As we think of you coming together for your annual association meeting this year, whether it be in person or online,
we recall Mary Baker Eddy’s words, “Welcome home! To your home in my heart!” (My 170:12-13) Our Leader was
endlessly grateful for all who dedicated themselves to the Cause of Christian Science, and we feel this gratitude for
each of you now as you join together with your fellow Christian Scientists.
When we wrote to you a year ago, we had no idea the world would soon be going into lockdown from a pandemic,
or that it would be facing serious financial issues and surfacing long-standing divisions over race and politics. As we
write this year’s message, it isn’t yet clear when these challenges will be fully met. What is clear, however, is how
much the demands of the last year have caused us all to focus more than ever on what really matters–healing, love,
growth in grace. Your work as practitioners of the Science of Christ is especially needed now.
You have been in our hearts as we’ve seen the challenges that many of you have had to face and work through, and
this may indeed be one of those “smoke of battle” times when it is hard to see if our work is making a difference.
However, when the air clears we will all see the impact of love, of practical caring, of lifting thought to a place of
trust in infinite God, good, and lifting others to feel it too–of demonstrating some measure of the Christ.
Our goal has never been merely to make it through a pandemic and get back to business as usual. Rather, we expect
a stronger, more authentic, more loving Church to emerge as the result of Christian Scientists’ united willingness to
face and rise above the difficulties the whole world is facing. With that expectation, we have been finding helpful
light in the 2021 Annual Meeting theme, “Grace to go forward,” a phrase which comes from hymn 278. The whole
second verse feels especially relevant to these times:
“Truthful and steadfast though trials betide thee,
Ever one thing do thou ask of thy Lord,
Grace to go forward, wherever He guide thee,
Gladly obeying the call of His word.”
We are seeing abundant evidence of this grace-filled forward movement as members have discovered effective ways
to continue worshipping together, whether in person or online, or a mixture of both depending on government
recommendations and guidelines in different areas. We are seeing it in heightened care for neighbors and church
members. And we are seeing it in renewed dedication to actually doing the work of Christian Science treatment.
We deeply value who you are and your practice of Christian Science healing. The mothering heart of The Mother
Church yearns above all else that each of you may feel the loving embrace and care of our dear Father-Mother,
God.
With love to each of you,
The Christian Science Board of Directors and Board of Education
February 2021
Dear class-taught students of Christian Science,
As we think of you coming together for your annual association meeting this year, whether it be in person or online,
we recall Mary Baker Eddy’s words, “Welcome home! To your home in my heart!” (My 170:12-13) Our Leader was
endlessly grateful for all who dedicated themselves to the Cause of Christian Science, and we feel this gratitude for
each of you now as you join together with your fellow Christian Scientists.
When we wrote to you a year ago, we had no idea the world would soon be going into lockdown from a pandemic,
or that it would be facing serious financial issues and surfacing long-standing divisions over race and politics. As we
write this year’s message, it isn’t yet clear when these challenges will be fully met. What is clear, however, is how
much the demands of the last year have caused us all to focus more than ever on what really matters–healing, love,
growth in grace. Your work as practitioners of the Science of Christ is especially needed now.
You have been in our hearts as we’ve seen the challenges that many of you have had to face and work through, and
this may indeed be one of those “smoke of battle” times when it is hard to see if our work is making a difference.
However, when the air clears we will all see the impact of love, of practical caring, of lifting thought to a place of
trust in infinite God, good, and lifting others to feel it too–of demonstrating some measure of the Christ.
Our goal has never been merely to make it through a pandemic and get back to business as usual. Rather, we expect
a stronger, more authentic, more loving Church to emerge as the result of Christian Scientists’ united willingness to
face and rise above the difficulties the whole world is facing. With that expectation, we have been finding helpful
light in the 2021 Annual Meeting theme, “Grace to go forward,” a phrase which comes from hymn 278. The whole
second verse feels especially relevant to these times:
“Truthful and steadfast though trials betide thee,
Ever one thing do thou ask of thy Lord,
Grace to go forward, wherever He guide thee,
Gladly obeying the call of His word.”
We are seeing abundant evidence of this grace-filled forward movement as members have discovered effective ways
to continue worshipping together, whether in person or online, or a mixture of both depending on government
recommendations and guidelines in different areas. We are seeing it in heightened care for neighbors and church
members. And we are seeing it in renewed dedication to actually doing the work of Christian Science treatment.
We deeply value who you are and your practice of Christian Science healing. The mothering heart of The Mother
Church yearns above all else that each of you may feel the loving embrace and care of our dear Father-Mother,
God.
With love to each of you,
The Christian Science Board of Directors and Board of Education
Rich Evans
Barbara Fife
Robin Hoagland
Scott Preller
Keith Wommack
Jill Gooding
Diane Marrapodi