First Church of Christ, Scientist members believe in power of healing
First Church of Christ, Scientist, 1833 Washtenaw Ave.
Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com
Donna Fay decided that she “mentally needed to take a stand” after a phone conversation with a Christian Science practitioner. Fay had decided that the pain of a recently broken foot was not something her God would allow her to suffer.
As a lifelong Christian Scientist, “I had been studying and thinking about what God is and what he does for man," said Fay. "And if I didn’t believe what I was studying, it was silly to believe it, so I decided to expect results.
"The next morning I started hobbling down the hall to my kitchen and I asked myself ‘Why are you hobbling?' — and I put my foot down and started walking."
Christian Science is a denomination of Christianity. Its followers believe in one God who sent his son Jesus Christ to be the Messiah of man. One common misperception is that Christian Science is related to Scientology, but it doesn't have anything anything to do with Scientology, which is a completely separate faith.
Christian Scientists stand out from other Christians because of their beliefs about healing. According to the church's website, Christian Scientists “believe that Jesus’s teachings and healing work expressed scientific Christianity, or the application of the laws of God—laws which are still practical and provable today, by anyone, anywhere." Thus, they believe in “the saving, healing power of God’s love” and “that no one is beyond redemption, that no problem is too entrenched or overwhelming to be addressed and healed.” Therefore “the presence of God’s goodness can be experienced here and now—and by everyone."
According to its Church Manual, the first branch of the First Church of Christ, Scientist (or Mother Church, as it is also called) was established by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879 with 26 members in Boston. The church was “designed to commemorate the word and works of our master, which should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing."
“The basis for the word ‘science’ is knowledge or understanding,” said Melinda Powers, an attendant at the Christian Science reading room in Ann Arbor and member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Ann Arbor and the Mother Church.
Eddy chose the word "Scientist" in affiliation with the church name, “because she felt it was based on an understandable, demonstrable principle,” said Powers. Eddy believed “the body can be healed when the spiritual sense of what God is, what we are, is renewed by the presence and power of God. But it's also science in the sense that you and I can learn it, too."
Melinda Powers, one of the attendants at the Christian Science Reading Room, at 306 E. Liberty St. in Ann Arbor.
Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com
Eddy believed Jesus understood his father God, and that knowledge was “the basis of all the healing works that he did," Powers added. In addition, Jesus understood his place as our Messiah and would therefore “teach people a higher view of what they are, rather than thinking of ourselves primarily as material and physical and possibly sinners, to see that we are the children of God," Powers said. Eddy believed that Jesus understood this knowledge and tried to teach man that with this knowledge, man could also “heal physical disease as well as mental turmoil and unhappiness."
The Christian Scientists of Ann Arbor gather at a branch of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, 1833 Washtenaw Ave. Ann Arbor’s branch holds services every Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. A Sunday school is offered during that time for church members, as well as the community at large. In addition, members meet to share testimonies of healing and prayer on Wednesday nights.
“We have no official clergy. We have lay members that read from the platform each Sunday. They are called the first reader and the second reader,” said Doug Jackson, president of the Ann Arbor First Church of Christ, Scientist. Every church around the world reads the same sermon each Sunday. There are 26 sermon topics that are discussed twice a year, Jackson said. “Our lessons are comprised of citations from the Holy Bible and from the Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.” The Science and Health textbook is “a key to the Bible, to the spiritual understanding of the interpretation, to the inspiration of the Bible” written by Eddy in 1875, Jackson said.
The church supports a Christian Science reading room at 306 E. Liberty St. The reading room offers a place to study, read and buy publications of the national Christian Science Publishing Society located in Boston. In addition to Eddy’s “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” daily Bible lessons are available and periodicals are offered including “The Christian Science Journal,” which presents monthly instruction and accounts of healing; and “The Herald of Christian Science,” which has testimonies of healing and recordings of the “Christian Science Sentinel - Radio Edition." The publishing society also maintains a website, spirituality.com, with articles from the periodicals.
Also available at the reading room is The Christian Science Monitor, a weekly international news magazine and daily website published by the Christian Science Publishing Society. It was the desire of Eddy “to present the world news in an unbiased and accurate light” to “help Christian Scientists get an accurate angle of world issues so they could pray about it,” said Jackson. However, the Monitor is not a religious publication. It only presents one religious article weekly and its policy is to not “propagate denominational doctrine” or “endorse political candidates," according to its website. The Monitor has received seven Pulitzer Prizes and more than a dozen Overseas Press Club awards.
First Church of Christ, Scientist
Facts at a glance:
- Church location: 1833 Washtenaw Ave.
- Church president: Doug Jackson
- Reading room location: 306 E. Liberty St.
- Faith description: Practices Christian Science
- About the church: According to its website, Christian Scientists "believe in one, infinite God who is All and all-good....They believe in the Bible and in Christ Jesus as the Son of God, or promised Messiah....and above all, they believe in the saving, healing power of God’s love—that no one is beyond redemption, that no problem is too entrenched or overwhelming to be addressed and healed."
- On the Web: http://christianscienceannarbor.com/
Fay does not attribute the healing of her broken foot to a miracle, but rather “the presence and availability of help from our heavenly father."
“Eddy discovered the things that Jesus taught were applicable” to us today, so “she wanted to share it with everybody,” Fay said. Eddy believed that “so much is available to man that they don’t realize," she added.
Thomas, a disciple of Jesus, according to the Bible, would not believe Jesus had risen from the dead until he could touch his living body. According to John 20:29 of the King James translation of the Bible, when Thomas finally believed that Jesus had risen from the dead, “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
As a Christian Science practitioner, Fay remembers that story of Thomas when encountering people in need of healing. She explains, “all people are in varying degrees of understanding.” She advises those in need of healing to “take a look into the Bible and allow yourself to be led.” The healing power of God “is an available and accessible power. It is their divine right to be free, to be happy to well and enjoy their god given dominion."
Comments
Douglas Jackson
Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 9:23 p.m.
There are countless theories and explanations about God and the universe including man. Anyone interested in the unique Scientific explanations of Christian Science should read the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures", by Mary Baker Eddy. Once properly informed, one could offer useful comment. Katherine did a wonderful job offering links within the text to lead the reader to accurate sources of further information. Thank you. =)
John T.
Fri, Jul 23, 2010 : 8:22 p.m.
The Bible contains both a literal and a spiritual meaning. Christian Science explains the Bible's spiritual meaning, with abundant proof to back up this explanation. The kingdom of heaven is all-important. The spiritual is all-important. Matter is a temporary illusion. Nothing more. Truth is the Way. Scholastic Theology, the "doctrines of men," the silly, contradictory, materialistic interpretations of the Bible are a philosophical dead-end. "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God," the Bible says, because "flesh and blood" have no place in His kingdom. They are matter, but God is Spirit. Spirit and matter are opposites. The first chapter of Genesis contradicts the second chapter. Every Bible scholar knows they were written by two different authors at two different times. Did God create man and woman perfect in His, Spirit's, image and likeness (as stated in Genesis 1), and then create man and woman a second time from dust, with a sinful nature (as stated in Genesis 2)? No. The first chapter is a divine revelation. The second chapter is an allegory for the illusion of evil and mortality, and it can only be properly interpreted in that light. Aaron Brandt wrote, "When it is known... that the metaphor of the mist [Genesis 2:6] alludes to material belief as having mystified human thought and hid from it the spiritual and true creation, a truth most vital to the salvation of mankind has been revealed. If the Bible reveals anything at all, it reveals this fact that all inspired thought leads away from matter. When Enoch walked with God, his material body disappeared. So did Elijah's when he was translated. And the new heaven and the new earth of the apocalyptic vision were not revealed to the inspired thought of John until the old and material had disappeared from consciousness. The conclusion is inevitable, that inspired thought and material conceptions are opposite states of consciousness."
W. Vida
Fri, Jul 23, 2010 : 6:10 p.m.
Hi Mr Tibbs, //ever have an EKG? the energy is measurable, and as we all know and have been taught by those who claim to know, that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only transfered.....well you will never hear about a soul and the fundamental laws of physix being talked about in the same context at the same time.// I talk about them at the same time. I think they are inextricably united. I think this is why when we have brain damage our personality changes. I think this is why people get sweeter (or angrier) as their minds deteriorate in old age. I believe a good analogy for the soul is software and a good analogy for the body is hardware. If the software isn't running on good hardware, there will be problems. //and because they have no explanation as to where your soul transfers to, "it" simply must not exist.// The Bible speaks of a physical resurrection of the dead (Daniel 12 and Revelation 20-21). Our software needs to run on hardware. //isn't that exactly the opposite of what a teacher is supposed to do? denie the existance of the lifes energy? what makes you speak then? electrical energy. scientists know all about electricity. how it does what it does. but they have absolutely no idea why it does what it does. but they still believe that when you turn on the switch the lamp is gonna light up.// Well, I think we can speak of what we see even if we do not understand why. I believe that the why is that God made all things including electricity. //so while they refuse make that connection because if god really does exist as does the soul, then the constitution, and the declaration of independance, the bill of rights, all would stand beyond question. and those among us who wish to destroy us as a nation simply cannot have this.// I am not sure who is trying to destroy us as a nation. But if someone is, I don't think that orthodox mainstream Christian theology is to blame. //and now you know why. it is simply WHY they call it faith.// Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and trust that God rewards those who faithfully seek him (Hebrews 11). I would say that I have faith (by that definition). //so w vida, while your intentions may be quite honorable, and I do agree with the fact that god gave us this intelligence to give freewill, it is MY choice, MY body, not some governmental decision. remember the bumper stickers about abortion....keep your laws off my body.....the rest of us believe that needs to be applied to the new health care grab as well.// I actually didn't suggest that there should be any laws about this. I certainly affirm the Christian Scientist's right to practice their religion. I simply was stating why I don't agree. //live well, live healthy, live happy, die anyway, get used to it. nobody gets out of here alive.// True. But someday, we will be resurrected. Nice talking with you.
Mr. Tibbs
Fri, Jul 23, 2010 : 11:33 a.m.
a couple things here. faith without freewill is slavery. unless you are ready to re-write the laws of physix, your soul is self explanatory. ever have an EKG? the energy is measurable, and as we all know and have been taught by those who claim to know, that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only transfered.....well you will never hear about a soul and the fundamental laws of physix being talked about in the same context at the same time. and because they have no explanation as to where your soul transfers to, "it" simply must not exist. isn't that exactly the opposite of what a teacher is supposed to do? denie the existance of the lifes energy? what makes you speak then? electrical energy. scientists know all about electricity. how it does what it does. but they have absolutely no idea why it does what it does. but they still believe that when you turn on the switch the lamp is gonna light up. so while they refuse make that connection because if god really does exist as does the soul, then the constitution, and the declaration of independance, the bill of rights, all would stand beyond question. and those among us who wish to destroy us as a nation simply cannot have this. and now you know why. it is simply WHY they call it faith. so w vida, while your intentions may be quite honorable, and I do agree with the fact that god gave us this intelligence to give freewill, it is MY choice, MY body, not some governmental decision. remember the bumper stickers about abortion....keep your laws off my body.....the rest of us believe that needs to be applied to the new health care grab as well. live well, live healthy, live happy, die anyway, get used to it. nobody gets out of here alive.
W. Vida
Thu, Jul 22, 2010 : 10:26 p.m.
Hi Katherine, When I was a kid, my parents were Christian Scientists for a while. Being in Ann Arbor, I actually attended this church for a good part of my childhood. As a kid, I learned a lot of Bible stories through the church. But I do have a few problems with the Christian Science faith. The first is that it is quite unbiblical. The Jesus of the Bible was a Palestinian Jew. The Jews worshiped a Creator God. God created the physical and called it "good" (Gen 1:31). When the Jews thought about life after death they didn't talk about dying and going to heaven they talked about physical resurrection (Dan 12:2). What was their hope? Physical land (Canaan). So when Jesus came, he came as someone with that perspective. He lived a life of spending time with friends, drinking wine, and eating fish. And when he was killed he died a real death. When he rose again he rose again in the flesh (and asked for more fish to prove it was the flesh and not just a spirit). In short, the Bible is about a Creator God whose Creation operates mostly in the physical realm. There is a spirit world but it is not as important, Biblically speaking, as the physical. So when we practice medicine, we use physical solutions to physical problems. When we fall and break a bone, we can study physically what happens to the bones (that God made and called good) and we can study how to fix the bones. Don't get me wrong. Prayer is important. God is in control. But he made the physical and there is nothing wrong with using physical means to cure physical problems. http://religionannarbor.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/doctors-are-good/