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Healing Stories
Story
of God's Power and Love
Testimony
from Abby: “We
prayed for thirty to forty minutes. At the end of that time, Julia
screamed out to God, telling Him that she believed with all of her
heart that this baby could be raised from the dead. After Julia
screamed out, everyone was silent. We were quietly interceding and
praying. Within a few minutes, the baby started moving. Then the baby
coughed and began crying. The mother came rushing into the room. She
was screaming, what is going on? No one could answer her. We were just
staring at the baby, who had come back to life. The mother asked us
again, what is going on? She began crying as she saw that her baby was
alive. She ran out of the house and banged on every door in the
village, telling all of the people that God is real because her baby
was alive. Within about thirty minutes, the baby's! skin tone and
movements had become completely normal. A Father's Day HealingOn Father's Day I received healing prayer from Fr. Paul. I felt a chill thru my body and was relieved of my aches from a bad back. This relief lasted for over a week. A grateful FatherNeck Pain HealedI was invited to your Healing Service during Holy Week. I had a pain in my neck for quite a while. As you prayed over me I could feel the floor tremble. I have no pain whatsoever in my neck. The healing service was so very powerful. We went to Sunday Easter service at St. John's which was very nice. The main thing about St. John's is the genuine friendliness and sense of fellowship that I feel when I'm there. We've been looking for a church for a year and believe me that doesn't always exist. We tried about a dozen times; the service was excellent, but the people were not friendly. St. John's rocks! I signed up for the series, "When Heaven Invades Earth which starts next Thursday night, and I'm looking forward to that.
Hand HealedOne evening recently, as I was praying in bed, the Lord came to me in a vision. His hand held mine! The next day during a Bible Study he reminded me of Isaiah 41 which says, "I am with your, do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." As I shared this with my friend, she told me she couldn't write because of the pain in her right hand. She was comforted and our God healed her hand right then and there! God continues to tell me, "I am with you always." He does this through signs like a cross i saw in a store, the words of the gospel read at church, and through a card I gave to a friend. Truly he is with me always.
Story of FreedomI wanted to take the time to thank you again for accepting me into your
God's GoodnessMy husband has been laid off for several months, but I have continued to tithe and refused to fret over the future. During these days, a relative gave us a $2000 patio set; I received a bonus at work; we had a huge batch of our home grown asparagus, strawberries, and raspberries; someone took be to Red lobster for a birthday dinner; and a loved one gave us $2000 to pay off a loan we needed for medical bills! Papa God so tenderly orders our steps and assures us that if we stay in His tracks, and focus on him, these earthly concerns and pressures will be taken care of, in his perfect time. I hear him whisper, "Not to worry, dear." What a Savior! Note from Fr. EdI know that many of you have been praying for my wife, Joan. We asked for a miracle and God in his goodness has replied. We went to Madison on Monday for a consultation on when to begin chemotherapy for her leukemia. The doctors reviewed her tests and said she did not need chemo at this time, and in all likelihood would never need it. Praise the Lord! Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer. God is good. CHRISTINE'S STORYIn recent months God has kindly blessed me with several personal miracles. I am often prayed for during Healing Services and deeply touched when I receive Holy Communion at St. John's Church. During these times, God makes me feel safe and loved. One day recently, after healing prayer, I woke up and noticed that the large lump on my wrist called a ganglion, which was the size of a plum, had disappeared over night. A few days later I saw my doctor for a diabetic check and all my blood work was normal for the first time in 4 years! I know it sounds too hard to believe, but after 30 years with psoriasis on my face, I am also completely relieved. It is so wonderful to have had God's support when I suffered these physical trials, but it is even more wonderful to be healed of them! As a survivor of abuse, I know God heals not only the body but also the broken heart and mind. He has a plan for each of us, and his love is there for us in good times and in bad. JUDY'S STORYI would like to share with you how I came to be here at St. John's and what it means to me. I came to St. John's for the first time nearly four years ago. A friend of mine invited me to her granddaughter's First Eucharist. Since I know and love the family, I decided to go. I wasn't attending any church and hadn't been for a long time. I knew that something was missing in my life. I was searching, but I wasn't sure what I needed. I don't mean I didn't have a busy life, but I mean that he most vital part of my life was missing. I came to St John's the first time for someone else and God has been pulling me back ever since. You see, it took me a while but I eventually realized that it was God who led me here, and it was God who was needed in my life. Fr. Paul invited me to "hang around for a while and see what happens." After two years of just hanging around, I realized that just hanging around was not enough. This is not the sort of place that hanging around is ever enough. I attended my first healing service after we moved into our new church building and had the most profound experience of my life. I have suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for fifteen years, and when I attended that healing mass, everything changed. I had no idea what to expect, but as I waited for Fr. Paul to reach me to bless me, I prayed to God that if it was his will, I knew he could and would heal me. When Fr. Paul placed his hands on my head and began to pray, I felt an intense feeling of heat that radiated the length of my body from head to foot. If people hadn't held me up, I would have fallen to the floor. It took several minutes to regain my equilibrium. I was filled with a feeling of such joy and peace that I never wanted it to end. When I had that experience, I was taking 800 milligrams of anti-inflammatory medication daily and suffered from swollen, painful joints so stiff it often took 30-40 minutes just to get out of bed in the morning. Since that night I have not taken any anti-inflammatory drugs, and I have not had a significant arthritis flare up since. I have grown greatly in my spiritual life through daily prayer, bible study, worship, and most importantly, through the Eucharist. As I have grown, I've felt a deeper and deeper commitment to God and to my church. It is my privilege to contribute my time to volunteer at the Thrift Store on Fridays, to lead bible study, to help with the Alpha Program, and to provide hospitality when it's my turn. What a joy it is to read scripture at our service on Saturday nights. It was also my privilege as a member of St. John's to contribute a percentage of my income for the honor and glory of God. After all, everything that I have, He gave me. He has blessed me more than I deserve. When I was spiritually lost, He led me to this place of healing and peace where I have learned the depth of His love for me. Now He fills my life every day and I have found Him. He has taught me that through Fr. Paul's spiritual guidance, we can share His love for us together as a church family. We can heal and grow together by helping and praying for each other. We can reach out to other people in our community so that they will know how to answer when God is calling to them, just as someone showed me when I was one of His lost sheep. You can't hang around for long without getting involved. the more I've learned of God's love, the more I want to give back. Thank you for letting me share my story with you. Each person here has his or her own story, probably not so different form mine. The one thing we all have in common is the love of our Father in heaven. In this holy place, we can learn to use the tools we need to stay in His grace and grow in His love. Thank you for letting me share my story. SUSIE'S STORYMy excitement mounted as I answered my phone and heard Susie say, " I think I found God." It was an early morning and as the phone rang I wondered who was calling so early. I was surprised to hear Susie's voice full of excitement. Susie is a new member in our Adult Child Group. She had attended group the day before, very angry and apprehensive. She was angry at everyone for the way her life was going. She seemed to want to control everyone in her life and make them change. The group talked about how we can't change others, we can only change ourselves. Susie seemed to be at a loss to understand this. She saw no need to change herself and couldn’t see why others didn't understand this. Just before the group closed Susie looked so lost and alone. I asked her if she had a higher power. Susie looked at me blankly. I then said , "Do you know God ?" Susie looked at me tearfully and told me that she didn't know or understand God. I suggested that she decide she was willing to know God and leave the rest up to him. As she left the group she was crying and saying she needed something to make her sleep because she was so weary. The next morning the call came. Susie was so excited. She had gone to sleep the night before very sad and depressed. During the night she awoke and felt a presence in her room . She said she thought she was dreaming because she could feel God sitting on her headboard. She tried to think it away but it remained. She finally went back to sleep, telling herself she was crazy. To her surprise when daylight came and she awakened , God was still on her headboard. She immediately called me. I think she needed someone to reassure her that she was not crazy. I felt her fear and excitement. It was like she was saying , is this too good to be true? I immediately said ," Wonderful " She told me she was going to go on with her day and leave God on her headboard. I told her she could take him with her and she didn't seem to understand. I assured her it was o.k. to leave him there if that's what she wanted to do. I sensed that this was overwhelming for her and she couldn't handle anymore at this time. She hung up sounding happy and excited although a little skeptical that this could be true. I hung up and said ," Thank you ,God" It has been two weeks now and Susie is still bubbling and talking to everyone she meets. In group yesterday she shared that she has had a spiritual week and she is in awe about everything that is happening to her. Miracles, you bet ! CHARLIE'S STORYCharlie has been coming to our church for a couple years. He came because of his wife and children. He wanted to do the right thing for them. I saw Charlie as a very caring man with his adopted children. He was also very angry and fearful of any religion. He was so afraid of being sucked into something he didn't want. Charlie and I became friends and he started sharing his fears. I suggested that he attend the Adult Child Group. At first he was very reluctant. Charlie has been in a twelve step program for a number of years to deal with an addiction. He has been very successful with this program but needed something more to deal with his spiritual issues. I encouraged him to take a risk and join the group. He came in, very angry and telling everyone he didn't think he needed to be there. He had a very foul mouth and took up a lot of group time. We were patient with him and welcomed him back. When he stopped talking he started hearing other people's pain. He was fearful of church , fearful of God and ashamed of the life he had led. He continued coming to group and church and things started happening to him. Charlie had been hearing in church and in group how some of us are so broken by life. Charlie had had surgery and one day a little neighbor stood in front of him and said, " Charlie, where are you broken ?" This hit Charlie right in the heart. Charlie realized later that the little boy was talking about his surgery , but that was not what Charlie heard. Out of the mouths of babes, right? I told Charlie God can use anybody to bring his messages. Charlie shared this in group and was awed by it. Charlies' miracles were just beginning. Charlie attended a healing service. A gentleman attended, smelling of alcohol. Charlie was very aware of this because of his recovery of his own addiction. The gentleman walked out of the service and sat in the entrance. When Charlie noticed the man sitting alone he got up and went to sit with the man. He sat there quietly until he saw the gentleman was crying. He invited the man to come back into the healing service and invited him to take Eucharist with him. As Charlie and the gentleman returned to their pew .The man was crying again and even though Charlie has a real fear of touching another man he couldn't stop himself from putting his arm around the gentleman. Charlie said he only meant to touch him and let him know he was there. To Charlie's surprise he could not remove his arm from the gentleman's shoulder for five minutes. The man finally stopped crying and Charlie sat in awe. As we were leaving the service Charlie said to me, " You won't believe this." I said, " Charlie , I think I will." Charlie came to group the next week and shared this . After the group had started the gentleman from the church joined us , Charlie was thrilled. Charlie told the man he was so glad to see that he was real, I had been teasing Charlie that the man was an angel. Charlie has wonderful insight into himself and others. His job is ending and he is going to enroll in school to get in a field where he can help others. Miracle, right on! TRUDY'S STORYNew London woman believes in healing power of prayerBy Cheryl Sherry There were days when Trudy Hill was so weak merely covering her body with a quilt made her a prisoner in her own bed. “I couldn’t move,” the 45-year-old New London woman said. “It was too heavy for me.” Hill’s life changed dramatically in 1997 when she says she was miraculously healed from the inside out. As Christians around the world today celebrate Easter Sunday and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the idea of miracles in our midst is close to the heart. Do miracles happen? Many scoff, with memories of shady televangelists dancing in their heads. But some believe. And they stand firm in their belief even when skeptics shake their heads. Trudy Hill is such a believer. Diagnosed in 1991 with polymyocitis, an autoimmune disease that destroys the healthy muscle tissue in the body, Hill had lost about 50 percent of the muscle in her legs and another 15 percent in her arms. She was tired, in nearly constant pain and on numerous steroidal and pain medications. While it was hard on Hill it was equally difficult on her husband, John, who worked not only a full time job but had a part-time job on the side in order to support them and their two sons, Matthew and Jacob. Money became increasingly tight. “We had to sell our house of 10 years in 1993, couldn’t afford our furniture or our van and had to move into an apartment,” Hill said. “We had gone through a lot.” Then came a winter’s night in 1997 when Hill’s inner voice kept urging her to go to church. “It was New Year’s Eve and there were 102 things to do rather than go to church,” she said. “But I had this nagging thing that I had to go. I saw an article about (The Rev.) Paul Feider in the paper that said he was holding a healing mass (at St. John’s Center for Inner Peace).” Feider, who had come to the then small Episcopalian congregation in November of that year, was quite familiar with the healing ministry. He had written his seminary thesis, “Healing in Light of Redemptive Suffering,” on the subject, which was later published. “One of first things I said in November 1997 was on New Year’s Eve, we will have a healing mass,’” Feider said. “They thought no one would come.” They were wrong, as 125 people piled into the 65-seat church, including Hill, who “prayed for strength, spiritual strength to endure this long illness that I thought was going to be with me for the rest of my life. And just basically to keep my family all together,” she said. When the service ended, Hill and her husband literally ran out the doors to the parking lot. “For a minute we sat there and John couldn’t get the key in the ignition in the car,” she said. “It hit us as something really special. My husband could barely drive the car home because we were shaking so bad. It was so emotional for us,” she recalled all these years later with tears in her eyes. When February rolled around, Hill went to her regular three-month check-up. She was asystematic, showing no symptoms of the disease. “I was still on autoimmune suppressant medicine and some pain medicine I occasionally used.” Toward the end of March she was feeling so good that she felt guilty using her disabled parking plates. She took them off the car and gave them to Feider. It was then she believed she had been healed by God. “It took me that long to realize that I had gone to that healing mass and God knew what was in my heart that night,” Hill said. “Besides wanting to be healed spiritually, I needed to be healed physically.” In April she quit taking all her medication. She didn’t tell her rheumatologist. “I just did it as a big old test,” she said. She saw her doctor again in May or June, she said. “He said, ‘How are you doing?’ I was still feeling very well and had no pain. I said, “I’m doing really good. I’m not taking any of my medicine anymore.’ He said, ‘When did you quit that? I said, ‘April 1. Are you mad?’ He said, ‘I’ll get over it.’” Hill, who works as a medical assistant at Theda Care Physicians in New London, said it took her a long time to admit that a healing occurred and “to work through the feelings of accepting a blessing and feeling worthy of a blessing. Sometimes I still have doubts, but it happened nonetheless. And I am very grateful.” Feider said healings are truly miracles. “Miracles are basically when people experience the love of God so powerfully that something changes in them and science can’t explain it, but they know it happens,” he said. The healing power of prayer, Feider said, has nothing to do with the person needing the prayers. “The person receiving it doesn’t need any faith. They just need to be open to God blessing them. In the scripture it says, ‘Your faith made you well.’ It’s not the faith of the sick person. It’s the faith of the prayer.” Healing can be a physical cure, or it can be an inner healing or healing of traumatic memories, Feider said. “People who come here for a while notice their relationships are getting better, they’re feeling better about themselves. “It’s all miracles and we stand back in awe because we know it’s Jesus,” he said. “I’m just the vessel to set the stage for God’s love to flow. And when God’s love starts to flow people experience healing.” But, when it comes to healing there are no guarantees, he added. “We bathe people in the love of Jesus as well as we can but never really know what’s going to happen. I can’t tell a person they are going to be cured.” These days, Hill said she isn’t any more spiritual than the next person. She is now simply more conscious of it in her life. “My relationships with my family all changed. Those family members I was on the outs with, we’re not anymore. My relationship with my husband is better. I think I have a little kinder heart though some days it’s a challenge. Now I think before I say stuff and am a little gentler.”
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