BOTH OF OUR TEXTS FOR TODAY REVEAL VARIOUS TIMES OF HEALING…
OUR OLD TESTAMENT READING OFFERS US A GLIMPSE INTO THE GRIEVING OF DAVID AS HE MOVES THROUGH A TIME OF RAW GRIEF AT THE LOSS OF BOTH KING SAUL & SAUL’S SON & DAVID’S CLOSE FRIEND, JONATHAN…
MARK’S GOSPEL OFFERS US TWO DIFFERENT HEALING ACCOUNTS: ONE ACCOUNT OF AN UN-NAMED WOMEN WITH A 12 YEAR AILMENT & ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF A 12 YEAR OLD GIRL WHO SUFFERS FROM SOME LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESS. BOTH ACCOUNTS SHOW US HOW GOD’S LOVE & CARE BRINGS THESE TWO WOMEN BACK TO WHOLENESS & HEALTH…
NOW THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF HEALING… THERE ARE TIMES OF INDIVIDUAL HEALING AND THERE ARE TIMES OF GROUP HEALING… I IMAGINE THAT EACH OF US HAS LOST A FAMILY MEMBER - A PARENT, A SIBLING, A CHILD, OR A SPOUSE - OR WE HAVE LOST A FRIEND OR ACQUAINTANCE… AND I IMAGINE THAT EACH OF US KNOWS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO MOVE THROUGH THE GRIEF PROCESS AS INDIVIDUALS…
I IMAGINE THAT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE GRIEF PROCESS CAN GRIP AN ENTIRE COUNTRY AS IT DID AFTER THE EVENTS OF 9/11. AFTER SEPT. 11, 2001 WE RECOGNIZED THAT OUR WHOLE NATION MOVED THROUGH A TIME OF GRIEF AS WELL AS NEEDED HEALING AFTER THE DEVESTATION THAT OCCURRED IN NEW YORK CITY, IN WASHINGTON, & IN PENNSYLVANIA…
A COLLECTIVE GRIEF PROCESS CAN ALSO TAKE PLACE IN A CHURCH FAMILY… I KNOW THAT THIS CHURCH CAN IDENTIFY MORE THAN ONE OCCASION WHEN IT HAS HAD TO MOVE THROUGH GRIEF AND LOSS AND INTO A TIME OF HEALING - AFTER THE SUDDEN & UNEXPECTED DEATH OF CO-PASTOR BELINDA FIORILLIO AS WELL AS AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF ANY OF YOUR PASTORS WHO HAVE DEPARTED OR RETIRED… ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAVE AN INTERIM TIME BETWEEN SETTLED PASTORS IS SO THAT A CONGREGATION CAN MOVE THROUGH A TIME OF GRIEVING AS WELL AS A HEALING TIME, AS THE CHURCH FAMILY ADJUSTS AND ACCOMMODATES FOR THE PERSON WHO IS NO LONGER HERE… AND IS SUSPECT WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT ANY GRIEF EXPERIENCE TAPS INTO OTHER GRIEF EXPERIENCES OF OUR OWN HISTORY…
I’M SURE THAT EACH OF US CAN BRING TO MIND EXAMPLES IN OUR OWN PERSONAL LIVES WHEN WE HAVE SUFFERED FROM GRIEF AND WHEN WE HAVE NEEDED TIMES OF HEALING… MOST OF US CAN RECALL A TIME OR TIMES WHEN WE HAVE HADE TO TAKE TIME FOR HEALING TO HAPPEN… MOST OF US HAVE HAD TIMES IN OUR LIVES WHEN WE HAVE SUFFERED LOSS & NEEDED HEALING TIME…
MY OWN LIFE IS OF COURSE NO EXCEPTION –THERE HAVE BEEN ANY NUMBER OF PAINFUL EXPERIENCES IN MY LIFE FROM WHICH I HAVE HAD TO MOVE THROUGH A HEALING TIMES AFTER GRIEF:
EACH OF US EXERIENCES TIMES OF GREAT PAIN, TIMES WHEN OUR LIVES SEEM OVERWHELMED WITH GRIEF OR SORROW, TIMES WHEN THE BURDEN OF LIVING WITH PAIN OF MIND, BODY OR SPIRIT SEEMS TOO MUCH TO BEAR… LIKE DAVID, WE UNDERSTAND THE PAIN OF GRIEF AND LOSS…
JESUS UNDERSTOOD THE NEED FOR HEALING TIMES IN PEOPLE’S LIVES… MARK’S GOSPEL TELLS US OF TWO HEALING TIMES – IN THE LIVES OF TWO UN-NAMED WOMEN AND BOTH OF THESE HEALINGS REVEAL SOMETHING ABOUT GOD AT WORK IN THIS WORLD. JESUS SHOWS US A LOVING GOD WHO WANTS WHAT IS FRACTURED TO BE MADE WHOLE, WHO WANTS WHAT IS AFFLICTED TO BE RELIEVED, WHO WANTS RELEASE FOR THOSE WHO ARE BOUND, AND WHO WANTS TO INCLUDE EVERYONE, EVEN THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED.
JESUS MODELED OVER & OVER AGAIN THE INBREAKING OF GOD’S NEW KIN-DOM INTO THIS WORLD… WHEN JESUS FELT GOD’S POWER FLOW THROUGH HIM TO HEAL THE WOMAN IN THE CROWD – HE COULD HAVE JUST LET THE WOMAN DISAPPEAR INTO THE CROWD QUIETLY… JESUS KNEW THAT THE WOMAN HAD BEEN HEALED BY TOUCHING THE HEM OF HIS ROBE… AND JESUS STOPS EVERYONE (EVEN AS HE WAS HEADING TOWARD ANOTHER PERSON IN CRISIS)! JESUS CALLS FORTH THIS WOMAN WHO HAD BEEN REJECTED BY HER SOCIETY – REJECTED BOTH BECAUSE OF HER AILMENT (WHICH MADE HER UNTOUCHABLE IN THAT CULTURE ) & BECAUSE OF HER INABILITY TO PRODUCE CHILDREN… JESUS WANTED EVERYONE TO SEE AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE WOMAN WHO HAD BEEN CONSIDERED UNCLEAN IN SOCIETY’S EYES WAS WELCOME IN GOD’S EYES.
JESUS WANTED US TO KNOW THAT NO ONE IS EXCLUDED FROM GOD’S LOVE – ANY ONE WHO BELIEVES CAN BE HEALED & BE MADE WHOLE… JESUS WANTS THE CROWD AND US TO HEAR HIM CALL THE PREVIOUSLY NAMELESS & HOMELESS WOMAN TO BE CALLED BY GOD’S NAME, “DAUGHTER”!
AND JESUS REACHES OUT AS WELL TO JAIRUS AND TO HIS YOUNG DAUGHTER … JESUS WANTS JAIRUS AND US TO KNOW THAT FEAR IS NOT THE ANSWER. JESUS WANTS US TO KNOW THAT FAITH IS THE ANSWER!! JESUS WANTS US TO KNOW THAT OUR WORK IS TO TRUST IN GOD…
HEALING TIMES HAPPEN WHEN WE GIVE GOD A CHANCE! HEALING IS POSSIBLE WHEN WE GIVE GOD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH OUT & TOUCH US… HEALING HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE OPEN TO GOD’S LOVING TOUCH… HEALING OCCURS WHEN WE ARE TRULY READY FOR HEALING TO OCCUR…AND, YES, WE MUST BE WILLING TO LET HEALING HAPPEN… JESUS ENCOURAGES US TO PARTICIPATE FULLY IN HEALING TIMES… IN OUR BOOK DISCUSSION ON THE SHACK IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS WE IDENTIFIED OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT MACK, THE LEAD CHARACTER, HAD TO BE READY TO RECEIVE THE HEALING THAT GOD OFFERS…
THIS CONGREGATION KNOWS ABOUT THE NEED TO PROVIDE A SAFE PLACE FOR HEALING TIMES… BY CHOOSING TO BECOME AN OPEN & AFFIRMING CONGREGATION AFTER A TWO YEAR PROCESS, THIS CONGREGATION HAS TAKEN A PUBLIC STANCE & HAS TAKEN AN ACT OF TRUST THAT IN THIS COMMUNITY OF FAITH THERE WILL BE NO BARRIERS TO FAITH. THIS CONGREGATION HAS DECLARED THAT HERE AT ROCKY HILL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, NO ONE WILL BE EXCLUDED!
THIS CHURCH HAS DECLARED THAT THIS IS A PLACE THAT WELCOMES EVERYONE – NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU ARE ON LIFE’S JOURNEY… THIS CHURCH, I BELIEVE, MEANS IT WHEN WE SAY: EVERYONE IS WELCOME HERE! WE MAY YET HAVE THINGS TO LEARN ABOUT HOW WE ENACT THIS INCLUSIVITY… THIS CHURCH HAS DECLARED ITSELF OPEN AND AFFIRMING AND THAT MEANS THAT NO ONE WILL BE EXCLUDED.
LISTEN TO THIS WRITER WHO TALKS ABOUT HER OWN HEALING, AS SHE HAS LEARNED HOW TO LIVE WITH A CHRONIC ILLNESS CALLED LUPUS:
“HEALING IS… WE CAN ENCOURAGE IT, HELP CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT FOR IT, BUT WE CANNOT DO IT… YET WE ARE AN INDISPENSABLE PART OF THE PROCESS… IN MANY WAYS, SURRENDER IS AT THE HEART OF MY PURSUIT OF HEALING… WE YIELD OURSELVES TO GOD FREELY, NOT UNDER COERCION. SURRENDER IS NOT RESIGNATION. IT IS AN INVITATION INTO SOMETHING GREATER, FULLER THAN OURSELVES. IT IS ALSO AN INVITATION TO BECOME OURSELVES MORE FULLY. SURRENDER IS NOT SO MUCH A GIVING UP AS IT IS AN OPENING UP.” (Weavings July/August 1991 pp 28-36 Jean Blomquist –“To touch the fringe of God’s garment”)
EACH OF US HAS TO BE WILLING TO REACH OUT & TO ASK FOR & SEEK OUT THE POWER THAT CAN HELP US HEAL… THE POWER OF THE TRINITY – GOD-POWER, JESUS-POWER, SPIRIT-POWER IS AVAILABLE TO EACH OF US. THIS POWER CAN TRANSFORM US - IF WE REACH OUT & SEEK THE HEM OF JESUS’ ROBE…
THE “12 STEP” PROGRAMS (LIKE ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS) REMIND US:
WE BEGIN FIRST BY ADMITTING THAT WE, ALONE, ARE POWERLESS OVER WHATEVER THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE… WE BEGIN BY ADMITTING THAT WE DO NOT MANAGE OUR LIVES BY OURSELVES…
THE SECOND STEP IS TO TESTIFY THAT WE BELIEVE THAT A POWER GREATER THAN OURSELVES CAN RESTORE US TO HEALTH.
THIRD, WE TURN OUR LIVES OVER TO THE CARE OF GOD, HOWEVER WE UNDERSTAND GOD…
THESE FIRST THREE STEPS HELP US ADMIT THAT WE CANNOT & DO NOT HEAL OURSELVES… ONLY WITH THE HELP OF A HIGHER POWER, ONLY WHEN WE OPEN OURSELVES TO GOD’S HELP CAN WE MANAGE LIFE AT ALL…
IN OUR READING FROM II SAMUEL THIS MORNING, WE HEARD DAVID TAKING THE 1ST STEPS TOWARD HEALING AS HE OPENLY GRIEVES HIS LOSS. DAVID MOURNS & GRIEVES IN THE WAY THAT WAS BEST FOR HIM – HE WROTE POETRY & HE SANG – NAMING BOTH THE LOSS & THE POWERFUL MEMORIES OF THOSE WHO HAVE GONE… DAVID OPENLY GRIEVES…
MOST OF US KNOW THE WORK OF KUBLER ROSS, WHO IDENTIFIED THAT FACING OUR OWN OR SOMEONE ELSE’S DEATH & DYING IS A PROCESS, A PROCESS WITH VERY PREDICTABLE STAGES. GRIEVING IS A PROCESS THAT WE EACH MOVE THROUGH IN FITS & STARTS. KUBLER ROSS NAMED THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF GRIEF WORK AS: ANGER, DENIAL, BARGAINING, SADNESS & DEPRESSION, AND FINALLY ACCEPTANCE. THESE STAGES OF GRIEF ARE NOT COMPLETED IN SOME NEAT & ORDERLY FASHION HOWEVER. GRIEVING IS A DIFFERENT PROCESS FOR EACH ONE OF US.
WHETHER IT IS MOURNING THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE, OR FACING INTO ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR, COPING WITH THE LOSS OF A PASTOR, OR COPING WITH A CHRONIC OR LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESS – WE MOVE THROUGH THE STEPS OF GRIEVING (ANGER, DENIAL, BARGANING, SADNESS, DEPRESSION & ACCEPTANCE) AT OUR OWN PACE AND ON OUR OWN UNIQUE TIMELINE… THERE IS NO ONE “CORRECT” OR “RIGHT” WAY TO GRIEVE…
HEALING IS A PROCESS… IT DOES NOT GET ACCOMPLISHED ALL AT ONCE OR IN SOME “RIGHT” TIME FRAME… EACH HEALING PROCESS IS UNIQUE TO EACH OF US… EACH HEALING PROCESS TAKES ITS OWN UNIQUE TIME AND SPACE…
LIKE THE WOMAN WHO REACHED OUT TO TOUCH JESUS’ GARMENT, WE TOO MUST LEARN HOW TO REACH OUT FOR GOD’S HELP!...
LET US THANK GOD FOR TIMES OF HEALING – HEALING OF MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT…
LET US GIVE THANKS THAT GOD WELCOMES EACH AND EVERYONE OF US – NO MATTER WHO WE ARE OR WHERE WE ARE ON LIFE’S JOURNEY….
AMEN