Jesus heals a man who had been ill for 38 years at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. Unable to reach the healing waters, the man explains his situation to Jesus. Jesus tells him, “Get up, pick up your mat and walk.” The man obeys and is immediately healed. What is the interplay between faith, grace, and effort in this healing? What does it look like for us to pick up our mats and walk when we haven't been able to before? What does it mean to "want to be healed?"

Pastor Alison preaches from Mark 3:1-6.

To preach Jesus is to preach healing.

Only Luke records the healing of Malchus’ (ref. John) ear. In a situation where violence could rule the day and evil would “have its hour” Jesus would perform a miraculous healing and restoration on a rather seemingly insignificant body part. But this ‘little’ healing truly highlights the contrast of Kingdoms. Jesus in his incarceration chooses non-violence and even loving touch, when vengeance could easily have won the day. This is who we proclaim and worship!

“People of color have endured traumatic histories and almost daily assaults on their dignity.” The answer is not in “just getting over it,” or to simply “pray more,” and definitely not in denial or venting in anger/violence. We collectively need to recognize and acknowledge racial trauma and pursue active healing corporately. In fact, all of us, people of color and white people carry the history of racial trauma in our bodies, and it is literally passed on through our DNA through generations, cit. Resmaa Menakem “My Grandmother’s Hands”

Guillermo Jiménez talks about the Lord as our Banner.

We are paralyzed by body comparisons, self-loathing, discomfort in our own skin, etc. Some of us have wrestled with eating disorders or attempts to make artificial changes to our appearance. Especially in this age of social media we are comparing ourselves to altered-cyber selves. Filters, photoshop, and extreme models all skew our perception of beauty. But we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are beautiful. The church is called to be prophetically counter-culture for the healing and renewal of humanity.

Pastor Alison continues our conversation around healing.

We pause here to collect ourselves, recenter, and consider what it means to live lives in pursuit of health and transformation. Self-love: embrace yourself and who god has made you to be. Continue to pursue healing from pain/brokenness from the past; knowing your limitations and boundaries; spiritual rhythms: sabbath and rest; develop skills for loving others well.

The Church is the body of Christ, but we have hurt one another.

There is deep hurt, wounding, and trauma that each of us have experienced in our lifetime. Physical and or Sexual abuse, the death of a loved one, the death of a significant relationship. Physical trauma and harm. Crisis and disaster. What does it mean to healthily go “through” trauma and forward into renewal and redemption. Deliverance “through” vs. “From”