Reflection On The Science Of Mind Church

As soon as I walked into United Life Church, I felt welcomed. I attended the church service with my friend, Alex, and upon our arrival two women immediately greeted us. They offered us nametags and told us how excited they were that we were visiting. I headed into the sanctuary with a positive attitude that would stay for the remainder of my experience. The sanctuary was set up very much like those of the Christian churches that I have attended. There were several rows of wooden pews that faced a single stage centered in the front of the room. Above the pews, the room was adorned with high ceilings. On the wall behind the stage was a very large ‘V’ within a circle. This is the logo for the Science of Mind church. As Alex and I sat in our …show more content…
The format of the service was similar to the Methodist services to which I am accustomed. However, the content differed greatly. The emphasis of the Science of Mind church is on the self. The church believes in God, but not in the same way that Christian religions do. They believe that God is a “transcendent and beautiful mystery,” according to the pamphlet they gave me. During the service, the Rev. Bill Ward read passages from the Bible. Although they do believe that the bible provides insights to leading a spiritual life, they uphold that the Bible is “one of many sacred scriptures inspired by the one Mind,” according to the same pamphlet. There were many similarities to Christianity, but at the core, the church’s fundamental beliefs vary greatly from the Christian …show more content…
The entire congregation circled up, held hands, and sang together. It was very heartwarming, and it was great fun to participate in such a loving tradition. The congregation was small, but it was very tight knit. What the church lacked in numbers, it certainly made up for in heart. After the service was over, Alex and I were invited to attend a potluck lunch in their dining hall. We sat at table with a few other members and had lighthearted conversation over home cooked food. They seamlessly included us in their lives for an afternoon. One man showed us his art sketches; another showed us pictures of him and his wife at a Valentine’s Day dance. They asked us questions about where we were from and why we had decided to visit. It was a nice lunch filled with friendly small talk. On our way out, Alex and I waved goodbye to our new friends. They all asked us to visit again soon. We walked out of the church feeling happy and uplifted. I learned that churches can be small and still have a big impact. I learned that churches can have distinct personalities. Most of all, I learned that kindness is a value that can traverse any