Liturgy Lesson for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity; God who triumphs!
September 4, 2011
Anglican Christian practice includes seven Sacraments, to build us up and empower our Christian Faith. Among these, Holy Unction, in Scripture in St. James 5:13-16 and St. Mark 6:13, is specifically intended to focus God’s healing power on our illnesses and infirmities. The prayer book permits this to be done at the minister’s discretion and calls on parishioners to give him notice that someone is sick. Accomplished in obedience to divine command as found in St. James 5:14-15, it’s also a Christian duty as described in St. Matthew 25:34-36. Plainly, any Christian has the authority to lay hands on the sick and expect their recovery, but application of the Unction (anointing) for the sick is specifically tasked to the presbyters (priests) of the Church, according to St. James. This begs the question, then, does everyone we anoint become well on the spot, by God’s power? Clearly not. God, after all, is God and He chooses where and when to heal. However, we are to be faithful to what Scripture tasks us—if there are sick among us, we are to call for the priests of the Church to anoint and pray for the sick. Scripture promises us, then, the prayer of the faithful saves the sick, and the Lord raises them up. How God responds is up to Him. However, since God is sovereign and Scripture tells us to pray for the sick and they will recover, then, there’s no reason not to expect God to heal miraculously by Holy Unction or simply laying on of hands in prayer. We serve a caring, sovereign God who triumphs over our problems!
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