A member joked to a friend during the week, "Now that they want us, I'm not so sure we want them. Perhaps we should go on to Islam."

Follow-up questions based on the breakthrough letter of July 19th from The Mother Church — see topic [#topic=20000727#] — have pinned down that there has indeed been a change of heart (the Board claims it has and had no policy) on homosexuality. We, i.e., the Christian Science Movement, need to get the good news out to all — including the Christian Science Publishing Society and the Department of Branches and Practitioners. This is a prime case for prayer in Science and wise action.

Our topic was broader than the open participation of Gay men and Lesbians in the life of the church. We decided to look first at what church membership is and then what part sexuality plays in human life.

One member's Christian Science Teacher calls church both a showcase and laboratory of Science. Another feels it is a place to build intimacy and work out problems sourced mainly in the traumas of youth. Indeed, one's initial joining of a church may be driven by manic desires to placate unconscious figures from earlier times now showing up projected unto boards, teachers, practitioners and so on. We didn't see this as "wrong"since it acts as a holding atmosphere for the sufferer until a realization of the one Ego supersedes the "egos many"haunting him.

This point was the key to seeing that what we were saying about church membership we could also say about any relationship, including a sexual one. The reality behind all relating is Oneness.

Oneness is always pressing upon us, proclaiming its all-ness. Some will resist, some will work with and mold, and some may be swept into madness. Christian Science should help us understand and bring the energies into human scale and behavior — in ourselves and others, accomplishing ever clearer versions of good.

One member said perhaps we should realize our pre-connection with others based on the oneness of God-man before and during any attempt at church membership, affectional partnering, friendship or business arrangement.

Once inside any relationship we can see it as a container or retort wherein all family struggles can finally be resolved and love, encouragement, interest (including curiosity) can flourish. One of our members is particularly vigilant about what he calls cultural erasure. He wants to make sure everyone's origins, orientations, deeply held opinions, fears and so on are honored and cared for. Why blank all this out with pseudo Science — the stuff will erupt anyway at some point and probably from a dark and dishonored place Our work is to pick up the serpents and turn them into staffs.

A member did some thinking on the idea of advancing beyond sexuality, based on a phrase in the letter from The Mother Church. He had always thought in these terms but this week some additional insights opened up. Sex can be seen as a form of communication. Sometimes it's appropriate to the situation, sometimes not. Just like any other form of communication among the plethora of technologies available today. We can always check it out with God. He read from our textbook: "The intercommunication is always from God to His idea, man"(Science and Health, p. 284:31-32). Then he asked, "Is sex a spiritual idea?"He answered, "Yes. God is the being of the individuals involved. He's omni-action, the source of adhesion, cohesion and attraction; all form and color. He's all the substance, omnipresence, and omnipotence. Is there something else going on here than the activity of God?"This member also read the quotes from Science and Health, p. 573: 3-12, included in our readings above. He feels that a non-Scientist will see much else going on but a student of Science will see (really, be) only Truth. What he said of sex can of course be said of church membership and other relationships as well.

Three members reported romantic crushes that arose during the week. One member got the sense that his interlocutor was driven strictly by financial calculations and was therefore unavailable for romance but could at least engage in some banter that turned up some truths for both. The others were overwhelmed by the numinous character of their encounters. One had to take to his couch and listen to hymns to get his soul back. The other felt he would find relief in masturbation but resisted and found much deeper feelings than he thought possible — he had touched his own divine selfhood.

While talking to the Mother Church official who wrote the letter to our member, an internet friend of the group discovered the prevalence of labels in any consideration of church membership. She suggested it be a topic for our group and we agree. Labels it is for next week.