05/08/05

Healing the Wounds

2 Samuel 11:26-12:10
1 Peter 2:21-25
Mark 5:1-20

As we celebrate our new Parish Nurse Ministry this morning, I thought it might be appropriate to share a sermon on healing and wholeness, topics related to nursing. Of the many healing stories in the Bible, we're going to look specifically today at two - the one about David and Nathan, and the story of Jesus and the Gerasene Demoniac.

When some part of our body is injured, for example, by a cut, bacteria often attacks the wound, causing an infection, and if left untreated, sometimes what forms is an abscess, a swelling filled with pus. To promote healing, sometimes the abscess is lanced with a sterile instrument, allowing the infecting bacteria to escape, thus relieving the pressure and the pain, and encouraging eventual healing.

This principle of healing also applies to other wounds that many of us suffer from, wounds of hate, jealousy, indifference, indulgence, greed, selfishness, etc. These psychological or spiritual wounds need to be opened, cleaned, and healed as do physical wounds, and for us to be completely healed, we may also need to repent of our sins, perhaps also forgive ourselves or others, and for sure, we need to have a deep desire to be made whole. Healing and wholeness go hand in hand.

A brief recap of each of our stories. The one about David and Bathsheba is well-known. We pick it up this morning after David has had her husband, Uriah, killed in battle, kind of like murder for hire in our time. God is not pleased that his chosen one, David, has broken at least three of the commandments, and God sends the prophet Nathan to confront him. Nathan does so with the story we heard about the little lamb. David reacts to this tale with outrage, and then Nathan nails him with the punch line: "You are the man!" Nathan describes to him details of his punishment, and in the section following our lesson, David acknowledges and repents of his terrible sins and begs for forgiveness.

In the other story, Jesus comes upon a demon-possessed man with an unclean spirit. Today we might say that he is suffering from a mental disorder, perhaps some kind of schizophrenia. The man has been exhibiting severe self-destructive behaviors, and no one seems to be able to help him. When he sees Jesus he runs up to him and shouts, "What have you to do with me, Jesus ... Don't torment me!" Jesus commands the evil spirits to leave the man, and they do, going into a herd of pigs that run down the hill and drown in the sea below. There are some other details, but at the end, the man, now clothed and in his right mind wants to go with Jesus, but Jesus tells him to stay and spread the word about how he was healed by the Lord. And he does.

In each story there are three elements for us to consider as we think about healing our wounds and obtaining wholeness: confrontation, naming, and then the actual healing itself. Confrontation and naming often come before healing can occur. Confrontation happens when another person - or at times, our own conscience - confronts us with a reality about ourselves that calls for us to take action. When we've been psychologically, emotionally, or spiritually wounded, or when we've become infected with sin, confrontation forces us to deal with our wounds, not always easy to do. We may know that we hurt, but we may not be able to locate the source of our pain. So, we ask ourselves, or the other asks us, some questions: What is keeping me from wholeness? To what am I clinging for survival? What in me is resisting change? What am I worshipping instead of God? Where are my energies being directed negatively rather than positively? Answers to these questions help us come in touch with our human woundedness, and help us to admit that we are wounded, even if we can't exactly locate the source of our pain.

The story Nathan tells David is an example of confrontation. The story forces the king to face the reality of his sins. Ultimately, we must all face our sins, and sooner or later, deal with them. An illustration may help. A grocer has only one chicken left on the meat counter, and just before closing a woman comes in and asks to have the chicken weighed. The grocer tells her the weight and price, but she replies, "I had in mind a larger chicken." "Just a minute," he says, and he ducks down beneath the counter, seemingly to find another chicken. Moments later he reappears with the same chicken, the only one he has, puts it on the scales and announces a heavier weight and a higher price. "Fine," the woman says. "I'll take it. In fact, since we've got company coming, I'll take both of them." (i) Sooner or later we are confronted by our sins and have to deal with them.

In the case of the man possessed with demons, just the presence of Jesus is enough of a confrontation. The man knows he's in the presence of the Lord, and he can no longer avoid his condition, so he runs to Jesus and bows down before him. It's important for us to realize that God in Jesus Christ comes to us, is present with us, no matter what the nature of our wounds, no matter how many demons we may feel are possessing us. God accepts us and wants to help us in our wounded state, even if we don't know how to help ourselves. The second element is naming, what we could also call naming the demon. This is a process of identifying and naming that which restricts and prevents wholeness in us. As in confrontation, it is often helpful to have another person - a therapist, counselor, or pastor, for example - help us in the process. David knew how despicable his actions were, but he went ahead and did them anyway. David needed a Nathan to name his sins, which the prophet does in his allegorical story. So also the man with Jesus. The Lord asks him, "What is your name?" and by this question he is able to name his demons. In naming our demons - those things that have restricted our wholeness - we often have to probe below the level of consciousness, cutting through the ambiguity that we often have about our actions, to get at the core of our wounds, the crux of our problems. Nathan's story hits David at a deep level, pointing out the nature of his sins in a way much more therapeutic than if he'd said, "David, you've been a very naughty boy." When we can put a name on our demon, when we can come in touch with that which has restricted our wholeness, then we can begin to see the possibilities of transformation, of healing, and of what God is calling us to be.

It's at this point, prior to healing, that repentance, if fitting, must be felt deep within our soul. Repentance is not a simple, "Gosh, I'm sorry," and it's not making excuses, like the man in the tombs could have done - "the devil made me do it." Repentance is literally a turning around of one's life, not only a resolve to do better, but actually making amends and heading off in another direction.

The final step in treating our wounds is what is called "healing" itself - the natural consequence of choosing life - when after being confronted with our pain and naming our demon, when after humbly resolving to do better and actually doing so, when after being truly thankful that God has brought us to this point - we are able to move on. Healing often comes only after much suffering. We can be sure that David suffered guilt, agony, and loss over his cowardly actions, yet we also know that he healed sufficiently to go on to become a great king. We know of the mental and physical torment that the demoniac experienced before he became whole. Suffering is often an integral part of healing.

Most important in healing our wounds is faith in the power of God, faith that God accepts and loves each of us, regardless our sins, faith that will lead us to believe that beneath what appears as evil there is always some good. Beneath his heinous acts and broken commandments lay a personality and character so strong, that thousands of years later Jews and Christians still regard David as one of the heroes of the faith. This is not in any way to condone his crimes or his sins, but rather to recognize that by the grace and power of God, even the most contemptible of persons can be transformed into useful, productive servants of God. The people of the region can only see the outward appearances of the demented cave man - the scraggily hair and beard, wild eyes, and open wounds on his body. But Jesus sees beneath the surface to the inner person and accepts him and loves him for who he is and can be. God in Christ has the power to transform each of us. By God's grace we have the possibility of healing. Yes, we must confront our human condition; we must recognize our sin and name our demon; we must be repentant, if need be; and at times we must endure suffering. But we must also have the faith to claim for ourselves God's transforming power. And what happens then? Will our wounds of body, mind, or spirit be instantly healed? It's usually not quite that simple. The healing or forgiveness of God is not based on anything we do, no matter how righteous our motives or actions. Healing is a gift of new life, a gift of God, given freely by God's grace. There are no guarantees and God works in God's own time frame. Thus, we must be patient, but patient with hope - for though God moves in mysterious ways, we can be assured that God knows us better than we know ourselves, that God searches our hearts for openings, and that God meets us on the road of life before we even know the direction in which we're going. (ii)

I believe that God has met Lisa Williams on the road of life, has searched her heart for an opening, and has helped her move in the direction she is now going in parish nursing. And I believe that God has made us ready as a church family to receive the unique ministry that she and her committee are now offering to us. The role of the Parish Nurse fits beautifully with our 20/10 Vision that you'll hear more about at our Annual Meeting on the 17th. This role basically entails reaching out for more whole-person ways of ministering to people in our congregation who may have health needs or concerns.

The parish nursing concept is fairly new, only going back to the 1980's, but it's roots reach way back into the early Judeo-Christian traditions that recognize our caring for ourselves and others as expressions of God's love. Lisa is one of over 7,000 parish nurses in a wide variety of churches and denominations all over the country, including the U.C.C., who have attended a comprehensive year-long training, leading to the designation of "parish nurse."

Please check out the new brochure in the pew racks. Not included in it is the Parish Nurse Committee's mission statement that I want to share with you: [We are] "dedicated to nurturing individuals' physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being in the context of their relationship to God, family, and neighbor. We believe all persons are sacred and must be treated with respect and dignity, and that spiritual health is central to wellness. The Committee seeks to empower people to live healthy lives and to achieve wholeness." A worthwhile mission.

Parish nursing is a health-promotion, disease-prevention ministry based on the care of the whole person and encompassing several functions. Our Parish Nurse will be a health educator, a personal health counselor, a health advocate, a referral agent and liaison with community resources, a developer of support groups, and an integrator and interpreter of the close relationship between faith and health. I surely hope that many folks within our church family will avail themselves of the services offered by Lisa, and will also attend the presentations listed on the back of the Parish Nurse brochure over the next few months.

In conclusion, among the ways that I mentioned earlier that we can help ourselves in healing our wounds, besides calling upon our Parish Nurse for comfort and counsel, is to turn to God and be open to God's grace. And we can love one another, and ourselves, and we can give thanks, and repent, and praise the Lord, and let God sort out the course of our salvation and the transformation of our souls. In the name of Jesus, the Great Physician, so may God save, transform, and heal each one of us. Amen.

The Pilgrim Church of Duxbury
Rev. Kenneth C. Landall

i Emphasis, 6/80, p. 17.
ii Word & Witness, 6/22/80.