Your church can visit us
Sometimes, in order to support local groups, individuals come and spend a few days in Edinburgh, attending most of our groups and thus learning and adapting what we do within their own context.
Another possibility which some people have chosen is to come on a specific day several weeks running. We can support this by structured preparation: addressing particular areas of interest while people are visiting, offering support and consultation for the local situation afterwards.
Letter
The following is a letter from one such visitor (Dr Shirley Douglas who was visiting the Christian Fellowship of Healing at our old premises in Morningside Road):
In May I was privileged to be immersed in the life of the Fellowship. I had asked to be allowed to attend nearly all the groups and found the experience fascinating - inspiring. I was made so welcome by everyone and felt part of the Fellowship from the first morning.
On Monday morning the group was experimenting with soaking prayer. It was a great privilege for me to receive this prayer which was a mixture of silence, spoken works, touch and quiet praying in tongues. Followed by anointing with oil. There was no sense of hurry and I was greatly blessed - encouraged in my search for God’s guidance in my own ministry of healing. Then I took part in soaking another member of the group with laying on of hands and prayer. The other person we prayed for also received benefit and blessing from the experience.
In the afternoon a few of us prayed the cards of intercession for healing graces and I also spent some time in the library. Then in the evening I was privileged to share in the training session and met more members of the Fellowship.
I gained so much from all the different groups, morning and afternoon, in the following days. It was absolutely fascinating to be sharing in the Bible Study every day. Each group studied the same passage but every group discovered different insights from the same Bible readings. I was amazed at the richness and diversity of insights and experiences which people openly shared and at the loving acceptance of different viewpoints. I was impressed by how groups welcomed and absorbed late-comers and unscheduled visitors, including people with virtually no knowledge of the Bible. This is a real strength of the Fellowship and in stark contrast to my experience of some Bible Study groups in different churches where there is argument or rivalry or by a minister dominating the group.
I valued the more contemplative approach as well as the dance and movement with the Aramaic version of the Lord’s Prayer; the creative activities and sharing on Wednesday afternoon, and the singing! Wow! Even when there were only three of us one day we made a joyful (and tuneful) noise to the Lord. What a contrast to my own Church where the Guild of over 40 members are hesitant about singing if there is no piano accompaniment - although they manage fine in the event!
I have never prayed for so many people so many times in any other week of my life and I was surprised at how tired I felt by the end of the week. It fascinated me to experience the variety of different ways in which the groups pray for the people whose names are on the cards; and the different ways individuals pray with the cards and then put them on the floor in piles or, on one day, in the shape of a cross on the floor.
I also found great joy and inspiration from the two Communion Services - one led by Jenny and one by Richard Baxter. Both were very moving and each was unique and I personally felt very blessed and joyful.
Informal chats over coffee or lunch; and watching and listening to the skill of the people answering the phone and welcoming everyone who came - all these experiences enriched me and made me feel very grateful to be an intercessor and a part of the Fellowship.
It was also a great privilege and blessing to take part in (my first) Sailmaking Day and I want to express my deep gratitude to all of you for your loving welcome and acceptance of me. I thank you and I thank God for all His blessings and healing graces channelled through the Christian Fellowship of Healing.