"OK, let's start with any readings."

"Here's from Matthew: 'Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.' (Matt 26:41)"

"I've got a couple of quotes from Science and Health: ' Because a belief originates unseen, the mental state should be continually watched that it may not produce blindly its bad effects.' (S&H 377: 16-18) and 'Be watchful, sober, and vigilant. The way is straight and narrow, which leads to the understanding that God is the only Life.' (S&H 324: 13-15) "

"Excellent. I didn't have any quotes but I did look up the derivation of the word 'watch'. It comes from roots meaning ' to be strong' or 'to wake up'. That's got to be what Mrs. Eddy had in mind when she said we should stand porter at the door of thought and let in only thoughts that'll produce good results 'Reverse the case. Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will control yourself harmoniously.' (S&H 392:24-27)"

"So we have to be awake enough — conscious enough — to recognize error and then exert wisdom and strength to keep it out of our mind, where all human imagery and action spring to life."

"It's hard to keep negative stuff out if I don't reach out for the divine Mind. For instance I'm involved in a struggle right now between two executive boards both claiming the right to have the final word on disposition of some valuable assets. I was coming up with some possibly healing resolutions but in the midst of a lot of very loud unfocused declarations from others I had to confront my own reluctance to speak up. Finally as there was talk of an expensive legal case I saw I needed to pray to see the divinity of each person involved — some 20 people — and then get my thoughts out to the others."

"There's been lots of clashes?"

"Yes, lots of clashes, but as we keep moving along to a resolution of the problem it's essential I keep my watch on judgmental-ism and rigidity by knowing there's one Mind in operation blessing one and all."

"The Lesson has some quotes that might help: 'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.' (Matt 5:8) and 'Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour saw God's own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick. Thus Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is intact, universal, and that man is pure and holy.' (S&H 476: 32-5)"

"Thanks, exactly! Also I need to focus on the here and now reality showing up dualistically as valuable assets and struggles for control. In other words what is our mission as seen from the divine perspective?"

"And?"

"Since we're dealing with psychological documents, I'd say our mission is to pattern the oneness of God-man-universe. It's rudimentary quantum physics stated in psychological, religious terminology."

"Could I say your watching isn't looking merely at surfaces? It's inhabiting the whole situation."

"Right — as divine idea including all right ideas."

"Well, all the commentary on Stephen Hawkings' new book 'The Grand Design' has got me thinking that what he feels is a purely scientific angle is pointing to the same revelation we've come to through religion — particularly Christian Science. Physical scientists start with Genesis 2 and after much churning get to Revelation 21. We start with Genesis 1 to get to Revelation 21.""I like the idea of watching by inhabiting a situation, not just dealing with surfaces."

"Like four dimensions?"

"Yes. I'm four dimensional including all ideas."

"So we could inhabit four dimensional problems not as problems but as solutions."

"Tu solus altissimus!"

"The real beauty of this approach is you don't get tripped up by the tricky business of denial. Many people see it as a vital part of Christian Science practice but it can so easily tip over into psychological denial, which is extremely dangerous."

"How?"

"By shoving unprocessed negative thoughts and beliefs into the unconscious where they have free rein to guide us into sin, sickness and death."

"The other day you pointed out these two quotes from the Lesson: 'And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.' (II Kings 6: 17) and 'Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.'. (Psm 119: 18) You said we could expand seeing to include all the senses plus the other mental functions: feeling, thinking and intuition."

"Right. And that'd be the perfect way to watch by inhabiting a situation. We let God the perfect power and presence be in charge of all these functions as each one, myself and others."

"I can get that, kind of, but how would you convey it to a newcomer?"

"I probably wouldn't try verbally unless they were someone maybe delving into quantum physics and areas like that. But even if I didn't talk about my vision, still they should feel something real, something helpful. We all know how silly and out on a limb we can feel when we try to sell the grave clothes of Christian Science as Mrs. Eddy called unlived, unsupported declarations of piety."

"There's nothing like healing to convince people. I was raised in Science but I only got it fully when some doctors said I had an incurable spinal degeneration and I decided to trust God rather than people who were envisioning wheel chairs and a life of pain."

"From the looks of you you're just fine."

"Yes, thanks to God and the understanding Christian Science gives us."

"I hear there was a very noisy group of so called Christians demonstrating in front of the Tri-State Reading Room last week."

"That's refreshing. We haven't attracted any attention in decades."

"It wasn't for us, it was about the Ground Zero Mosque. Some anti-gay rhetoric bubbled up. There were bullhorns blaring and Bibles in the air but one of the librarians invited the leaders in, showed them around and talked a bit about Christian Science. The practitioner on duty was praying too and when the people went back outside the demonstration moved along, I understand in a more tranquil mood."

"That was a great example of Christian Science watching and action."

"I went to Faith House the other night. Their theme for the whole year is 'The Other' and that night we took up LGBT people among us. After a brief lecture we split up into smaller groups — ours included three non-Gay folks and another Gay guy. I was amazed at the intelligent questions and discussion. I had to watch my thinking not to judge them as nothing but dull straights and myself and the other Gay man as victims."

"It raises the larger question of how we constantly judge ourselves and others. I've found myself enjoying the general glee over the fall of that homophobic Bishop Eddie Long for having sexual relations with underage male congregants."

"Who knows what the real story is? Accusers often just want money when there's nothing there. Anyway he's hot!"

"Photoshop can do wonders! That's Stallone's body beneath the Bishop's face."

"I'm so glad we're above judging people."

"What would you recommend?"

"Whether he's Gay or not it's a teachable moment, to use Obama's expression. African American churches are filled with homophobia and many members and clergy are on the down low. They can't be who they are, so they exude their sexual needs on inappropriate people. There could be healing coming out of this as these churches mend their ways and allow for same sex members and leaders."

"When Ted Haggard was revealed as Gay he went through a process of semi coming out. He seems genuinely more at peace and maybe some of his followers moderated, I don't know. But all this kind of stuff just reinforces the perception among the general public that homophobes are often tortured closet cases."

"According to A Course in Miracles, Christ is the thought adjuster. We can drop false beliefs in dualistic causes with our always available thought adjuster."

"I can use that idea right away on relationships. I'm aware how past failures haunt my current attempts at getting to know people. Down deep I think I'll meet with the same problems and finally abandonment."

"OK, then appeal to the Christ to adjust your thought — in fact all your mental faculties — into alignment with your infinite eternal perfection. You already include everyone in perfect harmony, even those that mortal mind said did you dirt. You and your compatible others already interpenetrate uniquely in infinity. Let these relationships appear on earth as in Heaven."

"How did the colonoscopy go?"

"It was fine. thanks for your help. I kept that idea of God seeing God as all that was going on. As the anesthesia was being administered I just marveled at all the machinery, wires, tubes and blinking colored lights. All God's beautiful creation. I studied some passages from Unity of Good beforehand on the train and in the waiting room."

"Can you remember what they were?"

"Sure, pass me Prose Works."

"Here: 'Is anything real of which the physical senses are cognizant? Everything is as real as you make it, and no more so. What you see, hear, feel, is a mode of consciousness, and can have no other reality than the sense you entertain of it. It is dangerous to rest upon the evidence of the senses, for this evidence is not absolute, and therefore not real, in our sense of the word. All that is beautiful and good in your individual consciousness is permanent. That which is not so is illusive and fading. My insistence upon a proper understanding of the unreality of matter and evil arises from their deleterious effects, physical, moral, and intellectual, upon the race.' (Un 8:4-16) and 'Material and sensual consciousness are mortal. Hence they must, some time and in some way, be reckoned unreal.' (Un 9: 5-7)"

"We need to close. Does anyone have a topic for October?"

"Maybe Government. The elections coming up in November in the US will be a major news focus. Also there are elections in Brazil on October the 3rd and some maneuvers in Iraq between the Shias and Sunnis over the presidency."

"I like Government. I tend to project a lot of power on people in government and constantly forget to put God in the equation."

"It's a concept we can apply to all areas. I mean, what's governing the body, what's governing the weather, what about global warming or the economy?"

"Then we're agreed? OK, Government."