Healing The Heart - The Anatomy of a Healing Service Author reminded to value personal as well as global healing. September 19th, 2001

The goal of the evening of the September 19th healing service was one of inward and outward peace; love of others, love for ourselves, and healing of mind and body. It was truly that and much more. It was a living manifestation of the collaborative ministry parish mandate here at St. Joan of Arc.

Our pastor, George Wertin, was a co-presider of this evening’s service. St. Joan’s Prayer Partners, Ron Joki and Joan Reibel, led various aspects of this service to bring to it the collaborative aspect. I was privileged to assist with the healing ritual and Communion distribution.

In no way was I prepared for the emotional roller coaster on which I was to embark this evening. The crowd began to gather. The people came in singly and in small groups. Many familiar faces began to fill the seats in the subtly lit and simply decorated church.

Ron began the service speaking gently while making us alert and ready for words we longed to hear. No one needed reminding of the events of the previous eight days, but words had to be said about that terrible tragedy and our need to remember the pain and the healing that must come for so many. Last Sunday, George Wertin quoted Anthony DeMello who told us of three things we must do to respond to those tragic events. Ron reinforced these in his opening remarks.

1. To return love for hate.
2. To include the excluded
3. Admitting we are wrong.

The service continued with well-chosen prayers. One, a reading by Edwina Gateley, speaks of Sophia, the feminine Godhead, wisdom personified. The reading concludes with these poignant words:

“ Many who have experienced loss, displacement and suffering are already aware of the new and deeper spirituality that moves within like a hunger that must be fed. This hunger impels us to healing, to wholeness and a deep compassion for our earth and all living things. It leaves us in awe at the oneness to which all of us are called.”

The reading of Luke’s gospel of Jesus’ healings was read with an appropriate sung response telling us, “Love can build a bridge between your heart and mine...don’t you think its time…”

Joan Reibel, with her creative guided meditation, allowed us to inhale to draw in love and acceptance, peace and kindness and to exhale self-judgment, unkindness, pain and self made armor. With that accomplished, we can receive the loving embrace with which we can send out light, loving kindness and forgiveness for all others and ourselves. The meditation ended with the words, “May we all be open to the shared heart, the one heart that beats for us all”

This brought us to the Litany for Healing. This is the ritual which is the heart of this service. I was ill prepared for the impact assisting in this ritual would make on me.

The individuals wanting to be anointed approached the altar where George and one of the prayer partners would anoint each person’s forehead with the anointing oil, and if wishing to do so, the person would give their first name and their Healing request. My task was merely to stand by George and lightly touch the person if I felt it was desired and appropriate.

As each person came forward to tell George his or her name and quietly told of their need, I would place my hand on a shoulder, and sometimes they would extend a hand to me. The look in their eyes was so full of hope as George would say a simple prayer such as: ”May you know the healing love of God” or some other spontaneous comforting prayer.

Then something surprising happened. Most people seemed to be open to a hug and seemed to want to linger for a second longer. As each hurting person approached it became more and more difficult to let one person go and begin the task anew. I began to feel pain and heaviness in my body. It was as though I was “channeling” their pain and sorrow into me. I was sad when it was over in spite of my personal pain.

So many of us have had our minds engrossed in the world’s tragic and frightening events, that we forgot that life’s daily crises have not retreated. We may think that our problems are insignificant compared to those many victims who were injured or died in the recent terrorist attacks, but, as one of the attendees at the service reminded me, we must remember to acknowledge ourselves and our individual and personal needs as well as trying to turn our anger into compassion for each other. This good advice helped me personally because that night I was aware that one of our dearest friends, very ill, might not live through the night and it was all right for me to grieve and to accept that healing to assist me in that grieving.

During that anointing, Steve and Deb had sung three wonderful songs, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”, “One Day At A Time”, and “In the Garden” - you know that old tune, “He walks with me and he talks with me and tells me I am His own”. These are songs of great comfort and love.

The rest of the service consisted of the Eucharistic celebration: Offertory, Consecration and Communion. Our pastor, George Wertin admonished us gently to lift our gloom and put some smiles on our faces. We had forgotten that this is the joyful part of this service.

As I offered the cup of wine during the Communion distribution, I had a second chance to look into the faces of those people that had previously received the anointing oil. Only this time they were smiling. They were already healing and lifted a bit as a result of this service.

After a blessing that we gave to each other and a closing stirring patriotic song, “This is My Song, O God Of All The Nations”, everyone slowly moved out of the church area, It was almost as if they didn’t want this service to end. Indeed, it wasn’t quite over because refreshments were served in the church atrium and people milled around for a time while they snacked on cheese and sipped a beverage. I observed many hugs being given and there was conversation, smiles and laughter and a new connection was obvious between strangers.

Joann Potts is a retired music and English teacher and 30 year member of St. Joans. She enjoys working with Anna Vagle each week. She is "in charge" of doing those slides you see at church each Sunday and for preparing the music sheets for the musicians. JoAnn and her husband Jim will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in 2001 and are proud of their family of five children and eight grandchildren. Her hobbies include singing, playing her digital piano, writing her memoirs, reading, writing poetry, entertaining friends, visiting the North Shore and ballroom dancing with Jim.

In this article, I have related what I saw and felt at this healing service and how it lifted others and myself. You see - my friend did die a few hours later. I then felt a new pain, but I believe it abated some because of the bond that connected me to those people that shared with me the fragrant healing oil. That bond was the essence of a true collaborative healing. I understand now that all I need is to be open to God’s love and peace will come. Perhaps not today, not yet, and in God’s time, not mine. The answer lies somewhere in these lines I am repeating:

“ Many who have experienced loss, displacement and suffering are already aware of the new and deeper spirituality that moves within like a hunger that must be fed! This hunger impels us to healing, to wholeness and a deep compassion for our earth and all living things. It leaves us in awe at the oneness to which all of us are called.”