Brief Book Review: The Forgotten Touch

The Forgotten Touch: More Stories of Healing

Author: Nigel W.D. Mumford

Publisher: Seabury Books, paperback, 135 pages, including Acknowledgments, Forward by Russ Parker, Prologue and Epilogue

Reviewed by Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson

Author

At the time this volume was published, the Rev. Nigel Mumford was born and educated in England, a former marine and now an Episcopal priest, and Director of the Healing Ministries of Christ the King Spiritual Life Centre in Albany, New York. He is also the author of Hand to Hand: From Combat to Healing. On his website, he is described as: an international speaker, author and founder of By His Wounds, Inc. a 501c3 non-profit, organization, focusing on Christian Healing. Nigel is also Priest Associate for Healing, at Galilee Church in Virginia Beach, VA.

Contents

The main body of this volume is divided up into Part One God’s Healing Grace and Part Two Sharing In The Ministry Of Healing. Part One contains eight chapters. Part Two contains four chapters. Each chapter begins with a biblical text. 

Brief Observations

Mumford himself shares autobiographical stories, including how God called him into ordained ministry after having served as a soldier in the British military. He began to focus on praying for healing and healing ministry when his sister, a ballet dancer, was healed of Dystonia. Mumford also tells several stories in the book of others being healed. 

He points out, among other things, that: there are different kinds of healing, it is not always what people expect, it may not be instantaneous, in addition to prayer and faith in God, it also may involve medical personnel, science and technology.

Mumford admits that there are cases where healing doesn’t happen. He addresses five blocks that prevent healing: unforgiveness, inner vows, unworthiness, occult involvement, and negative attitude. 

He goes on to identify ten major ingredients for healing, which are connected with listening, loving, and praying. He also discusses twelve ways to prepare for and introduce a healing ministry in a parish, as well as seven pitfalls to watch out for in a healing, prayer team ministry, and a checklist for a healing service. 

Aside from the sexist language, and a wee bit of questionable biblical, theological and practical presuppositions, some clergy and laity with an interest in healing ministry might find this volume helpful. 

Prayer of the Day/Collect for 2nd Sunday in Advent

Blessed are you O God of heaven and earth: Long ago you gave the prophet Isaiah a beautiful vision of Shalom, in which the violence among human beings and the predator instinct among animals would be transformed into a new world order of perfect Shalom. In a world and church filled with conflicts, divisions and wars, we pray: Come Jesus, Prince of Peace, usher in your perfect realm of Shalom. Amen. 

LWF Intercessory Prayer

The Lutheran World Federation has prepared the following intercessory prayer in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Readers can also access it at the following link:https://www.lutheranworld.org/sites/default/files/2020/documents/200312_-_intercessory_prayer_in_the_midst_of_the_spread_of_covid_-_en.pdf

Intercessory Prayer in the midst of the spread of COVID-19

O God our Healer, show your compassion for the whole human family that is in turmoil and burdened with illness and with fear. Hear our cry, O God, Listen to our prayer.

Come to our aid as the coronavirus spreads globally, heal those who are sick, support and protect their families and friends from being infected. Hear our cry, O God, Listen to our prayer.

Grant us your spirit of love and self-discipline so that we may come together, working to control and eliminate the coronavirus. Hear our cry, O God, Listen to our prayer.

Make us vigilant, attentive, and proactive in the eradication of all diseases, malaria, dengue, HIV & AIDS, and others [may benamed out-loud or in silence]... that create suffering and often result in death for many people. Hear our cry, O God, Listen to our prayer.

Heal our self-centeredness and indifference that makes us worry only when the virus threatens us, open ways beyond timidity and fear that too easily ignore our neighbor. Hear our cry, O God, Listen to our prayer.

Strengthen and encourage those in public health services and in the medical profession: care-givers, nurses, attendants, doctors, all who commit themselves to caring for the sick and their families. Hear our cry, O God, Listen to our prayer. Inspire, give insight and hope to all researchers focused on developing a vaccine. Hear our cry, O God,Listen to our prayer.

Sustain all workers and business owners who suffer loss of livelihood due to shut-downs, quarantines, closed borders, and other restrictions... protect and guard all those who must travel. Hear our cry, O God, Listen to our prayer. Guide the leaders of the nations that they speak the truth, halt the spread of misinformation and act with justice so that all your family may know healing. Hear our cry, O God, Listen to our prayer. 

Heal our world, heal our bodies, strengthen our hearts and our minds, and in the midst of turmoil, give us hope and peace. Hear our cry, O God, Listen to our prayer.

Hold in your gentle embrace all who have died and who will die this day. Comfort their loved ones in their despair. Hear our cry, O God,Listen to our prayer. Remember all your family, the entire human race, and all your creation, in your love. Amen!

Prayer of the Day-Collect for 4th Sunday of Advent Year C

God of love: We magnify you for showing mercy upon the poor and forgotten ones around the world. Your love through Jesus our Messiah came to earth to reverse the order of things and set all things right. May we follow your example Jesus of love for all people even as we pray for your coming again today, tomorrow and in the unknown future as Messiah, Saviour, Lord of lords, and King of kings; to reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit; one God, now and forever. 

Prayer of the Day-Collect for 3rd Sunday of Advent Year C

Holy One: In this season of joy and rejoicing, there are many family members, friends and neighbours in our midst; as well as countless millions of poor and oppressed people around the globe who find little joy or occasion to rejoice. May your Holy Spirit’s fruit of joy and rejoicing spread into the hearts, minds and lives of all humankind as we prepare to celebrate the coming of our Messiah Jesus; in whose name we pray.

Prayer of the Day/Collect for 2nd Sunday of Advent Year C

God of judgement and grace: You sent John your faithful messenger to prepare your people for your coming through a baptism of repentance. Grant us open ears and hearts to hear your word; and to respond with acts of repentance to prepare for the coming of your Son; Jesus the Messiah; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit; one God, now and forever.

Prayer of the Day-Collect for 1st Sunday of Advent Year C

God of hope: Amidst all of the darkness and suffering, tragedies and disasters, fears and growing hatred, divisions and wars, help us to remain firmly rooted in the hope that only you can give us through our righteous Branch, Jesus, the Messiah. May we be signs of this hope as we prepare for your coming through the living out of our lives trusting in your promises; through Jesus our Messiah, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Prayer of the Day/Collect for Reformation Sunday Year A

Covenant-Making God: We praise and thank you for your superabundant grace, which names and claims us, and calls us into faithful living. We thank you for the reforms and reformers of your church in the past and today. May we continue to reform that which needs reforming, that your will may be done to set free all who are enslaved; through Jesus the Messiah; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit; one God, now and forever.

Prayer of the Day/Collect for 5th Sunday in Lent, Year A

Cross by Dim Lamp

Life-giving God: Long ago you breathed life and hope into your chosen people, and delivered them out of exile. You also show compassion to those who grieve the loss of loved ones, and promise them new life with a hopeful future. Help us to show compassion for those who are grieving in our midst, and to be bearers of your grace; through Jesus Christ, our cross-bearing Messiah, who lives and reigns with you and the life-breathing Spirit, one God, now and forever.    

Prayer of the Day/Collect for 2nd Sunday in Lent, Year A

Cross by Dim Lamp

God of love: You sent your Son, Jesus into the world to show how much you love the world through his suffering and death on a cross. In gratitude for what Jesus has done for us, help us to share this love each day with others by following him in the way of the cross; through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit; one God, now and forever.    

Help Thanks Wow: A Brief Review

Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers

Author: Anne Lamott

Publisher: New York: Riverhead Books a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2012

103 pages, ISBN 978-1-59463-129-0, Paperback

Reviewed by Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson

Anne Lamott is a popular author whom many praise, quote and speak and blog about these days. I hadn’t read her books prior to this one, so I thought I’d find out for myself what she had to say.

   In the “Prelude,” Lamott describes prayer as “private,” and “communication from the heart to that which surpasses understanding.” (p. 1) She goes on to tell her readers that she’s not too concerned about how to name God—which may be an issue for some of her readers who believe that God should definitely be communicated with by employing specific names. She believes that one can speak with God in prayer about anything.

   Lamott is a creative writer. In this little volume, she seems, to this reader, to be a stream of consciousness writer. There is a flow to the writing. Her turns of phrase are attention-grabbers, unpredictable, humorous, insightful and more. Yet, at the same time, they are both her strength and her weakness.

   The writing is so colourful and busy that it goes off in far too many directions too rapidly and, at times anyway, for this reader more difficult to track. Overall, for Lamott, perhaps the chaos theory of existence is more attractive than the ordered theory of existence.

   Having said all of that, I do appreciate some of her turns of phrase. Here are three examples that may make readers of this review curious enough to explore Anne Lamott’s writings. 

   From the “Help” chapter, concerning seeking an answer from God: “Yet maybe if you ask God for help in knowing which direction to face, you’ll have a moment of intuition.”

   “The response probably won’t be from God, in the sense of hearing a deep grandfatherly voice, or via skywriting, or in the form of an LED-lit airplane aisle at your feet.” (p. 37)

   From the “Thanks” chapter, an insight into the nature of gratitude: “Gratitude begins in our hearts and then dovetails into behavior. It almost always makes you willing to be of service, which is where the joy resides. It means you are willing to stop being such a jerk.” (pp. 56-57)

   From the “Wow” chapter, on the wonder, awe, and amazement of life: “Love falls to earth, rises from the ground, pools around the afflicted. Love pulls people back to their feet. Bodies and souls are fed. Bones and lives heal.”

   “What can we say beyond Wow, in the presence of glorious art, in the music so magnificent that it can’t have originated solely on this side of things? Wonder takes our breath away, and makes room for new breath. That’s why they call it breathtaking.” (p. 81)

   So, if your prayer life has become stale, boring and dry and a bit too ordered; if you are looking for more creativity in your prayer life; you may want to read Anne Lamott’s book.   

 

    

Walking With Our Sisters

 Yesterday we visited the Red Deer Museum, which is hosting the Walking With Our Sisters exhibit. It was a very sobering visit. It is a commemorative Memorial for the missing and murdered indigenous women of Canada and the United States.

   It was a powerful experience, as we entered, we were asked to remove our footwear, as a sign of respect for the dead. Then a brief sage burning ceremony was conducted and we were asked to pick up some tobacco and hold it in our hand while walking around the exhibit of the vamps (decorative uppers of moccasins), each representing a dead or missing indigenous woman.  As we walked we were also given the opportunity to pray, and at the end of the walk place our tobacco into a box as a sign of our thoughts and prayers. 

   May God move the hearts, minds and lives of people to reverse the injustices and evils that were, and continue to be committed against indigenous women.   

   Over 1,181+ native women and girls in Canada have been reported missing or have been murdered in the last 30 years. Many vanished without a trace with inadequate inquiry into their disappearance or murders paid by the media, the general public, politicians and even law enforcement. This is a travesty of justice. For more on the exhibit, go here.