Think that religion is irrelevant?

Is religion or spirituality irrelevant? Out of touch? Conflicts with real life? Well some Christian Scientists we interviewed recently felt otherwise.

And here’s a corresponding blog about creating this and other videos: http://theproductionpost.blogspot.com/

Russ Gerber | Posted: August 19, 2010 | 4:25 pm

A push for more disease testing — then, push back

The New York Times reported in early August that The National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association are pushing for guidelines on diagnosing and, eventually, treating Alzheimer’s much earlier than is standard practice.  It’s believed this will go into effect in the fall and some experts predict there will be a two- to three-fold increase in the number of people who are told they may have the disease.

But now there’s push back. read

Russ Gerber | Posted: August 18, 2010 | 11:30 am

Enough small talk

Had your fill of trivialities?  So have I.  And so has a news producer I recently visited at a television station in Southern California.

She admitted what we’ve all seen, that so much of local television news is dominated by small, meaningless stories that qualify as news simply because they’re sensational or graphically visual pieces.  She had some substantial story ideas in development herself, but doubted they would make it to air.  One was rejected simply because in it’s final edit it ran 3-1/2 minutes instead of the usual minute-and-a-half.  Not small enough, I guess.

I left the meeting with a related question on my mind: how much does small thinking dominate other aspects of our lives, like the practice of religion? read

Russ Gerber | Posted: August 11, 2010 | 6:24 pm

Has Church lost its relevance?

I had a conversation the other day with Mitchell Landsberg, religion writer for the L.A. Times.  We spent a fair amount of time talking about the “publicness” of church.  If you look at the number of people who sit in the pews each week across the spectrum of denominations, there’s no question that the public is increasingly congregating in places other than church buildings.

Is organized religion becoming irrelevant in a right-now digital world? read

Russ Gerber | Posted: August 5, 2010 | 5:27 pm

Thoughtful consideration

Last Wednesday, two colleagues and I met with Jonathan Rockoff from The Wall Street Journal.  He began our meeting with a question: “Considering all the reporters you’ve met with, what is it you’d most like them to understand about Christian Science?”  What a great way to start a discussion on our religion!

It gave us pause for a moment, but what we focused on was individuality and choice.  And now that I think about it, I’m glad we focused on that. read

Phil Davis | Posted: August 2, 2010 | 11:37 am

Church, in a DIY world

100 years ago no one ever imagined the world we’re living in today.

• a world you can access and engage in through a small screen
• a world where 500-million people a day visit the same address (Facebook)
• a world where news from anywhere is at your fingertips in a moment

Yes, these are exciting times. They’re also unprecedented and unsettling times as institutions question what they should look like and how they should function in a world so different from the one in which they began. read

Russ Gerber | Posted: July 28, 2010 | 5:11 pm

Christian Science Church releases draft plan to revitalize Plaza in Boston

BOSTON, July 20 – The Christian Science Board of Directors at The First Church of Christ, Scientist, today released a Draft Project Plan (large pdf) for the Christian Science Plaza in Boston. The Church has been in the Boston community for over 130 years. “The Church is proud to be part of Boston’s progressive vision and noble history,” said Mary Trammell, Chair of the Board of Directors, “and to continue a tradition of contributing to this City’s beauty, inspiration, and progress. We wish to express our deep gratitude to the many citizens, public officials, and professionals who helped develop this plan to revitalize the Plaza.”

Since February 2009, the Church has engaged with a Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) appointed by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. The CAC is assisting the City, through the Boston Redevelopment Authority, to ensure that community priorities are addressed at all stages of project planning, and has met 17 times to date.

It has been 40 years since the last major redesign of the Plaza. The desire to improve the pedestrian experience, enhance sustainability features, and address significant needed repairs led the Church in 2006 to commence a public planning process to revitalize the Plaza. The Church will continue its stewardship of the Plaza for the benefit of the community. This is the Church’s permanent home; it cares deeply about what happens on the Plaza and in its neighborhood. The three objectives of the Plaza Revitalization Project are to:

1. Enhance open space
The Church plans to make the Plaza a more usable and attractive year-round destination for the community, with places for both quiet contemplation and active enjoyment, and improve pedestrian circulation through the site and to the adjacent neighborhoods. The Project proposes to reinstate the historical pathway to the Original Mother Church, by including a pedestrian ground-level crossing through the Reflecting Pool. (This is not a bridge over the Pool, but a pathway through it.) Here are diagrams of the existing site and proposed changes: 

Peter Brigham, Senior Associate at Sasaki Associates, adds “The current design concept preserves the open space and the tremendous success of the original Plaza design while making the site more welcoming to the public. Careful attention to the design of the plaza-level pedestrian crossing and the slight shortening of the Reflecting Pool will help create better connections and revitalize the Reflecting Pool and the Plaza.” The Children’s Fountain, redesigned and rebuilt in 2001, will continue to be a key feature on the Plaza, and ice skating is being considered for that area in the winter. The Church also proposes to soften the site by expanding lawn areas and adding more shade trees, benches, and tables.

2. Improve environmental sustainability
Water conservation: The Church needs to rebuild the Reflecting Pool, which cannot be repaired further as it is subject to breakdowns and leaks into the garage below. Rebuilding the Pool, which is empty half the year, provides opportunities to improve it while retaining its reflectivity and its vital contribution to the Plaza. The Pool’s depth will be reduced from 26 inches to about 6 to 12 inches, saving more than two million gallons of water annually. Dan Euser, President of Waterarchitecture Inc., points out, “Water reflectivity is a function of pool floor color darkness. There are many successful mirror-like pools that are only one to four inches deep. As pools become shallower, filtration turnover rates are increased to maintain the same water quality.”
Other environmental benefits: These will include reducing the urban heat island effect by planting more trees and grass areas; improving rainwater management by creating more permeable surfaces; and improving groundwater management for the approximately 4,800 wood piles under the Original Mother Church and The Mother Church Extension.

3. Identify opportunities for underutilized real estate
No existing buildings will be demolished, and open space will be retained. The Plaza is underdeveloped in terms of its current zoning and in comparison with surrounding areas. The addition of new buildings in selected locations on the perimeters — near the intersection of Belvidere and Dalton Streets and between the Sunday School building and Huntington Avenue — will add new vitality to the area, create new jobs, and increase property tax revenues for the City.

The Church is financially stable, but too much of its financial resources are being directed towards real estate maintenance and operations rather than toward its mission. Reuse of existing space and construction of new space would generate real estate revenues to help offset real estate expenses, including the ongoing costs of maintaining the open space.

The Church is also in the process of responding to the Boston Landmarks Commission study report released on June 22. The Church shares common ground with the Landmarks Commission in wanting to preserve key aspects of the Plaza, but is exploring less restrictive approaches that would provide historic recognition and protection while allowing the continuing evolution of the Plaza in beneficial ways for the Church, the neighborhood, and the City.

The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, is the Church’s worldwide headquarters. Spiritual healing is at the core of the Church’s mission. The Church’s wholly-owned subsidiary, The Christian Science Publishing Society, publishes several magazines, as well as The Christian Science Monitor.

To schedule a media interview, please contact Sharon Frey at 617-450-3324 or freys@csps.com.

More info:

• Plaza Revitalization Project Draft Plan (hi-res pdf)
• Executive Summary in Project Draft Plan
• Boston Landmarks Commission Study Report
• Letter from Church to Boston Landmarks Commission

Russ Gerber | Posted: July 20, 2010 | 4:52 pm

Where is Christian Science care currently covered in public and private insurance?

The question of how Christian Science care will fit into a post-health care reform landscape can be partially answered by examining the experience of existing coverage for Christian Science nursing/practitioner care in public and private insurance. That’s right – some insurance companies already pay for this type of care. In fact, it has been covered by insurance for over 90 years. (Please consider providing the information we request below.) More specifically . . . read

Gary Jones | Posted: July 13, 2010 | 2:17 pm

Blind faith – Not acceptable in health care

Russ Gerber came across a letter to the editor, and the writer was advocating that blind faith shouldn’t be an option in health care. He doesn’t think so either.

Russ Gerber | Posted: July 1, 2010 | 4:59 pm

Christian Science Church names new President

BOSTON, June 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The First Church of Christ, Scientist announced Fujiko Signs will take the helm as President for the upcoming year. The office of President is an annual appointment by The Christian Science Board of Directors. Mrs. Signs, a native of Tokyo, is the church’s first Japanese president – an appointment that reflects the church’s global reach. read

Russ Gerber | Posted: June 15, 2010 | 4:28 pm