Anointing

"Upon your confession of faith in the love and power of God, your willingness to commit your life completely to God in sickness or in health, and your desire to live your life for God's glory, you are now being anointed with oil in the name of the Lord … for the forgiveness of your sins, for the strengthening of your faith, and for healing and wholeness according to God's grace and wisdom."

With these words, individuals are anointed with oil in one of the most meaningful and powerful religious rituals practiced today in the Church of the Brethren. The words affirming this ritual, found in a 1963 denominational polity paper on the Anointing Service, capture its powerful essence. "Individuals who were fearful or under strain have found peace and contentment within God's will and have been led to commit themselves wholly to God's loving care."

Our practice of anointing is not a substitute for quality medical care. It is an adjunct to medical care as we confess that God often brings healing and hope as we attend to the needs of the whole person, physical and spiritual. It's focused on a hope for life and restored relationships. We do not view anointing as "last rites."

Based on biblical teaching in James 5, anointing grows out of the desire to turn one's life and well-being over to God and the healing forces of the love of Christ flowing in the community of faith. It's a time of opening our lives to God, the ministry of the church, and coming to a deep sense of inner peace as we claim God's blessing and the promise of God's love.

Anointing can be helpful in times of physical illness and hospitalization, when making important decisions, or while seeking spiritual and emotional renewal. We do not believe anointing is a way of attempting to manipulate God's power. It is not faith healing or an act of sensationalism akin to faith healing spectacles. It is an act of worship and caring coupled with a profound sense of God's presence.