I was asked recently about treatment as I understand it in Christian Science. So I thought I’d share what stands out to me as most important.
I have heard from others over the years about a 7-step-treatment, or the cliff-note version, the 4-step treatment. These always stumped me, for officially, in my primary class, this wasn’t taught as such. So when I heard people speak of these “steps,” they were a bit of a wonder. Should I feel left out?
One factor overrode all those steps: our teacher healed. Steps 7 or 4, or 6 or 16, were not the fundamental point. There is no secret code. Or magical formula. One does whatever it takes to bring healing. Healing ultimately is restoring harmony.
You do whatever it takes. An airplane on take-off, does what it takes to gain the speed required for lift. A consciousness that desires healing for oneself or another requires lift, – lift off from material sense, and lift UP to spiritual sense, to God, Good, Spirit.
It also requires expectancy of healing. Many religions teach God’s love and perhaps a future salvation. Christian Science teaches that healing is a present possibility, and our prayerful work and spiritual understanding effect healing. God, good, understood and accepted with humility and deep gratitude as All, omnipotent, and omnipresent, brings thought in line with truth, and begets good- in body and in life’s circumstances.
As far as I know, Mary Baker Eddy didn’t enumerate any number of steps in healing. Instead, she gave us instruction such as, “The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God, – a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love.” *
Is this instruction for treatment? Something to build on with which to challenge material impositions? I think so. Is an absolute faith in God step one? Sure. An ever-increasing understanding of God as All, Spirit, Truth,- as the basis for prayer? Perfect.
Then, “Prayer, watching, and working, combined with self-immolation are God’s gracious means for accomplishing whatever has been successfully done for the Christianization and health of mankind.” *
Self-immolation: “self-sacrifice: the act of giving up something that you want to keep especially in order to get or do something else or to help someone.” (Merriam Webster Online Thesaurus)
Obedience to these two statements from our Leader requires dedication. In our work, we always pray to gain a greater understanding of God as the only reality, and the Christ as man’s (our) true consciousness. Continually we will recognize there is no separation from God, good. One with God. The fact.
Throughout the textbook of Christian Science, we are given unlimited guidance in every way possible to spiritualize our consciousness – and that is what treatment accomplishes.
But the sense of treatment that means so much to me, is the prayer, the listening, the quieted, receptive, spiritual sense, that allows deep changes in our individual thought, and brings us so close to God that nothing else can interfere. Remember, the mental work is done in you. (There is no out there out there.)
This is the Christ. It is your natural true thought. You feel your oneness to God, good, Spirit, as Jesus taught and lived it. Inspired thought that heals is the activity of the.Christ. It is not words. It is not steps. It is oneness with God as our very and only focus, expressed as our individual consciousness.
No numbered step treatment will do anything if it is separate from your deepest heart and your deepest love. The Christ lifts us up to God, Love, Life, and material sense is lifted off,
Your love for God, and your love for man as God’s reflection, image, lived and loved in your life, is the best treatment you can give. This strength of living your spiritual conviction will help you confront, deny, obliterate, any temptation to believe in a power or life unlike your God. This was Mrs. Eddy’s heart in protest.
Then with the greatest love and conviction, you will eliminate, discard, and ultimately destroy, false beliefs of any kind (guess that’s why they are called false beliefs!) God, being the healer, you will be the witness.
Now you can rejoice in the healing! This is not treatment-by-number. This is divine Love loving you and yours.
* Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p 1.