Sacrament

This weeks Christian Science Weekly Bible Lesson, (mybiblelesson.com), subject Sacrament, has some terrific ideas on healing.  This passage from James is really timely! 

"THE BIBLE Section 4

12 | James 5:14, 15 (to ;), 16 The 
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; 

16 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

I have been diving into various bible commentaries regarding the Bible Lesson and I found this one from Dr. Barclay.
     “For many centuries the Church consistently used anointing as a means of healing the sick.  In fact it is important to note that the sacrament of unction, or anointing, was in the early centuries always designed as a means of cure, and not as a preparation for death, as it now is in the Roman Catholic Church.  I was not until A.D. 852 that the sacrament of unction did, in fact, become the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, administered to prepare for death.  

    The Church has always cared for her sick; and in the Church there has always resided the gift of healing.”      

                           The Letters of James and Peter, William Barclay

Healing through prayer in reliance upon God, one supreme infinite good, is achievable today as it was in the early Church.  Marker number 17 from the Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy states:

     "17]  136:1–5 Science, Theology, Medicine    

Jesus established his church and maintained his mission on a spiritual foundation of Christ-healing. He taught his followers that his religion had a divine Principle, which would cast out error and heal both the sick and the sinning."

Spiritual healing practiced today based on the teachings of Jesus are relevant and timely for all of life's challenges.