An investigation into the phenomena and practices of spiritual ...

young people‟s group, are also chosen in an unorganized way under the „leading of theHoy Spirit‟ as exemplified in the prayer meetings at COGIC reported in this chapter.Lucas gives accounts of liturgical healing services and non-liturgical healing (formal andinformal) services which are similar to the URC services where the services include aninvitation or call to worship, thanksgiving and praise, prayers of intercession, readings,silence an address or sermon, confession, laying on of hands and sometimes anointingwith oil, absolution, the Lord‟s prayer and a final blessing. There is a similar frameworkfor the services in COGIC although this may not be adhered to in preference to thespontaneous prompts under the leading of the Holy Spirit.The non-liturgical service in the URC is a simple framework involving hymns and songs,a talk, confession of sins, a declaration of forgiveness and intercessory prayer for the sickwho are not present in the service. The intercessory prayer for the sick may take the formof prayer for the person directly or through another person who represents that personduring the prayer. During prayer the elders and volunteers from the congregation mayform a circle and lay hands on a member of the congregation who has requested healing.They may also form a circle where a chair is placed in the middle of the circle and themember requesting prayer for another person sits in the chair in the middle asrepresenting the person who is not present in the service. The same ritual is performedfor those who are present and requests prayer for healing. The leader will conclude theprayer by saying „We pray for X‟. After a time of silence the leader says „ThanyouLord‟ and this may be followed with a time of prayer for others where their names andlocation are called out (for example, ‟John in Cambridge.‟) There is a pause followed by„Thanyou Lord‟.255