We all get sick from time to time and seek the help of a health
care professional. For most people this means a medical doctor,
chiropractor or some other secular medical provider.
But members of the Church of Christ Scientist may well consult a
Christian Science Practitioner.
We all get sick from time to time and seek the help of a health care professional. For most people this means a medical doctor, chiropractor or some other secular medical provider.
But members of the Church of Christ Scientist may well consult a Christian Science Practitioner.
This church was formed by Mary Baker Eddy in 1876. It is based on her textbook, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” which describes fundamental reality as spiritual and God as “the divine Principle proof all that really is.”
Death, disease and sin are not real, but result from the failure of the human mind to understand and obey God. Healing is accomplished through deepened understanding of God and obedience to him.
The Aug. 30, 2004 issue of “Christian Science Sentinel” discussed the work of Christian Science Practitioners. These “regular people” have discovered a spiritual practice that “transforms lives through an extraordinary system of healing.”
Then they dedicate themselves to helping transform the lives of others.
Each practitioner creates a ministry dedicated to praying for and giving treatment to others. Some of them advertise in “The Christian Science Journal,” a monthly church publication. This means they have given up all other vocations and are available on a full-time basis for treating patients.
There are no hard and fast requirements in becoming a Practitioner. What is most important is a love for God and creation, nurtured by continuous study of the Bible and “Science and Health.”
Practitioners generally charge for their services, often at rates similar to other medical professionals.
David Stevens, a Practitioner who is based in Petaluma and who has traveled to Gilroy on several occasions to present public lectures on Christian Science, explains: “I think practitioners should be paid a professional rate because they are providing a professional service. It is important to be able to make a living in this work.
Christian Science treatment is not simply a ‘feel good’ add-on to other measures. It is the effective practice of medicine of divine mind.”
There are also Christian Science nurses, trained in such areas as bandaging, feeding and bathing patients.
Their care minimizes patients’ fears, contributing a “positive, uplifting, mental atmosphere” that aids the healing process.
Christian Science practitioners meet patients in person, but also keep in touch with them via telephone and e-mail.
Their days can be very full and hectic. Stevens says, “The biggest challenge in my work is always to see that God is doing the actual healing. Keeping the fact that God is in charge of the practice is the ultimate stress-buster.”
As in any medical situation, patients have a role in their own treatment. Stevens encourages them to “lean on divine Love as best they can.” He also urges them to “argue mentally for their God-given right to freedom, health and peace of mind.”
If they have a copy of the Bible and/or “Science and Health,” he suggests passages for study. “It’s all about turning thought to God and holding it there.”
For more information , call the Gilroy Christian Science Society at (408) 842-4234 or see the Internet at www.spirituality.com.
