Dear Friends,
I thought this month might provide us with a good opportunity to take a thoughtful look at something that many of us do all the time: offering prayers for the sick.
If you’re like me, you probably take a moment every week to give the latest “Prayer List” a once-over, to see which new names have been included and which names, thanks be to God, have been removed due to recovery.
Right now though, I’d like to ask you to try something a little bit different. Below you will find a number of offerings from the Book of Common Prayer, beginning on page 458. One of the first things I hope you will notice is that there are so many different kinds of prayers included here: all of them prayers of intercession on behalf of those who are sick and suffering, of course, but which also address different aspects of illness, recovery, and healing.
There are prayers not only for health and the banishment of sickness, but also for restoration and for strength, for comfort and for joy, for recovery and for acceptance, for relief and for renewal.
As we make our way forward toward Lent, I ask you to consider including some of these prayers in your regular devotions. As you look over the Prayer List, consciously and yet quietly allow the voice of the Spirit to guide you, to direct you, and to move you in ways that perhaps you have not been open to being guided, directed, and moved before.
A Prayer for Guidance
Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with thy most gracious favor, and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify
thy holy Name, and finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers for the Sick
For a Sick Person
O Father of mercies and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need: We humbly beseech thee to behold, visit, and relieve thy sick servant N. for whom our prayers are desired. Look upon him with the eyes of thy mercy; comfort him with a sense of thy goodness; preserve him from the temptations
of the enemy; and give him patience under his affliction. In thy good time, restore him to health, and enable him to lead the residue of his life in thy fear, and to thy glory; and grant
that finally he may dwell with thee in life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Recovery from Sickness
O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayers, and grant to your servant N. the help of your power, that his sickness may be turned into health, and our sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
or this
O God of heavenly powers, by the might of your command you drive away from our bodies all sickness and all infirmity: Be present in your goodness with your servant N., that his
weakness may be banished and his strength restored; and that, his health being renewed, he may bless your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For a Sick Child
Heavenly Father, watch with us over your child N., and grant that he may be restored to that perfect health which it is yours alone to give; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
or this
Lord Jesus Christ, Good Shepherd of the sheep, you gather the lambs in your arms and carry them in your bosom: We commend to your loving care this child N. Relieve his pain,
guard him from all danger, restore to him your gifts of gladness and strength, and raise him up to a life of service to you. Hear us, we pray, for you dear Name's sake. Amen.
Before an Operation
Almighty God our heavenly Father, graciously comfort your servant N. in his suffering, and bless the means made use of for his cure. Fill his heart with confidence that, though at times
he may be afraid, he yet may put his trust in you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
or this
Strengthen your servant N., O God, to do what he has to do and bear what he has to bear; that, accepting your healing gifts through the skill of surgeons and nurses, he may be restored to usefulness in your world with a thankful heart; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Strength and Confidence
Heavenly Father, giver of life and health: Comfort and relieve your sick servant N., and give your power of healing to those who minister to his needs, that he may be strengthened in his weakness and have confidence in your loving care; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Sanctification of Illness
Sanctify, O Lord, the sickness of your servant N., that the
sense of his weakness may add strength to his faith and
seriousness to his repentance; and grant that he may live with
you in everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Health of Body and Soul
May God the Father bless you, God the Son heal you, God the Holy Spirit give you strength. May God the holy and undivided Trinity guard your body, save your soul, and bring you safely to his heavenly country; where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
For Doctors and Nurses
Sanctify, O Lord, those whom you have called to the study and practice of the arts of healing, and to the prevention of disease and pain. Strengthen them by your life-giving Spirit, that by their ministries the health of the community may be promoted and your creation glorified; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thanksgiving for a Beginning of Recovery
O Lord, your compassions never fail and your mercies are new every morning: We give you thanks for giving our brother (sister) N. both relief from pain and hope of health renewed. Continue in him, we pray, the good work you have begun; that he, daily increasing in bodily strength, and rejoicing in your goodness, may so order his life and conduct that he may always think and do those things that please you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers for use by a Sick Person
For Trust in God
O God, the source of all health: So fill my heart with faith in your love, that with calm expectancy I may make room for your power to possess me, and gracefully accept your
healing; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In Pain
Lord Jesus Christ, by your patience in suffering you hallowed earthly pain and gave us the example of obedience to your Father's will: Be near me in my time of weakness and pain;
sustain me by your grace, that my strength and courage may not fail; heal me according to your will; and help me always to believe that what happens to me here is of little account if you hold me in eternal life, my Lord and my God. Amen.
For Sleep
O heavenly Father, you give your children sleep for the refreshing of soul and body: Grant me this gift, I pray; keep me in that perfect peace which you have promised to those whose minds are fixed on you; and give me such a sense of your presence, that in the hours of silence I may enjoy the blessed assurance of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the Morning
This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any thoughts, questions or concerns.
Be well,
Be safe,
Be thankful,
for we have been richly blessed.
Father Tom
Parish Lunch Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Our monthly parish lunch will be held on Wednesday, February 19, at 11:30 AM. Melissa Prior, Cumberland House Volunteer Coordinator and Marketing & Community Advocate, will talk to us about Cumberland House, the only nonprofit hospice organization serving our local community, the services it provides, its facility, background, and history. I can personally attest to the facility and services that Cumberland House provides, as my husband, Bill, spent his final days in their care. The staff is caring and attentive, and the house and rooms are private, well-appointed, and comfortable. Bill had a pain-free and dignified exit from this life, and I will be forever grateful to the staff and volunteers at Cumberland House for the care they provided to him.
Following Melissa’s presentation, we will enjoy a variety of soups prepared by parishioners. Please bring your soup with a crockpot or similar appliance, so we can all enjoy delicious soups at their correct temperatures. Also, please remember any accoutrements such as grated cheese, croutons, spices, and other toppings that you usually serve with your soup. This promises to be an informational and delicious parish lunch, and I hope to see you there.
~~Janet Knipfing-Schult
From the Rectory
In February, we traditionally observe St. Valentine's Day. As a kid, it was a fun way to show our friends and family that we cared about them. Silly candy hearts, elaborate construction paper mailboxes, and kitschy store-bought Valentine cards seemed to be the focus in elementary school classrooms. A few years later, it might have been a box of chocolates or a single rose from someone special. As we entered into serious relationships, a nice evening out and jewelry could be involved! A church I used to attend held an elaborate annual Valentine's Day dinner and dance, where the men prepared and served a feast for the ladies, then we spent the remainder of the evening dancing. Along came the babies and we started over with the glitter and the glue and silly candy hearts. Nowadays, Valentine's Day might involve anything from Netflix and Domino's to a fabulous cruise or other vacation, but we continue to equate romantic love with valentines.
As a church family, our love extends beyond our romantic relationships. I've always loved the passage from 1 Corinthians 13: (NRSVUE)
4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends….
The other morning I woke up with Robert Preston singing “Marian the Librarian” in my head. It's been a minute since I watched The Music Man, but the wintery weather put me in a cautious frame of mind, and if I slipped on an icy patch and “busted my whatchamacallit” it would be bad. (Unfortunately, this exact thing happened to a sweet friend of mine as she walked her little dog. Plus, her hubby had just come home from a stay in the hospital. Please offer an extra prayer for Billie and Jim). Anyway, I think that's where that particular song came from.
On any given day, the concert in my mind can range from show tunes, to hymns, to rap songs, to majestic organ voluntaries. Sometimes I'm inspired as I select music for worship, other times, I'm simply amusing myself with the tunes which pop up.
Recently, I discovered not everyone has a song in their head all of the time and it made me think… there are probably people who always have a picture in their head, or numbers, or words. Not necessarily musicians, painters, mathematicians, or writers but ordinary people like you and me.
Do you ever ponder random thoughts like this?
In the pondering process, I began to think about directing these creative thoughts intentionally: if I let images overshadow the music, will I be able to paint a landscape? Or photograph a stunning sunset? If I let my head fill with numbers or words, will I balance my checkbook or write an impressive piece for The Messenger?
Going back to The Music Man and Professor Harold Hill’s “think system,” theoretically, it should be not merely possible, but absolutely doable!
So… what if…?
What if we intentionally allow love and service to our neighbors to fill our heads? And our hearts! We can still enjoy the creative influence and diversions which are unique to us as individuals, but each day could have the potential to change lives. Ours and those around us.
Instead of harboring ill will against someone with whom we disagree, we can just intentionallylove ‘em and let it go. Instead of begrudging a request of service, we can intentionally spend a little time helping one another and realize the blessing we receive. Instead of judging, ignoring, or gossiping about other people, what if we intentionally demonstrated Christ's love to them?
Can you imagine the harmony we might experience out of the discordant chaos in which we're currently steeped? If we loosened our hold on the need to feel in control of things over which we have no control, if we opened our minds to the concept that other opinions might have merit, if we allowed our hearts to fill with gratitude… if we walked the walk as Christ instructed, whether anyone else even noticed, we could make a profound difference in our homes, our churches, and our communities.
This isn't exactly a new idea. A fun song from the late ‘60s literally says, “Think of your fellow man,
Lend him a helping hand, Put a little love in your heart.” (In case you don't remember it, plan to attend the Cumberland County Community Chorus concerts April 25, 26, and 27 and hear a delightful arrangement of this and several other favorites. Several St. Raphael's parishioners are involved this year!)
There are too few things which give us such a magnificent return on our investment as simply following the commandment to “love one another.”
A sinking cruise ship only had time to send a S.O.S. before it went down. Thousands of passengers floated in the water and clung to the hope of being rescued. Then, when all seemed lost, a charter boat sailed into view. Soon its skipper and crew were throwing down lifelines and hoisting people safely onto the deck. However, time was running out and there were still so many who needed to be saved.
The skipper turned around and called out to those who had been rescued to lend a hand, but few bothered. Most were too busy getting themselves comfortable on the deckchairs – now that they were saved they only wanted to continue their cruise.
When we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and are rescued from eternal damnation, it’s natural to have a tremendous sense of relief. However, once saved, we have the option of making ourselves comfortable and continuing our cruise through life - or we can get off our deckchairs and lend a hand with the rescue mission of those still in deadly peril of eternal damnation.
These days, with mounting criticism against Christianity, it’s so much easier to hide our beliefs and cruise through life. But now we are saved, if our main concern is comfort and avoiding conflict, on reaching our Heavenly destination we won’t be punished for inaction, but we should keep in mind that we won’t be rewarded, either.
God has given us an amazing opportunity to be part of the biggest rescue mission in eternity. Maybe it’s time to get off our deckchairs and lend a hand, or more importantly ‘bend a knee’ in prayer for our missionaries, evangelists and teachers of the Word.
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38
