1. Authorization:
The request to hold a service for the Healing of the Congregation should be presented to the pastor or deacons. The decision to hold the service should be made by the pastor and deacons of the church or by a meeting of the congregation.

2. Announcement:
A month before the date of the service a letter is sent to each member and constituent of the congregation. It should include the intent of the service such as:

Dear Members and Friends,
This church inherited many blessings from the past, but we have also been burdened by many sins and handicapped by hurtful memories. The memories of the church include persons who have been angry, disappointed, and hurt. These bad memories are 1ike evil spirits that hold us captive and continue to oppress us. We can see evidence of this . . . (members who no longer participate or contribute)

Gospels tell us that Jesus went about healing the sick, casting out evil spirits and raising the dead. A Service of Healing and Reconciliation will be held on Sunday (date & time) during the regular service of worship. It will provide an opportunity for us to offer the hurtfu1 memories of the past to Jesus Christ for healing, to seek forgiveness from God and from one another for any alienation or estrangement that may have happened among us, and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to embrace one another in reconciliation and Christian love.

We are asking each of you to plan to come to this service and to join with us in prayer each day as we prepare for it. Pray that we will all open our hearts to the Holy Spirit to receive the healing of our past and the renewal of our life, as a church and as individuals, for a joyful future together as a church of Jesus Christ.

3. Preparation of the Worship Space:

Before the worship service the pastor and the deacons should meet and pray together to ask God's protection for those who will attend, and to claim the worship space as follows:

In the name of Jesus Christ, and by Christ's authority we claim this space as a Holy place of prayer, and we place it and the people who will be coming to this service under the protection of God's mighty angels so that all the powers of evil are hereby bound, expelled, and barred from returning. We call upon God's Holy Spirit to be present and active among us so that God's healing gifts may be received and God's love may be powerfully experienced during this service; for the praise and glory of God. Amen.

4. The Order of Worship:
The usual order of worship may be used with scripture readings, sermon and prayers chosen to accomplish the healing of the memories of the congregation. An order of worship for Corporate Reconciliation is provided in the U.C.C. Book of Worship.

5. A ritual such as the following may be included in the sermon:
Bad memories are like evil spirits living among and within us. They can block us from receiving the light of God's forgiving and healing love. We can symbolize this by extinguishing the candles of the communion table. Even with the lights all on there may be feelings of spiritual darkness around us. That is why we need to call upon God's Holy Spirit to help us do some spiritual housecleaning of our church. By the power of the Holy Spirit and with the authority of Jesus Christ, we can break the hold these things have upon us and let go of them.

I invite you to take the blank sheet of paper in your bulletin and write some words, draw some pictures, or make some marks or symbols to represent some hurtfu1 memories about this church which you want removed. (Allow time for people to do this.) Jesus said, "If salt has lost its flavor it is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trod under foot." Now you may crumple that paper all up, throw it on the floor and stomp on it. Don't worry they will all be cleaned up and destroyed when the service is over.

Let us pray: By the authority of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, we ask you, God, to take away all the bad feelings and hurtful memories which interfere with the ministries of this congregation. Remove the darkness that prevents us from knowing your loving, forgiving, healing, redeeming presence among us. We re-light the candles on the communion table as a symbol of the rededication of this church building as a place of prayer and blessing for all who will come here to worship you and to pray. Amen.

In the Gospel of Luke we find these words of Jesus, "When an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but not finding any it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' When it comes and finds it empty and clean, it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself and they enter and live there." Therefore it is not enough to clean out what is evil without refilling the space with what is good. By re-lighting these candles on the communion table we symbolize the Holy Spirit refilling this space with the light of God's love and Christ's presence among us. Spirit of the Living God, fill this place and our hearts so fill of your love, comfort and peace that they may overflow on everyone around us. Amen.

6. Individual Healing:
Congregational healing may need to be followed by a service of anointing with oil and healing prayers for individuals of the congregation, or by a service of Holy Communion.

7. Reconciliation:
Reconciliation may be demonstrated by the passing of the peace of Christ or simply by having members of the congregation look around and greet one another in silence with a smile.

8. Follow-up:
At the end of the service announce that the pastor, deacons and/or other prayer partners are available for anyone who wishes to continue the healing process.

For more information or for assistance in offering this kind of healing ministry in your church please write to: Rev. Robert B. Boutwell, 690 Town Line Road, Rutand, VT 05701-9342 or telephone him at (802) 773-3057