Healing Service

The subject of healing raises interest and controversy in our churches. An interest in healing arises out of our need for it, but the approach used by some Christian groups has created controversy on this topic. The Gospels and the Book of Acts describe a number of healing stories. We can presume from these stories that the practice of praying for healing and of expecting healing to occur was a common understanding in the first few centuries of the Christian church. Through the biblical stories, we know that healing could occur in different ways. Sometimes Jesus touched the sick (Mark 1:30, 40-42; 7:32; Matt. 20:30). In other situations, he simply asked the person to do something, after which the person was healed (Luke 5:18; 6:6). There were instances in which the person received healing from a distance (Matt. 15:22).

We know that the practice of using oil to anoint the sick was also common (James 5:14). Olive oil was considered a medicine that, combined with faithful prayer, had healing power. With the passage of time, the expectation that healing would occur disappeared. Anointing with oil began to be seen as part of the preparation for death, rather than as part of healing. Only recently have we begun recovering the meaning of this practice in mainline denominations.

The United Methodist Church, by including a healing service in the hymnal and as part of its services, affirms that healing is not the practice of a particular denomination but of the Christian tradition. The word sozo, translated as "salvation," means "salvation, healing, wholeness" (Matt. 9:20-22.) The healing God offers is physical as well as spiritual, emotional, and relational. The service in Mil Voces Para Celebrar is a reflection of a specific theological stance. Although we can pray for the sick in any place or situation, to have a service in the church implies that, as God’s people, we are called to be a healing community. As United Methodists, we do not believe that it is necessary to have a person with a healing gift to do a healing service. All healing comes from God, not from human power. God gives gifts to the church and blesses the church as God wishes.

Related to that idea, we believe that God has given us means of grace. Among these is Holy Communion, which is a means of healing. It is recommended as part of the healing service so that we may remember that the power comes from God and not from ourselves. The use of oil is also symbolic. The power is not in the oil, but in a God who wants to heal our whole life.

Because of the different interpretations given to this theme, before having a healing service, it is advisable to offer Bible studies and sermons on healing.A useful resource on the subjectis Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition(Upper Room Books). Give your congregation the opportunity to clarify doubts and to understand the United Methodist perspective on healing. The dialogue will help avoid the use of models taken from TV or from incompatible theological practices. The healing service can help the members of your congregation in their personal needs, but it can also be a means of healing for the congregation as a whole.


Dr. Carmen M. Gaud is a clergy member of La Iglesia Metodista Autónoma Afiliada de Puerto Rico. In 1986 she began working as editor of Spanish Resources at The United Methodist Publishing House, Nashville, TN. Since 1995 she has worked as editor of the devotional magazine, El Aposento Alto at the United Methodist Discipleship Ministries, Nashville, TN.

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