The Ministry of Healing . . . . On Saturday July 12th at 5pm at Ss Philip & James, we shall be holding the first of three experimental services of Prayer for Healing. The service will be simple and meditative, using a liturgy from the Iona Community, and with some gentle music. At the service there will be the opportunity to receive the laying on of hands with prayer for healing. We shall also pray by name for all those who we know are in need of healing. If you would like any particular names mentioned at this service, please let me or Pauline Moyse know in advance.

Expanding the ministry of healing in the parish

For many years the backbone of our healing ministry in the parish has been through the prayers and meditation of the group that meets at All Saints Lady Chapel every Tuesday morning. We also have our prayers at all our main services for those in need. Their names are published on the weekly news sheet. We also offer prayers for healing with the “laying on of hands” during the communion at All Saints every third Sunday in the month, but is all this enough?

The Gospels tells us that as well as healing many people Himself, Jesus also sent his followers out, He said:
“When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is put before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, “The Kingdom of God is near you” (Luke 108 – 9).”

This guides us that as well as being prepared to receive God’s healing (and many of us are not!), that we should also be prepared to act as His servant in providing healing, all, of course, in the power of the Holy Spirit. There is much evidence of this after the Resurrection in the Acts of the Apostles. We should also not limit the potential scope of God’s healing by our own disbelief. Whilst our focus may be on physical or mental health issues, God’s healing power is not so restricted and is also available to heal relationships between individuals and within the church.

As a church, we are trying to do more. Ultimately, I hope that we can become more open to the opportunity to increase the scope of God’s work in this respect in the parish, including some form of healing “service” at Sts Philip and James as well as reviewing the way we do things at All Saints. This will all be supported by the prayer initiatives that you probably read about in the articles by Robert Smith in the July and August parish magazines (also on the Parish Blog).

Are you interested in exploring the Christian healing ministry? This would include those who feel called to explore their own gifts (See 1Cor 12) to potentially “lay on hands” and those who just want to find out more, or support by prayer. If so, contact Roy Woodhams, Mary Goodson, Pauline Moyse and myself and Pray about it 

John Simson