- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
Great comments, everyone. This is a good example of why I love this place.
Just this morning I was asked to give a PH blessing to a new family I Home Teach. As a result of this posting, I’m going to look at it differently.
Time to prepare.
I like how blessings/prayer circles can offer an opportunity for the community to symbolically embrace the sufferer. I do not need the priesthood power or the happy ending element.
Minyan Man wrote:Just this morning I was asked to give a PH blessing to a new family I Home Teach.
As a result of this posting, I’m going to look at it differently.
Time to prepare.
If you’re willing, I’d love to hear what preparation looks like for you. I haven’t given a PH blessing in a while; I didn’t give my kids school blessings this year, and I said ‘no’ to a person in another circumstance (technically, I said I would stand in, but wouldn’t say anything). I get that everyone here is in different places, but how do you organize yourself around blessings?
marty wrote:If you’re willing, I’d love to hear what preparation looks like for you. I haven’t given a PH blessing in a while; I didn’t give my kids school blessings this year, and I said ‘no’ to a person in another circumstance (technically, I said I would stand in, but wouldn’t say anything). I get that everyone here is in different places, but how do you organize yourself around blessings?
So the question was directed at Minyan Man but I’ve had a few recent experiences when I was called on to give a blessing. One was my son receiving the PH, I had time to think about that one. The other was a surprise in the hallway when a good friend with a
veryserious illness asked for a blessing. It’s not really about what I believe, I’m only providing an act of service and I’d like to build on the beliefs of the person receiving the blessing. I know that when we talk of blessings we talk of the faith of all parties involved, the faith of the person receiving the blessing and the faith of the person giving the blessing. In that light maybe the doubt is related to whether I should participate if I feel like I do not believe. I’ve told myself a few things:
1) For me faith is an active thing. Participating in the blessing
at allis my mustard seed. It’s my way of crying out, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” When I give blessings, for that moment in time I feel like I once felt before my FC. 2) If it’s real for the recipient it’s real for me. I’m there to serve them and to bolster their faith. I try to do that.
3) Blessings bond people together. I feel a little closer to my son and a little closer to my friend as a result of being a part of something so intimate with them. Consider the story in the OP. Two strangers have now made a connection, however brief. The brother in the story will likely check up on the sister from time to time to see how she is progressing, that shows love and concern. The sister in the story may be grateful for what part the brother was able to play. A connection was made in this lone and dreary world, and that makes the world a little brighter.
4) It’s hard to find a downside to giving a blessing to someone that asks. I suppose a promised healing might not occur and that may affect someone’s faith, but blessings that don’t “take” may be more plentiful than the ones that do. If the people involved don’t witness a miracle they may still find peace in accepting the will of god. If they do witness a miracle then they can also find peace. I try to make myself available to give blessings to help people find the peace they are looking for. Even if that peace is nothing more than someone that cares enough about them to visit them in their affliction.
Heber13 wrote:I like blessings and miracles being sacred and private. Not posted on FB or over the pulpit.
We live in odd times. What we used to hold as personal interaction with God, we now must publish. Worse yet, we are unashamed to ask for handouts via gofundme. And worst of all. “I just saw a horrible accident, here is a picture, and here is the girl’s name”. In our society, we have become so overwhelmingly driven by breaking the news. I started seriously losing interest in social media the first time I learned by facebook of the death of a friend.Now to the issue of blessings, miracles, and healings. I respect the faith that people have that they can be ‘blessed’, whatever that means to them. When I was a believer, I experience many events that I categorized as miracles, some of which I can no longer explain now that I believe there is no divine intervention. If someone wants to believe in that sort of thing, that is their prerogative.
marty wrote:Minyan Man wrote:Just this morning I was asked to give a PH blessing to a new family I Home Teach.
As a result of this posting, I’m going to look at it differently.
Time to prepare.
If you’re willing, I’d love to hear what preparation looks like for you. I haven’t given a PH blessing in a while; I didn’t give my kids school blessings this year, and I said ‘no’ to a person in another circumstance (technically, I said I would stand in, but wouldn’t say anything). I get that everyone here is in different places, but how do you organize yourself around blessings?
I did go to church on Sunday. I count that as preparation. I talked with a former Bishop who I thought would know them. He gave me a little information. I met them at their home (a retirement community) & talked for about 30-45 minutes. Mostly about where they used to live, church experiences & family. This is 2nd marriages for both. They seemed relatively healthy. (similar to a job interview)
I could tell that they didn’t like going to Doctors or taking medication. So, the blessing was to listen to the Doctors, to take
their advice & listen to their own conscience. To take comfort in the gospel & mission of Jesus Christ.
On Own Now wrote:
We live in odd times. What we used to hold as personal interaction with God, we now must publish. Worse yet, we are unashamed to ask for handouts via gofundme. And worst of all. “I just saw a horrible accident, here is a picture, and here is the girl’s name”. In our society, we have become so overwhelmingly driven by breaking the news. I started seriously losing interest in social media the first time I learned by facebook of the death of a friend.I hadn’t even thought about the privacy issue. What if this young lady was on the road that day because she was fleeing from an abusive boyfriend or husband? Now he knows where she is.
(Then again, the poster must have gotten the girl’s name from the girl herself. HIPAA regulations would have prevented nurses or doctors from giving out her personal information.)
I’m still hung up on the idea of two people touching the head of an accident victim with unknown, serious injuries. What if she’d had a broken neck? Jostling it even a little could be terribly dangerous. It’s my understanding that Good Samaritan laws prevent you from being sued for administering first aid, but what about religious rites?
I think I wouldn’t have minded if he’d posted something like this.
Quote:When I was driving the other day I came on the scene of a horrible accident. A young lady was laying on the side of the road and the ambulance hasn’t arrived yet. Another priesthood holder and I were able to administer a blessing, but I wish there was more we could have done. Please pray for this girl’s recovery and for the doctors and nurses caring for her.
But something like that probably wouldn’t have gone viral.A new development, the sister I gave a blessing to last week went into intensive care today. A different illness. It doesn’t give me a lot of confidence. But, then again, it’s not about me or shouldn’t be.
I do find situations like this very interesting.
Yes, she asked for another blessing. (What’s going to happen this week?)
I was stunned to find out that in the early days of the church, hands were placed on whatever body part was having a problem. That practice led to women giving blessings to other women. Once the hands moved to the head, having the hands anywhere else has just disappeared from practice, and the old way has completely been lost.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.