We decided to take on Attraction in response to the thought that our group should do some advertising. Since this week's meeting was small, we were tempted to wonder how our work had failed. But somehow we didn't go there and were just glad for those who showed up and the depths we were able to explore.

One member brought in copies of notes from meetings almost two years ago on [#topic=20000217#], [#topic=20000224#] and [#topic=20000302#]. The current meeting was shorter than those on theory but longer on feeling and experiential material.

The chairperson for the evening started us with the thought that we're always attracting someone or something — even if it appears as no one and nothing or perhaps someone or something negative. We can't say we're unattractive then, but need to discern the basis within us for the the people or items being brought to us. This however is an Adamic kind of work, mortal mind's realm where we name this good and that bad. The work in Science is to determine whether we're experiencing a God-based attraction or merely one that keeps us locked in positive or negative personal sense. If it's the latter, we need to find what would help us see and live its immortal counterfact.

We then briefly discussed advertising, which some of us cynically said we could not truthfully engage in since we could not promise sex, power or even comfort.

A relative newcomer to the group saved us from that downdraft by stating why he comes to the meetings. He likes being heard when he talks about what's on his mind. This includes not only severe problems, particularly in the past in his homophobic native country, but also his spirituality. He likes the attitude towards life which Christian Science establishes.

Cynicism receded before the presence of truth and we found ourselves with an ad in the making.

A member read us some poems by Rumi from the current issue of Parabola. Here are a few lines:

"If the heart wills, at once the foot begins to dance,
from neediness to abundance.

An endless fountain of milk is within you;
why are you seeking milk with a pail?"

Why are you going about like a beggar?
Contemplate the expansion of the heart within you."(Vol. 26, No. 4)

This led into reports of two demonstrations during the week.

1) One member received a call out of the blue from a childhood friend he had tried for several years to get in touch with. It was just like old times with one exception. He was now comfortably "out"and his friend seemed OK with it. Indeed the friend referred to two Gay couples they both knew with the same respect he showed to non-Gay couples. This was a hugely healing incident for our member who grew up with this friend and shares many memories. It gives him access to a valuable window into happenings and associated feelings otherwise unavailable consciously from his youth.

2) Another member had a date with someone he met earlier at a dance and had been talking to on the phone. Here are his words: "During the week I experienced an attraction from another and instead of resisting, or avoiding my feelings, I prayed and waited. What was interesting was the different outcome. Where before I outlined and pulled at the other person, here I waited in gratitude and had faith. And the result was distinct from any previous experience. I remain filled with love and feeling the abundance of supply; where prior experience left me empty and void."

Others were blown away by this demonstration. Most of us had experienced dating as akin to taking a prisoner. Clinging, jealousy, control via money were just a few of the dating techniques used. One said he could feel freedom and release as this breakthrough in dating was offered.

Our dater added, "I don't need to do anything — cling, pull, outline — since my attractiveness is my natural, spiritual state."

Here's some metaphysical work members engaged in during the week.

1) A member and friend worked on depression. The Freudian concept that it is caused by anger directed inward against one's own ego was transformed in Science into the fact that the libido in such form could be refined into its underlying Love and lived from the center of one's being outward.

2) The member who has recently been recovering from the effects of childhood incest had further breakthroughs this week. He has been able to practice his tenderness and caring through intimacy with friends. This has included becoming aware of them as separate individuals and supporting their well-being without automatically filtering everything through his own needs. Furthermore, a friendly question from his lawyer alerted him to how afflicted was his sense of finances —another residue from childhood enemas. He is now mulling that and seeking direction in Science. The desired financial autonomy needs Ego, not just ego, control.

3) A member and friend discussed how to handle unwanted attractions. They can be quite painful on both sides as the two of them could well attest. The answer in Science would seem to be to see both parties as having all bliss right now on earth as they do already in heaven.

4) One member worked on the age illusion after finding himself attracted to someone of a severely different age. He asked himself, "What age are we?"Well in Science they are the same — in other words, eternal. What about wisdom — surely the older person has more? Not necessarily — we all know of many exceptions to that rule and in any case true wisdom comes from God and is available to and as all. Then what of beauty? Well that's said to be in the eye of the beholder, so no one has any business commenting on another's object of attraction. As our dating member implied in his testimony above, we can't do a thing about whether someone is or is not attracted to us in the human belief of things. And in Science we're all equally attractive. Other areas related to age could be handled but our member felt the basic point is that the more we encase attraction in concepts the less Love can be expressed.

For next week we'll work on Resolutions for the New Year.