Healer Prayer Group
James 5:13 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.
OCTOBER 2010 HEALING SERVICE - 'Physician, heal thyself!'
Our first Fanlobbus Union Service of Prayer for Healing took place at St Mary's, Dunmanway. The whole issue of healing is a fascinating phenomenon. All the mainstream Christian denominations - indeed most religions - feature 'healing' as one of the core reasons for their existence. Salvation - saving grace - meaning to life, reconciliation to a deity, one's neighbours or even oneself are all part and parcel of the healing and wholeness that most mature rligions and philosophies offer as part of the 'reward' for the observance of certain beliefs. In Christian terms, it could be said that Christ's whole mission on earth is about the restoration to wholeness of creation to its Creator - the healing on the rift between God and man.
And we human beings are sometimes desperately conscious of our need for improved health - whether spiritual, psychological or physical. People will turn to crystals, homeopathy, spiritism, wicca, magnets, herbal remedies, anything and everything to try and gain some ascendancy over the troubles they experience. And it's the same for Christians as we pray to God and carry out our own rituals, asking for his healing love to transform our pain or grief or trauma. We believe we are approaching a God who loves us and who wants our good, so with varying degrees of confidence we see, in the Christian world, great emphasis on 'healing'. Sometimes this is seen in the controversial and arguably dubious activities of TV evangelists such as Benny Hinn whose triumphalist, showbiz techniques promise much and dazzle the spectator; and just as often in the case of the quiet Anglican approach of a relaxed liturgy, and the careful formalized laying on of hands, where the personality of the ministers is unimportant and the invitation is God's alone.
In such services as the latter, the expectation is that whatever the 'result' of prayer for healing, God is doing something in our lives. Some of our more charismatic brethren may accuse us of not having enough faith, of not believing enough; of limiting God by having low expectations of his ability to heal miraculously. But our experience surely teaches us that healing and wholeness comes in many ways; being granted the strength to endure, being granted the wisdom to accept the realities of life's troubles. But nevertheless praying faithfully for release from pain and illness.
We are familiar with the healing miracles of Christ, and we rejoice when we hear that that level of physical healing is present in others; but we miss an important point if we forget that in every case, while the healing was bound to be temporary, each miracle also served as a sign pointing towards an eternal reality. The blind were healed to reveal the spiritual blindness of those who could see; the deaf were made to hear, even while the non-hearing impaired refused to learn the lessons of Christ's ministry. The lame walked, the outcast leper restored, the dead raised - while around them the able-bodied enjoyed physical health and societal acceptance but excluded themselves from the knowledge and love of God.
In our reserved, quiet Anglican way we offer a relaxed and structured way to approach God for his healing grace; two ministers will lay hands on the participant, an indication that it is the community of the church rather than an individual whose ministry is at work. And the anointing oil may represent the work of the Holy Spirit; also a reflection of our baptism and confirmation where oil is often used in the same way. So Christian healing is approached in many ways. My own personal belief is that we cannot promise people they will get up out of their wheelchairs or throw away their crutches as some organizations do; but I understand that God never refuses the invitation to work in someone's life which is why I feel sure in the assertion that 'something' is always happening when we ask God to heal.
W Nesbitt
Some of our group members are pictured. There are Healer Prayer Unions across the Church of Ireland, praying regularly for those in need of every kind. Confidentiality is assured and the list for intercession is reviewed monthly so information is updated and, where possible, appropriate pastoral support can be offered. In the Fanlobbus Healer Prayer Group we usually include a brief liturgy to introduce our prayers. This also includes a scriptural meditation, for example, a discussion on the Bible readings for the next Sunday; or sometimes a particular book or topic. Most members will share the task of leading the prayers. As a member of the Healer Prayer Union, working out of Dublin Central Mission, we have a small montly subscription of €5.00, which goes towards their work. If you are interested in joining the Fanlobbus Prayer Union please contact the leader, Doris Deane on 023 8855116.
Click on this for a short healing liturgy used by our group at our monthly meetings. Please feel free to use it. Some material comes from Wild Goose resources, and others from Colquoun's Contemporary Parish Prayers.
