In a meditation on faith, hope and trusting God, Veronica Dyck reviewed the account of two healings: the woman with a haemorrhage and Jarius’ 12 year old daughter. Both are touched and healed. One story is inserted in the midst of the other (Jaruis) story; usually the middle story holds a truth to the outer story: Jesus calls Jarius to have the same faith as the healed woman. A request was made to print her Veronica’s conclusion: “Faith can change despair to hope and healing. Faith and being saved are linked twice in our double story. In the case of Jairus’ daughter, they are linked in the form of a promise: “Do not fear. Only believe and she will be saved.” In Jesus’ parting words to the woman, having faith and being saved are linked as an accomplished fact, which is expressed in a benediction. This is not faith as some magic formula. Whatever the immediate needs and assumptions about Jesus’ power drew the characters to him, faith draws them beyond that moment. A mood of mourning is transformed into the occasion for celebration, and threatening crowds become a people with an identity and a purpose. Where illness and death held sway, life is now experienced in all its abundance. Jesus may have done great things for us individually or privately, but to show that we have really been healed and freely empowered by God to live, we need to come forward and declare openly, fearlessly, that we have touched and been touched by Jesus. Going out like the disciples are commanded, with power and authority to preach and to heal, is the authentic way to declare that the reign of God has come. For there can be no reign of God where people are considered unclean in society through no sin of theirs, or where no efforts are made to enable them to live fully. The challenge is not to be satisfied simply with being healed, but to join God’s disciples in being healers, in proclaiming that the reign of God has come.” (HN)

Passage: Lk 8:40-56
Communion: No
Ecumenical or Event:
Potluck Lunch: No
Congregational Meeting: No

Speaker: Veronica Dyck
Worship Leader: Cynthia Friesen
Song Leader: Rosie Perera
Pianist: Jeff Schulz
Usher: Harold Neufeld
Children's Feature Leader:

Bring Flowers: HILDA & HENRY HILDEBRAND
Coffee Helper:
Sound Helper:

Child Care Volunteer: