Often isn’t the way to solve a problem. Healing has to go deeper than that. So on Sunday we had a look at the story of the lame man who sat outside the temple, begging for money and for food, until Peter came along and healed him. For the full story, check out Acts chapter 3.
After wrapping people up in improvised bandages for a bit of a laugh (which included people’s pyjamas, tea towels and toilet paper) we discussed what we thought healing might be? Getting better was one idea, whilst forgiveness when falling out was another. What’s remarkable, is that when true healing happens, through prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit we rejoice, joy and a new start. Perhaps we should ask for healing from God more often?
Elsbeth and Sam shared stories of COVID – of healing and working in the challenging environment of ICU. Both Christians, they said that they drew on their faith to help them and to keep them going. Inspirational stories which you can listen to on our FB page here:
For the craft, we focused on “How does Jesus heal?” and invited everyone to make a sticky plaster cross, on a heart. We wrote what and how Jesus heals us, then in our prayer time, challenged everyone to write a prayer for healing, that we could use.
It’s good to know, that even when we can’t physically help someone, we can pray for them and know that God is listening. Ultimately it came back to thinking about the cross and how the wounds of Jesus have brought everyone healing. Moreover, there is not a situation that we go through, that the Christ has not gone through before us. In so doing, he identifies fully with our humanity and we accept that our God does understand and yet, he has overcome all our suffering.
Our challenge for Faith At Home this week, is to pray for healing for someone that each family knows. Hopefully we’ll be able to check in next week, and hear about some good news stories of healing for others.
Of course, we had a bit of silliness and games, with a few good songs thrown in for good measure. The Hopiety Hope song by Hillsong put in another appearance, just because it’s message is silly, but such an encouragement. But, if I was to take anything away from this week, it was that as a community, just like in Acts, we can ask for healing, and God will bring us together. It is He that helps us to support one another to bring about healing and change – wherever and whoever you are you are.
We’d love to hear your thoughts about healing – send us any photos of your healing hearts and who you are going to be praying for this week. Sign up and post your thoughts on the blog here. That way we can all be encouraged.
Join us again next week as we look at inclusion and the story of Philip and the Ethiopian.
Family Time is an in initiative from Stockton on Tees Methodist Circuit. Find out more on our Facebook Page and Instagram. Links at the bottom of this page.
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