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Archived 09/02: A Message From the Pastor
Rev. Alice Ann Bonham
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May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. We have come to lift up our brothers and sisters before the Lord that they might receive healing. Let those who seek God's healing open their hearts to the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Peter 1:2) |
confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Through such
healing, God works to bring about reconciliation between God and
humanity, among individuals and communityies, whithin each
person, and between humanity and the rest of creation. The New
Testament records that Jesus himself headled the estranged and
sick and sent out his disciples on ministreis of healing. James
(5:14-16a) calls us also to pray for and anoint the sick, that
they may be healed. (The United Methodist Book of worship, page 613) The above quotation is the beginning of paragraph from the introduction to "A Service of Healing" found in the Book of Worship. It is this service that we will use during our morning worship service on September 8th. Healing is about wholeness, reconciliation and restoration. I invite you to come to worship that morning prepared to encounter God's healing, restorative, and grace-filled presence. Join us as we come together to worship, mourn and comfort one another and let God's love come upon us. |
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Dear Friends in Christ, As I write this, we are just six weeks away from the first anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11. So much has changed in the world since that horrific day and yet for many of us very little of what affects our individual lives has changed at all. For a time there were continuous news reports of "The War on Terror" and how the military campaign was going in Afghanistan. Much of that has diminished. Instead we have news alerts of "possible terrorist activities" that remind us to be vigilant in looking for people and situations that are "out of the ordinary". Yes through it all, most of us continue to live our "normal" lives. Except that normal is now different from normal before 9/11. We're a little more anxious when our loved ones travel. We watch the news a little more closely. We some how anticipate the worst instead of looking for the best. The toll of human tragedy is beyond measure and included in that cost is our innocence - the belief that we would always be safe. And so we continue to mourn all that we and our nation have lost. |
While we have come far in our
healing process and are learning to live in a post 9/11 world,
many of us are still mouring and angry. We want revenge and find
forgiveness to be impossible. In order to help in the healing
process and to honor those who were lost, Ridley Park United
Methodist Church will have "A Service of Healing" on
Sunday, September 8, 2002 at 10:45 A.M. Scripture strongly affirms ministries of spiritual healing, which in recent years have received renewed emphasis throughout Christ's holy Church. The root of the word healing in New Testament Greek, sozo, is the same as that of salvation and wholeness. Spiritual healing is God's work of offering persons balance, harmony, and wholeness of body, mind, spirit, and relationships through |
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The Lord who heals all your iniquity bless and keep you; the face of the Lord who heals all affliction shien upon you and be gracious to you; the light of the countenance of the Lord who redeems your life be lifted upon you and give you peace. Amen.
Pastor Alice Ann
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