Healing

I have this spot halfway between my neck and my left shoulder that reminds me I’ve been at the computer too long. The pain is sharp enough it makes me catch my breath. The muscle tightness and occasional spasm makes it hard for me to lift my head up straight, so I end up kind of hunched over. Do you have any “spots” like that?

About three years ago, I started seeing a somatic experience therapist. She has helped me learn how to listen to my body. When I tell her what I’m feeling, she always says, “Where do you feel that in your body?” I usually know right away. Fear; I feel that in my throat. Sadness; I feel that in the pit of my stomach. Anger; I feel that in my forehead. She has taught me to make friends with my body because it has important messages to give me.

Even with intentional work, I only get a “C” for paying attention to those messages. Sigh. I spend way too much time trying to get things done. That means I listen to my body only when it screams at me. Still, I have found the learning process to be life-giving. At least now I know how to pay attention -- and when we know better, we do better, right?

Faith, over the next three weeks, Pastor Heather and I want to teach you deep and long truths about human beings, healing, and faith in Jesus. Nothing we will tell you is new. In fact, it has been around a very long time. Healing has been an expected result of trust and faith in God through Jesus Christ since the time Jesus showed us how to do it -- when he walked upon the earth. In recent centuries, however, the definition of healing has been squeezed into meaning only physical restoration. That’s a loss because Jesus understood healing much more broadly. Healing was and is a restoration of our whole selves: mind, body and soul. In fact, the root word for healing in New Testament Greek, “sozo,” is the same as the root word for wholeness and salvation.

I wonder if there is any place in your life that feels broken right now? If you answered, yes -- I’m grateful we’ll have three weeks to learn how broken pieces are healed through God’s grace. If you answered no, this series is especially important for you. God has equipped you to offer healing to others from your place of wholeness and you’ll need to have an adequate understanding of how we help others heal. Either way, this will be an important series for us as a congregation. I hope you’ll engage deeply and fully.

Shalom,

P.S. If you want to see the “trial run” of Pastor Talk as it makes a comeback, click here. This week, I am visiting with Mark Fowler, our newest staff member about his call to ministry and how he has experienced his time with us at Faith. I’ll also show you our new recording room. We’re excited to have a dedicated space for video and audio recording as we seek to improve our communication with you.