A HEALING SUNDAY REMINDER
2 Kings 2: 1-2 & 6-14
LUKE 9: 51-62
JUNE 29, 2025
As life turns chaotic, I think we all are in need of the reminders of what keeps us in balance. There are challenges that confront us on a daily basis some of which are of our own creation … some are beyond our control … some even come with easy solutions if we only focus on how we can make things better while some of those challenges are not really challenges at all.
I would never want to diminish what any one person considers a mountain of challenges sitting right in front of them even when what I see might just be a few molehills. None of us should ever be focused on making judgments about what another person is going through by declaring to those around us that the person of our scorn or commentary should easily be able to conquer whatever life reality is leading them to struggle. In fact, in the book of James we read “humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. Do not criticize one another, my friends. Who do you think you are, to judge someone else?”
What the world needs is healing not judgment … actually love for all neighbors, right? What we each desperately need even if we do not explicitly understand this reality is healing … what we need is to experience healing and then to be involved as people of faith in the God-focused and God-driven efforts of helping to heal others through love.
I do believe that one of God’s consistent calls to the faithful are also calls that God wants those on the outside of God’s faith circle to hear as well … because God’s truths are all wrapped up in the relationships of faith. Yes, you have heard it from this pulpit … you will hear it over and over again if not from me then from other preachers, pastors, and when you open up God’s Word you will read it for yourself … God’s call to heal others … God’s call to be healed. God’s love for everyone and perhaps the greatest source of personal healing is our acceptance of God’s gift of Jesus Christ as our Savior, which is directly connected with God’s call for us to be the one’s who love all of our neighbors as Jesus loved.
I do believe however that we need reminders in life … We get forgetful, complacent, busy or just like to push things aside that we should be doing in this life.
Some of you are really good at just keeping future events and the schedule to take on needed activities stored up in your mind. Others who still have paper calendars write notes on them checking those calendars religiously, we can also talk to our AI devices saying ALEXA remind me when the water is boiling, and GOOGLE remind me when it is my birthday. In fact, FACEBOOK will even remind us of friends’ and family members’ birthdays. We still have these post-it’s too. Let’s see what I have forgotten … Christian Benford … 47 Hearts, I think I reached out to him but I didn’t follow up. Psalm 82 mmmm let’s see what it says … Psalm 9 … ah yes, Psalm 9.
Perhaps I need to remind myself that “the Lord is a safe place … a safe place in difficult times. You have not abandoned any who seek you, Lord. Sing praises to the Lord … proclaim His mighty acts among all the people.” Do you remember those truths from David’s Psalm? Do you have post it’s reminding you to read certain sections of God’s Word or as this Psalm said “to seek the Lord? Bookmarks of faith?
Good reminders … so, church do you remember Jesus Christ? God’s love gift to us? Here’s a quick synopsis, which allows me to proclaim His mighty acts among all you people … Jesus was born in a manger, fought back Satan, healed the sick, demonstrated love for all people, taught humanity to care for the poor and the broken even pointing out how wrong it was that religious leaders and the powerful might ignore someone brutalized but the one going to heaven is the one who crossed the Jericho Road to care for a beaten man, Jesus was betrayed, brutalized, put on a cross, died or so they thought, left the tomb empty and the women proclaimed He is Risen <<He is Risen Indeed>> … stayed around for 40 more days teaching humanity that the TWO COMMANDMENTS of GOD are to love God and to love ALL of our neighbors before He ascended into heaven but before leaving told all who believe .. all who follow Him and accept Him as Savior that we are to make disciples by sharing our faith … and then He was back with God in heaven.
Whoa … now that’s a quick proclamation of God’s most mighty act among the people but how often do you remind yourself of God’s mighty acts? Do you have post it’s around the house … reminders … if you stepped into my house, you will see reminders to me to take my meds … my phone buzzes starting at 4 in the afternoon with reminders to take my 5 o’clock pills. I need reminders … and frankly I need healing obviously physically because of my heart and cancer realities but I am amongst all of you in need of spiritual healing, but God knows that.
Today, the fifth Sunday of June, is a day that this church designates as a “Healing Sunday.” I have no idea who made the decision to call the fifth Sunday of the four months of the year with five Sunday’s a healing Sunday but here we are focused on healing. Actually every day of the year has healing potential.
When I first arrived, these Sunday’s were focused on the anointing of individuals with oil and having the pastor pray with them. That changed with COVID like many things in life. We now send cards to individuals who are ill or who have challenges in their lives … a healing ministry from each of you. Healing through words and actions … people of faith taking the time to write a note, which I think we all know has healing power.
I have been thinking a lot about healing lately … and about the power of prayer … perhaps my focus has been even more targeted in on the possibilities that we have as the faithful to bring about healing even if it is healing amongst a few. But it really does begin with us … our relationship with God … our willingness to reconstruct God from a mere three letter word we utilize on occasion in our prayers … reconstructing God to be God in our lives and our thoughts and through our actions. I consider that healing an essential global need … it’s time for the faithful to make God God again.
And, perhaps we need those reminders of God’s reality and that’s why God provides us Psalm 23. “The Lord maketh me lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He RESTORETH MY SOUL!” This week, I escaped up to Buffalo and on Tuesday I just sat in my backyard under trees I climbed as a boy feeling the breeze … no noise … the dog at my feet and once again I could sense God. I needed those healing moments of God’s presence. God didn’t force me to pause but I was led to pausing … God knows how we need to be healed and reconnected with God’s love. Put it on a POST-IT … led God lead you to that place … your place and then let God take you onto the paths of RIGHTEOUSNESS for His name’s sake!
Jeremiah makes this plea, “Heal me, Lord, and I’ll be healed. Save me and I’ll be saved, for YOU are my hearts desire.” Notice darn it, NOTICE the relationship … the Lord God is Jeremiah’s heart’s desire and there is the healing. It’s personal … it’s soulful … it’s our God connection. And then we get to those paths of righteousness. Psalm 92 teaches, “The righteous will spring up like a palm tree … they will grow strong like a cedar … those who have been replanted in the LORD’s house will spring up in the courtyards of our God.”
So, here we are … it’s a healing Sunday. There are cards for dear beautiful Dottie who so desperately wishes she could be in church with all of you, but age and health have told her it is better to be home. I know those cards will provide healing as she holds each one and reads our notes. Then there are the cards for Kristin Helms and Tim Longnecker. They need our prayers … your prayers … Tim is watching right now, and he texted me yesterday that he desperately planned to drive the 120 miles round trip to be here but the cancer … his health … the stress would have been too much and I never expected him to come to be here in person to experience these healing moments.
Many of you know Kristin … Eric was the pastor of this church before me. I spoke to Eric after he knew he was leaving St. Paul’s offering to be a guide to his family once they reached Western New York never knowing during that call that I would be called to take his place. Kristin in a very difficult place health-wise. The cancer is awful … well, let’s face it … cancer is evil and permeates this church family but as Kristin wrote this week, “one month ago I was the picture of good health … and now this.”
Tim has been battling his cancer like a ride on the most nightmarish rollercoaster you can imagine. I only recently found out that he first really connected with me through a healing service years ago … he worships with us regularly online and he also did some work here at the church for us.
Today, I am calling on all of you … after church … to step forward and to dip your fingers in the oil and make the sign of the cross on Tim and Kristin’s cards and to silently pray in those moments. I will send the cards to them tomorrow.
And, then yesterday another pastor reached out to me. There is a family in need from his former church. A mom with two daughters. He reached out to me because of all of you … you see, St. Paul’s reputation as a loving and healing congregation goes beyond these walls. This mom must relocate … her kids need clothes … this pastor’s church is too small to help and does not have the money to cover the $600 in expenses. He was almost embarrassed to reach out to me but he has known me since he was a young man before he received his call to be a pastor. So, I am going to ask you to consider sharing a few dollars this morning for this woman and her girls … the girls need clothing one is size 7/8 and the other size 6/6x. Elastic waistbands are preferred for the pants. This is a call to help this family heal … sometimes it takes money … it always takes love.
And, then as is often the case a song came to mind … this one from Billy Preston. Today, after church I will be here to anoint any of you wanting to pray with me and be anointed … Greg had to work today so I will make the announcement that I am sure you all knew already, I am appointed to be your pastor for another year … my tenth year with you. I have witnessed your healing love … been a beneficiary of your healing love … seen this church survive COVID and the COVID years … you are a church that is prayerful, joy-filled, I watched you care for Todd, Crystal and Shiloh … next week we go to Red Bird again … a place where St. Paul’s has offered healing but we need to remember … we all need healing … we all need God … here are the lyrics of that song:
Why can’t we be humble
Like the good Lord said
He promised to exalt us
For love is the way
How men be so greedy
When there’s so much left
All things are God given
And they all have been blessed
That’s the way God planned it
That’s the way God wants it to be, didn’t He
Well, that’s the way God planned it
That’s the way God wants it to be, for you and me
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Let not your heart be troubled
Let mourning sobbing cease
Learn to help one another
And live in perfect peace
If we just be humble
Like the good Lord said
He promised to exalt us
For love is the way
That’s the way God planned it
That’s the way God wants it to be, doesn’t He
You better believe me
That’s the way God planned it
That’s the way God wants it to be, for you and me
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
That’s the way, alright
Come on, come on, come on
I hope you get this message
And where you won’t others will
You don’t understand me
But I’ll love you still
That’s the way God planned it
That’s the way God wants it to be
You better believe me
That’s the way God planned it
That’s the way God wants, He wants it to be