Come On. Be Tacky!

By Suzanne DeWitt, St. Paul's, Newburyport
Don’t you love it when God lines things up to create seemingly random coincidences?

Since January I’ve been attending a study of Jesus’ healing ministry at St. Paul’s Church in Newburyport. The twice monthly study is led by pain relief specialist Bob Keller. It centers on Biblical accounts of Jesus’ healing power, and provides an opportunity to explore and practice healing prayer techniques.

On Thursday May 17 a Christian Science healing workshop was held at the Newburyport public library. I’ve studied Christian healing for about 10 years and thought it might be interesting to see how Christian Scientists’ approach it. The place was packed. People of all ages were represented, and there were several wheel chairs and at least one oxygen tank present.

People are hungry for healing. They want to believe it. They want to search it out.
On May 18 and 19 a healing conference was held at Christ Church in Exeter NH, and run by The Rev. Dr. Jack Sheffield from Christ Healing Center in San Antonio. Attendees came from Episcopal churches around the region. Like the study at St. Paul’s it was a wonderful time of teaching, encouragement, and hands-on prayer.

On May 20 I participated for the first time on St. Paul’s Sunday morning healing prayer. Our God of transcendence and immanence lined up a 4 day immersion project for me, coincidentally timing the three events to occur sequentially in one long weekend.

Fr. Sheffield is an entertaining and informative presenter. His eyes sparkled when he said things like “I just LOVE this Jesus!” after describing a miraculous healing. He knew his audience however, and passed along a quip that resonated. He said that as Episcopalians we can do anything as long as it isn’t tacky. The crowd laughed, knowing it to be true. We Episcopalians are a tasteful bunch. But what do the scriptures tell us? Do they teach us to avoid doing the embarrassing?

Imagine the babble at Pentecost, with its accusations of drunkenness. Or consider how tacky it must have been to touch the skin of a leper. How déclassé to wash anyone’s feet, let alone those of subordinates. How appalling to eat with sinners and harlots, to lodge in the unclean stench of a tannery, or to be touched by a woman who has hemorrhaged for 12 years. Not to mention the tackiest Biblical account of all; the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Christianity is certainly tacky in this sense. It is potentially embarrassing. Societally offensive. It draws attention in uncomfortable ways. But Christianity should also be tacky in the alternative sense of the word. The World Dictionary defines tacky as "slightly sticky or adhesive". The nascent church was definitely adhesive, when Pentecost’s babble brought thousands to follow The Way. When healings and resurrections drew throngs of people to follow Christ. It was sticky indeed. And it still should be.

People are hungry for healing of all kinds. Jesus gave his healing power to his church. He left it with and in us. He wants us to be His hands and feet and heart, offering healing to a hurting world.

You and I can be part of that. Consider coming to St. Paul Newburyport’s study of Jesus’ Healing Ministry. It is held at 7:00PM on the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesdays of each month. Click here for more information.

Come on! Be tacky!