Healing the Wounds of Trauma

FORGIVENESS CEREMONY

Participants will need a small piece of paper and a pen or pencil. The cross from Lesson 8 will be needed again, as well as a way to burn the papers. Close with a communion service, if possible. 1. Knowing God’s healing The leader should remind the participants of the exercise “Taking Your Pain to the Cross.” He or she should ask if there are other wounds that they have in their hearts that need healing. Some time should be given for silent prayer, and then the leader should pray for God’s healing and blessing on everyone.

2. Repenting of sin and knowing God’s forgiveness The leader should read the following verses aloud: 1 John 1.8–10

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing. If we say that we have not sinned, we make a liar out of God, and his word is not in us. Isaiah 53.5–6 But because of our sins he was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment he suffered,

made whole by the blows he received. All of us were like sheep that were lost, each of us going his own way. But the Lord made the punishment fall on him, the punishment all of us deserved.

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Forgiveness Ceremony