Sunday, August 13. Traditions online worship service.
Today at our 11 am English Speaking Service we will worship together with a SERVICE OF HEALING. Like any Sunday morning service, we will pray, sing, read scripture, and experience a sermon teaching.
During the healing portion of the service, we usually invite people to come forward to a station to sit or kneel and where someone anoints them with oil and prays with them. Since that is not possible online, we invite you to prepare ahead of time by putting a drop or two of oil on a cotton ball or a tissue for each person—an essential oil or even plain olive oil will do. The cotton ball or tissue can help contain the oil since only a small bit is needed to make a cross on the forehead. Simply touch the cotton ball or tissue to moisten the thumb or index finger and draw the two parts of the cross on the forehead, just above the nose and eyebrows. You can do this for yourself or have someone who is there with you do it, and then you can do it for them. The traditional words are, “I anoint you In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Or you could say: “God enfold you, Christ embrace you, Spirit surround you.” Or simply “peace be with you”
Anointing with oil by drawing the sign of the cross is a time-honored way of sealing the intention of the prayer and the pray-er. Thank you for joining with us today in worship.
James 5:13-16