RECLAIMING THE HEALING MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH

Abstract

KARIN GRANBERG-MICHAELSON [*] The healing miracles of Jesus can be understood as the first signs of a new order which Christ proclaimed and inaugurated. The miracles recorded in New Testament scriptures demonstrate the first fruits of this new kingdom order. As such, they break into the reigning chaos and restore the wholeness and integration which were hallmarks of God's original creation. his valuable study of the healing ministry of Jesus, Community, Church and Healing, theologian R.A. Lambourne comments that: In the mission and message of Jesus Christ, his healing work was not a secondary consequence, but the very means of proclamation, institution, and enlargement of the new age. Lambourne says further that what Jesus wants in response to a miraculous healing is, That men and women will recognize ... God's presence, his word, his finger. [1] This recognition is meant to lead people into repentance and covenant living. The theological significance of the miracles of Jesus, then, is that they bear witness to God's intention to restore wholeness to all people and all creation. They also imply that the person who receives a healing will, in gratitude, seek to engage in covenant living. It is evident in the New Testament accounts that healing flowed as a consequence of life shared in the covenanted communities which became the first churches. After Pentecost, the disciples were empowered by the Holy Spirit with the gift of healing and they began their own healing ministries, which included casting out evil spirits and even resurrection of the dead. However, sometime during the middle ages, the healing ministry of the churches fell into disrepute. The sacrament of anointing the sick became relegated to a rite for the dying without the expectation of divine intervention. A more complete discussion of the history of the healing ministry of the church can be found in Morton Kelsey's book, Healing and Christianity. [2] As we enter the 21st century, many churches worldwide are returning to the practice of establishing healing ministries. These ministries vary widely in their various geographical and cultural specifics, but they signify the belief that the healing power of Jesus Christ is alive in the world today. An effort has been made by mainline communions in North America to demystify the practice of prayer for healing and other attending rituals, such as anointing with oil, speaking in tongues, and the laying on of hands, so that more churches will choose to reclaim this rich inheritance. The healing ministries with which I am conversant are operating in the acceptance that death is the natural end point of biological life. The presence of pain and death in our world creates suffering that cannot be escaped. Yet, within these limitations, a healing ministry which focuses on all aspects of people's emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing is understood to be in harmony with the mandate of Jesus to preach, teach and heal. these contexts, wholeness is understood to imply harmony with oneself, others and the creator. Thus it is possible to achieve healing in the midst of a terminal diagnosis which results in death. Wholeness is redefined. It is not the absence of symptoms but the presence of integration of body, mind and spirit which brings eventual deep healing, no matter the outcome of accident or disease. Some healing ministries focus on the eucharist as the opportunity to experience the confession and forgiveness outlined in James 5 as necessary to healing. such ministries there may be a private chapel where church elders and deacons are available to petition, offer anointment with oil, and the laying on of hands. Other less direct instruments of healing may be the participation in a small fellowship group where people become known to one another and take on each other's burdens in ways that are concrete. …