February 4, 2017
Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist

On this date, February 4, 1866, Mary Baker Eddy cures her injuries by opening a bible to the Gospel of Matthew. In turn she becomes the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist in 1879. Eddy said that she experienced a healing on February 4 after a fall in Lynn, Massachusetts caused a spinal injury:

“On the third day thereafter, I called for my Bible, and opened it at Matthew, 9:2 [And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.(King James Bible) ]. As I read, the healing Truth dawned upon my sense; and the result was that I arose, dressed myself, and ever after was in better health than I had before enjoyed. That short experience included a glimpse of the great fact that I have since tried to make plain to others, namely, Life in and of Spirit; this Life being the sole reality of existence.”

Eddy wrote the movement’s textbook Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (first published 1875). She also founded the Christian Science Publishing Society in 1898, which continues to publish a number of periodicals, including The Christian Science Monitor (founded in 1908). According to one source:

“The church (of Christ Scientist) was founded “to commemorate the word and works of [Christ Jesus]” and “reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing”. Sunday services are held throughout the year and weekly testimony meetings are held on Wednesday evenings, where following brief readings from the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, those in attendance are invited to give testimonies of healing brought about through Christian Science prayer.” (Wikipedia)

There is no doubt that prayer can bring about healing – and healing can also come through medical intervention, or even happen spontaneously. Where, when and how G-d works through the Holy Spirit, through healers, and through prayer is one of the mysteries of G-d. As believers we are called to trust the Lord to work through those mysterious ways, knowing that all things come from G-d – including healing, disease and death. To try to make sense of the unknowable is an exhausting and often fruitless endeavor, often with a lot of “Why me G-d?” and “Why now G-d?”, and even “Why my child G-d?” questions that never get answered to our satisfaction.

I guess the best we can learn is to always trust G-d, always praise G-d, always thank G-d, and always hope in G-d – allowing G-d to be G-d and you and I to learn to say “The Lord gives, and the Lord takes, Blessed is the name of the Lord”. And that is hard, and that often is beyond our complete grasp, and yet if not G-d, then who will we place our hope, faith, love and trust?

Pastor Dave