Not everyone will experience the specific healing he or she is
seeking, but many will. However, each one will be blessed and helped in
some way. ~Albert E.
Day
Welcome dear
friend, to a series on the healing stories of Jesus. The root of the word healing
in New Testament Greek, sozo, is the same as that of salvation
and wholeness. (UM Book of Worship) Over
the summer, looking at the healing stories of Jesus has been a life-giving experience
for me! We close out our series with one of the most mysterious and
misunderstood sayings that Jesus spoke as we ponder the future of healing
ministries in the church.
I invite you
to enter into a time of Lectio
Divina, contemplative prayer with scripture, as we explore one of the
healing stories of Jesus. Gather your journal if you have one, your bible
and something to write with or simply use your computer, I've provided
everything you need.
At the last
supper, Jesus said this to his disciples: "If you will ask me
anything in my name, I will do it." That is a pretty clear
statement. The only problem is that I've heard people ask plenty of
things in the name of Jesus and Jesus didn't do what they asked. As a
matter of fact, I was once standing in a hospice facility with the family of
someone who was dying when a pastor (on speakerphone) told a dying young woman
to get up and walk out of the hospital because God was going to provide a
miracle in the name of Jesus. "Get up and walk! Get up and
walk!" Wow, that was terribly uncomfortable ... and disappointing
... and abusive. I confess I was a member of that family. I spent a
couple of hours in the chapel, crying. I felt like my soul had been
battered and bruised after so many days of waiting vigil, every day listening
to the doctor say, "this may be the day." We needed comfort and
all we got was a few platitudes, the sinner's prayer, and a failed healing
directive on the phone that night.
Needless to
say, this passage bothers me on many levels. If I believe in Jesus, and
take seriously the authority and presence of Christ, then why do I not get what
I want and need when I pray? Why do homeless people not have homes, why
do hungry people not get fed, why do hard-working people not have jobs, why is
there child abuse, war and refugees? I could go on for hours listing all
of the wonderful things that could happen if this passage means what it sounds
like it means. Maybe, my faith is not deep enough. Maybe, none of
us have faith enough to ask anything in the name of Jesus. Maybe Jesus had a
twinkle in his eye, just kidding his friends, the disciples, and they
understood that. Maybe the translators got this one wrong!
This is when
taking a passage and seeking the Spirit's guidance via lectio divina, is most
helpful to me. It is obvious from real life and passionately prayerful
people that we cannot read this passage as a "get out of life and death
free" pass.
Take a moment
to begin with a Breath Prayer.
Breathing in ... Jesus, healer
and miracle worker
Breathing out ... show me the
miracles of everyday living
Repeat
your breath prayer until you feel relaxed and centered
Pray for
illumination of the text, use this one or pray what emerges from within
you: Jesus, you are a remarkable healer and a miracle
worker. You call upon me, as your follower, to perform even greater
miracles than you did. How can that be? Show me, Jesus, the
miracles of my own ordinary life. In your name, Amen.
1.
Lectio/Read: John 14:12-14
As you read,
perhaps there is a word or phrase that will shimmer off of the page and into
your heart. Perhaps an image will come to you as you sit with these
mysterious words. Let that word, phrase or
image draw you into the story. How does
the energy of the story gather around your word, phrase or image? Let that energy lead you into your next
reading.
 |
| Mosaic in Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo. Ravenna. Last Supper. Public Domain via WikiMedia Commons |
I
tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the
miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these,
because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so
that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name,
I will do it.
2.
Meditatio/Meditation
Read the
text a second time. You may find that the same word, phrase or image has
energy for you, but you may also find that the energy has shifted. As you
think about your life and relationships, how does your word, phrase or image
illuminate where you are right now. How does this passage challenge
you? Take your journal or a page on your
computer and write … Don't think about what you are writing as you let God lead
you deeper into the text illuminated by your life.
3.
Oratio/Pray
Read the text
a third time. Then read your own writing if you wrote anything. Are
there any connections you can make between what you read and the writing that
flowed from your reading? How do you respond to what God is saying to you
through the text? What do you want to say to God about what you are
hearing? Take a moment to write again in your journal or on your computer
as a prayer in response to what you have heard.
4.
Contemplatio/Contemplation
Take a
moment to pause. Allow your breath prayer to emerge again. You can
use the same one from the beginning or perhaps a new one will emerge for
you. As you continue to pray, let the words fade away into silence. Spend
time simply "be"ing with God.
Breathing in ... Jesus, healer and miracle-worker
Breathing out ... the glory of God shines upon the world
through you
Repeat your breath prayer until
it fades into silence ...
Allow your
experience of praying with this healing story of Jesus to come to a close when
you are ready to move on. Let the Spirit lead you and guide you into the
presence of God as you engage your life as a loving and healing presence to
others.
Close with a
prayer to send yourself into the world, use this one or pray what emerges from
within you: Healing Jesus, the
miracles you performed amaze me but the fact that you call me to join you in
this ministry is even more astounding.
Thank you for showing me the path and the glory of God in the details of
life. Amen.
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