Scripture Lessons: Psalm 103 Luke 17:11-19 THE HEALING POWER OF GOD (11/21/10) Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,... (Psalm 103:1-3) Have you ever had the experience of seeing something that is within the realm of the ordinary but suddenly it strikes you on a deeper level? It is something that you see, perhaps see every day, but suddenly you see it with new eyes. Suddenly you get it in a way you didn t quite grasp before the experience. A light goes on. Click. This is what is knows as an epiphany. An epiphany is a kind of breakthrough, a breakthrough to a deeper level. It is an enriching experience. The experience leads us to wonder how we might live a larger portion of our daily life on that deeper level. I had an epiphany this past week as I was out walking our dogs at 6:30 in the morning. It wasn t an earth shattering experience. It didn t teach me anything I didn t already know. And yet it was what I would call a minor epiphany. It left me feeling happy. It left me with the feeling of being in touch with something bigger. It awakened a feeling of gratitude within me. So I would like to share the moment and the insight with you this morning on Thanksgiving Sunday. As most of you know, eight weeks ago, as the result of a fall, our dog Emmy developed what Tufts Veterinary Hospital called a fibrous cartilaginous embolism, commonly called an FCE, somewhere along the bottom half of her spinal cord. It caused her left leg to become completely paralyzed. The leg just hung loose and limp. This made it difficult for her to stand upright, to walk, or to live any kind of a normal life. Once we were sure about the diagnosis, Darlene went on-line to research FCEs and to see what various dog owners had to say about their experience with it. Some agreed with Tufts recommendation of an MRI and spinal surgery. Some eventually had to amputate their dog s paralyzed leg because it just didn t improve. Several, however, 1
recommended that we wait before doing anything drastic because they discovered that sometimes it just heals itself. Though it seemed unlikely that this totally useless limb would ever regain feeling, let alone strength, we opted to wait and see what happened. After a couple of weeks, Emmy started putting just a little weight on her leg when we picked her up and had her stand in place. Then a little more. Then she began to drag it as she walked awkwardly on three legs. Then she began to use it when she walked, though she did so in a very clumsy manner, sort of walking on her knuckles. The progress was slow but it was steady. Bob L Heureux put her on our prayer list. I am happy to report that Emmy is now probably 90% healed. She runs and jumps, though it scares the daylights out of us when she does so. If you look carefully, you can see that her left leg does not come down exactly the same as her right leg, and her left thigh has atrophied from the month or so that the muscles weren t being used. But even the muscles in her left thigh are starting to recover. So what was my epiphany as I watched Emmy actually chase a squirrel a few mornings ago? My epiphany had to do with her healing. It suddenly occurred to me that there is a stream of healing energy that is flowing through this little dog. This energy is so powerful that it actually dissolved a cartilaginous embolism. It brought healing and the restoration of strength and mobility to a limb that was as good as dead. For just a moment, this observation and realization put me in touch with something bigger, something that stirred a sense of gratitude within me. There is a healing power that flows through the entire universe. It flows through little animals. It also flows through us. We could call this healing power God, or, if you wish, the healing power of God s presence within us and within all sentient beings. However we picture it, I have no doubt that God not only wills healing to take place, God actively works for healing within us and within all life. That is pretty impressive! The ancient Hebrews had a sense of the healing, life-giving power of this divine presence within their nation. This awareness, this epiphany, awakened a feeling of gratitude within them. The classic expression of gratitude is found in the psalm that we heard this morning. The psalmist invokes a response from the deepest part of himself: his soul and all that is within him. This psalm was prayed as a total response to God. 2
The Hebrews, who experienced a personal relationship with this God, felt a deep gratitude for their many blessings. They were grateful for the blessings that are shared by all: the blessings of life, the sun, the stars, the rain, the harvest. They were not only aware of God s hand in the unfolding of their unique history as a nation: the exodus from Egypt, the manna in the wilderness, the emergence of religious leaders in time of need, they were grateful. In the psalms, they witness to a God whom they experience as deeply involved in their emerging identity as a nation. When we read the 103 rd psalm carefully, however, we discover that they also experienced God as a healing power within. They remind us that God heals all our diseases. All our diseases. Of course. Where else would healing come from? If we think about it, we will realize that healing is miraculous and that healing comes from God. A physician can set a broken bone or remove a damaged organ, but the little cells that mend the broken tissue bridge the gap on their own. The cells are programmed for healing not by the physician but by God. Healing is built into the very structure of existence from the smallest cell to the largest, most complex organism. In the physical realm, we sometimes take healing for granted. If we have experienced a miraculous healing in our life or in the life of someone close to us, we have a sense of God's presence, God's healing power, and we are grateful. However, what about the other experiences of healing, the "ordinary" healings, if any healing can be described as ordinary? What about the thousands, if not millions, of healings that take place daily within our bodies? Do we feel a sense of gratitude for these? If, as the psalmist maintains, God heals all our diseases, then God works for healing not only in our body but also in our mind. God works for healing in our relationships. God works for the healing of past trauma, of psychological dynamics that would keep us from living a deep and meaningful life. A psychotherapist can assist us in this process, but psychotherapy does not produce healing. It may create the conditions that maximize the potential for healing, but healing comes from within. In the emotional and spiritual realm, just like in the physical realm, we sometimes take healing for granted. When we are moved by a profound religious experience or when we experience a deep sense of meaning in our life, we acknowledge God's presence and are filled with gratitude. But what about the other moments, the 3
"ordinary" moments, if any moments in our day can be described as ordinary? What about the thousands, if not millions, of moments within our inner life or within our relationships where we are encountered by something greater than ourselves? Do we feel a sense of gratitude for these? When we do not remember that God is the source of healing, both the dramatic and the mundane, we restrict our awareness of God's activity, God's sphere of influence, to a very small area of our life. The first expression of this limited consciousness is the absence of gratitude. Jesus not only had a sense of this healing power, he incarnated it. This is why he was able to heal people of both physical and psychological infirmities. He told us that, because we have this power within us, we, too, can play an important role in the healing process. We can help activate or strengthen this mysterious healing power within ourselves, within individuals for whom we pray, and within the world. Intercessory prayer, the kind of prayer we employ when we pray for those members or friends of our church family who are on our prayer list, strengthens this power and increases its efficacy both within ourselves and within those whom we hold in our prayers. We can even do this for a little dog. The gospel lesson this morning is the biblical account of one of Jesus' miraculous healings. Note that the ten lepers take the initiative to approach Jesus. They do their part. They create a set of conditions that maximizes the possibility of their healing. Because of their faith, they are healed. However, of the ten who are healed, only one returns to say thank you. The story of the ten lepers demonstrates the difference between thankfulness and gratitude. Gratitude is a deeper spiritual response than thankfulness. We can be thankful in general for what we regard as the blessings of our life. Many people who have no belief in God, no awareness of God's presence in their life, are thankful for the pleasures, comforts, and joys of their life. Gratitude is a more personal response; it directs us to a person. We can be thankful for recovery from an illness, thankful in a way that leaves God out of the equation. If we are grateful, we focus on the person or the spirit who is responsible for our healing. 4
All ten lepers were thankful that they were healed, that they were free from this dreaded curse. However, only one was grateful. Only one recognized Jesus as the source of his healing. Only one returned to express his gratitude to the person who had worked this miracle in his life. When our heart, our mind, and our lips choose the personal rather than the impersonal response to life's blessings, we deepen our relationship with God. By not seeing God in the beautiful feelings we experience throughout the day, in the depths of every person and every relationship, we do not limit God's actual presence in our life, but we limit our awareness of that presence. As Dag Hammarskjold has said, God does not die on the day when we cease to believe in a personal deity, but we die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason. God is present within us as a resource for the living of our lives. God is there to help us with that crisis, that lonely struggle, that difficult decision which is known to us alone. God is present not only to help us make that difficult decision, but to strengthen us as we live it out, as we carry that difficult burden from day to day. God is present as a healing power within us, within the world, even within a little dog. Far too often we, the recipients of God s grace in our many experiences of healing, lose the sense and response of gratitude. We forget to return to say thank you. There are dimensions of life that open to us when we are consciously grateful. If we take life for granted, we will feel angry when things don't go our way. We will become shallow, childish, demanding, and generally unhappy. If we view life as a gift, if we count each day as a blessing, give thanks for the opportunity to work, to love, to grow, even to suffer; if we feel we owe something to God for this great gift, we will experience a depth of happiness beyond description. Hugh Evans, writing of this sense of gratitude, has shared the following thought: Gratitude is a way of looking at life, and it brings its blessing even though life may be difficult. If Jesus could experience and express gratitude in spite of all the painful moments of his life, you and I should find many reasons to be grateful in the commonplace routine of our daily lives. If we are grateful for the moments, for the experiences that shape us, we shall find ourselves strengthened in spirit to meet the pressing problems of our lives. 5
Ten lepers were healed by the miraculous power of God. Nine lepers were thankful. Only one was grateful. Only one returned to say thank you. We are healed, strengthened, and guided by the miraculous power of God in so many different ways. In this Thanksgiving season, as we pause to reflect upon our many blessings, let us be aware of the wonderful gift of healing, the power of healing that, by the grace of God, flows through us and through all beings. Then, let us pause to reflect on our response to these miracles of healing. Are we like the nine lepers or like the one? Are we thankful for our blessings or truly grateful? And does this gratitude find expression in the way we live our life? A sermon preached by the Reverend Paul D. Sanderson The First Community Church of Southborough November 21, 2010 6