There was a healing service in our normal Wednesday Eucharist in Chapel. I always hesitate with these sort of services, because I’m not sure if I feel renewed or healed by the laying of hands. I understand that it’s not about “getting something out of it,” in a tangible way. But what is it exactly?
Still feeling the olive oil on my forehead from my blessing, I looked over at some of the other stations in the chapel. At one station, a staff member was laying hands on a faculty member who has recently received news that he has low-functioning in his kidneys and will eventually need a transplant.
Still feeling the olive oil on my forehead from my blessing, I looked over at some of the other stations in the chapel. At one station, a staff member was laying hands on a faculty member who has recently received news that he has low-functioning in his kidneys and will eventually need a transplant.
And the tears started to fall.
This is what I was supposed to “get out of it.” Co-workers, colleagues, brothers in Christ, laid hands on one another for healing and wholeness. There wasn’t a magic moment where I saw his kidneys suddenly return to 100% functioning. This was a moment where the community of LSTC touched hands to head of the body of Christ: the people.
When I sat down to write this blog entry, already knowing that I wanted to share this moment of the healing service, I was actually on an airplane. Mid-writing, the flight attendant announced that if there were any doctors, nurses, or EMTs, that someone needed assistance. A woman on my flight was feeling light-headed and needed oxygen. An Army nurse, a nurse practitioner and an EMT all rushed to this woman's side.
There was no oil. There were no albs. There were was no stained glass. While I was no longer in Augustana Chapel at LSTC, the body of Christ continued to heal and be healed on an Alaska Air flight.
This is what I was supposed to “get out of it.” Co-workers, colleagues, brothers in Christ, laid hands on one another for healing and wholeness. There wasn’t a magic moment where I saw his kidneys suddenly return to 100% functioning. This was a moment where the community of LSTC touched hands to head of the body of Christ: the people.
When I sat down to write this blog entry, already knowing that I wanted to share this moment of the healing service, I was actually on an airplane. Mid-writing, the flight attendant announced that if there were any doctors, nurses, or EMTs, that someone needed assistance. A woman on my flight was feeling light-headed and needed oxygen. An Army nurse, a nurse practitioner and an EMT all rushed to this woman's side.
There was no oil. There were no albs. There were was no stained glass. While I was no longer in Augustana Chapel at LSTC, the body of Christ continued to heal and be healed on an Alaska Air flight.
That was a pretty cool service, and I kinda felt the same way, but when I started to look around, it brought it home for me too. Hope you had a great trip!
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