Chronic pain is more prevalent than many Christians realize. This ministry helps.
By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle
WOODWARD, Okla. — Their elbows, knees and ankles throb.
Fatigue wrecks their ability to move at times.
Like around one-fifth of U.S. adults, these Christians — young and old, male and female — live with chronic pain.
Often, they suffer alone, feeling as if no one understands. But at a monthly meeting in this Oklahoma town, the afflicted find support — some in person, others via Zoom — through a ministry called Broken & Mended.
Related: What it means to live in pain
Friends, family members and caregivers are invited to join the gathering, hosted by the Woodward Church of Christ, about 140 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.
As the group convenes, about 15 adults choose seats in a circle of chairs in the fellowship hall.
Some of the chairs are soft. Some are hard. Some are easier to stand up from than others. Those things matter to people with chronic pain.
So does the strict time frame: The meetings last an hour or less, filled with health updates, Bible reading and prayer requests
“My sister is on new meds,” Rhea Walker, a member of the Woodward church, tells the group. “Her body needs some healing.”
“Lord, hear our prayers,” the group responds in unison before turning to the next person.
This story appears in the online edition of The Christian Chronicle.
Photo by Audrey Jackson
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