“The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” Christ Jesus
Members and friends of second church got together recently to talk about Christ-healing. We considered three areas of prayer and asked ourselves three different questions about each. Those in attendance are invited to continue the conversation and share what resonated with them or what they found most helpful in the workshop.
As we continue to ponder, pray and practice Christ-healing, if you are inspired to share your insights, you are welcome to leave a comment below.
1. Prayer for ourselves
“… the grand necessity of existence is to gain the true idea of what constitutes the kingdom of heaven in man.” Science and Health 560
- Praying to be born again
- Praying to become as a little child
- Praying to embrace our divinely bestowed authority and power
2. Prayer for Church
“The prayers in Christian Science churches shall be offered for the congregations collectively and exclusively.” Church Manual
- Why do we pray for “the congregations collectively and exclusively?”
- How do we pray for “the congregations collectively and exclusively?”
- What would oppose our praying for “the congregations collectively and exclusively?”
3. Prayer for our healing practice for mankind and the universe
- In a “nutshell” what is Christ-healing?
- How do we treat the medical barrage as being the only method of health care?
- Practicing individually and as a church collectively
It was a great workshop! — thanks so much to those who planned and carried out the theme “Christ Healing” ! The next morning in Church, I felt the uplift (which I attributed directly to the work that had been done), as well as the inspiration that I felt as a result of the Workshop! The topics discussed under each heading, as well as the ideas discussed by the participating members, were so helpful — the “collectively and exclusively” had always bothered me as I felt not very clear as to exactly what MBE had in mind. Thanks so much!
One of the things that was brought up was that when we pray for the congregation(s) in church exclusively, it takes thought off self. This past Sunday, I noticed a big difference in my experience of the service when trying to keep thoughts and prayers exclusively on the congregation. It required discipline but it felt so much more inclusive and loving. As a bonus, it occurred to me that we can’t be critical and loving at the same time!