Anointing with oil

I have heard of that being done by some Baptists. I don't really have any thoughts on it. Can't see that it would hurt anything, but not sure that it helps either.

 

When we pray for the sick in our church, if they request to be anointed with oil we do it. We remind them that God is the healer, that He is soveriegn. But since in the NT they would anoint the sick we do if they request.

BTW---We always have a time to pray for the sick in our church. Whether the problem be spiritual, physical or mental, if they ask we gather around them, lay hands on them and pray for them. It is a great time of ministering by the whole body. We believe the church should be a place of healing, and the most comfortable place for believers to share their needs. And no we are not Pentecostal, nor do we believe in the "health, wealth, prosperity" teachings.

Bro Tony

 

I have my own recipes...

James 12:14 is rather clear on this. At least it is according to the Elders of my church.
Preparing the oil is part of my job as sacristan/verger.

 

mmm ... care to share the recipes ... ?

 

You'll have to help me with this one, the last time I looked james only had 5 chapters.

 

Groan...
That should read James 5:14

It is late and I ought to be going home. I'll think about sharing some of my trade secrets tomorrow.

 

James 5:
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (KJV 1769)

 

double post.

 

I had a preacher give me a keychain with a small metal container with "annointing oil" in it. I put that thing in my glove compartment and forgot about. Needless to say, in the heat, my glove box was abundantly annointed.

 

But, the rest of the car is not?

 

There was enough oil to go around for all to be annointed.

 

I use olive oil as a basis, do not use the best quality, you don't want the patient to smell like a salad.
I mix in frankincense that has been ground into a powder, you need it to fix the fragrance of other ingredients. I usually add 1 or 2 other substances, lavendel, cardamom, rosepetals, saffron.
Store it in a cool space for a couple of days, stir it occasionally and strain it before putting it in the bottle.
You could also simply use some cheap sunflower oil from the original plastic bottle it was bought in, but for some reason people feel very uncomfortable about the notion of getting anointed with unscented oil from a bottle that reads: for baking and broiling.

 

I've done several services in annointing with oil. However you do it is up to you and whatever you use is up to you. The oil itself does not possess any salvific qualities. Notice that the James 5:15 points out that the prayer(s) of faith around this sacred ceremony will lift the person up. The consecreation through prayer of the sick person is an act of obedience and love from the fellow Christians in their community.

There is more to this than simple symbolism. If baptism was simply symbolic than it would have no meaning. No baptism is far more than symbolic for when the person baptized is immersed they do so by stating the good confession of the Gospel. While the physical parts of the ceremonies here (bread, wine...or grape juice, water, oil) are not specially endowed by God with power the hearts of those participating are to give glory to God and show their submission to His lordship.

 

Debby in Philly

We might not want to talk about foot washin's ...

 

Why would you forget about that one?

CBA? ABC?

 

Its certainly not the oil that does the healing, but if someone requests it, my husband will do it. It has only been asked once. There is a woman in our church who asked for an altar prayer for a child in the church who was ill. When everyone got down there and started praying, she started putting oil on him and he was scared to death - started screamin' and flailin'. That was a mess.