On November 11th at 7:30 pm, a lecture titled “Breaking News: Freedom Is Ours Now” will be led by Patricia Woodard of Dallas. She is a Christian Science practitioner and will be the guest speaker for The First Church of Christ, Scientist.
This lecture is for inspirational and informational purposes. It is based on the teachings of Mary Baker Eddy, who was a woman from the 19th Century.
“[Eddy] found freedom from chronic illness and other struggles in her life,” according to Patch. Eddy experienced a healing miracle and began to search for how and why it happened. This search was when she discovered Christian Science, “a view of God and the universe that uplifts our thoughts, changes our perspective to a spiritual viewpoint, and heals.”
Patricia Woodard will speak about the impacts of Christian Science and how it has benefitted her own life. For instance, the practice helped her when she experienced a dreadful situation with her teenage daughter. Christian Science has also saved her from the effects of an accident and has brought her healing.
Woodard will explain how Christian Science has also helped to guide other individuals to a healing path. According to Patch, Christian Science teaches individuals how to become free from burdens and free from pain.
Woodard shares, “The little bird in my hand was free to fly away. We’d banded him as part of an Audubon Society effort and the time had come for his release. But even when I opened my hand to let him go, he didn’t budge. What did he need? He just needed a little lift. When I gave him even the tiniest nudge upward, off he flew. Free! What is it that gives this kind of lift to our lives? Good news, for one thing. And what better news than the promise that health and freedom can be ours today. Yes, today!”
According to Patricia Woodard’s lecturer profile, she is the mother of two children, a full-time Christian Science practitioner, active in prison ministry, and a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship.
When she was an adolescent, her mother, a registered nurse, was shocked to witness her daughter’s broken arm completely healing through Christian Science treatment. That’s the time Christian Science became a true love to Woodard.
She used to work in the fashion business industry in New York City but always felt the urge to “help children learn how to learn.” That feeling motivated her to gain a master’s degree in teaching. With her passion for children combined with her love of Christian Science, she began to make time in her days to pray for others.
Woodard has since “pursued a lifelong career of learning about God, sharing Truth, and witnessing God’s love for mankind,” her profile mentions. She has resided in six U.S states and has lived in Sao Paulo, Brazil, twice. Living in Brazil, she became fluent in Portuguese.
She says she has learned more about God through experiencing different cultures and enjoys speaking with people from other age groups, faiths, cultures, and economic backgrounds.
While living in Brazil, she helped to create an award-winning social program. This program “taught mothers living in a favela [slum] how to make beautiful handmade quilts for resale.” The money earned from the quilts gave the women a feeling of self-worth and provided shoes for their children.
Woodward states, “Underlying all my experiences is the desire to bring healing to mankind, to show each individual their God-given freedom, their real heritage, their right to happiness and health, and their inherent ability to feel God’s love.”
Although the “Breaking News: Freedom Is Ours Now” lecture is virtual on November 11th, her other talks have been held at churches, community centers, food pantries, libraries, museums, and prisons, including local, state, and federal.
A brochure from The First Church of Christ talks about Christian Science. It states, “Many have found that when they better understand their relationship to God through this Science of Christianity, their health is restored and character transformed.”
For more information on this talk, visit Woodard Lecture.
