Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Health and Science/Health and Healing

Health and Healing
Health and Science General Conference	Skill Level 2
	Year of Introduction: 1928

Contents

2. Through the Bible and/or Spirit of Prophecy learn how Jesus healed the sick and the procedure for church elders to use to anoint the sick and ask God for healing. Write a 250-word report or give a two-minute oral report on what you learned.

Bible texts

Matthew 4:23,24 Matthew 8 Matthew 9:1-8, 18-34 Matthew 12:9-13 Matthew 15:22-28

Matthew 17:14-20 Mark 2:1-12 Mark 5:21-43 Mark 6:1-6 Mark 7:24-37

Mark 8:22-26 Mark 9:14-29 Mark 10:46-52 Luke 4:38-41 Luke 5:12-26

Luke 6:6-11 Luke 7:1-17 Luke 8:26-56 Luke 9:37-43 Luke 13:10-17

Luke 17:11-19 Luke 18:35-43 John 4:46:53 John 5:1-15 John 9:1-12

Spirit of Prophecy texts

• The Ministry of Healing Chapter 16: Prayer for the Sick.
• Desire of Ages Chapter 36: The Touch of Faith

Procedure for Anointing the Sick

The procedure for anointing the sick is outlined in the Minister's Manual. The anointing service is performed for anyone who is seriously ill. While it should not be used for minor ailments, it should also not be reserved only for those who are dying.

"Is anyone among you sick? 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. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." (James 5:14, 15).

Note that the verse asks, "Is anyone among you sick?" rather than "Is anyone among you dying?"

The service is performed by a pastor or in his absence, by an elder (but with the pastor's approval). The person officiating should be accompanied by a few elders, and anyone who has a special gift for prayer. It can be performed in a home, at the church, in a nursing home, or in a hospital. If it is done in a hospital or nursing home, it should not interfere with the medical work being done there.

Normally, non-Christian friends and family are not invited to the service, but they should not be asked to leave if they are present already.

Before the service, the recipient should be prepared by a careful examination of his or her own heart. This should include a confession of any sins to the Lord. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear" (Psalm 66:18). The recipient may also be encouraged to read the chapter "Prayer for the Sick" in Ellen White's The Ministry of Healing. (see the Spirit of Prophecy references above).

The service begins when the pastor explains the purpose of the service to all present, and how the service will be performed. The recipient may be asked to give a testimony. If the recipient is not too sick, time should be taken to read passages from the Scriptures explaining the prerequisites for divine healing:

1. Belief that God can and does heal.
2. The confession of sin.
3. Commitment to healthful living. It is presumptuous to ask God to heal us if the person intends to continue the behavior that caused the illness in the first place.
4. Willingness to use human means. God does work miracles, but sometimes he chooses to do this through human agents. He may already have chosen a doctor through whom the afflicted person may be healed. It is not a sign of faithlessness to seek healing through human effort. "Every good gift and every prefect gift is from above" (James 1:17)
5. Trust God's answer. Sometimes God answers quickly, sometimes slowly, and sometimes He answers "No." If the sick person is not healed immediately (or is not healed at all) it is not a sign that God was unwilling to heal or that the person lacked faith or spirituality. The scripture reading should end with the assurance that everything has been placed in God's hands and that God can be trusted.

Everyone then kneels, and prayer begins. The anointed may pray first, followed by the elders. The pastor prays last as he dips his finger into a vial of olive oil and rubs a small amount on the recipient's forehead. The oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit touching the sick person in a special way. Seventh-day Adventists do not follow the practice of applying oil to the part of the body that is afflicted.

As soon as the prayer is ended, the anointing party leaves. If fellowship is desired, it should take place before the anointing service. The party should leave while the spirit of reverence and the presence of God prevail.

3. What is continuing education as related to health careers?

Once health professionals are certified or licensed to practice, they are required to keep their educations current by enrolling in "Continuing Professional Education" or CPE. They must complete a specific number of hours of coursework every year. During these courses, the professionals review current practices and are exposed to the latest techniques. These courses are often sponsored by their employers, and often involve overnight trips taught at resorts or spas. Employers provide this "perk" because they wish to retain their employees.

4. Interview at least two people who work in a medical health career. One of the two must be someone other than a doctor or nurse, such as someone working in dentistry, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, radiology, nutrition, etc. In your interview ask the following questions

• a. Why did you choose your profession?
• b. What education is necessary to enter your profession?
• c. After education, what amount of time does it take to become certified or proficient in your field?
• d. What part of your job do you like the best? The least?
• e. What day of the week and hours per day do you work at your job?
• f. What advancement is available in your field?
• g. What course of study in college would complement your chosen profession?
• h. List local schools that offer training in your profession?

The interview should take about 20–30 minutes to complete. Interviewing a respiratory therapist can also meet a requirement for the Voyager AY curriculum, so if you choose this option, be sure to ask these questions as well:

1. What are the benefits of regular exercise?
2. Explain the treadmill test.

You may need to set up an appointment with these professionals, and they may ask that you come to their facilities for the interview. Be prompt. It is also courteous to send your interviewees a card or a gift as a thank you. If the interview is conducted at the medical facility, you may be able to meet much of requirement 5b as well.

5. Do one of the following

b. Visit a medical or dental office and do the following

(1) Observe the areas of operation, such as the business office, laboratory, examining rooms, x-ray room, etc.

(2) Be introduced to the equipment used in the office.

(3) Learn the steps of an office visit from when a patient comes into the waiting room until the time he leaves the office.

(4) Learn how the doctor does an examination from the taking of the patient's history to the diagnosis.

c. Go on a visit with a home nurse and do the following

(1) Learn the steps of a home visit from when the nurse finds out about the patient to when the nurse reports to a doctor.

(2) Observe the nurse taking the vital signs.

(3) Observe the nurse giving instructions and medication.

d. Visit an outpatient department of a hospital, such as physical therapy, x-ray, laboratory, etc. Do the following

(1) Observe the areas of operation in the department.

(2) (Be introduced to the equipment used in the department and how it works.)

(3) Learn the steps a patient takes when visiting the department.

(4) How many people does it take to staff the department?

(5) Does the department operate at night?

References

• Seventh-day Adventist Minister's Manual, Chapter 41: Prayer for the Sick.