A Cambridge God Adventure 27) *No more collar

(*please skip if you have not been following this story).  Early in the evening, twelve of us gathered, rather cramped in Dorothy's living room (with her collar visible under her chair). We heard scratching at the door. Her friendly little Spaniel called Holly had been shut in the kitchen and was whining to be let in.  With wagging tail she dropped quietly at her mistress's feet.  The whole scene seemed both normal and yet extraordinary as we began with Scripture, prayer and heard Dorothy retell her story.  She described the illness and expressed complete openness to God's will with a serene trust evident to us all.  At the same time there was high expectation of God's power in the room. Tony and I with another church member then joined in anointing Dorothy with oil and laying hands upon her.

Dorothy later told us that she was aware of deep peace and God's love in the laying on of hands, and as we stood to say the Grace together she knew with absolute certainty that she had been healed.  She immediately stood up without putting on her collar - we all noticed that!  And then she began organizing coffee and biscuits for us all with an apparent complete freedom of movement. Her transformation reminded me of Peter's mother-in-law and her serving immediately after Jesus' healing (Mark 1:29-31).

There was still time for Dorothy to cycle to her small group meeting that same night.  She swept into the group meeting and without a word of explanation said: 'Right let's get on with it'!  Every group member goggled with wide-eyed amazement at the evidence before their eyes. Dorothy was without her ever-present collar.  Some had only been Christians for four weeks.  Dumbfounded they asked her what on earth had happened.  Back came her even more dumbfounding reply: 'I have just been to a healing service and I know that God has healed me. I won't be wearing the collar again.'