Laying on of hands and anointing with oil.

[ozso]

I know that laying on of hands and anointing with oil, is a common practice in the Pentecostal church. I'm wondering how common this practice is throughout other denominations.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

I know that laying on of hands and anointing with oil, is a common practice in the Pentecostal church. I'm wondering how common this practice is throughout other denominations.

Laying on of hands is actually listed as one of the 6 "foundational principles of the doctrine of Christ" in Heb 6:1-2

Hebrews 6:1-3
1. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2. Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3. And this will we do, if God permit.

There are several applications of the laying on of hands, including, receiving the Holy Spirit, healing, general blessings, impartation of spiritual gifts, and perhaps others.

 

[ozso]

Laying on of hands is actually listed as one of the 6 "foundational principles of the doctrine of Christ" in Heb 6:1-2

Hebrews 6:1-3
1. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2. Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3. And this will we do, if God permit.

There are several applications of the laying on of hands, including, receiving the Holy Spirit, healing, general blessings, impartation of spiritual gifts, and perhaps others.

I'm referring to healing or a need. Like when I mentioned I was going to get some tests done for my heart, the pastor wanted to anoint my head with oil and have members lay hands on me and pray for me. It was reassuring and comforting.

I believe this is a common practice throughout Christianity, but I'm not sure.

(My tests turned out okay btw).

 

[SavedByGrace3]

I'm referring to healing or a need. Like when I mentioned I was going to get some tests done for my heart, the pastor wanted to anoint my head with oil and have members lay hands on me and pray for me. It was reassuring and comforting.

I believe this is a common practice throughout Christianity, but I'm not sure.

(My tests turned out okay btw).

Many denominations do laying on of hands for sickness occasionally as a matter of ritual. Many Pentecostal and Charismatic churches will lay hands on the sick at every service.

James 5:14-15
14. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

 

[prodromos]

It is a regular service in the Orthodox Church. At the Russian parish we attend, the priest annoints all with oil at the end of the liturgy and has done so since the beginning of Covid.

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

It is a regular service in the Orthodox Church. At the Russian parish we attend, the priest annoints all with oil at the end of the liturgy and has done so since the beginning of Covid.

Just to add to Prodromos, anointing with oil is a traditional Orthodox Vespers service on the Wednesday of Holy Week. The readings for that day include the woman who poured oil on Jesus. (Matt 26, Mark 14) At the end of the service, the priest anoints everyone with oil on their forehead, lips, cheeks and hands.

 

[Tskjesusfreak]

My father had this done to him at a Lutheran church (AFLC an ultra conservative Lutheran denomination).

 

[The Liturgist]

It is a regular service in the Orthodox Church. At the Russian parish we attend, the priest annoints all with oil at the end of the liturgy and has done so since the beginning of Covid.

And before that, normal practice in ROCOR and incidentally the Coptic church is to do the consecration of Holy Oil on the last Friday before Lazarus Saturday, and on Holy Wednesday among the Greeks and Antiochians, using a virtually identical liturgy, albeit the Byzantine Rite prefacing the seven sets of prayers and scripture lessons with a Canon, while in the Coptic rite, the oil is either in seven lamps ordered as in a cross, or in a bowl with seven wicks, with one lamp or wick lit at the end of each set of prayers and lessons.

Really, the similarity is shocking, its like reading the pre-1955 Tridentine Mass of the Presanctified and the lessons at Easter Vigils and comparing them to the Presanctified Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great (obviously not a coincidence) and the Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Saturday. And it is a stunningly beautiful service whether one does the Coptic version or the Byzantine version. The other rites lack the elaborate consecration of the holy oil, for example, this is one of the few places where the West Syriac rite disappoints me, and then the Roman Rite notoriouly used to reserve Unction for use in extremis, that is, for those believed to be dying, as part of the Last Rites, but one of the changes of the 20th century I can’t criticize is the priests now annoint with oil anyone allowed to receive sacraments who requests it for healing of anything.

A relative was miraculously healed by oil applied by an Orthodox monk, so the benefits of this sacrament, one of the sacred mysteries of the Ancient Church, when administered in legitimate churches by legitimate ministers, cannot be understated.

 

[ViaCrucis]

I know that laying on of hands and anointing with oil, is a common practice in the Pentecostal church. I'm wondering how common this practice is throughout other denominations.

It's been the standard practice of all the historic/traditional Churches since the beginning. Traditionally when a person was baptized they would also be anointed with oil (called chrism) and have hands laid upon them, this is known as Chrismation. In the West Chrismation underwent a bit of change because of peculiar liturgical and ecclesiastical oddities. Basically, in the West, it became customary for only bishops to administer Chrismation, and that often meant that a lot of time might pass between Baptism and Chrismation. Years, in fact. As such, during the late medieval period Chrismation became Confirmation. And since only baptized and chrismated persons could receive Communion, this led to "First Communion" happening for most Christians in adolescence, whereas in the East the standard practice is baptize, chrismate, and administer Communion all at once.

Lutherans, and I imagine other liturgically and traditionally oriented Protestants, have a complex relationship with these things. We Lutherans retained Confirmation as a "churchly rite" while not acknowledging that it is a Sacrament. Because the way we define the Sacraments is fairly strict and narrow. And, historically, we also post-poned First Communion to those who received Confirmation or were of a certain age. However, many Lutherans have come out and wondered what our justification is for doing this other than it's just how things have been done in the West for a long time. As such you'll find lots of Lutheran congregations that welcome baptized children and infants to partake of the Lord's Supper or, alternatively, parents may request that their children receive a blessing (with oil) in lieu of the Lord's Supper (the same as anyone else who is abstaining from receiving is welcome to receive a blessing).

Laying on of hands, also, is still the common practice involving ordination and installation of a new pastor. Speaking again from a Lutheran background, last Sunday we welcomed our new pastor. The presiding pastor of the synod, along with our interim pastor and our retired pastor laid hands upon our new pastor as part of the installation service.

Anointing the sick with oil, traditionally known as holy unction, likewise has been the historic practice of all the traditional and historic churches. While Lutherans don't regard Holy Unction to be a Sacrament, Catholics and Orthodox do. But regardless, it remains a key part of the Church's ministry in addressing the spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical needs of the Faithful.

Even animals receive blessings with oil sometimes, a common (though not universal) practice in many churches has been the Blessing of the Animals service held on the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, where congregants are welcome to bring their pets to be blessed, as we are reminded that God cares for all His creatures, for He cares even for the nameless sparrows in the trees.

So, yes. Lots of laying on of hands and anointing with oil going on.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[The Liturgist]

It's been the standard practice of all the historic/traditional Churches since the beginning. Traditionally when a person was baptized they would also be anointed with oil (called chrism) and have hands laid upon them, this is known as Chrismation. In the West Chrismation underwent a bit of change because of peculiar liturgical and ecclesiastical oddities. Basically, in the West, it became customary for only bishops to administer Chrismation, and that often meant that a lot of time might pass between Baptism and Chrismation. Years, in fact. As such, during the late medieval period Chrismation became Confirmation. And since only baptized and chrismated persons could receive Communion, this led to "First Communion" happening for most Christians in adolescence, whereas in the East the standard practice is baptize, chrismate, and administer Communion all at once.

Lutherans, and I imagine other liturgically and traditionally oriented Protestants, have a complex relationship with these things. We Lutherans retained Confirmation as a "churchly rite" while not acknowledging that it is a Sacrament. Because the way we define the Sacraments is fairly strict and narrow. And, historically, we also post-poned First Communion to those who received Confirmation or were of a certain age. However, many Lutherans have come out and wondered what our justification is for doing this other than it's just how things have been done in the West for a long time. As such you'll find lots of Lutheran congregations that welcome baptized children and infants to partake of the Lord's Supper or, alternatively, parents may request that their children receive a blessing (with oil) in lieu of the Lord's Supper (the same as anyone else who is abstaining from receiving is welcome to receive a blessing).

Laying on of hands, also, is still the common practice involving ordination and installation of a new pastor. Speaking again from a Lutheran background, last Sunday we welcomed our new pastor. The presiding pastor of the synod, along with our interim pastor and our retired pastor laid hands upon our new pastor as part of the installation service.

Anointing the sick with oil, traditionally known as holy unction, likewise has been the historic practice of all the traditional and historic churches. While Lutherans don't regard Holy Unction to be a Sacrament, Catholics and Orthodox do. But regardless, it remains a key part of the Church's ministry in addressing the spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical needs of the Faithful.

Even animals receive blessings with oil sometimes, a common (though not universal) practice in many churches has been the Blessing of the Animals service held on the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, where congregants are welcome to bring their pets to be blessed, as we are reminded that God cares for all His creatures, for He cares even for the nameless sparrows in the trees.

So, yes. Lots of laying on of hands and anointing with oil going on.

-CryptoLutheran

Indeed. I actually myself agree with a small number of Eastern Orthodox who do not cap the number of sacraments or mysteries at seven, but instead count also all of the sacramentals and blessings, essentially everything major in the Euchologion, such as funerals, the Great Blessing of Water, consecrating the Chrism, and so on.

 

[splish- splash]

See celestial churches for anointing oil. You get all kinds of colours and strengths of it.

 

[splish- splash]

See celestial churches for laying on of hands and anointing oil. You get all kinds of colours and strengths of anointing oil too.

 

[prodromos]

See celestial churches for anointing oil. You get all kinds of colours and strengths of it.

Um, no. The annointing oil has God's grace, or it doesn't. There are no different strengths and I can't imagine why you would have different colours.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Um, no. The annointing oil has God's grace, or it doesn't. There are no different strengths and I can't imagine why you would have different colours.

That also struck me as quite peculiar.

 

[The Liturgist]

I know that laying on of hands and anointing with oil, is a common practice in the Pentecostal church. I'm wondering how common this practice is throughout other denominations.

Holy Unction is a sacrament in the Orthodox and Catholic traditions and is also practiced by most traditional churches.

The Byzantine Rite and Coptic Rite prayers for consecrating the oil of healing, traditionally said on the Friday before Palm Sunday, or in Greek and Antiochian Orthodox churches, on the Wednesday of Holy Week, are particularly beautiful.

 

[DragonFox91]

Laying on of hands seems to be pretty common. Some denominations just do it more than others.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anointing w/ oil (yes I am aware James says you should). I just checked a couple denominations I’m familiar w/ & it is in their liturgy for sick, so just b/c I haven’t seen it in gatherings I’ve had w/ these denominations, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Laying on of hands seems to be pretty common. Some denominations just do it more than others.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anointing w/ oil (yes I am aware James says you should). I just checked a couple denominations I’m familiar w/ & it is in their liturgy for sick, so just b/c I haven’t seen it in gatherings I’ve had w/ these denominations, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

I know of one instance of anointing with oil in which I served a small part. A member of the church was confronted with personal physical sterility which doctors had told him was permanent. He went to the elders and asked them to anoint him with oil and pray over him. They firmly refused. He then approached older men in the congregation, including myself, and we prayed over him, anointing him with oil. Within a year his wife bore a lovely daughter whom they named Grace.

 

[The Liturgist]

Laying on of hands seems to be pretty common. Some denominations just do it more than others.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anointing w/ oil (yes I am aware James says you should). I just checked a couple denominations I’m familiar w/ & it is in their liturgy for sick, so just b/c I haven’t seen it in gatherings I’ve had w/ these denominations, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

The Byzantine and Coptic liturgies for this, served on the Friday before Palm Sunday in Coptic churches and most Orthodox churches, and on Holy Wednesday in Greek and Antiochian Orthodox churches, are incredibly beautiful. Moreso I have to say than the equivalent liturgies in other rites (for example, the West Syriac, which is one of my very favorite liturgies, but it lacks the exquisite set of seven scripture lessons, prayers and so on which make the Byzantine and Coptic Rite exquisite.