Fateful Day

This is the day my sister gets her diagnosis. On Tuesday, she was told there was a high probability that she had some type of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, but it was not a firm diagnosis. My prayer has been that upon further analysis, it would turn out to be something other than cancer.

Last night I went to church, to get prayer for her. My church only has one Wednesday service a month. They call it “Breakthrough Wednesday.” Last night was my first time.

I thought it was excellent. On Sundays, we show up, and there is music, and then there’s a sermon, and from time to time during the service there are prayers, and then there is a blessing, and we go home. Nothing wrong with that. But on Wednesdays, the music is more intense, and there is a bigger focus on entering God’s presence. Before the speaker starts, altar workers go to the front, and people are encouraged to go to them and receive prayer. They also have a table at the front where people can take communion. I would say this lasts around half an hour. I am assuming it’s like this every Wednesday; I’ve only gone once.

It seems like a very good arrangement. The congregation is more involved. All over the church, people are praying and so on. By the time the speaker shows up, a lot has been accomplished, and the congregation is in a very receptive state.

I went up to the front and explained my sister’s situation to an altar worker, and we prayed for her. It’s wonderful to know another believer is with you. This is probably the primary reason God encourages us to marry.

The speaker was Bishop Harry Jackson, from Washington, DC. I had been planning to go to this service before I got the news about my sister, so I could check this man out and see if I could recommend him to Mike, who lives in the DC area.

As it turns out, he is a cancer survivor. He had a tumor in his esophagus. He talked about it last night. He said the survival rate with conventional treatment was low, but that he had undergone a potentially lethal new treatment with a higher cure rate. And as a result, he was in remission or cured.

It was a horrendous story. They removed the part of his esophagus that joins the stomach, and then they put him on a chemotherapy regimen that combined two harsh drugs. At one point, he had a stroke and lost control over the right side of his body. But he made it. Now he’s strong and healthy, and he’s busy making a name for himself as an opponent of gay marriage. He’s getting death threats from the patient, enlightened people who disagree with him. Last night he pointed out that it’s hard to scare a man who has survived cancer.

His sermon was a little strange. It meandered a lot, and although he had talking points, it wasn’t always clear what he was getting at. Nonetheless, he imparted some valuable teaching. I think sometimes the Holy Spirit will permit a speaker to have failings yet will still see to it that he teaches a valuable message.

He made an interesting point about gays. He said no matter how wonderful sex is, it takes up a small part of your day, and it is therefore odd to define yourself by the type of sex you have. He said gays defined themselves by their sin, which is interesting. It’s a little like calling yourself a bank robber. Or a player.

I remember someone telling me that a gay acquaintance of his had made the same complaint. I can’t recall who it was. He said gays were boring because their whole lives were centered on being gay. I guess that makes sense. That would be true of any person who only has one interest. Even bowling. Actually, it can make religious people a little taxing, now that I think about it. Even Noah had a hobby.

I’m going to call Mike and tell him my impressions. I think this guy is worth a look.

I’m starting to wonder; will I ever go to this church without encountering a strange “coincidence”? Mike is looking for a church in DC, and my sister is in the midst of a cancer scare, and look who shows up.

Thanks again for all the help.