The obvious focus is on healing, which will be done in the context of worship and praise. Details can be found through the links below. I am more interested in talking about the importance of healing at this time. We are in full swing in the political season. Each day I hear some awful thing about one or the other candidate. This one murdered the wife of a man through his business. This one is a closet communist intent on overthrowing our nation. This one is trying to steal our money, that one has no care or concern for 99% of Americans. You know the verbage. Alongside that there is the hurricane ripping up the Gulf Coast and the poignant reminder that there could be more, or maybe some other sort of horror lurking in our near future. Horrors like a nuclear exchange in the Middle East, perhaps?
Economic calamity and the growing population of elderly (a group which is statistically most likely to increase in size and fragility in the next two decades) are a perfect storm of supply decreasing and demand increasing. Math informs us that there are limits on what you can do and we have exceeded those limits some time ago.
If God is in charge why so much pain? In the New Testament, illness was one manifestation of the "other kingdoms" which rule our earth. God, at least in some significant sense of the word, is not in charge. His Kingdom is to come and we watch and wait for it. However, even now, God is at work among us. Much of that is anticipatory grace. As one friend used to say, "it is a preview of coming attractions." When Jesus healed and exorcised, people were made new, they were reintegrated into their community, they 'had a life' once again. In our own age, the reach of Jesus extends much further. No longer limited by His human condition to Galilee and its environs, Jesus' body is now the entire church across the earth. However, because He does not reign completely at this time, He has given control of His body to us. This is why churches have scandals, fail in mission and provide empty worship (to name a small portion of our problems). We are not doing what Jesus wants us to do all the time. One area where the church (in broad terms) has particularly been lacking is in the healing and exorcising realm. In my life time the Catholic church "changed" the sacrament of annointing. In my childhood it was called Last Rites. In fact, as a young priest, any sign of annointing oil was a signal to the hospitalized person that they were a goner! By recapturing the original purpose of the sacrament, healing the sick, the Roman church made a big step in the right direction. In the Episcopal church we have a similar practice of annointing. However, following the Protestant claim that Jesus only instituted Baptism and Holy Eucharist, the status of healing is a bit sketchy. Most look to James (call the elders of the church) as the basis of the church practice. It seems to me that Jesus' instructions to the apostles included preaching, healing and exorcising. But it seems that is not an acceptable justification for calling healing a sacrament instituted by Christ.
The greatest healing is salvation. The deepest healing is also spiritual, emotional, and mental . But we are not angels, we are humans, and physical resurrection is our destiny (not endless existence as souls). Healing is a powerful reminder that our bodies do matter. We are body and soul. Much of the brain research has re-emphasized that. We are what we are by virtue of our bodies. When we are sick it impacts how well we live. God cares about our bodies, in fact He cares enough that He took one on Himself.
For those who are mulling over how the church could be better about the healing ministry I think the conference will provide a good starting place. But whether you come or not, in a deeply wounded world, our vocation to continue the healing ministry of Jesus remains intact. People need it, badly. We offer it. Let's do it, in the Name of Jesus and His Kingdom for the glory of God!
Two nights and five meals, several prayer services and several teaching sessions. It runs $250 a person in double occupancy or $345 for single room if you register by October 5 (an additional $25 after that date). For locals who just want to attend the sessions, it costs $35 (which covers lunch). Try these links:
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