In Sacred Stories this week we were a Circle of eleven, including myself and one other Circlekeeper. One of the women, new to the class this fall, told me that she had attended when I first started Sacred Stories. She recalled how we had a little perfume bottle for a talking piece, and how it had broken and the scent filled the room. I remembered with delight how that was so like the anointing story: “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (John 12:3).   

Wednesday’s story was about Jesus healing Simon’s mother-in-law who was in bed with a fever in the house of Simon and Andrew, and then healing many who were brought to him, and also casting out many demons. There was lots of laughter at the drama bag telling, well done again this week. The woman who narrated told the story amazingly well for never having heard it before.

Many tears were shed during the Connections round when we reflected and shared stories about people we have cared for when they were in bed sick. A final telling to hold their memories in the context of this gospel story seemed to help, as did the compassion of the women for each other and the writing of prayer requests.

Though it was a brand new story for all the women, the theme of healing connected. Comments written on the feedback survey on what was meaningful about the story included:

• I can be healed
• The power of healing
• It touched my heart
• That Jesus heals!
• Always have faith in Jesus even when in doubt.
• Getting healed
• I really related to it