Had a healing service this am. I had been freaking out a little bit beforehand because I was not nearly as prepared as I should have been. And yet - it was amazing.
Our practice is that people are invited forward to kneel at the altar to receiving laying on of hands and anointing with oil. They generally are asked if there is anything in particular for which they'd like to pray. Usually people have tons of physical ailments and there is never any mention of mental/emotional or spiritual health. Each time we've had one of these things I've mentioned the entirely of health, not only focusing on physical ailments. But, maybe it was my sermon, maybe it was because the building was cold (we haven't turned our heat on yet), maybe it's recognition that we are more than our physical selves - a large percentage of people asked for prayer for a specific emotional/mental or spiritual health issue - either for themselves or for a loved one.
From bi-polar disorder, to impatience, to doubt, to inability to forgive, to feeling betrayed by the institutional church...it was amazing. If you can't verbalize this stuff with God and at church something is not right.
Unfortunately, I also found out that 2 people have recently been diagnosed with cancer and a third is having another test after she's been in remission for a little over a year. Not the way I like to discover that. Ick.
1 comment:
I remember the shocks I had at our healing service- learning of the diseases that plagued people- but I guess it was also a holy moment, when we (those of us who laid on hands) were really seen as confessor and as healer. What an important and rather humbling combination- isnt' it. Sister, keep on being your wonderful self.
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