Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Tuesday in the Fourth Week of Lent.

"O God, with you is the well of life, and in your light we see light: Quench our thirst with living water, and flood our darkened minds with heavenly light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."


Psalm 46:1-8Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12, and John 5:1-18

Every Wednesday at 10:30 AM we have a healing service here at St. Paul's. Sometimes we have as few as 3 people attend, and sometimes we'll have as many as 10. Each time, though, this is a very intimate and holy time. We don't share the things that we are seeking healing from; we don't take about the pain that we may be carrying around or seeking to offer up. Each week, though, people come forward for a laying on of hands and a healing prayer.

This service begins with a litany of prayers, and one of the closing petitions is, "With you, O Lord, is the well of life, and in your light we see light." I love those words, and I love the images that it conjures up. I love the idea of the deepness of God going as deep as a well and the light of God emanating from the depths of that well. I feel like it's such beautiful imagery, especially in a liturgy for healing.

Like I said, I don't know what the people are seeking healing from or if they're seeking healing on the behalf of someone else. We sometimes think that naming the thing that hurts us can help it be healed, and that's true. In some cases, though, it's nice to know that it can be something just between us and God, and we can toss that thing into the depth's of God's presence, knowing that God's response back will be the warmth of love, letting us know that there is a place that we can offer up those things that cause us grief and anguish.

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