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Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

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Pastor Scott Carson

Secretary Patti Hall

PASTOR'S PENS 2003

Grace Church of Burlington November 9, 2003              The following is both a wonderful and discerning prayer by Norwegian Lutheran theologian, Ole Hallesby, “Lord, if it will be to Your glory, heal suddenly. If it will glorify You more, heal gradually; if it will glorify You even more, may your servant remain sick awhile; and if it will glorify Your name still more, take him to Yourself in heaven.”             Hippocrates was a Greek physician and considered by many to be “the Father of Medicine.” It is he, you may recall, who wrote the immortal Hippocratic Oath still taken by those entering the practice of medicine. This ancient physician lived somewhere between 450 BC and 375 BC, which makes him a contemporary of other philosophical thinkers such as Socrates, Dionysius, Plato, and Aristotle. Hippocrates wrote much more than the famous oath that bears his name. Other pieces of fine literature flowed from his pen, many of which still exist. Most of his works, as we might expect, deal with the human anatomy, medicine, and healing. In a piece titled Aphorisms, for example, he wrote: “Extreme remedies are very appropriate for extreme diseases.” On another occasion he authored Precepts. These words appear in the first chapter: “Healing is a matter of time.”             Reading those thoughts recently, it occurred to me that one might connect them in a paraphrase full of significance and relevance for our own day, “Going through and recovering from extreme difficulties usually requires an extreme amount of time.” That, though, goes against the conventional wisdom of our microwave culture. For many it almost sounds hopeless. To be candid, slow finds little place in our accepted vocabulary. We say traffic is slow, lines are slow, or – horror of horrors – the download time on the Internet is slow. We have very little patience for activities or enterprises that ask us to wait.             The hard facts are though that trials are often lengthy and frequently slow. It takes time. And the deeper the wound, the more extensive the damage or trauma, the greater amount of time may be required for us to recover. Hippocrates gave us some very wise counsel, yet typically we want to close our eyes to his insightful advice. His Aphorisms and Precepts sound almost like the Proverbs of King Solomon. As a matter of fact, the more you read his writings, the more similar to Solomon they sound. A few hundred years before Solomon had written: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-3). Perhaps Hippocrates had read Solomon.             Tucked away in the third verse is the phrase that intrigues me, “a time to heal.” Perhaps Hippocrates’ words, “Healing is a matter of time,” found their origin in Solomon’s statement. However they originated, the statement is sound, both medically and Biblically. Frequently, going through trials and healing takes time, sometimes a lot of time.             In over two decades I have met scores of people who were suffering, their pain caused by every conceivable source. The most disillusioned and discouraged among them anticipated but did not enjoy quick recovery. Some of these hurting folks expected a “miracle” but when no divine intervention transpired, their anguish reached the breaking point. I have looked into their faces and heard their cries. I have witnessed their response – everything from quiet disappointment to bitter, cursing cynicism...from tearful sadness to suicidal thoughts. Many have been sincere, intelligent, Christian people.             God still does miracles but not very often. Usually, I find that I minister to those who do not “heal in a hurry” – no matter how hard they try, no matter how firmly they believe, no matter how sincerely they pray. And even though I would love to perform instant miracles (or at least promise recovery “within a week or two”), I am not able to do so. Perhaps that’s the reason I’m so intrigued with the combined thoughts of Hippocrates and Solomon. Since I deal constantly with people in pain, I am left to search for answers that make sense, even though they will never make headlines.             No one can promise a quick healing or the speedy end of trials BUT I can guarantee that you have a Heavenly Father Who cares, a God Who can be trusted even in the darkness, a God Who is always faithful and a God Who’s grace is sufficient. A solid grasp of His Word will never leave you in the lurch or disillusioned, since it does not come from philosophical meanderings or superstitious hocus‑pocus. His Word is true but we must trust Him. That’s our starting place in the midst of pain and trials. And starting there, we can never go wrong. We can trust Him. He’s promised, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Are you going through a painful time? Trust Him!! His grace is sufficient!!