Spiritual Goal: Prove daily in our lives that we are all with one accord in one place.

Prayers in support of this goal - click the Topics to show the prayers

1. Financial/Employment issues

Yesterday, I was moved to spend ten minutes praying about misemployment, that individuals can use this opportunity to think deeply about their highest and best opportunities to contribute to the world's economy, and have the courage to move forward in God directed ways. Today I prayed about marriage as an economic unit benefiting the world along with the marriage partners and their children--that individuals will realize their worth and the worth of their spouses as participants in something important and of larger benefit, and derive the joy of the Christ as they do so. Maybe difficult economic times will reduce the horrible divorce rate, and everyone including especially children will benefit.

Here are some thoughts I have been working with from the hymnal (a terrific resource for this -- and almost any other -- subject). By simply changing the pronouns, each of these hymns can become be the basis of prayer applied to a personal need, a community outlook, a state situation, or even a national or global claim such as recession. After all, "Have we all not one Father?"

"Trust His love whose sure supply meets all thy needs abundantly." (Hymn #6)
"I look to Thee in every need, and never look in vain." (Hymn # 134)
"The Lord will hear before we call, and every need supply." (Hymn #342)
All of Hymn #148 which includes:
"Wherever He may guide me,
No want shall turn me back;
My Shepherd is beside me,
And nothing can I lack."
And, saving one of the best for a final promise -- regardless of what a human picture may claim:
"While His truth we are applying, And upon His love relying,
God is every need supplying, All, all is well." (Hymn #350)

How considerate of CSPS to put out a Sentinel on employment during the Oct. 15-Nov. 14 period! And I don't mean just because that is one of our assigned topics but rather that the whole world seems to need this message so much right now. From the Kevin Graunke article on p. 8 of the Nov. 2nd Sentinel, I loved the paragraph: "As the fully employed expressions of divine Love, we can't be held hostage by an organization's agenda, a tight job market, or a sluggish economic climate. Mary Baker Eddy wrote in S&H: 'If you decide that climate or atmosphere is unhealthy, it will be so to you. Your decisions will master you, whichever direction they take' (p. 392)" One other sentence from the same article that I liked was: "No more of God's power and presence will be available next week, next month, or even a decade from now than is already here." Being employed and being useful are not time-related processes regardless of "climate or atmosphere" (press reports of economic factors or word-of-mouth fear mongering). All of us can know that each of God's children can never be less than useful or not in his/her proper place. We all are always employed in reflecting His qualities.

Today I realized it has been quite a few weeks since I dropped my practice of spending 10 minutes each morning praying for the financial security of the world, per our church spiritual welfare project. I also realized that over the time I haven't been praying that way, my own issues of financial insecurity have grown, also those of some members of my immediate family! Is it possible that when we pray for others, we put ourselves in the mode of receiving the always flowing stream of good thoughts, angel thoughts and ideas, which naturally lead to good in our own lives?

Today I picked up the thread of my prayers again. I thought about how important peace is for financial security. Where there is war and strife, crops often don't get planted at the right time leading to a shortened or no harvest, for example. Lack of peace comes from lots of causes such as greed, and even lack of forgiveness for past behavior of others. If generosity toward our neighbor and forgiveness are essential to peace, we could also say that peace depends on love of our neighbor. Working backward, financial security depends on love, the love that is always flowing from the God who creates and maintains His/Her creation. Financial security = peace = love, which is always present. Today I will know that ever present love also creates ever present financial security even abundance for the world. And that it is progressive, not static.

2. Nurturing our Youth And Sunday School

Our Father-Mother, God, is thoughtfully guiding, guarding, and loving each of Her beloved children. This divine Parenting is consciously felt and actively at work in our beloved Danville community, leading each child to what most benefits his or her progress. Our church embodies this giving aspect of Good, ready to help our youth in whatever way blesses them.

Our Sunday School was founded to receive, welcome, embrace, and appreciate children of all backgrounds. Just as God, divine Love, recognizes, values, differentiates and distinguishes between the unique contributions each child expresses, so too, do our church members strive to express this discerning love for all our community.

Sunday School, as an integral element of our church, rouses "the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas" (Science and Health, p. 586) in a way children can grasp. In this way, our students are enabled to heal their own and others' challenges.

God Himself, the omniscient Mind, is tending, building, and loving our Sunday School and each student in it. The divine wisdom underlying this Mind-ordained activity is expressed and felt by all the children, parents, and staff involved.

What could be more reassuring than: "you have nothing to fear. All the power in the universe is on your side, and that power is good"? That’s what God has been saying to us year after year and in every moment of need. Do we always listen? No. Usually, we let the noise around us drown out that ’still small voice of calm’ as the poet, John Greenleaf Whittier, called it. We can get distracted by news reports on proposed government actions or updates on confirmed cases of a virus. The noise builds and, with it, the worry. But prayer brings us to that place of quiet where we can hear that timeless message: "Fear not." Just turning to God reorients us away from fear and towards divine, ever present Love. The Bible reminds us that Love casts out fear, makes us feel safe, gives us confidence that God is caring for all creation with perfect wisdom and power. That Love reminds us we don’t have to buy into a sense of vulnerability or anxiety. Right now, right here, we’re within the endless circle of infinite, all powerful Love.

Sunday School reveals the very presence and activity of divine Love, aiding teachers, students, and staff to receive and share God's angel messages. Wisdom's guidance comes clearly, unambiguously, recognizably, and distinctly in this environment of spiritual education and helps us all feel the Bible's promise that God "will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee" (Deut 7:13).

3. Reading Room

As I prayed for the Reading Room and periodicals, I chose a question each week and listened for God's answers. One week I chose "Are Reading Rooms out-dated?" and prayerfully addressed the issues under this: Is it possible for ANYTHING that God created to become out-dated? Is reading out-dated? Is the content of Reading Room out-of-date? Is spiritual healing out-dated? Is our concept of Reading Room out-of-date? God's answers were amazing---and amounted to "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO and NO!"

The Bible tells us to "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps 46) and "stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God" (Job 37). There are few places on earth that better provide this stillness and inspiration than our Christian Science Reading Room. This haven provides a peaceful and God-focused retreat from the hectic pace of our world and the busyness of the holidays.

The Danville Christian Science Reading Room is a place of consecration, what the Psalmist might refer to as "the secret place of the most High" (Ps 91), where "LOVE restoreth my soul" (Ps 23/SH 578). Many times this place of restoration has provided the exact healing ideas I've needed to meet big challenges.

Our Reading Room is like a portal to the divine, fostering communication with God and blessing all those who enter it. It is a haven for better hearing Mind's guidance and feeling Love's care.

Reading Rooms are a part of Church and Mrs. Eddy gives us the definition of Church which includes the line.... "The Church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility.... We can then look for our Reading Rooms to also afford proof if its utility. The proof, by demonstration of the teachings of Christ Jesus and our Comforter. What a wonderful promise to have right here with us!

4. Universal Health Care

S&H 144:29: "When the Science of being is universally understood, every man will be his own physician, and Truth will be the universal panacea." What a radically different concept of healthcare Mrs. Eddy foresaw -- one that transcends, and is completely unlike, all the various matter-based alternatives being offered/discussed around the world today.

In Christian Science, we understand all men and women to be the beloved children of God, infinite Love, regardless of whether the individuals themselves, or those around them, understand that to be true. A portion of the role of a loving parent is the tender care for his/her children and, logically, the same God that created all of us maintains us. God's care is available to everyone and, in much the same way that we can all rely on the air we breathe, is impartially useful to all of us regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, nationality or religion. To a student of Christian Science, this is truly "universal healthcare."

5. General
My prayers for the world have focused on seeing a wider view of perhaps recognizing the work we are doing is really applicable to all. I love the idea of God being ALL! That includes so much. Instead of thinking that I reflect Mind from God, I like to think Man reflects Mind ..... so everyone is governed by and controlled by God.