While abundance can refer to either good or evil, and is therefor a human concept, our members focused on demonstrating wellbeing, affluence and wealth. What underlying Truth assures such results?

One member brought our attention to the Indo-European root of abundance and its poetic implications. The root "wed" translates "water" and gives rise to words like wet, wash, hydrant, surround and whiskey. Abundance indicates an overflowing and suggests a couple of truths in Christian Science: 1) man is infinite, with every "need" so fully met that it cannot be said to exist and, 2) man's being, ever flowing from God, is always fresh, never stagnant nor corrupted by impurities or dualism.

We turned to "nothingness", a concept most important in the practice of Christian Science. These two quotes were read from Science and Health:

• "In the wilderness, streams flowed from the rock, and manna fell from the sky" (p. 133:9-10).
• "WILDERNESS. ... the vestibule in which a material sense of things disappears, and spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence" (p. 597:16).

As mortal mind faces its own vacuity and helplessness, the facts of being can move through and as us to form a new concept.

Two members reviewed demonstrations from years ago when their financial circumstances were reduced to virtually nothing and they reached out for a fuller sense of God's abundance. One had literally no food to eat, but prayed to God in Christian Science for direction. The phone rang immediately and he was called for part in a Broadway musical.

Another still had a little money but felt it would be right to give most of it to the staff in her apartment building for their Christmas tips. She had a clear sense that this right move on her part would be rewarded by Principle. Shortly after making the gifts, a call came through leading to a post writing speeches for senior government officials .

A guest from out of state pointed out that wishing, wanting and needing bespeak lack. While these indicate desire and are therefor prayer, we must use such opportunities to reach out scientifically to the facts of being, not to feelings of separation from good and concomitant pleading.

A member then read an extract from the newsletter "The Warm Line" on prayer. Some discussion led us to the conclusion that all states of feeling and action express desire and are therefor forms of prayer. It is up to us—as students of Christian Science — to find within the miasma the scientific reality just at hand. The earth of problems and lack is in reality the Heaven teeming with good.

A member read us a portion of an article "The Temple of Amount" by Eliezer Shore in the Fall 1999 Parabola. Professor Shore decries the tendency to pile up material symbols without taking the time to seek and appreciate their inner meanings. We become addicted to ever greater amounts of money, relationships, knowledge, even good looks, health and family values! And for what? To gain some outer approval — also an addictive pursuit. As nothing gives satisfaction we redouble our efforts and so on. What to do? Perhaps slow down a bit and savor the symbols — what does family mean to me? or money or whatever? We felt that a student of Christian Science might assign different underlying meanings to the symbols than would a Hasidic scholar, but he certainly alerted us to a felt dearth in our practice.

We then discussed the affluence of Love; how necessary it is in all our dealings. A member read a paragraph written by the English teacher, John Doorly, promoting the idea that each person be given an opportunity to express Science in his own words, unmolested by any need of others to countermand or correct. Letting others speak from their heart would surely be Love in action. If someone feels a need to correct, perhaps an investigation within would reveal new depths of understanding that mere surface chatter would blot out.

We had enough time left for a few reports of current healings.

1) A member had for years entertained the hope that a friend would eventually become his lover, even though this friend is not Gay and has stated clearly a number of times that he is not interested in such an arrangement. Finally, after yet another discussion of the possibilities, our member saw the total futility of his desires and put a period to these strivings. They retained their friendship. Within days he met someone who appears to be available for relationship and they are now dating.

2) Another member was feeling quite depressed between meetings and decided to treat herself to a smoothie at a location she never goes to. As she made her way to a table with her drink, she saw a member of our group and they were able to visit and talk of their problems in the light of Science. She left with a joyous outlook.

3) One early afternoon, the water in another member's apartment building went off completely. He checked with some workmen downstairs who said that a pipe was broken and would have to be repaired by a plumber — they had already called for one. So he waited; but as the hours unfolded, dishes unwashed, toilets unflushed and baths untaken were beginning to take their toll. He was just washing his hands in seltzer when a very dear lady, of orthodox faith, arrived from across the hall to dispense the final dollop of gloom by proclaiming that the repairs would "take a long time". He retreated to a chair and sulked but suddenly remembered our topic for the week and its underlying references to the flow of water. He almost laughed as he thought, "Why, of course the counterfeit would come up to be addressed." Moments later, the tap he had left open began to flow.

We'll look at Time for next week.