Bible Text:

“For which is easier to say, ‘your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘stand up and walk’”               (Matthew 9:5)                                      

A man took his wife to see the doctor. She had been feeling very listless and the color had gone out of her cheeks. The doctor checked her over and could find nothing wrong. He talked to her a few minutes. He then walked up to her, bent over and kissed her on the cheek twice. Suddenly the woman broke out in a broad smile and the color came back into her cheeks almost instantly. The doctor turned to her husband and said, “That’ll do it. She just needs to have a kiss on the cheek once or twice a week.”

 The husband shrugged his shoulders and said, “Well, okay, if you say so. I’ll bring her in every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.”

 What makes for good health? What is it that makes you healthy? Is it good medical attention? Is it a strong diet of laughter—as Norman Cousins indicated some years ago? Is it an active or aerobic lifestyle? Is it prayer or communion or the anointing with oil? Is it a positive attitude? Does good health come from all of these things and more?

 The church often seems a bit reluctant to address health matters. In some ways, we are reluctant to get involved in healing. Somewhere I read these words.

 The church has been reduced to a ministry of visiting the sick instead of healing the sick and understanding the meaning of illness. Certainly, when people are sick at home and in the hospital, it is good to visit and encourage them to get well. But if God is speaking to that person through the illness, then what about helping the person find the voice of God and discover a dimension of healing beyond mere medical restoration?

The church sends out confusing messages at times. You’ve undoubtedly heard some of the so-called oxymorons that are going around. A few of them would be such terms as “fresh frozen” or “exact estimate” or “original copy” or “steel wool.” What about the oxymoron, “ill health”? We’re not sure exactly what we believe. 

Jesus came preaching, teaching, and healing. Jesus called disciples to preach, teach, and heal. We have maintained a fairly aggressive stance in the church on preaching and teaching. Only recently have we begun to resurrect the ministry of healing. Someone has written, “The gospel ministry of healing would seem to be crucial if the church is to maintain its proper place in our society…The church should be a leader, not a follower in this area.”

 I am immensely grateful for the new emphasis upon health ministry here at Christ Church. We now have a parish nurse on staff and a health ministry cabinet of at least 34 persons. We have an active counseling center-—with a new director we just hired this past week. Both the counseling center and the health ministry are proactive, spiritually rooted, and deeply Christian in thrust. Our Taizé service, including anointing with oil, is now firmly in place. The Intercessory Prayer Team is made up of about 85 persons, most of whom involve themselves in prayers for healing. All of this is added to the healing service which has been in place in this church for more than 40 years. We are taking seriously the ministry of healing, as we should.

 Jesus calls us to healing and to healthful living. We need to hear that call as a part of our call to discipleship. The New Testament story in Scripture this morning is one of many healing stories. I chose this particular story because of the question that Jesus asked following the healing miracle. He said to those around, “For which is easier to say, ‘your sins are forgiven,’ or to say ‘stand up and walk’?” I am reminded of four or five issues from the healing stories of Jesus and from this particular quotation. Let me share them with you.

LIFE IS AN INTER-RELATED WHOLE 

First of all, our lives are an inter-related whole. Body, mind, spirit and emotion are all tied together. 

Our Hebrew forbears of the Old Testament knew this almost intuitively. Psalm 32—the Old Testament reading for this morning—is evidence of that. Ancient men and women did not minister to the body without also ministering to the spirit. Greek and Roman philosophy separated these things. Mind is separated from body is separated from soul. Jesus reaffirmed and strengthened the Old Testament teaching.

 Did you know, for example, that guilt can make you sick? Sidney Jourard, a writer of some 30 years ago, said this: “All but about 15% of all known illnesses could be healed by a substantive change in the inner life of the individual.”

 I came across an interesting story about the Band-Aid recently. The Band-Aid was 75 years old in 1996. One of its major uses, however, was not to cover wounds, or scrapes, or blisters, or burns or punctures. One of its major uses is to heal emotions, not the wounds. Children get Band-Aids after vaccinations or as treats, because it makes the shot hurt less emotionally. A professor of pediatrics at University of New York Medical Center says, “I am constantly amazed after giving an injection. When I put the Band-Aid on, the crying stops.”

 An 87-year-old man was out walking one day when he was struck and killed by a car. An autopsy was performed, and the doctor called the widow. The doctor said, “Your husband must have been a remarkable man. I have examined his body and there are several reasons why he should have died some 20 years ago. How he ever lived to be over 80 is a mystery to me. 

The widow replied, “Well, I don’t know, Doctor. My husband was a remarkable man. Whenever things got tough, he would always say, ‘Well, I have hopes.’”

 Here is the story of a man who for years was physically saved by hope.

OUR BODIES ARE SACRED VESSELS 

The second reminder we have from these stories is that our bodies are sacred vessels. The Psalmist says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14) Paul reminds his readers that our bodies are “temples of the Holy Spirit.” (I Corinthians 6:19) We are earthen vessels, but we are sacred. Dr. Leonard Sweet tells of a saying of his grandmother from years ago, “If you don’t take care of your body, where are you going to live?”

 A man went to visit his doctor for a physical check-up. The doctor said, “You’re going to have to change your whole lifestyle. No smoking, no drinking, no late hours, no activity that will over-excite you. Moreover, I’m going to put you on a very strict diet.” The man responded, “Will this make my life last longer?” The doctor replied, “Maybe not, but it will certainly seem longer.”

 There is a strong Scriptural theme to take care of your body. The United Methodist Church has had a longstanding concern about the use of alcohol. We have fought liquor traffic for a long time. This is not some irrelevant excursion into total abstinence. It is simply the recognition of the kind of abuse and addiction and harm that alcohol can cause the body. The use of tobacco is of the same concern. To smoke or otherwise use tobacco is to abuse the sacred earthen vessel. Similarly, overeating is a concern. Overeating is unnecessary and certainly detrimental to good health. Someone has pointed out that God’s original diet in the story of creation was raw vegetables and fresh fruit. 

Someone sent me this dialogue called “The Eternal Battle” over the Internet. I thought you might enjoy it and it helps illustrate the point.

 And God populated the earth with broccoli and cauliflower and spinach and green and yellow vegetables of all kinds, so man and woman would live long and healthy lives. 

And Satan created McDonald’s. And McDonald’s brought forth the 99-cent-double-cheeseburger. And Satan said to Man, “You want fries with that?”

 And Man said, “Super size them.” And Man gained pounds. 

And God created the healthful yogurt, that woman might keep her figure that man found so fair. 

And Satan froze the yogurt, and he brought forth chocolate, nuts and brightly colored sprinkle candy to put on the yogurt. And Woman gained pounds.

 And God said, “Try my crispy fresh salad.”

 And Satan brought forth creamy dressings, bacon bits, and shredded cheese.

 And there was ice cream for dessert. And Woman gained pounds.

 And God said, “I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil with which to cook them.” 

And Satan brought forth chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained pounds, and his bad cholesterol went through the roof.

 And God brought forth running shoes, and Man resolved to lose those extra pounds.

 And Satan brought forth cable TV with remote control so Man would not have to toil to change channels between ESPN and ESPN2. And Man gained pounds.

 And God said, “You’re running up the score, Devil.” And God brought forth the potato, a vegetable naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition.

 And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fat fried them. And he created sour cream dip also.

 And Man clutched his remote control and ate the potato chips swaddled in cholesterol. 

And Satan saw and said, “It is good.”

 And Man had a heart attack.

 And God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery… 

And Satan created HMOs. 

Health grows out of the right combinations of responsible eating and regular exercise; of self-discipline and stress management; of regular worship and wide-eyed wonder!

A LARGER VIEW

Thirdly, the stories remind me that we need a larger view of what constitutes health. I did a question-and-answer session with the Sunday night service two weeks ago. One of the questions that was sent up to me was this question: what does it mean to be saved? I talked about salvation as a process. Salvation means moving toward wholeness, toward wellness, and toward peace. I pointed out that salvation and health are interrelated words. Health does not always mean to be made physically well. We can be well, and not necessarily be cured. 

Bill Moyers was once quoted as having said, “Healing is possible, even if a cure is not.”

 We need to move away from salvation as a once and for all, one-time event. We need to move toward salvation as a healthy, whole, sacred journey.

BELIEVING IN PRAYER 

The fourth thing of which we are reminded is that we believe deeply in prayer. Jesus told his disciples one day that certain kinds of health situations can be cured only through prayer. (See Mark 9:39) 

There is a regular statistic that is appearing now in a variety of places. The statistic says that 99% of family practice physicians think religious faith helps patients respond to treatment. The irony is that doctors are now prescribing prayer with their patients. The medical world seems to believe in the healing power of prayer more than the church does. 

Our Intercessory Prayer Team ministry has been active here for more than 5 years. Furthermore, the health ministry office and counseling center are positioned very near the Chapel. This is no accident. This is where they belong.

 Twenty-five years ago I was working with a summer work camp at Red Bird Mission in Kentucky. There is a small 32-bed hospital at this mission outpost. One of the most amazing things I learned during that week was this: doctors and nurses in the hospital might treat a patient or might prescribe medication for the patient. However, they are just as likely to walk with the patient down the hall to the chapel and spend time in prayer with them.

 Can prayer always cure cancer? Perhaps that is a stretch. But there is increasing evidence that people who pray and worship are healthier than their skeptical peers.

THE HEALING POWER OF COMMUNITY

 Finally, let me say that the story of Jesus’ healing ministry points out the healing power of community. There is power in being connected. Note that in the text for today, a group of friends brought the man to Jesus. The church community is a healing center.

 I saw an article about a church bulletin board that was posted somewhere under the title, “Evenings in the Parish Hall.” It read as follows:

            Monday            Alcoholics Anonymous

            Tuesday            Abused Spouses

            Wednesday       Eating disorders

            Thursday           Say “no” to drugs

            Friday               Teen suicide watch

            Saturday             Soup kitchen

            Sunday’s sermon:   “AMERICA’S JOYOUS FUTURE”

 The quality of relationships can have a profound effect upon health. Love and intimacy are at the root of what makes us sick and what makes us well. There is strong evidence that the bonds with one another and ties with one another help boost the immune system. That’s why we sing the familiar hymn every Sunday we receive new members; “Blessed be the tie that binds…”

 A growing number of medical practices have a pastoral caregiver on staff. A growing number of companies hire clergy to support employees in crisis. Health comes by helping the disconnected become connected. When you become connected, healing begins.

 A former teacher of mine used to say, “A friend is someone who assists you in your becoming, and is there to welcome you when you arrive.” There is healing in those words.

 At Christ Church we are learning to believe at least these five things:

·         Human life is a masterfully interconnected whole

·         Our physical bodies are sacred vessels before God

·         Health is a much larger issue than “getting well”

·         There is healing power in prayer

·         There is healing power in community

 What a blessing to carry with us that kind of conviction. Thanks be to God.