Worship will be different this week. Just this week!
In the middle of the Lenten sermon series on prayer (having considered ‘what a life of prayer is about’ and ‘why it’s important that we pray together’), we’ve come to our 3rd topic, prayers for healing. Instead of staying in our heads– talking and thinking about healing prayers theoretically– we’re going to risk using our bodies and to try doing it: praying for health and wholeness and holiness…
Michael promises that worship will not feel like any miracle healings one might see on an evangelist’s t.v. program. Instead, our service will rest gently and rely in trust, as is our custom at Old First, on God’s grace and the loving support of a caring community.
The sermon will be shortened to a homily. And the prayer time will be lengthened. There will be more congregational singing. And a time for anyone in the congregation to lift up the names of those for whom they want to ask prayers.
There will also be a time for people who wish to come forward for healing prayer. Michael and the Elders (see James 5:13-16) will pray with people for healing: of their bodies or spirits, of relationships and families, of nations and our world. Those prayers will be determined by those who come forward and their requests.
If people wish, there can also be an anointing with oil, with the sign of the cross on one’s forehead or hands.
People of God, we draw strength for living from the sacred traditions of our church, but on occasion it can be very helpful, even healing, to seek or stretch for a new experience. Jesus’ invitation, after all, is to new life in Christ.
Join us in the sanctuary at 11 am with an openness to the Spirit’s leading us where we may not have been before…
