What Anointing is...
The Church of the Brethren offers an experience of spiritual renewal through which God often brings healing, arouses hope, communicates forgiveness, and bestows peace. Based primarily on the Biblical teaching in James 5:13-18, the anointing service provides an occasion for the individual to know and feel the powerful presence of God in the context of a faith community. As the service begins, appropriate scriptures are read and interpreted. Prayers are offered for an infusion of divine energy. Opportunity is given for the person requesting anointing to share insights and concerns in a confessional way. Then the person officiating will anoint the forehead of the individual with olive oil, stating the central affirmations of God's power to heal, forgive, and restore. This action is followed with prayers and the laying on of hands by persons from the assembled group. In the Church of the Brethren the anointing service grows out of our faith in God and the desire to implement Jesus' teachings, along with the practices of the early New Testament church. It rests on the conviction that healing forces are most often manifested within the context of the congregation where life's special moments are observed or celebrated. Here we surround one another with experiences of genuine caring. Here we offer continuing help and support to those coping with serious problems and life-changing events. Here through the anointing service we express openness to God's presence and our receptivity to the ministry of others. Here, through confession of sin, we receive God's blessing and the promise of restored relationships.from http://www.lgvcob.org/anointng.htm
