I enjoy playing the piano. To challenge myself on the keyboard, I committed to learning “Prelude in G Minor,” by Rachmaninoff. For my level of expertise, it’s a difficult piece, with massive chords, and fast-moving passages of melody that tax my skills to the maximum. But I’ve eagerly embraced the challenge of playing a high-quality piece of music today like I used to play in my college days decades ago.
A few weeks ago, though, the ends of my fingers started to ache. It became painful to practice this piece, for several of my fingers were crying out in pain when pressing on the keys.
This is odd! I thought. I’ve been practicing this piece for over 3 years. Why would my fingers start aching now? I protested.
The metaphysics of Christian Science teaches that physical pain has roots in thought. Often, a fear of some type is associated with it.
As I prayed for relief, I realized I was entertaining fears about learning this piece of music. “It was too hard!” A voice hollered at me from within. “I should give up. The piece is beyond my skill level.” This same negative voice argued.
I had invested three years of practice into this piece, and I wasn’t willing to throw it all away. I was going to continue, I was certain. But I realized that these fears and doubts in thought were likely the pain I was feeling in my fingers.
To be healed, I remembered that “With God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27). The ability to play this piece comes from God, not from my fingers, and my fingers couldn’t get in the way of me expressing God. My fingers were servants, not bosses or complainers, I decided. They could quietly serve their purpose without complaint, and I could learn this piece as I listened and trusted God’s wise direction.
I found peace with these spiritual truths and continued to practice the best I could.
A few days later, I realized all the pain had vanished, and I was playing the piece better than ever. I was happy and grateful!
I still have much to learn with this piece of music, but I will master it. And my fingers are happy participants once again!
Evan, I just saw Yaja Wang perform it in a yellow dress on YouTube and she made it look like child’s play. I’m sure you’re much better than Yaja. I have confidence in you
I saw you today in The Extension and wanted to meet you but you were having a long conversation with Christine D so I didn’t want to bother you. Just sending my love & gratitude for you
Thanks you’ve inspired me to listen to the piece by played by both YaJa Wang and Valentina Lisitsa for comparison. Excellent goal to learn the piece. I appreciated both the concentration and emotional accompaniment in the expressions of the players as they performed. I would assess that learning as anything but trite.
Isn’t it Yuja Wang and not “Yaja”?
Thanks Richard! I’m sure Yaja is much better than me! But I’m having fun…
Dear Evan I’m grateful for today’s message. I love how you say fingers are servants not bosses. I substituted the word fingers for legs as they seem troublesome for me at present, but the message is the same and I’m sure we all have other words we can substitute! It reminded me of Lesley Gort’s excellent article in the May Journal which talks about the body being our obedient servant – called “Confirming Conforming and Healing”. I can’t post the link but maybe others can. Am grateful every day for SpiritView and though I don’t post every day I am also very grateful for the lovely comments made by everyone else.
https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/10am4d45gfa?s=copylink
Thanks Diane. That’s great X
A real Spiritual awakening! Thank you Linda & Diane for sharing this article.. Much to be gleaned from the Truth in the article! Thank you Evan for encouraging me & all of us here! Learning & growing so much every day!
What a wonderful and inspiring article diane w.a. Thank you so much for sharing it!
So sorry Linda, Cheshire, UK…I was multi-tasking and thanked diane w.a., but forgot to add my thanks to you for bringing this article to our attention.
No probs. Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you.
Thank you so much Evan! A wonderful thought to help us to continue to be the expression of life. And thank you to all for sharing.
So interesting in so many ways.
Many thanks.
I, too, am grateful for today’s (and every day’s) SpiritView and all the comments, and enjoy starting my day pondering it. Much appreciated.
My gratitude for this wonderful site that lifts my day thinking about all who respond. These challenges remind me that I also need to focus on the good that is present right here in the Nowness how blessed I feel.
I just watched Yaja Wang on YouTube.
It was beyond impressive.
And SpiritView every day fits, beyond impressive.
The pictures, content, love, arriving daily.
SpiritView is music played through the heart,
to the heart, with others contributing to the
melody.
Thanks Evan and everyone.
Happy happy day of SpiritView, spiritual harmony.
Thank you Evan. Thank you all. Spirit View is truly musical, higher than any kind of music on earth. It moves the thought even unknown by its consumer. As days go by I find that I am not the same as the facts learnt here lead to a higher and more permanent view of Life.
What a delightful inspiration this morning, Evan! Your demonstration is so
insightful and your passion for the creativity and expression of music, is
such a divine gift! I was able to watch on Duck,Duck,Go (don’t know how
to send a link), but the galloping fingers of Yaga Wang is awesome in this
piece! What God-given talents and I’m certain your deliverance of the
piece is just as amazing.
I used to play the violin and the one I have is so very special
as it was given to me by an elderly neighbor who played it in the
Radio City Music Hall orchestra as First violinist. I had dropped it as a
child, but it remains as beautiful as it ever was, reminding me of our
perfection despite what may appear to be if we let mortal mind interpret
what is real.
I know what you mean, Grace, … I, too, feel like I have grown in spiritual
understanding in the past while and it is so invigorating and beauteous. I
have God, Evan, and the love of contributors here for such affection
towards each other.
Thank you, Linda,Cheshire and diane w. a. for the link this morning. I Love
how you describe, M, where “Spirit View is music played through the heart
to the heart with others contributing to the melody”. Love that!!
My heart overflows with gratitude for you all.
I meant to write, “I have God, Evan, and the love of contributors here *to thank*
for such affection towards each other”.
Thank you, Evan. Your testimony reminded me of recently when I had been praying earnestly and thinking deeply about spiritual truths from the Bible lesson. I was feeling very uplifted in thought. I went to play a piece on the piano I had been working on and played it in such a way I never had before–with beautiful expression and soulfulness. I knew immediately that it was because of my prayers. I hadn’t been praying about playing music or anything like that. But it was so clear to me–I just said wow! what if I did that all the time! ;>
Linda thank you for sharing this experience. It was a simple, beautiful expression of divine Mind at work, lifting your awareness to a higher level, and the results flowed into all your activities.
Evan I really appreciate the idea that our bodies are, “servants, not bosses or complainers, and, “….can quietly serve their purpose without complaint.”
For anyone who missed the Annual Meeting of the Mother Church yesterday, here’s the replay link, it was very inspiring.
https://www.christianscience.com/additional-resources/annual-meeting-2023
“Do we tolerate pain—or heal it?” by William E. Moody:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1t335ozac0s
This is a great article, J , Thank you! It reminds me of a demonstration
I had the other day. I was watering a small part of my upper garden
and descending the incline, when I wasn’t watching, as I was trying
to avoid the plants near the pathway with the hose. The hose had
looped in front of me and down I went, landing on both knees in a
patch of gravel. My first thought was and I declared, “There are No
accidents!”, however mortal mind’s temptation to believe otherwise,
seemed pretty strong. I had scraped both knees and walking on them
Seemed painful for a while. I kept Knowing that in doing a good thing,
helping seeds to grow for beautiful flowers for passers-by to see …
how could I be injured in any way? The next day, I woke totally well,
walked without any issue and everything was fine again, as in “reality”
it always was/is. These opportunities help to Prove God’s love for us
and trust in His gentle care. ( I might add, I may have inadvertently
taken in the mental suggestion of a fall that the president had the
other day. We have to be so careful in only letting into thought only
God-given Truths and that may have been a lesson I needed to learn.)
Thanks for sharing your demonstration Carol!
Dear J, Thank you for posting the article “Do we tolerate pain–or heal it?”,–which confidently encourages taking a firm stand against pain, and clearly describes man’s innate God given mastery over it. It’s a keeper! I love reading William Moody’s articles. We were taught by the same Christian Science teacher,- in the same class.
Evan,- every day of SpiritView is like a day of Christian Science class instruction to this grateful group! Your posts lead us to greater spiritual understanding, inspire confidence in Truth, give impulse and direction to our prayers, and assure us of healing results. Love and gratitude beyond words!
Amen
May I join this chorus, symphony of voices, this morning? What a beautiful orchestration SpiritView is every morning! And what a joy it is to join with these wonderful musicians of the heart, as we play together and grow together, learn together, and express ever more of God‘s great, beautiful goodness.
Oh, so much love ! My HEART gratitude! I Love each and everyone here today, those reading & sharing from their hearts. Yesterdays annual meeting, certainly confirmed how divine Love is embracing the world! Thank you Evan, for always starting us ~ just as a conductor stands before his musicians! There the analogy ends, because we really are playing our own masterpieces.
Inspirational healing thank you Evan
Thank you for sharing this clear and helpful healing with us. Love your wonderful pursuit of the goal and the healing of fear along the way . This is so helpful for everyone! Bless us all for sharing in it!
Here’s the Rachmaninoff piece by someone named Nickolai Lugansky. Enjoy.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=acVODwPb1G8
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing that, Rose! Nikolai
Lugganksky certainly answered to his calling!
Isn’t it magnificent how music transcends to heavenly
places where only God can create such harmony and
oneness with the divine and when we tune in to these
precious gifts, we are so very blessed.
Absolutely stunning!
Thank you, Rose, for providing that link.
Thanks “J” for that very helpful article by William Moody! ♡
Thanks Carol for your clear demonstration of divine Truth! Very helpful thoughts!♡
Evan, I am very grateful for your today’s SpiritView with your wonderful testimony!
When I listened to that piece by Rachmaninoff according to the link Rose gave us, I thought what a beautiful piece. Indeed it is not easy to play, however it must be a Joy to play that piece. I understand that you are eager to play it, dear Evan.♡
LOVELY ! Thank you.