A Holy Intersection

I was eighteen years into my ministry before I really took seriously the healing ministry of Jesus.  One of those ten years I was in Vidalia, I decided to lead an adult study during the Vacation Bible School hours. The study was entitled, "The Healing Ministry of the Church."  I spent several months ahead of the study reading about the healing ministry of Jesus as it was recorded in the gospel as well as what the Apostles wrote about it to the early church.  As I recall there were two books which really helped me prepare for these small group sessions.  One was a book simply entitled, "Healing," by Father Francis MacNutt and the other was entitled, "Healing and Christianity" by Morton T. Kelsey.   Since both books were published in the "70's, they would no doubt be considering ancient and outdated.   

As is often the case when a preacher, or anyone, prepares to lead a group, he or she is likely to be the first one impacted by the material.  By the time I considered myself ready to lead the group, I was convicted by an awareness that I had been neglecting an important ministry of the church.  This conviction has not changed over the years which have slipped away behind me.   When the Vacation Bible School adult group study was finished, I put on our regular schedule a fourth Sunday night service which I called, "A Service of Prayers for Healing."  Such a service would continue in some form for the rest of my years of ministry.  

There was never a huge crowd present.  Actually, it was a small group that gathered on those fourth Sunday nights, but everyone knew it was a night when the sermon would be on the healing ministry of Jesus, the Sacrament would be offered, and those who had a need could stay at the altar after receiving the Communion for anointing with oil and prayers for healing.  While there were those who were regulars for the service, there were always some unexpected folks who showed up with a need for the ministry being offered during a moment which seemed to be an intersection between raw human need and the abundant grace of God.