The Laying on of Hands

A Sermon for 19 Pentecost (RCL A) 10-23-2011

Offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry

 
Texts:              Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 90:1-6,13-17; Matthew 22:34-46
Themes:         Moses and Joshua, resurrection, Jesus and the Sadducees        
Title:               The Laying on of Hands       

“Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him” (Deut. 34: 9).

My brothers and sisters: what does it mean that Moses laid his hands on Joshua?

Let us think together for a few moments about that ancient practice which we call “the laying on of hands.” 

This is one of the simplest and most universal of symbolic gestures. People in all cultures and in all eras of human history have used this gesture in a symbolic way. Throughout the Bible, the laying on of hands is used as a means of conveying grace and power and blessing. Once a leper knelt before our Lord Jesus asking for healing, and the Lord placed his hand upon his head and said, “Be clean!” (Mark 1:41). When the first seven deacons were elected to serve just after Pentecost, the apostles prayed and laid their hands on them (Acts 6:6). And in the Letter of James, we are taught that the leaders of the church ought to lay their hands on the sick, to anoint them with oil and to pray for their healing (James 5:14).

But why do we speak of laying hands on someone’s head?

We all know that there are certain parts of the human body which generally convey more spiritual energy than other parts. If I stare at Fred’s feet or Carl's shoes (nice shoes, by the way!), it is not quite the same as looking him squarely in the eye. There is far more energy exchanged in that way.

And if I reach out my hand to touch someone as a way of blessing them, there is energy and power given off in that gesture. We all know instinctively how this works. To withhold your touch from another person is to withhold your blessing. Just think of the refusal to shake someone’s hand. We all know what is intended, and what is felt, by that refusal.

There is a sense of sacredness and power in a person’s head and hands which we all feel.   

And what is more, our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us that matter is important, that our bodies are valuable, and that God works through created things.

This is what Christ teaches us. There are other teachers who can offer you a different vision of life, others who teach that it is only the soul that has value, that our salvation is found in our understanding of certain mental concepts and ideas, that earthly things have no significance.

But this is not the wisdom that we receive from Christ. We receive the grace and the forgiveness and the power of Christ through the things of this earth, and we pass them along in the same way.

The laying on of hands, and the more general practice of intentional healing touch, is a vital part of our Christian tradition, and we continue this ancient practice even in the church today.

The laying on of hands occurs when a person is confirmed in the community by the Bishop, and when one is ordained by the Bishop.

But it also takes place at many other times in the church as well. On Sunday mornings, when someone who is not baptized or when children who are not yet ready to receive the Sacrament come to the Altar rail, I lay my hand on the head of each one and give them a blessing.  

Also, some of you (may) have been present for the Ministration at the Time of Death, what the Roman tradition calls Extreme Unction or the Last Rites. At that critical moment, all of those gathered together anoint the dying person with oil and lay their hands on them and pray, in a symbolic gesture of love and compassion and healing and blessing.

This laying on of hands is one of the most primal and basic of symbolic human actions. There is enormous power in the human hand, and when you stretch out your hands in a conscious, intentional way, you have the ability to convey energy and power.

Now, I know without a doubt that what I am about to ask will be uncomfortable for some of you.

We are going to practice together this morning. One way that we think of the liturgy of the gathered faithful is as a kind of practice, a rehearsal of what we know to be true and real. We practice it together, we rehearse it again and again and again, because when we seek to love God and our neighbor out there in the world, it is easy for us to become distracted and confused and to lose sight of the truth as it is in Jesus.

And so we will practice here today. I am asking that each one of you lay your hands on the head of two people: the person on your right and on your left. It doesn’t matter if they are family or friends or complete strangers. They belong to Christ, and you belong to Christ! And so we’re all family in this place!

Lay your hands on each person’s head – one at a time – and give them your blessing. Do it with intention, deliberately, slowly, in an attitude of prayer. Your words can be quite simple – you know the general blessing formulas that we use. “The Lord bless you and keep you.” “May the blessing of God Almighty be with you now and always.” Feel free to tailor and shape these words – or your own words of blessing – as the Spirit leads you, and especially if you know the needs of the person whom you are blessing. 

Now, if this feels strange or uncomfortable for you, then this is even more reason for you to practice! For I am convinced that this simple blessing with the laying on of hands is a basic practice with which all Christian people need to be familiar.  Let’s practice it for a few minutes right now.

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“Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him” (Deut. 34:9).  When we were baptized into Christ, we each received the gift of the Holy Spirit and were incorporated – in our bodies – into the mystical body of Christ. And that means that each one of us has the power of blessing in our hands, because our baptized bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.

 Be bold to share that blessing, my friends. Be bold to lay your hands upon the heads of your children and bless them before a test or an interview or an important milestone in their lives. Have the courage to lay your hands upon the head of your spouse or of one of your parents when they are ill.

Whatever the relationship or the situation, do not be shy to share your blessing with those around you. It is right there in the power of your hands, in the depth of your love, and in the confidence of your faith. And the Spirit has given it to you to be shared!     

May it be so. Amen.