|
|
News for
and about Grace Episcopal Church
|
July 19,
2008 | |
|
|
| Dear Friend,
It's Summer, but that doesn't mean that life at
Grace has slowed very much--it's just different from
the rest of the year. Check out the calendar to see what's happening. |
The Church's Healing Ministry
 At Grace, our
healing ministries have traditionally consisted of the prayers
and the laying on of hands and anointing with Holy Oil.
We are, however, finding new expressions of God's grace and
have begun to discern non-traditional ways and methods of
healing.
The Healing Ministry is that service whereby
the church brings healing and wholeness to the life of the
congregation, the individual and the world. Healing is
not limited to our bodies; but includes all of who we are; our
minds and our spirits. It cannot be separated from our
ability to forgive and be reconciled to God and each
other.
Healing is a gift from God that comes to us
through the work of The Holy Spirit in the world.
Healing is an integral part of the work of the community of
faith. The website of the Episcopal Healing
Ministry Foundation says it well:
The ministry of healing is the
Church's fundamental Ministry and the world's fundamental
need.
Healing was an integral part of Jesus'
ministry. Matthew 4:23 says, "Jesus went throughout Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the
kingdom, and healing
every disease and sickness among the people."
Enriching our Worship
2, a book published by the Episcopal Church that deals
with ministry to the sick and dying--speaks to this matter
extensively when it says,
... all prayers with the sick
should be linked with the
people of God in the context of the whole Church. The
community of intercessors embraces not only the parish, but
also family and friends of the patients and all who are caring
for them, as well as the medical community. In Ministry
with the Sick or Dying, the Church acts in the grace of God
for the health and salvation of its members. This ministry is
based on Jesus' constant witness of concern and care for the
sick. It is also shaped by the Epistle of James'
direction to the sick to call for the elders of the Church to
pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of Jesus
Christ (James 5:14). James expects these actions to have three
effects: the prayer of faith will save the sick, the Lord will
raise them up, and their sins will be forgiven.
The gift of healing is granted to be
shared and used for the benefit of the common good. When
we gather as the people of God, we gather to celebrate God's
word and to find wholeness for the community and ourselves by
sharing the gifts that has been given to us by the Holy
Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 makes this point:
There are different kinds of
gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of
service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of
working, but the same God works all of them in all
men. Now to each one the manifestation of the
Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given
through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the
message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another
faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that
one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy,
to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking
in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the
interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and
the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he
determines.
Enriching our Worship 2 says
further,
Healing must never be seen as
an end in itself. Scripture teaches us that Jesus' healings
were a sign of the reign of God come near, of God's marvelous
power and presence among us. Healing is not merely the
alleviation of affliction, but testimony to the wholeness and
salvation God intends for us. The ministry of Jesus
invites us to new life in God and with each other. In the
laying on of hands [and anointing] we proclaim the Good News
that God desires us to be healthy and one in the body of
Christ. You are invited to offer yourself whatever your
sickness of spirit, mind, or body, and ask for healing and
wholeness in the Name of the holy and undivided
Trinity.
In Ministry with the Sick or
Dying, the Church acts in the grace of God for the health and
salvation of its members. This ministry is based on Jesus'
constant witness of concern and care for the
sick.
You can read more about Grace's healing
ministry here. We'll
have more about the specifics of Grace's healing ministry in
future eGraceNotes
issues.
Thanks to
Vicar Ernestein for this
article.
| |
"Got Questions?" Returns Tomorrow
 All are invited to
stay after the 10 am service tomorrow for the "Got Questions?"
group. There, people with faith questions and people
with faith answers will share their views. The
group will add questions to the following list and then choose
one to explore.
- What do we know about Jesus and how do we know it?
- What happens after we die?
- How important are a person's religious beliefs in
connection with politics?
- Do we have to believe in the Trinity?
- What do we mean by salvation?
- Is anybody excluded from heaven?
- What are the implications of my faith for me today?
- Am I a Christian?
- Is being a Christian being violent?
- Why is Old Testament violence in the Bible?
- Why, when God acts, does someone have to die?
- Why is there so little of what Jesus did in the
Bible?
|
| Roger Speer Send-Off Postponed
Earlier this week, we thought that we'd be sending
Roger Speer off to his new assignment in the Virgin Islands
this Sunday, but we have just received word that he's not
feeling well and won't be able to join us.
|
| Thanks!
Have you noticed how much improved our grounds look
these days? Thanks are due to Jim Edgy, the Pernas and
the Valentines for their work on our landscaping and the
flower beds.
|
Grace to Participate in College Hill Block Party in
August
The annual College Hill Block Party is coming the
evenings of August 5 through 8. (See the College Hill Calendar
for details of events, times & places).
Grace will have a table at the Block Party.
We'll ahve posters, a banner and brochures about Grace.
We'll also sell objects on behalf of the African Team
ministry. At least 16 volunteers are needed to staff
the table. Sign up on the sheet in the church, or
contact the office (513-542-2941, office@gracecollegehill.org).
|
Attendance Trends Up
At this week's Mission Council meeting, Senior Warden
John Thayer presented the following progress report on church
attendance, comparing the first six months of 2006, 2007 and
2008.
2006 2007
2008
Total Attendance
1056 1321
1485
Number of Services
42
35 31
Average per
Service
25
38
48
| |
| |
