In my early 20s, I had the opportunity to stop by the Church of Christ Scientist in Rochester, MI. Here's what I remember.
I walked into an auditorium. There were two aisles on either side of the auditorium. Upon the stage in the front of the room stood two podiums, one on the left and one on the right. The congregation was mostly elderly. This is true in many churches, but it was more profoundly true here than in most churches. There were probably about 70 people in attendance.
The church service was predominantly led by women who read from two books. One was the Bible. I think the other was Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy. Up to this point, I've not taken the time to read the other book. Aside from the additional text and strong female leadership the service didn't strike me as anything particularly out of the ordinary. I remember enjoying it in a dull sort of way.
When it was over, I found myself talking to a woman in her mid fifties. She wore a red dress. We introduced ourselves and chatted politely about the service. I explained that I was a theology student from Rochester College down the street. Eventually, we got around to discussing the Church of Christ Scientist doctrine concerning faith and health. It went something like this:
Me: Correct me if I'm wrong. As I understand it, your church teaches that if people have faith that they will not suffer from illness.
Her: Yes, that's true.
Me: Would you also agree that people who have practiced the faith longest tend to be the most mature in it?
Her: I would say that this tends to be true, yes.
Me: It also seems to me that the oldest people in your congregation seem to be in the weakest health. Does your fellowship have a theological explanation as to why this is?
Her: I don't know. Honestly, I've never considered it. Let me tell you something though. When our denomination was founded, most Christians didn't believe that God acted in people's lives directly. It wasn't even typical to ask for God to heal people.
I don't remember how the rest of the conversation went. It was pleasant. I don't know if that comes out in text, but I could tell that she knew that I was seeking understanding rather than challenging her.
For my part, I was and am impressed by her answer. She answered kindly and undefensively. This isn't an easy thing to do when one of the key assumptions of our faith has just been challenged. My direct questions don't always get kind responses. More impressively, she explained the historical context of her movement and the value she thought it had given to Christianity as a whole. It seemed like a mature perspective that reflected not only on her but on her denomination as well.
I walked into an auditorium. There were two aisles on either side of the auditorium. Upon the stage in the front of the room stood two podiums, one on the left and one on the right. The congregation was mostly elderly. This is true in many churches, but it was more profoundly true here than in most churches. There were probably about 70 people in attendance.
The church service was predominantly led by women who read from two books. One was the Bible. I think the other was Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy. Up to this point, I've not taken the time to read the other book. Aside from the additional text and strong female leadership the service didn't strike me as anything particularly out of the ordinary. I remember enjoying it in a dull sort of way.
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| Mary Baker Eddy "Discovered" Christian Science |
Me: Correct me if I'm wrong. As I understand it, your church teaches that if people have faith that they will not suffer from illness.
Her: Yes, that's true.
Me: Would you also agree that people who have practiced the faith longest tend to be the most mature in it?
Her: I would say that this tends to be true, yes.
Me: It also seems to me that the oldest people in your congregation seem to be in the weakest health. Does your fellowship have a theological explanation as to why this is?
Her: I don't know. Honestly, I've never considered it. Let me tell you something though. When our denomination was founded, most Christians didn't believe that God acted in people's lives directly. It wasn't even typical to ask for God to heal people.
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| Christian Science's Mother Church in Boston, MA (I hope to visit in April!) |
For my part, I was and am impressed by her answer. She answered kindly and undefensively. This isn't an easy thing to do when one of the key assumptions of our faith has just been challenged. My direct questions don't always get kind responses. More impressively, she explained the historical context of her movement and the value she thought it had given to Christianity as a whole. It seemed like a mature perspective that reflected not only on her but on her denomination as well.
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