THE MINISTRY OF HEALING AT ST NINIAN’ S
I have decided to introduce( strictly speaking re-introduce) a monthly Healing Service on the first Saturday of the month.
I believe that we are all in need of“ healing” in the broadest sense because we either struggle with issues physical and mental or we are carers for those who do. However, I think it is important to set out what I believe the charism of healing to be. In rough terms, there are two distinct approaches.
The first is more accurately termed“ faith healing” where the healer“ lays hands” upon, say, the broken leg and by the supposed fervour of the prayers of the healer“ demands " that God ought to perform a miracle and un-break the leg before an enthusiastic crowd of noisy believers.
If the miracle doesn’ t happen then it means that healer and / or the crowd lacked sufficient faith! Now, I am not in the business of denying the ability of God to intervene and interrupt the laws of physics as God sees fit. However, this is not my approach.
I believe that there is a very important distinction to be made between“ healing” and“ cure”. I am in the business of helping everyone to avail themselves of the sacraments of the church in an effort to produce a healing of the spirit as an aid to dealing with a physical or mental ailment.
I am not in the business of trying to downgrade the role of modern medicine. It is not either / or but both / and. The best healing ministry works in harmony with the medical profession for the complete healing of mind, body and spirit.
Healing, therefore, is a way of life and the healing ministry is a microcosm of the whole of Christian life and mission.
We are, to put it another way, a group of pilgrims at St Ninian’ s journeying towards wholeness. Healing has to be seen as a natural part of our life together.
My understanding of healing is rooted in scripture and tradition. Healing, for example, played a large part in the ministry of Jesus. Jesus asked us to preach the gospel and heal the sick.
We pray on a regular basis for wholeness in this sick and broken world. Prayer is also a fundamental part of our overall approach to healing at St Ninian’ s and we are most blessed to have a dedicated group of people who pray regularly for those who ask for such.
As I mentioned above there have developed different traditions about how a specific healing service should be performed.
My approach to a specific service is to root its structure firmly within the sacramental tradition of the Church. Supremely there is the Eucharist.
StOM Page 11