
The first official Sunday church service took place when I was there last year. We set up chairs in Cristina’s living room. I read with Cristina at the first service. Family members walked in and out the entire time as if nothing sacred were taking place. This time we are in a true church with a holy atmosphere! It was wonderful.
The first official Sunday church service took place when I was there last year. We set up chairs in Cristina’s living room. I read with Cristina at the first service. Family members walked in and out the entire time as if nothing sacred were taking place. This time we are in a true church with a holy atmosphere! It was wonderful.
Progress at prison
At the Weds testimony meeting in McAllen, Jim from Dallas, the head of institutional committee, came to the service and gave several testimonies about healings and lectures in Texas. He talked about the lecture I just did in the Huntsville prison sponsored by the Conroe church. If you recall, that worker had prayed for 5 years to be allowed to enter the prison and hold services. 3 months after permission was granted, she planned the lecture with me.
The prison officials permitted only those prisoners who signed up one month in advance and who had indicated an interest in CS to attend. We had about 10 people including two or three new people if I recall. Eventhough small it was a successful lecture with a healing atmosphere.
Now, just one month later, Jim tells me that Ryder is going to give a lecture in the same prison and that the prison officials have now opened the lecture to the entire prison population. Anyone who wishes to attend will be able to attend. This is a huge demonstration. The transformation in opinion from not permitting CS at all, to permitting only a few to attend a lecture with stringent restrictions, to now an open invitation extending to the entire population. I am so grateful. This is truly the Christ at work. This particular prison is a male maximum security prison. It is the death row prison in Texas. Think of the blessing here that Christian Science is being made available to the entire prison population there.
The prison officials permitted only those prisoners who signed up one month in advance and who had indicated an interest in CS to attend. We had about 10 people including two or three new people if I recall. Eventhough small it was a successful lecture with a healing atmosphere.
Now, just one month later, Jim tells me that Ryder is going to give a lecture in the same prison and that the prison officials have now opened the lecture to the entire prison population. Anyone who wishes to attend will be able to attend. This is a huge demonstration. The transformation in opinion from not permitting CS at all, to permitting only a few to attend a lecture with stringent restrictions, to now an open invitation extending to the entire population. I am so grateful. This is truly the Christ at work. This particular prison is a male maximum security prison. It is the death row prison in Texas. Think of the blessing here that Christian Science is being made available to the entire prison population there.
Monday, March 2, 2009
From Charlotte NC
We continue to see many new people come to church. Some are brand new to studying Christian Science so the Bible Lesson study group that meets twice a month in the Reading Room has been a good way to mentor them along. Some are returning to Christian Science - - what a joy to hear their testimonies. A practitioner from Creve Coure, Missouri moved into Charlotte and jumped right in and is very active. A few members have moved to the University group who prefer a more traditional type church. [How wonderful that Love makes radiant room for all!]
Our Sunday School is growing, 3 new babies were born last fall to replace three 3's who moved up to Sunday School. Heidi's son, is one of our new Sunday School students - - so bright, quick to learn, a wonderful little model for the others.
- Bonnie
Our Sunday School is growing, 3 new babies were born last fall to replace three 3's who moved up to Sunday School. Heidi's son, is one of our new Sunday School students - - so bright, quick to learn, a wonderful little model for the others.
- Bonnie
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