There’s a white marble building on the Upper West Side with a historic pipe organ and a copper dome that rises 110 feet. If you’ve lived in the neighborhood for any length of time, you’ve almost certainly walked past it. Far fewer people have been inside. Later this month, you’ll have a reason to go in, and if you attend the talk and mention that you read about it here, you’ll be given a free book.
The building is First Church of Christ, Scientist at 10 West 68th Street, just off Central Park West. On Monday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m., the church is hosting a free public talk by Ann Kneeland, a Christian Science practitioner and lecturer who’s traveling in from the San Francisco Bay Area for the evening.
The talk is titled “Healing with joy: Discovering the power of Love.” Kneeland will share what she describes as real-life examples of spiritual healing from her practice, and will make the case that fear, illness and polarization can dissolve as people come to understand what Christian Scientists call God’s presence and love. The church bills the evening as an invitation to joy and freedom, and says it’s open to everyone, whether you’re a longtime Christian Scientist, curious, or simply interested in the building.
“This talk is designed specifically with a public audience in mind, so it’s a nice introduction to the church,” said one of the members organizing the event, “though everyone is welcome to attend Sunday morning and Wednesday evening services anytime.”
Kneeland grew up in a family that practiced Christian Science and credits it with healing everything from childhood headaches and sports injuries to business problems and academic anxieties. After college, she took Primary Class instruction (a course of study in Christian Science), then spent years in a business career before opening a full-time practice as what the church calls a Christian Science practitioner. She also works as a chaplain in the Marin County Jail, appears on commercial radio, and talks with teen and interfaith groups. She’s currently a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship.
Here’s the part that might interest you even if you’ve never given a second thought to Christian Science. The church’s pipe organ is 125 years old, has been beautifully restored, and it doesn’t get heard by the general public very often. On Sept. 28, doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and music will be performed at 6:30 p.m., a full half hour before the talk. Childcare will also be provided, so if you’ve ever wondered what the inside of that building looks (and sounds) like, this is your chance to find out with no strings attached.
And about that free book: the talk draws on Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, the foundational text of Christian Science. Anyone who attends and mentions they saw this article on I Love the Upper West Side will receive a free copy. Here’s a link to the event page and a link to the church building’s history.
