What to expect at a service for healing and peace…..
Healing and the desire for peace for ourselves and the world was central to the ministry of Jesus as he longed for people to be happy, free and at peace with each other.
Here at St Peter’s, we celebrate the loving grace of God who desires wholeness of body, mind and spirit for all people. At a service of healing, we focus on that aspect of God’s character.
We come with our frailty and brokenness – felt not just in physical illness – but in guilt, anxiety and the burdens of life which weigh us down. We also bring our concerns for others and for the world.
Healing prayers are complementary to the work of medicines, good and worthy acts of kindness and other forms of healing, which are also channels of God’s loving and transforming purpose.
‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 4:6-7)
In our gentle service we honour everybody’s understanding of what this time will mean for them – and make a space for people to come as they are in faith – or none – and pray that they might find a sanctuary for peace and hope. We believe that each person and situation is known to God, not as a problem to be solved, but as a focus for God’s acceptance and love.
We trust that our prayers will be answered, although we do not know when or how healing will happen, but that somehow we will all know wholeness in the fullness of time.