Verse of the Day
Sermon - "Healing" August 21-22, 2010
Today we hear the Gospel story about Jesus healing the bent/crippled woman who suffered for 18 years with this disability. She didn’t even ask Jesus to heal her. Instead he saw her, was filled with compassion, laid his hands on her and simply said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” He took some flak from the established church for healing her on the Sabbath Day, but Jesus’ response puts them in their place. If they would have compassion for an animal to give it water on the Sabbath, why would it not be good to relieve her of her suffering on that day too?I have a story about healing ministry from my sabbatical that I would like to share with you. Actually I have to admit, I’m a little hesitant to tell you about it because it is so radical. It happened, though, and I know I am supposed to speak it out.
On the first leg of the sabbatical to South Africa, Mother Jacquelyn and I were asked to address the Synod of Grahamstown. We changed our plans before we left home to go directly to a town called East London where the Synod would be held. We arrived there on a Tuesday; planned to address the Synod Tuesday evening; spend day Wednesday with clergy of that diocese; and leave on Thursday. We were put up in the home of the rector and his family of that church in East London. His wife, Simone, was very involved in healing ministry in South Africa. She told us about some radical healings that are taking place. For example, Iris Ministries in Mozambique where they are taking literally the command to heal the sick, make the blind see, & raise the dead.
They are actually doing that!! I’m a skeptic. That seems impossible, although the Iris Ministry books are filled with story after story of doing just that. Simone is quite excited about a Healing Conference that is taking place the same week we are in East London, SA. A man named Bill Johnson from California is the leader and he will be talking about this same kind of healing ministry. We consider that it is possible the Lord has brought us all the way from the US to SA to hear about this healing ministry. So after some prayer, we change our plans (flights, and appointments later in the week) and plan to stay in East London through Sunday.
The Conference with Bill Johnson is starting the next day. That evening, after we have changed all our plans, we get notification that Bill Johnson and the team could not fly into SA because of the volcanic cloud out of Iceland. The conference is canceled. We are very surprised and confused. Did we misunderstand what we thought the Lord was asking us to do? As it turns out, there were very good reasons for us remaining in East London for the Synod. That’s another sermon for another day – but know that the Lord used that time in a very powerful way, both for Mother Jacquelyn and me, as well as for the diocese of Grahamstown.
Second leg: My next trip was to Scotland and England. I had originally planned to be home 2 weeks, but my niece Lacy, my traveling companion for this leg of the sabbatical, had to be back from the trip to work Memorial Day weekend. So I changed the dates of the trip leaving a week earlier. There would be one Sunday in Scotland; and one in England. I really wanted to immerse myself in Holy Trinity Church, Brompton, England -- the founders of the Alpha Course. So naturally the one Sunday we could be in England, we planned to worship at Holy Trinity.
It was Pentecost Sunday, and guess who the preacher was for the Sunday we were there? Bill Johnson!! I was astounded. How is this possible? Prior to my trip to SA, I didn’t even know who Bill Johnson was. With all the changes I had to make to the England trip, how is it that the one Sunday I can be there, he happens to be the preacher? He had never preached there before. We heard that busloads of people were coming to hear him, so we made sure we were in the queue (British for standing in line) very early that Sunday morning. I knew I was supposed to hear this man. Briefly, this is what he said:
In the Gospels, Jesus heals many people and then trains his followers to do the same. He gives them, and gives us, a mandate: “As the father sent me, so I send you.” And what are we sent to do? “Heal sick, cleanse lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons, freely you rec’d, freely give.” (MT 10:8) Bill tells of people asking him for spiritual direction for their life. “Bill, should I be teacher or an accountant?” “Pick one then heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons….” “Bill, I’m wondering if I should get married or not?” “Want to be married?” “Yes.” “Then go get married, then heal….” It’s not hard. It’s actually simple and clear cut. As the Father sent me, so I send you.
The Kingdom of God is very near, which means it is breaking into the world, as we know it. It is that near. And so when God says to us that we are to heal, God means us and God means now. Our assignment on earth is not to go to heaven; that’s our destiny. Our assignment, our task, is to bring heaven into this hurting world.
And then as if I didn’t get the message, when I was on the 3rd leg of the sabbatical across the US, the Rev. Sara Miles of St. Gregory’s in San Francisco said the exact same words to me – we are commanded to heal the sick, raise the dead, cure the lepers, cast out demons. There was no way I could escape it. The message was loud and clear on every continent.
Jesus promises us, “I’m going to work in your life beyond anything you can ask or imagine.” That means beyond the realm of your greatest prayer on your best day of praying; beyond the greatest dream you could dream, beyond the reach of your greatest imagination. Have you seen Jesus working in that way? Jesus tells us, “You will do greater works than I have done.” We haven’t even come up to the works he did, no less beyond them.
God will do abundantly beyond all that we could ask or think, according to the power that works within us. We host the Spirit of God – sent to us, dwelling in us. The Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives within us, as the power within, ready to work through us to change the world. Our task on earth is to bring God’s reality to this hurting world; the Kingdom of God is that near.
I told you last week that I am a changed person because of the sabbatical. God expects much of us here at Christ Church, more than I had dared to imagine. My vision has been broken open, expanded, and I see God’s desire for health and wholeness for the poor, the suffering, the sick, and the outcast. And I believe we are to play a major role in bringing that about in this community. I was hesitant to speak of this because it pushes us out of our comfort zone.
Can we explore this together? Pray about this together? Let’s discover what God wants to do through us. I invite you to be a part of the Order of St. Luke, or the Monday night prayer group, or maybe we form a new group to pray for this kind of healing. Throughout the sabbatical, this message of God’s healing power surfaced over and over again. It was compelling and pushed me out of my comfort zone. Through us, by the power of the Spirit living within each of us, God will transform the world. The Kingdom of God is indeed that near.
Mother Joan