Call the Elders

One cowboy saw an Indian kneeling on the ground, his head pressed to the ground. He asked, “What do you sense?” The Indian curtly replied, “Two wagons. Two horses each. The first one carries the cargoes. The second one carries a family of six. The horses are black. The drivers and passengers are all white.” Astonished, the cowboy exclaimed, “You heard all that from the vibrations on the ground?”

With a sigh, the Indian cried, “No. They just ran over me about 15 minutes ago.”

Even if my head is pressed to the ground, I have no way of knowing what’s going on in your life unless you tell me. I am not omniscient, though at times I wish I am. You are not living inside Big Brother’s House. Wiretapping is out of the question, of course.☺

May I suggest an area where we can serve you better? “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.” (James 5:14-15, NIV) When you are sick or you need prayers or counseling, give us the privilege of serving you. Please inform us. A text message or a phone call will do. Note also that it says “elders” (plural). That means not only the pastor but other church workers as well can minister to you. In his High Impact Church seminar, Chip Ingram said, “My role as a pastor is not to shepherd everyone but to make sure everyone get shepherded.” That is why we are working hard to start small groups in our church so that when crisis comes, we will have cell shepherds who can respond to your needs. We are called to serve one another.

Some of you may be wondering, “If I am sick and the pastor (or a church worker) visits me, will he anoint me with oil?” Anointing with oil here was not referring to a ritual or a ceremonial pouring of oil. It refers to medicinal oil (See Luke 10:34). This just shows that taking medicine is not prohibited in the Bible. But the main point in our passage is praying for one another, specially praying for those who are sick.

Brethren, help us serve you better.

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