THREE STREAMS—ONE MIGHTY RIVER OF FAITH
PART 3 “Holy” --The Holy Spirit
Sunday, January 29, 2012
“We believe in…one, holy ,catholic & apostolic church” --Nicene Creed
I understand that a kindergarten teacher at Quaker Farm elementary school once gave her class a "show and tell" assignment. Each student was instructed to bring in an object to share with the class that represented their community of faith.
The next day, the first student got up in front of the class and said, "My name is Benjamin. I go to the Beth El Synagogue in Southbury. I am Jewish and this is a Star of David."
The second student got up in front of the class and said, "My name is Mary. I'm a Roman Catholic, and I go to St. Thomas the Apostle. This is a Rosary."
The third student got in up front of the class and said, "My name is Tommy. I go to Christ church Quaker Farms, and this is a casserole.
For the past couple weeks, we have been exploring how God’s church is like one mighty river of faith, made up of three streams.
• Last Sunday, we discussed that the apostolic stream represents the teaching of the apostles, which refers to the Bible. As examples, I spoke of sermons and bible studies as tools which God can use to speak to us today.
• The week prior to that, we discussed how all who believe in Jesus Christ are part of the universal catholic church. I spoke of the Holy Eucharist as an expression of that oneness in Christ, which we share with all other believers. Elsewhere in the Bible, this unity and oneness is described in another way, as God’s word calls us, together, the very Body of Christ in the world.
• Today we move to the final steam, the Holy stream, which refers to God the Holy Spirit.
Christians worship one God, who has expressed himself in three different manners at different times in history.
• From the time of creation, up until the first Christmas, God primarily expressed himself as God the Father Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth.
• From the first Christmas until 50 days after Jesus rose from the dead, God primarily expressed himself as God the Son, Jesus Christ, the reconciler.
• And of course at the end of those 50 days until now, God has primarily expressed himself through the universal as God the Holy Spirit.
• Indeed, the Day of Pentecost is frequently called the Birthday of the Church, because it was on that occasion that God poured out His Spirit to all believers, and created the universal church in the first place.
Today’s first reading tell us that God the Holy Spirit gives many spiritual gifts to the church, and that these gifts are frequently misunderstood. One of the most misunderstood gifts of the Holy Spirit, identified in today’s reading, is the gift of healing.
• Over one third of the Gospel, such as today’s Gospel, are devoted to telling about Jesus’ healing ministry. Indeed, Jesus’ name means savior, the root of which comes from the Hebrew & Greek words for wholeness, completeness. The end result, of all healing, is this wholeness and completion in Christ.
• So, Christian healing focuses upon the whole person—body, mind, and soul. Indeed, Jesus came to earth in the first place to heal us from the ravages of a sinful and fallen world. As one pastor put it, “Illness is not because somebody sinned, but instead it is a by product of the fallen nature of the world.”
Now since healing involves the whole person, there are many types of healing: emotional, spiritual, physical, the healing of memories and the healing of relationships.
• No one has ever adequately explained why some people are healed, and other appear not to be. However, we are promised that when Christ returns, believers will then be totally headed and made whole.
• However, in the mean time the church is commanded in God’s word to pray for healing, just as we do every Sunday in our prayers, and in our Healing Services, such as today.
As an aside, I do want to tell you that Prayers for healing today will be offered at a different time and place we have done previously. Those wishing to pray for with our Prayer teams should meet them over at the side, while communion is being distributed, up through the conclusion of our service, and beyond. So, if you wish to pray with one of our Prayer Teams for yourself or for someone you love, then feel free to come up any time today after you have received communion.
Although I originally was skeptical, I first learned the value of praying of healing prayers when I spoke with someone , who had been healed. Charles was a 60 year old dentist at my first parish, who had requested prayer one Sunday. He had metastasized cancer and was preparing for his operation, which was scheduled for the following week. Neither of us had much hope. Was I ever surprised the following Sunday when he came up to me with the biggest grin on his face. He shouted, “Jesus healed me.” He explained that once the surgeons had opened they saw no sign of the cancer, and so the operation was canceled. Charles lived for another healthy 20 years or so, with never any sign of cancer.
So, no one can scientifically prove that God responds to our prayers for healing, but what we do know is that there are people who would bet their lives on it. One such person is a friend of Patti Doyle’s, named Ray Kehrhahn, who comes from Woodbury. I have invited Ray to come speak with us for a few minutes.
Question # 1 I understand that you have suffered through a long illness. Please briefly, tell us about that?
Undiagnosed Lyme Disease, Neurologic Lyme disease to be more specific… involves the lyme spirokyte attacking parts of the brain Question # 2 There must have been times when you felt very discouraged?
Yes, during the last several years… I experience very excruciating continues panic attacks, Agoraphobia, deep fear of all people including family members.
Question # 3 When did you start to get better?
I was finally diagnosed with lyme disease in late july of this year, I experience a profound awaking in late October, I woke up into a whole new world over the next several weeks
Question # 4. Patti said that you did not know that our Christ church Prayer Team had been praying for you for years? Once you learned, what impact did that have upon you?
When I learned that the prayer team had been praying for me, it brought to the fore front for me three different occasions, Occasions where doctors wanted me to return to taking very powerful pysoctropic drugs, at each time I resisted, and refused to return to taking them, Given what was happening It would have been the easy way out. So when Patti told me, I knew then that that power of pray is what had me stand my ground. If I had not, I would still be undiagnosed, and suffering.
Question # 5 As a result of this experience, what have you learned about God?
For me, the lesson in my experience is that God has given me a new purpose for my life, A purpose that would not be possible had I not experienced what I've gone through. That purpose is to awaken many parts of our society to the scourge of Neurologic lyme disease and that it exist, and profoundly affects individuals and families. The medical profession as a whole, at this time does not believe that lyme disease can persist despite the standard course of antibiotic treatment. Lyme disease if not caught early, buries itself in the body and takes extensive antibiotic treatment to cure.
Ray, we thank you for coming and sharing your story with us. Let’s all, together thank Ray and thank God, who is healing him.
So, God the Holy Spirit is amazingly wonderful. The Holy Spirit has no physical presence, so that you cannot touch Him or see Him with your physical eyes. But the Bible tells us that through the universal catholic church, the Body of Christ, the Holy Spirit makes his presence known through manifestations, which we can see and touch. We can see and touch Ray, whose life was profoundly healed and changed.
And you know—Jesus wants us all to be washed in His waters of healing, the one mighty river of faith, so that we all can made whole in ways too good for us to imagine, but in ways which will fulfill his perfect plan for us. So, is has been the case since that first Pentecost Sunday, God the Holy Spirit finds expression as we gather together in the Name of Jesus, who died for our sins, that we might be forgiven and be healed in body, and/or mind and/or emotions &/or soul.
Here’s another wonderful witness, from a popular a musician names Michael W. Smith. He sings about this holy and wonderful experience in a song, which we will hear later in today’s service. Some of the lyrics go like this:
Healing rain is coming down
It's coming nearer to this old town.
Rich and poor, weak and strong
It's bringing mercy, it won't be long.
Healing rain is coming down
It's coming closer to the lost and found.
Tears of joy and tears of shame
Are washed forever in Jesus' name.
So, from the bottom of my heart, I believe that Jesus, on His part, wants to rain his healing grace upon us. But, on our part, we have to be willing to pray. Amen.
Our service continues with our prayers, which you may find on page 3 of your bulletins. Please kneel or stand, as you are able.
--The Rev. John Donnelly,
Christ Church Quaker Farms, Oxford, CT
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