Healing Service

What an amazing day the Lord planned!

I have received so many encouraging emails from many friends. One of my good friends composed a song which she shared - the text touched my heart at just the right moment. I have felt like the woman who, needing healing, reached out through the crowd to touch the hem of His garment. Here are my friend's words:


JUST A GLIMPSE
Oh for crumbs from the table of the one who is able
To satisfy the longing in my soul
For the chance to adorn with rich perfume poured upon you
To smell the fragrance of your robe and lose myself in awe

CHORUS:
Just a glimpse of you
Just a glimpse would do
A ray of hope into this weary soul
Like a candlelight
Shines its fire in the night
Simple, yet profoundly burning
The smallest flame to light this journey
Jesus, just a glimpse of you

[hear it at http://www.geocities.com/leahvanmaaren/music/justaglimpse.html ]

In class we heard and thought about and analyzed Bach's B Minor Mass, his St Matthew Passion,a few of Handel's anthems, a Haydn mass, the Lotti Crucifixus (there it is again!) - all sorts of tremendous, uplifting and Scripturally significant music.


Then at chapel, there was a baptism of a student from Taiwan, who is a business major here. The Parish nurses are here and the chapel was fuller than last week. It was a good service.

More class, then the healing service. Here is the order of service, though words do not do it justice.

A Service of Healing

June 13, 2007; Rogate Chapel
Concordia University Milwaukee

Prelude

O God, Our Help in Ages Past ( free improvisation)

James Marriott, organ

[O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come; our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home. Under the shadow of Thy throne Thy saints have dwelt secure; sufficient is Thine arm alone, and our defense is sure.]

Confession of sins
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I John 1: 8 and 9 (read responsively)

Silent reflection on God's Word/self examination

Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
(read together)
Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

John 1:12; Philippians 1:6
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for His sake God forgives us all our sins. To those who believe in Jesus Christ He gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit. May the Lord, who has begun this good work in us, bring it to completion in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

O God be merciful to me ( J S Bach)

Dr. James Freese, organ

[Have mercy, my God, for the sake of my tears! See here, before you heart and eyes weep bitterly. Have mercy, my God. (taken from the St Matthew Passion)]


Word

James 5:13-16 (King James Version)
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Prayer

Touch us, tender God, with the holiness of Your Spirit. Let Your awesome power flow from one person to another and be felt as inward peace. Bring forth in us the confidence to speak Your work, the awareness to recognize Your healing work in our lives, and the courage to build Your kingdom of peace and wellness. Lay Your hands gently upon us and strengthen us to do Your will and sing Your praises. Amen.

Anointing

May you desire to be healed.

May what is wounded in your life be restored to good health.

May you be receptive to the ways in which healing needs to happen.

May you take good care of yourself.

May you extend compassion to all that hurts within your body, mind, spirit.

May you be patient with the time it takes to heal.

May the skills of all those who are caring for you be used to the best of their ability in returning you to good health.

May you be open to receive from those who extend kindness, care and compassion to you.

May you rest peacefully under the sheltering wings of Divine Love, trusting in God's gracious presence.

May you find little moments of beauty and joy to sustain you.

May you keep hope in your heart. Amen.

[forehead and palms of the hands are anointed with oil in the sign of a cross]

Prayer of Thanksgiving/Benediction

Pastor Steve Smith, ministering

Postlude
My Faith Looks Up to Thee/There is a Balm in Gilead (free improvisation)

James Marriott, organ

[My faith looks up to Thee, Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine! Now hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away, O let me from this day be wholly Thine!/There is a balm in Gilead, to make the wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead, to heal the sin sick soul.]

How gently Jim wove those two hymns together - God's healing, our reaching out. It was tremendously symbolic and moving. Everyone came to encourage me with a hug, a blessing, good wishes, and caring. How much that meant to me! I have been given a "small flame to light this journey" and a glimpse of Jesus, as my friend's song says. I am uplifted and filled with the love of God, encouraged and knowing that in the days ahead, whatever may come, I can look back to this moment in time and remember that God is at work in my life.

Tomorrow I will think about this day more. I want to be able to hold services for others who are dealing with cancer. Today has been an important step in that process. Thank you for your prayers and your caring.

And let me know if I can share this amazing love of Christ with you.