“We palpably felt the love of Christ that is true church.”

My husband and I belong to a Christian Science Society with seven members and a few non-member attendees. We are a happy, harmonious group. At times, about an equal number of Christian Scientists who live in our area attend our services. One day as we were driving home from church, a seemingly random thought came to me and I voiced it to my husband: If all the Scientists who come to church once or twice a year joined us regularly, we would have double the attendance we have now.

Soon afterwards, I was reading “Ways That Are Vain” by Mrs. Eddy. I found myself being niggled by a paragraph on page 211. In speaking of animal magnetism, it says, “Other minds are made dormant by it, and the victim is in a state of semi-individuality, with a mental haziness which admits of no intellectual culture or spiritual growth. The state induced by this secret evil influence is a species of intoxication, in which the victim is led to believe and do what he would never, otherwise, think or do voluntarily (Miscellany 211:29).”

It hit me that it was I who was being the victim of animal magnetism by believing that this false power could create a mental haze to intoxicate other Christian Scientists into dormancy. This dormancy takes many forms, including believing that one is too busy, too tired, too uninterested, too in need of recreation, to attend church. I began to declare on a regular basis that God is an open, good influence on each individual, providing blessings to all and the wisdom to recognize this.

This was a very simple prayer, but it had results. People who study Christian Science and consider themselves Scientists but whom we had rarely seen in church have been coming more regularly. This has seemed like a very normal thing, which it is. I’m not victimized by animal magnetism’s mental haze, and neither are they. Thank you, Father-Mother God.

Also, I want to attest my husband’s complete healing of the symptoms of a heart attack this past year. We worked with a faithful and kind practitioner to learn that divine Love is the only heart we have. My husband had come out of retirement to serve as a public school superintendent at what is considered an advanced age for this line of work. Knowing that my husband is a Christian Scientist, many people were initially concerned about his welfare. His healing was a joy to everybody. He missed only one full day of work, worked half days for two weeks, and then continued full time for the remaining month of the school year. At graduation, he easily stood on his feet for the two-and-a-half-hour ceremony. The members of our Christian Science Society were so loving and supportive that we palpably felt the love of Christ that is true church.