April 2026 Newsletter » Reading Rooms Shape Our Healings

(continued from the newsletter)

He recalled: “I sat with the lady in this Reading Room, and told her about my father.” He doesn’t remember the specifics of the ideas discussed. However, he went home right away and told his father, “You’re going to recover completely.” And he did experience a healing. Looking back, the Rabbi said: “It is clear to me that probably those Scientists were praying.”

To learn more about Louis’ experience, click here: A RABBI TALKS ABOUT CHRISTIAN SCIENCE / Christian Science Sentinel

A healing like this is the epitome of why you work in the Reading Room. Wanting to build on this spiritual approach to serving in the Reading Room, we held a roundtable interview with the staff of the Menlo Park Reading Room. The questions and answers follow:

Since the 15th century, how has the printed Holy Bible been received? Can you share stories of visitors’ interest or its influence on your healing practice?

Once the Bible was mass-produced, its influence grew rapidly. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the King James Version became central in households, shaping morals and influencing education and law. In the 19th century, Mary Baker Eddy founded Christian Science after a fall on ice, during which she read a New Testament account of Christ Jesus healing the sick. She was healed and began teaching spiritual healing principles. She wrote a textbook to explain this method, leading to her book Science and Health with Key to Scriptures. Starting in 1862, and continuing after her discovery, she intensely studied the King James Bible, which she termed her sole teacher. Eddy said, “God had been graciously preparing me during many years for the reception of this final revelation of the absolute divine Principle of scientific mental healing.” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 107:3)

Many visitors seek a Bible in our Reading Room. Today, in the 21st century, the Bible is among the most sold books, translated into many languages. The Bible is the basis of what we practice. It is one of our pastors and contains many words of comfort and inspiration that come when needed. For some time, there was a young woman who worked at a local clinic who would come in almost every day during her lunch break just to pray quietly and read the Bible.

At various times I have turned to the Bible for inspiration and have received guidance in my life activities. The Bible is the best-selling book in the world, and this year sales are rising because, during times of global strife, people are searching for and finding a closer connection to God. For myself, I often listen to the Christian Science Bible Lesson and JSH Online in the Reading room. For the few visitors who come in, I know they are blessed by whatever connection they make through their use of the Reading Room.

Why did Eddy require each branch to maintain free reading rooms?

I don’t know why she made this stipulation, but I am very grateful she did. I have certainly been helped and healed many times. Reading Rooms serve as an auxiliary to the church when it is closed and a way to obey Jesus’ command to “Let your light so shine…” (Matthew 5:16). They are vital to the church as they serve the community by addressing issues, praying, and answering questions. Reading Rooms were common in Mrs. Eddy’s time, serving as places for publishers to showcase and let people read new products before buying since books were expensive. They provide easy access to the Bible, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, other writings by Mary Baker Eddy, and periodicals. Biographies by other authors about Eddy are also featured.

How have you seen Christian Science Reading Rooms bless the communities?

The community is blessed by welcoming windows displaying the healing truths of Christian Science. Entering, they are greeted cheerfully and offered help. They learn about our leader’s healing intent with access to reference books, periodicals, and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.

Our window displays appeal to many passersby. We update the lesson citations in the marked books in the window daily. Because people stop to read the citations, many leave with a bit of truth to fill a need in their day. We have a cart of free literature outside that offers articles to take during Reading Room hours without entering, and a mounted box on the building accessible all day and night. I love that our Reading Room windows are lit at night, serving as a beacon of light and warmth to anyone passing by. We occasionally participate in community activities. Our dedicated volunteers are always ready to answer questions from seekers of truth who are curious and just want to learn about this place. We hold special events in the Reading Room for members and non-members. We have organized food drives at Thanksgiving, inviting all our neighboring businesses to join.

Why is it hard to attract townspeople? How can God’s law of attraction increase traffic?

Thought must be open to the truth. I seek to maintain an atmosphere in the Reading Room which benefits each person that comes in. Looking out the Reading Room window at passersby, it seems that the townspeople are on their phones, unaware of us. Heads are down, no awareness of surroundings, focused on meeting a friend and having coffee. When I see this, I quietly or sometimes aloud declare that the only true attraction is Spirit, God, good. Occasionally, a passerby looks up and nods as if they hear my declaration of truth. We are told to “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; they are white already to harvest” (John 4:25), so as minutemen serving our post, our task is to be aware, alert, and to embrace the passerby as God’s child, not to accept the outward picture. Instead, we should claim and listen for what God wants us to see in the moment, welcome the stranger, and share the Truth.

When I serve here, I constantly affirm that there is only one Mind, and that Mind is receptive to the truth. The thought of “hard to attract” or an empty Reading Room is animal magnetism, a belief that something can obscure the truth. This idea is not acceptable because the Reading Room is intended to be an active space where people visit regularly for spiritual uplifting. We all need to be mentally expecting people to come in and deny any thought of apathy. The Comforter is available to all.

How does “witness” relate to your role?

Wherever we are, we are witnesses for Truth, and Love is filling the space. I am here to provide evidence and testimony of the truths of Christian Science by setting an example and being ready to share my experiences with everyone. By maintaining Christ-like thinking, we can share inspiring thoughts with others. In a court, a “witness” is called forward, sworn in, and expected to tell the truth. Being a “witness” in the Reading Room means that I am expected to see what God is seeing, know what God is knowing, and claim only the good in what I see and know.