What do you mean by healing

Answers to Questions on Healing A sermon preached by Fraser Watts at the 5.00 pm service in February 2003 St Edward, King and Martyr, Cambridge.

1. What do you mean by healing?

Healing means making whole. Many of the healings we heard about in the readings this evening were restorations to wholeness. The blind, the deaf, the lepers etc were all made whole. Their physical wholeness was a sign of wholeness of body, mind and spirit.

2. Is this ‘spiritual’ healing?

Yes, but it may not be the best term for it. In some ways ‘holistic’ healing is better. We are many-sided creatures, body, mind and spirit. Healing is not narrowly physical, but neither is it narrowly spiritual.

. If we are healed, does this mean that we will have no problems at all?

No. God's healing shows itself in many ways. For some, amazingly, illness and infirmity simply disappear. Others received the grace to cope with their infirmities. God doesn't promise that we will have no problems, just that he will bring a blessing out of them. That may mean removing them, or it may mean helping us to cope.

4. Does Christian healing actually work?

Yes it does. There is the testimony of the Gospels, and of healing carried out by the apostles. Also, there are many stories of healing, for example the healing services being carried out at Oakington currently. Prayer for healing clearly works; and there is quite good scientific evidence for it. But healing isn't automatic and predictable. It is not like taking a Neurofen when you have a headache.

5. What if there seems to be no healing?

Don't be too quick to judge. There may be some kind of healing, but not quite what you expected or hoped for. The healing may be quick or it may be slow. And it may be remove the problem, or give grace to cope with it.

6. Why is there laying on of hands?

It is an ancient tradition that goes back to Jesus, and has long been practised by Christians. It shows that healing is not a purely spiritual process. Energy for healing comes through the laying on of hands, energy that is both physical and spiritual, just as the resurrection of Jesus was both physical and spiritual.

7. Is this what New Age calls ‘channelling’?

Yes, in a way it is. Energy is channelled through the laying on of hands, spiritual-physical energy for healing. But where I would differ from New Age is that I think the energy that is channelled comes from God.

8. How does this channelling happen?

By prayer:
-the prayer of those laying on hands,
-the prayer of the person receiving healing,
-the prayer of those present,
-the prayers of others who are not actually present. (Prayer can work at a distance).

9. How does this prayer work?

By prayer we set up a resonance, or attunement with God. We beat in resonance with him, on the same wave-length. This allows his energy to flow through others. So the channeling we do is making ourselves available as a channel for his grace. Our job is to tune in.

10. How should we pray?

Fervently, with confidence, but with open-mindedness. We should really pray, not just go through the motions. If we don't bother to pray, we shouldn't be surprised if God waits for another occasion. He prefers to work with us, rather than working independently of us.

Fraser Watts Vicar-Chaplain