Archive for November, 2010
Spiritual shift aboard flight #1482
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After just finishing an afternoon workshop, quickly grabbing a tasty Greek shrimp salad, and catching a ride to DFW airport, I boarded the 6:20 PM American Airlines flight headed to Tampa. Crawling into window seat 14A seemed like a piece of cake after surviving the security screening. As I sat in my seat, my brother called to let me know that the Dallas Cowboys had finally won a game. I was wishing I had seen the game when a woman sat down next to me.
I am a huge football fan, but the one thing I cherish even more is having great conversations with others about spiritual insights.
The woman, Kristen, was headed home. She’d been visiting a friend in San Antonio. She told me that she was a RN (registered nurse) and she’d taught college courses in nursing. She told me that she now wanted out of nursing, so I asked, “Why?”
She said, “Because the medical field is not recognizing the whole man. I feel the spiritual nature of man is important. People need to be treated differently.”
Kristen told me this before she knew I was a spiritual healer (Christian Science practitioner) as well as the media spokesperson and legislative liaison for Christian Science in Texas. I work in a field of spiritual thinkers and practitioners, and it can seem as if no one besides us gets it. It feels as if no one else sees the need for a different approach when it comes to health and well-being. But, apparently, there is a movement of people who are searching for an improved method of treatment.
Kristen was yearning for something different because she was discovering she was more than what she appeared to be. We had an interesting conversation about the entirely mental/divine/spiritual nature of each of us and how responsible spiritual care is a real must. That’s when she asked about Christian Science.
I explained that Christian Science is Christian – Bible based and follows the healing examples from Jesus. It is scientific – it utilizes spiritual laws for living and healing. It is spiritual – it reveals the spiritual, God created and maintained man and woman. It changes people for the better - morally, physically, and spiritually. (Examples)
Just as when you think sad thoughts and a tear forms or you think happy thoughts and a smile appears, I’m learning that the entire body is thought manifest. Even quantum physics states that all substance is thought or consciousness. Prayer heals because it changes thought. When thought changes, the body changes as well. Prayer with the power of God changes thought as nothing else can.
Right there on flight #1482, Kristen realized that her desire to move to a more spiritual and profound healing system had a science behind it – a Christian Science. Yes, from Kristen and others like her, I am learning that there is a momentum, a larger hunger for spiritual understanding and spiritual care than I thought. We aren’t the first to yearn for a more spiritual approach to life and health. We won’t be the last.
Dr. Larry Dossey, former Chief of Staff of Medical City Dallas Hospital, recently wrote in a post: ”A survey of American family physicians found that 99 percent are convinced that spiritual beliefs can heal, and 75 percent believe that prayers of others can help a patient recover. The Joint Commission, which accredits clinics and hospitals in the United States, requires every institution to have a method in place to assess the spiritual concerns of every incoming patient. The Association of American Medical Colleges requires that every graduating physician be able to take a spiritual history from a patient, demonstrate that he or she understands how spirituality can be used to deliver compassionate care to those in need, and demonstrate a knowledge of the research on the role of spirituality in health. A recent survey of over 4,000 nurses found that 80 percent felt that spirituality should be covered in nurse education as a core aspect of nursing.”
Yes, an awareness of our spiritual nature and need for spiritual care is gaining momentum. It cannot be neglected. So, the next time you grab a tasty Greek shrimp salad, survive the security screening, and crawl into a window seat, ask the person next to you what they know of spiritual care. Or, even better, add a comment to this post related to what you are finding out about this spiritual shift in society.
Climb aboard. Enjoy the ride.
Find Keith on Twitter:@TexasCS
Related post: When a child is sick? – Spiritual treatment & healing!
Wisdom and Science…and Myth #6
Posted by: | CommentsGuest post: Here’s a fun, readable post from our friend in Florida, Bob Clark. You can catch all Bob’s great posts at his site here. Enjoy. —-
Bob Clark
William James, a physician, philosopher, and author of the best-selling book, The Varieties of Religious Experience, wrote of Christian Scientists in 1894, “…their facts are patent and startling; and anything that interferes with the multiplication of such facts, and with our freest opportunity of observing and studying them, will, I believe, be a public calamity.”
In the next century, Albert Einstein, after attending a Wednesday testimony meeting at a Christian Science church in New York City, remarked to George Nay, a member, “Do you people realize what a wonderful thing you have?”
Not everybody was convinced. Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once commented that Christian Science was neither…that is, neither Christian nor Science. Shaw had a truly expansive wit but perhaps he wasn’t asking the right questions.
Shaw’s Egyptian contemporary and fellow Nobel prize winner, Naguib Mahfouz, wrote, “You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers, You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.”
Mary Baker Eddy studied the science of Christianity, Bible in hand, for over half a century. Through her persistent questioning, she discovered a set of spiritual principles relating to the nature of God and His creation. These principles can and have been applied with expected and consistent healing results. The facts speak for themselves.
When scientific questioning yields verifiable results, or facts, such as the above, and the wisdom of the age is advanced, this is, as William James pointed out, always in the public’s best interest.
Myth # 6: Christian Science is not really science. Over 80,000 lives redeemed and healed through its study and practice say otherwise. —
Find Keith on Twitter:@TexasCS
Related post: 5 Simple things to make you a better healer
Boots on the spiritual rock
Posted by: | CommentsGuest post: I believe you will enjoy this timely Veterans Day piece, Boots on the spiritual rock, by Steven Salt, our friend and colleague from Ohio. Steven’s post is the first of a 2 part series. His next installment will be published Monday, November 15, at his blog site here. Enjoy —-
Steven Salt
One of the first female chaplains called to active duty, Retired Colonel Janet Horton has had her share of war stories both on and off the field. She gave 28 years of her life in service to her country from 1976 to 2004.
Currently, Horton is the Christian Science Military Chaplain Endorsing Agent for The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, world headquarters for Christian Science churches. I spoke with her this week about the challenges she has faced and the triumphs she has experienced during her distinguished career.
“Love for all mankind,” was her immediate response when asked why someone seeks to be a military chaplain. This affection runs deep. Willingness to be sent to some of the remotest parts of the globe signals a desire to practice what you preach. Chaplaincy is a selfless career choice. According to Horton, two Christian Science chaplains are being deployed early in 2011, one to Afghanistan, another to Kuwait.
It is often assumed that Christian Scientists have no support system in the military. After all, Christian Science churches are lay churches with no ordained clergy or ministerial staff. Christian Science worship services are conducted by elected members of the congregation. Yet, this is not a hindrance for those who wish to be Christian Science military chaplains. They do have to meet the same requirements as chaplains of other denominations. These include:
*A baccalaureate degree of not less than 120 semester hours
*Completion of no less than 72 semester hours of graduate professional study in theology
*Completion of a minimum of two years of full-time professional experience if applying for active duty.
Christian Science chaplains also go through additional training under the auspices of The Mother Church, its world headquarters.
As part of a team of Protestant chaplains, Horton notes that 90% of the work Christian Science chaplains perform is with men and women of different denominations. In addition to providing a needed spiritual perspective in daily military life, chaplains help out wherever they can to meet the religious needs of this special community. Their work includes regular preaching duties as well as finding places to come together. Dialoging with a unit’s commander about troop spiritual support is another component of the job.
Horton learned early on in her career to be vigilant in her Christian life. As she puts it, her vocation has required her to “come to a spiritual position of attention.” Horton has met some resistance along the way, both as a Christian Scientist and as a woman.
She relates a time when an individual spit on her, a hint of his distaste for her being on post. He thought that as a woman, Horton had been given two very high medals that she did not deserve. Rather than being personally offended by his actions, her response was pity for the young man. It came to her, “What has this man been through to have been led to spit on another human being.”
Her grace and her heart-felt prayer was enough to heal the unpleasant encounter immediately. The man got down on his knees and asked forgiveness. Horton felt like she was on her knees too, on holy ground. She recalls being grateful for this meeting, because the man was not only courageous enough to forgive, but strong enough to voice his uneasiness in the first place, concerns which needed to be healed.
Horton has the highest admiration for her fellow chaplains. “Most are the ‘real deal.’ They love God, neighbor and mankind.” They would help her in anyway they could, including handing out Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, a companion book to the Bible studied by Christian Scientists. “These folks are very supportive.”
Horton admits that each individual comes with his/her own personal issues and biases. Some of her colleagues’ preconceptions about Christian Science would impact her work. For example, as a Christian Scientist she was sometimes left out of the preaching rotation. She attributes these instances to misinformation about her faith. Once they got to know her, once they realized how well she knew her Bible, doors would open up. “Besides,” she says, “they also wanted to hear more of the wonderful healings accomplished through Christian Science.”
Qualification for endorsement of Christian Science chaplains includes this requirement, “They should be examples of lives lived in the spirit and letter of Christ’s Christianity as taught by our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, and able to communicate this readily to the general public.” Horton has the credentials.
In the second installment of this post, Horton talks about her incredible experience while stationed at the Pentagon on the morning of September 11, 2001. —-
Find Keith on Twitter:@TexasCS
Related post: 5 Simple things to make you a better healer
For the very religious, good news
Posted by: | CommentsGuest post: Think you’ll find For the very religious, good news, by Russ Gerber, good, if not great news. Russ is a spiritual thinker and healer. I enjoy his unique take on life. Read all Russ’ posts at Religion & Media 2.0. —-
If you’re one of the very religious people in this country then these survey results may come as no surprise. If moderately or non-religious is how you identify yourself then this may come as a jolt.
Over a half-million Americans recently polled by the Gallup organization found that “the most religious also have the highest levels of well-being.”
Around 43% of those surveyed describe themselves as very religious which means that religion is an important part of their daily life and that church/synagogue/mosque attendance occurs almost every week.
Gallup Editor-in-Chief Frank Newport told CNN that in their Well-Being Index the statistical difference between the very religious folks and all others is noteworthy: “When we find a difference of four or five points it’s not only statistically significant, it’s also substantively significant.”
The term well-being is broad. It includes emotional as well as physical health, and healthy behaviors at work and in one’s personal life. And the question remains if religiosity promotes well-being or if people with high levels of well-being just tend to be very religious. The findings don’t make that distinction.
What is clear is that there is a measurable relationship between the two, and like many people I’m not surprised.
But for me statistics are not the convincing factor. Experience is. People who live a deeply spiritual life, or who have felt a deeply spiritual moment of inspiration, have good life-experiences to show for it. In my own life, through the practice of Christian Science, that’s meant everything from breaking through business deadlocks to experiencing restored health.
If asked how such outcomes happen I don’t credit them to strictly following a religious ritual, or to blind faith, or to a God who looks favorably on one group of people more than others. I credit them to what anyone can learn—understand—about the God who is Love itself and about one’s inseparable relation to that Love. Understanding that, and living in accord with it, is inspiring, transformative and, yes, it is healthy. I’ve experienced that myself. I don’t need statistics to convince me.
Gallup says this is the first of a multipart series on religiosity and wellbeing, and so we’ve just begun to see what the statistical indicators of a religion/well-being link have to tell us. There’s more data on the way and I welcome it.
Still, the overarching good news is what takes place when people see for themselves the link between spiritual understanding and health. When that happens we’ll begin to discover the untapped healers among us, and the one within us. —-
Find Keith on Twitter:@TexasCS
Related post: When a child is sick? – Spiritual treatment & healing!
The problem with labels
Posted by: | CommentsGuest post: I believe you will enjoy this piece, The problem with labels, by Steven Salt, our friend and colleague from Ohio. I always look forward to reading what Steven has to say. Enjoy —
Steven Salt
Ours is a society that likes to slap labels on everything. Labels make things easy to identify. You don’t have to think too hard. That’s great in a grocery store.
Labeling people and the institutions they are devoted to is a whole different story. Labeling them is easy, but often misplaced. It’s like sticking a Pepsi logo on a bottle of Mad Dog Inferno Hot Sauce. Somebody will get burned.
John Avlon was in town last week working on a new project called “No Labels”. You might see him on CNN where he is a weekly contributor or read his columns at The Daily Beast. He has also authored several books. “No Labels” does not actually launch until December according to Avlon. But he and other “citizen leaders” are actively laying the ground work for an organization promoting reason and responsibility in government.
“No Labels” will focus on the national policy issues that currently seem to defy solution. Avlon attributes these impasses to the hyper-partisan nature of today’s politicians and the incitement strategies they employ. Now I have no desire to get into a political debate. That is not the purpose of this blog. But Avlon brings up a good point as to how labeling obstructs dialog, knowledge, and any chance for accomplishment of worthy goals.
Boy, I know about labeling first hand. Christian Scientists such as me often experience it. “Oh, you are the guys who don’t like doctors.” No. We’re the guys and gals who through years of successful results think it practical to use the reliable health system we are familiar with…Christian Science. I so much appreciate the doctors, nurses, and technicians who save lives everyday and help to ease human suffering. They deserve our gratitude.
How about this label: “Christian Science is a cult.” No. Christian Science promotes Christian healing as Jesus did. This is not an unorthodox idea. Most Christian denominations promote healing in their services. Cultists are generally considered unthinking people with unshakable loyalty to some individual. Christian Scientists are anything but. They are independent thinkers who continually study their Bibles looking for God’s wisdom to benefit their lives and bless others. They appreciateMary Baker Eddy, the church’s founder, but they in no way deify her. And all Christian Science churches are run . democratically. Ours is a lay church, a church of equals. Its teachings are not secret and its services are always open to the public.
Label making seems inevitable in the rush to assess people and the events that surround them. And there is nothing wrong with labels as long as they don’t cover up what they are stuck to. What is expedient in sizing up others is not always accurate.
Oh yeh…I almost forgot. John Avlon told me he reads the Christian Science Monitor. Now there is a news source that looks past the convenient labels and gets to the heart of people and their issues. The paper’s tag line, “…to injure no man, but to bless all mankind”, is a goal we can all aspire to. —
You can read all of Steven Salt’s posts at his site here.
Find Keith on Twitter:@TexasCS
Related post: 5 Simple things to make you a better healer
