Ever since he was a little boy, Mark had a deep love for the Bible. When he read about men and women in the Bible overcoming hatred, famine, war, physical disease, and other hardships, their triumphs inspired him. It didn’t matter what the odds were, or what conditions they faced, individuals in the Bible seemed to flourish in adversity based on one common theme: their deep love for God.
Growing up in a Christian Science household, there was another book that Mark loved to read daily: Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures written by Mary Baker Eddy. The very purpose of her book is to help unlock and reveal the deeper divine meaning and inspiration of the Bible. Together the Bible and Science and Health point to the practical healing and saving power of God and its present availability for all mankind. Mark knew that someday he wanted to share that healing message with the world.
As he grew into adulthood, experiences in the field of education as a summer camp director, outdoor educator, athletics coach, and resident counselor all helped to develop his understanding and practice of Christian Science. While working with young people, Mark had multiple opportunities to witness God’s healing power. These examples proved to him that the healing power of the Christ is just as alive and relevant today as for the men and women of the Bible. In 2010, with a desire to focus solely on healing through prayer, Mark entered the full-time public practice of Christian Science.
Titles of Available Lectures
The joy of beginning with God
The very first verse of the Bible in the chapter Genesis offers the most wonderful news: “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” Part of what this glorious verse tells us is that in reality, everything and everyone begins with God. In other words, God is the only cause and the only creator, and God is causing good and right developments for each one of us.
Mary Baker Eddy, the woman who founded the Christian Science church, knew that this subject of causation, cause and effect, might just be the most important discussion of our time. In fact, she boldly stated that making progress in the world depends on understanding cause and effect in the right way. She wrote: “Spiritual causation is the one question to be considered, for more than all others spiritual causation relates to human progress.” (Science and Health p. 170:22–24)
To that point, perhaps you’ve noticed that the world is talking nonstop about causation right now.
What causes disease? What causes inflation? What causes crime? What causes natural disasters? etc. However, it’s helpful to note that these conversations are taking place from the point of view of physical causation, physical or material causes and effects.
In this lecture, I’m going to take a different approach. I’d like to talk about causation, from a spiritual point of view. In other words, what is God causing? What kind of effects does God’s causative power produce? The Bible promises that God is causing only good. So in this lecture, I will explore how a better understanding of the good that God forever causes, can help us to experience more of that goodness in the form of health, peace, and safety for our world. In the beginning, from the beginning, and without beginning, God is causing good. As loved children of God, we each have a divine right to feel the effect of that divine goodness in our daily lives. I invite you then, to come learn more about the joy of beginning with God!
Humility that “Overcomes the World”
One of the central themes of Christ Jesus’ ministry was to teach and show that the power of God’s love can help us to overcome the various injustices that we face in the world. In fact, Jesus fully proved the power of God’s might. He healed all kinds of disease, transformed the worst types of behavior, he stopped violent acts from occurring, and he forgave his enemies in order to save them, proving hatred to be powerless in the face of divine Love. Ultimately, Jesus showed that the power of God’s love doesn’t just help us to cope with the ills of the world; it helps us to conquer them.
Yet, for all the remarkable healing work that Jesus did, he never once took the credit. Instead he always gave the glory and honor to God, our Father in heaven. So sincere was Jesus in his expression of humility that he even said, “I can of my own self do nothing” (John 5:30). In other words, Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who overcame all the ugliness that the world could throw at him, said (in essence), the good that I do isn’t personal to me; it’s the Father working through me.
Mary Baker Eddy, the woman who founded the Christian Science church, perceived the powerful impact that Jesus’ humility had on his healing and saving mission. She wrote, “Great charity and humility is necessary in this work of healing. The loving patience of Jesus, we must strive to emulate.” (Miscellaneous Writings 7:7-9)
In this lecture, we will discuss how learning to follow the example of Christ Jesus, particularly his profound display of humility, can empower each one of us to heal and to overcome the hard problems that we face. We will discuss what true humility is, how it links us to God, and by extension, how it connects us with God’s healing and saving laws. There is great need for healing in the world today, and Christ-like humility can help us to meet that demand.
Meaningful change for ourselves and the world
Have you ever considered that you can feel God’s love—and that it could change your life, and the world? God, Love, is all around, constantly available to all of us. This lecture discusses the effects of feeling God’s love, and shares examples of how receptivity to Love has brought healing for many.