It Doesn't Look Like a Church . . .

"It doesn't look like a church, and it's not that visible from the road". My contact, Dorothy, was giving me directions to the Hartland Christian Science church.  I had been contacted to substitute for the regular pianist at the Thanksgiving Eve Christian Science church in Hartland.  After the 45 minute drive, I found that I couldn't follow Dorothy's directions, because there was no light. I could see no street signs, no house numbers, and there were no visible drive ways or cross roads, no driveway reflectors and very few street lights.

So, I turned to Garmin, my GPS navigator. Garmin was in a cranky mood, guess she thought she'd have off on the Thanksgiving holiday. "Re CAL kew lating" . Without warning, after a few obscure turns into what looked like driveways, but they were really roads, Garmin sang out "Arriving, Christian Science", the address I had entered previously. However, I sailed right past it, because there was a suburbanite glaring his headlights into my back window, and I did not see a road, so I couldn't slow down.

After more than half a mile, I found an intersection with a streetlight overhead, and restarted Garmin, to take me back to the destination.  I must have gotten her mad; because she took me on winding roads through neighborhoods of newly-built suburban mansions, she ordered me to "Drive Point Four Miles" in a cul-de-sac, round and round she made me drive, and countless other indignities. I was now completely disregarding the suburban pickups, knowing that my mission was more crucial than driving little Tiffany to her Batik lesson. I came to the point where Garmin said "Arriving Christian Science", and drove off the road in the dark next to a mail box. Luckily, it was a driveway. 

The long narrow driveway led to a far-off building lit by a yard light. I straightened my tie, got my music case, turned off the GPS and walked toward the building. One car was already parked in the lot. The entrance was unlocked, so I went in. It was a large building, with a rough concrete floor.  My glasses fogged up in the warm air inside.  The building was partitioned into various cubicles with large windows in the partitions.  From what I could see, Dorothy was right about it not looking like a church.  This building was very utilitarian looking.

"Helloooo!" I said, looking for someone to take me to the assembly hall.  The building was not very warm, and there was a hay-like country smell in the air, probably from being closed up all week.  

"Hellooo!" a second time - there was a stirring in one of the cubicles, as if someone bumped a chair against a wooden wall.  I headed toward the cubicle where I heard the stirring.  My glasses were clearing up, and I noticed that the windows in the partitions were open, not glazed.  Looking into the cubicle, I saw a horse. A Horse. Horse was completely covered with protective canvas, like a race horse.  The horse looked at me, and I chided myself not to make judgments. I had never played at a Christian Science church, and If the horses were not involved in the service proper, perhaps there was some Amish thing going on to get them to their services.
  

Looking for someone to help sort out this sensory overload, I walked further into the building. As I got to the end of the hallway, two dogs came bounding out around the corner, barking and standing their ground.  They looked like mostly-Labradors, and they weren't growling.  I was so stunned, I did not run for cover, just stood there gaping.  The Labs settled down, as long as I remained still.

A man in overalls came in through the back door.  Through the door, I saw an enclosure with a horse running around inside.

"This isn't the Christian Science Church, is it?"

"No where did you get that idea?"

"My GPS said that this is the Christian Science Church of Hartland."

"Those damn things - you can't trust 'em. There's a Christian Science in Hartland, but it's about two miles that way" he pomted.

"I'm Dave.  We give riding lessons, but we don't have services here.I never ask the horses what denomination they are."

Dave was enjoying the story he be telling about the "city slicker and his GPS", and he gave me directions to cover the TWO MILES that I had missed. And, with the REAL directions, I got to the Christian Science church, on time for the service.

The church was a beautiful little white building set far back from the road, approached by a wooded winding driveway. And it didn't look like a church. 

The service itself was my first encounter with Christian Science, and it was a beautiful and intimate service that I will remember for the rest of my life. God is Love.

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