"Let the Children Come to Me"

Jesus once told his disciples, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God." Children naturally love learning about God, Jesus, and The Bible. Children often find it easier then adults do to turn to God and listen wholeheartedly for His direction.

The Christian Science Reading Room sells a number of books and teaching aids that help children learn about God and their relationship to Him. One of the newest products, "My Treasury" contains true stories written especially for children about children that have experienced healing for themselves, other family members, and pets by turning to God for help.

The Reading Room also has books written for children about Bible characters such as Moses and Jesus and teaching aids for learning the Commandments and Beatitudes. One of my favorites is a book about Psalm 139. This beautiful poem by David reminds children that God is with them everywhere they go. Another book about Psalm 23 also explains to children that God cares for and guides them throughout their day.

You can read and purchase these and other books for children at our Christian Science Reading Room. During our open house, April 16-19 we will also be giving away (while supplies last) balloons and puzzles. Come on in and purchase a gift for your favorite young person!

Welcome the New Weekly-Edition of the Christian Science Monitor

This week marks the debut of the Christian Science Monitor as a weekly news magazine! For more than 100 years The Christian Science Monitor has been a source of fair and intelligent journalism with the stated object "To injure no man, but to bless all mankind".

Widely acclaimed for its coverage of world and national events and winner of many Pulitzer Prizes, at the beginning of this month, the Monitor ceased conventional paper publication of its daily paper and transformed itself into a 24/7 source of world news on the web. To complement this web presence, the Monitor is launching a weekly paper that will provide in-depth analysis of the week's news and more.

For readers who care and want to understand their world, the weekly Monitor will provide a wealth of understanding and direction. Each issue of the weekly edition will bring:
- "Why it Matters" briefings that give perspective to today's news and assess the impact for tomorrow.
- One-the-ground dispatches from Monitor Correspondents around the world.
- A major in-depth cover story on pivotal global events or emerging trends.
- Revealing news photography that captures human triumph and tragedy at home and abroad.
- Special sections on Environment, Innovation, Money & Values, and Arts & Culture.

You can get a free copy of the new weekly edition of the Christian Science Monitor (while supplies last) at the Christian Science Reading Room Open House, April 16-19, 741 N. New Ballas Road, Creve Coeur, Missouri.

Bible Study Aids at the Christian Science Reading Room

When Christian Science Reading Rooms started over a hundred years ago, they were typical of all publisher’s reading rooms – a place where publisher’s books were exhibited so the public could choose how many to buy, based on the discount schedule, since people would then sell the books to their friends and neighbors. Books were expensive (the basic version of Science and Health sold for about $60 in today’s currency) so the reading rooms added lending libraries. If people couldn’t afford to buy Science and Health, they could borrow it, find the value of owning it, and then come back to buy it.

Over time, reading rooms expanded from their original purpose as just one publisher’s bookstore to become Bookstores AND More! It’s the “and more” which really helped me, especially over the past 30 years as Bible study became more important to me. Reading rooms do sell Bibles and Bible study guides, but they typically have a much larger library of books than what they sell. And I couldn’t always afford to buy all the other translations, atlases, dictionaries, etc. that I wanted.

The Interpreter’s Study Bible has been a favorite of mine for decades – first the set of 13 from the 1950’s and now the new set from the late 1990’s. The reading room at Creve Coeur has both sets, and is open 48 hours a week for the public to come and use them. I always find something interesting when studying the Christian Science Bible Lesson Sermon in the Interpreter’s Bible. To me, it helps the Bible come alive and be even more meaningful in my life to study other translations, interpretations, word roots and definitions, as well as to learn of the history, geography, etc. of Bible times.

Linda

Clear the Clouds From Your Life!

Rows and flows of angel hair

And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons evrywhere
Ive looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on evryone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
(From "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell)

We probably can all identify with the sentiment Joni Mitchell expressed in these lyrics. Are clouds blocking the sunlight of your life?

I've found the ideas in the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures to be very effective for dispersing and dealing with the clouds that try to enter my experience. The author of this book, Mary Baker Eddy, experienced many cloudy periods in her life. She writes this about a time she was suffering from a serious injury resulting from a fall:

"When apparently near the confines of mortal existence, standing already within the shadow of the death-valley, I learned these truths in divine Science: that all real being is in God, the divine Mind, and that Life, Truth, and Love are all-powerful and ever-present; that the opposite of Truth, - called error, sin, sickness, disease, death,- is the false testimony of false material sense, of mind in matter; that this false sense evolves, in belief, a subjective state of mortal mind which this same so-called mind names matter, thereby shutting out the true sense of Spirit."

These truths Mrs. Eddy discovered helped her to fully recover from her injuries in a very short time. She recorded these, and other spiritual lessons she learned, in her book.

You can purchase this book at any Christian Science Reading Room.

The Christian Science Reading Room in Creve Coeur Missouri is holding an open house Thursday through Sunday, April 16-19. Come on in and get your own cloud-dispersing tool!

Why go to a Christian Science Reading Room?

Why would someone want to go to a Christian Science Reading Room? I've been asking myself that today, because I'm involved in planning an open house April 16 to 19 at a Christian Science Reading Room in Creve Coeur, Missouri.

My answer: to buy a foundation! The Christian Science Reading Room sells two books that have been the foundation of my life: The Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. These two books are my main tools for learning about, understanding, and following God - and that is what life is all about!

For most of my life I've kept a journal of sorts about healings that I or others in my family have experienced through turning to God for help. There are currently about 75 healings described in this journal. The earliest experience was a time when I was 16 and needed some help. Not knowing what else to do, I started reading these two books and very shortly my problem was solved.

The events I've recorded in my journal over the years include healings of illnesses and injuries, resolving of relationship and business problems, experiences of guidance and protection, and finding of lost articles.

My experience with these books is not unique. In fact, the last 100 pages of Science and Health are testimonies written by people that were healed by reading this book. You can read about other healings that have come from reading these books at www.spirituality.com or in other entries in this blog.

Here is a healing from my journal:

Healing of Back - July 2002
I was lifting a canoe above my head when I suddenly felt something “pop” in my back. I found I could no longer lift anything heavy and for a brief period it was difficult to stand and breath. My wife comforted me with spiritual truths and I soon got my breath, but I could not lift anything.

That night I slept uncomfortably and when morning came my back still hurt and I found that I could not stand straight. I began to treat this problem as I've learned to in Christian Science. I had been reading Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and highlighting passages related to thought. As I reviewed these highlighted passages it was clear that thought, not a physical condition, is what in all cases needs to be healed.

The daily Bible lesson contained Jesus’ statement: “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” I had been thinking about this statement all week and had concluded that “knowing the truth” did not mean to think positively, it meant to understand the true condition of man based on Biblical authority.

I thought about this Biblical authority and what truths the Bible tells us about man. In Genesis it says that man is made in the “image and likeness of God” and that he is “very good”. This image certainly couldn’t include an injured back. In Psalms 23 it says that the Lord is our shepherd. God’s shepherding includes more than just watching us – he tenderly cares for all our needs. The Lord’s Prayer tells us that God is our father and that He delivers us from evil. God was delivering me from evil thoughts or beliefs that I could be injured.

I continued reasoning along these lines for about 15 minutes. At that point my wife went by on her way to play tennis. I had planned to play also, but had told her that I couldn’t possibly play with the back pain I was experiencing. Now, after praying, I felt much better and told her I would go too. I played for an hour and a half without any pain, stiffness, or other physical problems. In fact, I really forgot that I had had a problem until I came home and saw my Bible lying open on my desk. Since that day I have been physically active and have not experienced any back problems or lingering effects.

In contemplating this healing I found two passages in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures that describe my experience: “Truth casts out error now as surely as it did nineteen centuries ago” and “…find a sovereign antidote for error in the life-giving power of Truth acting on human belief, a power which opens the prison doors to such as are bound, and sets the captive free physically and morally.”

- Colin