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Rick Burnett: As we continue our discussion on the Healing Power of Touch, what can you tell us about be spiritually filled or refilled?

Dr. Robert A. Schuller: In order to be refilled you have to be filled in the first place. To be refilled means that you’ve lost it. So, I think it begins by filling yourself with a spiritual awareness of who you are as an individual — which we’ve talked about in earlier tapings we’ve done. Beyond that, we need to continue to rejuvenate that spirit. In effect, what we have is a reservoir — and, as you know a reservoir is constantly being tapped — meaning that you’re using the water in the reservoir. That’s what reservoirs are for — they are not just to sit there and collected — they are to be used. It’s like the food you eat. Once we are spiritually filled we use that spiritual power in different ways for keeping ourselves well, for giving it to other people, and just for our daily living. It’s a spiritual food, as opposed to a physical food. Obviously, if you use all of your spiritual food and you don’t get any more, you’re going to become spiritually hungry and if you go on long enough without any spiritual encounters or spiritual refillment, then beyond that you’ll become spiritually malnourished. So, there are key ingredients that the scriptures share with us. God said it from the very beginning — "Honor the Sabbath Day — keep it holy." The Sabbath day doesn’t mean every Saturday, or every Sunday, or every Friday. It does mean there should be one day a week that is your Sabbath day — one day that you use to refurbish and strengthen yourself spiritually and emotionally. For me, that takes the shape of going to Church every week — because then I’m getting something — the pastor is giving something that is emotionally and spiritually rewarding and educational. The music fills me and refurbishes my soul and my spirit. I need it at least once a week — it recharges my spiritual batteries to keep me going for another week. Also, throughout the week, I need a little extra "recharge" and I do that through morning prayers; or occasional midweek services. Also, several times a year I may go to seminars, so that my spiritual batteries don’t go dry.

Rick Burnett: Dr. DiSiena, do you have something you’d like to add?

Dr. Douglas DiSiena: Yes, relative to the need for touch and touching, when Jesus said to the woman who had the bleeding problem, and when she touched the hem of His garment he said "I felt the power come out of me", I used to have this false impression that Jesus had this unlimited power within himself. Yet, we read in scripture that He had to retreat into the mountains to be with himself and the father — in essence, He needed to be reconnected, if you will. So, we all need to be reconnected to the source. I no for me personally, with being in the business of healing and trying to help people, it can be very draining. Sometimes I think I can just do it all day long, seven days a week; not realizing that my ability to help people is only good to the extent that I’m able to be reconnected and recharged myself. So, I found for me to be able to help people, I first need to be able to help myself in terms being connected and spiritually recharged. It’s a lesson that I learned about five or six years ago. I was getting somewhat burned out, and I realized that I needed to have a time of getting reconnected.

Rick Burnett: So, is the way that you getting spiritually get recharged the same way in which Dr. Schuller does?

Dr. Douglas DiSiena: I like what he mentioned a few sessions ago. We talked about weekly things; i.e., weekly adjustments, attending church weekly; I also have a devotional time every day. There are many ways that we can tap into getting spiritually connected. It is the most important thing we can do in our steps to wellness.

Rick Burnett: You have a section in chapter 5, where you talk about the power of touch to bless people. Tell us about touching to bless people.

Dr. Robert A. Schuller: It really is a blessing to be touched. I used the illustration in Part 1 of this healing touch discussion of the woman who had come to Church and she received a hug for the first time in a year. That was a tremendous blessing for her. The human touch is something that people need on a regular basis.

Rick Burnett: Dr. DiSiena, in your work as a Chiropractor, you physically touch people on a daily basis. What are your thoughts about touching to bless people.

Dr. Douglas DiSiena: I really try every time I lay my hands on people, to say a prayer for that person and to have a transference of power and healing of touch, so that they can be blessed and whole. Sometimes, I will utter the words verbally, and sometimes I will just say a silent prayer. When that is really working I think lives can be transformed. Like, Robert said, with the woman who came to church, she was transformed that day. You know, you don’t have to be a pastor, or a chiropractor to touch or transform people. Everyone has the ability and opportunity to transform someone’s life by giving God’s love through the power of touch.

Rick Burnett: I always wondered about anointing with oil. Is there healing power in oil?

Dr. Robert A. Schuller: The bible talks about oil as one of the ingredients for healing. When people were sick, they would use sick. I think to this day, oil is a good thing to use medicinally. There have been a lot of studies recently about fish oil and depression. If someone is suffering from depression, I would encourage him or her to eat fish oils. There have been some dramatic studies which show it helps because of the omega-3 oil that seem to be missing in people with depression. In addition of course in the Bible, oils were applied to the skin for a spiritual significance. I think that one of the things that oil does is if you put oil on your skin, you’ll continue to feel it throughout the day. So, maybe it’s a situation where when you feel this oil throughout the day, it’s a reminder of the prayer and spiritual connection — I think it can have emotional and spiritual healing as a result.

Dr. Douglas DiSiena: I see the anointing of oil as a continual reminder of the symbolic spirit of God, which is resting on you. Also, as you mentioned, oil is tremendously healthy for you in terms of the essential fatty acids. Most of us in our diets are lacking those omega-3 fatty acids. Clearly, in biblical times they ate a lot of fish and we tend not to as a society. We benefit from oil spiritually, and definitely benefit physically.

Rick Burnett: From page 87, how do we touch others with God’s healing touch?

Dr. Douglas DiSiena: It goes back to the Above, Down, Inside, Out principle. Once we have a belief and a faith in God, then we have an automatic compassion for other people. I think the key is compassion. Once you are in that realm of being connected to God, and you see a person who is not well, who is not whole, there is an automatic compassionate response. It is through that compassion and love that we have through Jesus living in us, that we can touch other people and have a transference of God’s power to others.

Dr. Robert A. Schuller: I think it comes back to the whole intention aspect. If you intend for the spirit of God to use your touch in a powerful and positive way, it will! There is no way we can measure our intention connected with action. The Holy Spirit is then allowed to do what it wants to do.

Dr. Douglas DiSiena: Let me add one more thing to just try to encourage and motivate people. Sometimes the greatest gift is not to the person who receives the touch; sometimes the greatest gift occurs to the giver of the touch. For me, it is a tremendous blessing to be able to touch people. If people would just get in the habit of starting to bless people with touch, to encourage people with touch, to love people with touch, they will be blessed as well.