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
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
