The Daily Alaska empire., 1935-07-09
Christian Science iillmnirtes Prayer, Is Subject Of Lecture
 Ciuen tn Jurleau Last Erenin 2

A lecture on Christian Science entitled Christian science H. Ilumines Prayer.s was given last evening in the Scottish Rite Temple by Gavin W. Allan, c. s. B., of To- ronto, Ontario, Canada, Member of the Board of Lectureship of The Mother Church, The First Church. of Christ, Scientist, in Boston. Mas sachusetts, under the auspices of. the First Church of Christ, Sci- enlist, Juneau.
 The lecturer said in part:
 s'Whether one is affiliated with one of the Christian denomina- tions or not, whether one. accepts, is indifferent to, or rejects the teachings of Christianity, one thing is almost certain--he has prayed. He may not have called his mental attitude or effort prayer; he may not have thought of it as prayer; he may resent any implication that he has ever prayed; and yet it is almost certain he has prayed.
 r''In its most primitive form pray CT is doubtless cry for help just a cry.
 "Is not this all too frequently the case, that men pray only when they are driven to it by fear? Men who, when their affairs are run- ming smoothly, when their business is flourishing, when their health is good, attribute their successes to Themselves and rarely acknowledge the presence of higher power; when reverses come, when courage fails, when they are at their wits end. Then they cry unto the Lord : This has ever been the experience of humanity; that reyerses, trou- bles, distresses, and misfortunes which shake men out of the ruts or habits of, living and back to their native Impulses almost invari- ably drive men to prayer of some sort. Such being the case, prayer must be regarded. as one of the na- tive impulses of humanity, and as such is more primitive than the most primitive creed; because, you see, the creed only attempts to for mulate or explain what prayer in- stinctively assumes. V, x, M .4f
 But there is a higher form of prayer than the self-pitying cry for help. Would not an eager listening on our part for the voice of God to direct us be a higher form of pray CT than an impulsive cry for help when we find ourselves in trouble? Would not a yearning on our part to understand good be. a higher form of prayer than cry to be extricated from the meshes of evil? In other words, would not listening for Gods voice be higher form of prayer than crying to God2 e
 Now the. fact of the matter is that each one of us is always, in the at titude of listening. Two streams of thought seem to be ceaselessly coming our way. one erroneous, the other true; one ur- real, the other real. one presents suggestions of fear. poverty, siek- ness, unhappihess, or sin. The otfl- or offers peace, abundance, health, happiness, and purity TO which are we listening? Which group of quail ities would we prefer to experiencep ? The good, or course. How can we make these experiences ours2 We may begin by listening. And then bur Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, tells us the next step. In the Christian science textbook, i, s c 1 e nee, and Health with Key to the. scriptures' i(ps 26lG she writes, Hold thought steaqfaatlv tb the. enduring, the godd and the true. and you will ,btir8 these into your experience psopbrtionably to their occdpancy pf your ttoughts;s that Is, listen for the good, Hold thought steadfast- ly to the good, and you will expert ence the good, Could anything be more reasonable?
 But someone may say: Does God really speak to men2 Can we hear His message? Just here let me say that there is hearing that is keen CT than that of the human ear, a mode of hearing each of us possess es; and the, message of Truth can always be heard if we but listen. It may come to us through the