healing Archives - LiftUpYourHearts

A Tenth of Gratitude

Ten lepers healed. Shout about that miracle from the rooftops. And—Trinity Cathedral Portland—your new rooftop is looking awfully good!

In an age of high quality—if not highly accessible—medicine, it’s easy for us to forget the disaster that was chronic illness in Jesus’ time. Specifically of leprosy, a label that might have described any number of painful and debilitating … Read the rest

The Miracle Between Us

Proper 25B

I’m both the daughter and the mother of physicists, so—even though I was never much of a scientist myself—I am fascinated with the intersection of scientific ideas and theology. I think that I share this interest with your priest, who has been kind enough to allow me to preach from her pulpit twice. Thank you, Mother Neli! Let … Read the rest

Thankfully Healed

Proper 23C

Ten lepers healed. Shout about that miracle from the rooftops! In an age of readily accessible medicine, it’s easy for us to forget the high cost of sickness in Jesus’ time. So let me bring it home to you: leprosy, which might have described any number of painful and debilitating skin diseases, would also have been cause for … Read the rest

The Healing Medicine of Hope

Proper 16C

I’ve been praying for a lot of hurting people lately. You know who some of them are because their names are on the Trinity prayer list. In recent weeks we’ve prayed for people with COVID, with cancer, and for people recovering from surgery. Some of you here today have been among those we’re praying for. I also know … Read the rest

Beyond the First Step

Easter 3B

How do any of us ever get up and walk? “Through our own power or piety?” Peter asked rhetorically of people who had just witnessed a healing at the Jerusalem temple. The lame man walked only because of God’s grace. Likely we didn’t get onto our feet through our own power or piety either, but how would we … Read the rest

Fever for Service

Epiphany 5B

Someone in this house has just recovered from a fever, has been lifted up, and is serving God. I don’t necessarily know who it is. Although… you may. The person recovered from the fever may even be you.

I know that it has been me. Lord knows I’ve had some debilitating fevers in my life: the fever of … Read the rest

Love Thy Neighborhood

Proper 18B

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For almost 20 years, my husband John and I lived in a CoHousing community in the San Francisco Bay Area. There are several CoHousing communities in the Portland metro area, so perhaps you have heard of them or even lived in one yourself. But in case the CoHousing concept is new to you, let me … Read the rest

Awkward Episcopalian

Proper 11B

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As some of you may know, I recently spent two weeks with about 10,000 of my closest Episcopal friends—including our own Alan Murray—in Austin Texas at the 79^th triennial General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Alan was an alternate deputy for our diocese, so he had a legislatively official reason for being there. I … Read the rest