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Healing − A Lenten Dialogue by The Rev. Hartshorn Murphy In these days, there is a fascinating re-imaging − or perhaps better: discovering − of other meanings of the crucifixion in addition to "substitutional sacrifice" (that Jesus paid the debt owed to God for our sin/violation of God's law in our stead and thus "saved us from our sins.") Such rich theological dialogue leads to a broader conception of who Jesus was and what his mission was. To name but one alternative prism to understand Jesus: the justice view. Through this prism, Jesus' mission − consistent with the prophetic traditions of Israel − was to challenge the domination politics of the ruling elite (both Jewish and gentile) and was executed by the State. Easter resurrection was God's vindication of Jesus' vision of the Kingdom of God on earth grounded in justice and equality. The cross − an instrument of state torture, control and deterrence − became a symbol of victory over what Paul called "powers and principalities" which contend for the allegiance of men's souls over the Kingdom of Heaven. As Christians, our role is to challenge any politics which deepen the pain of the poor rather than alleviate it and that such struggle will, in time, be vindicated by God just as Jesus was vindicated. But that's not what I wanted to talk about. This was preamble to say that although there may not be a consensus about what Jesus came to declare, there is no doubt about what he in fact did. Jesus was a faith healer. In this, he was also an exorcist in that ancient people believed that illness was caused by malevolent (or at the very least mischievous spirits). In a sense, we could say that illness (e.g. blindness, deafness, diseases of the skin etc.) was not so much a punishment from God but rather God removing his protection from you and allowing the result of our sin to be visited upon us by the power of evil. Whether one says "God punished me" or says "God allowed evil to punish me" is secondary to the fact that one felt oneself to be punished and that in addition to suffering the effects of illness, one is also seen by the community as a sinner (a violator) and thus are cut off from the support of community. Sin is ever a social phenomenon in Israel. And so in his ministry as a healer, Jesus functioned on several levels at once. On one level, he cured disease and ailments. On another, he banished the demons who caused illness. And third, he restored people to their place in community; most especially in being able to worship with others in a Temple which banned the sick (unclean) from attending. These three levels of healing were not discreet but were inseparable. A healing was not complete until restitution was certified ("Go and show yourself to the priest in the Temple.") The Christian Church, in recovering the message of social justice central to Jesus' mission, needs to also recover healing as a central work. Over these last several years, St. A's has struggled to do just that. Our "healing team" continues to seek to discern what healing means for the Christian community today and during the upcoming season of Lent, invites you into the dialogue. We have asked several people to lead us in a reflection on healing through the prism of their work; to ask the question: "where is God, in your experience, in the work you have been given to do?" On Wednesday, Feb. 28th, a medical doctor will speak about his experience of curing disease and God's place, if any, in that. On March 7th, a therapist will look at the place of the divine in the healing of memory and history. On March 14th, a counselor will explore the place of the holy in the mending of broken relationships. On March 21st, a leader from AA will explore with us the place of a "higher power" in the healing from addiction. And on March 28th, we will explore spiritual healing and conclude with a healing service. At the healing service, the whole community will have the opportunity to bring whatever their brokenness is to the altar of God, to seek healing and restoration before the great festival of Easter. These are profound questions. Are healing and curing the same for us as they were for faith healers, like Jesus, in Hebrew history? Does healing − a restoration of meaning and a restoring of relationship to God and within ourselves − happen even though the disease is not cured? Is disease, sometimes, a manifestation, a symptom, of a deeper spiritual alienation and does healing of that alienation result in physical healing as well? ("Your faith has made you well.") And when a cure is not manifest, is that a result of a lack of faith? (The Book of Job is a highly sophisticated reflection with this very question.) And finally, what part does prayer and sacrament play in healing? As the church broadens its understanding of what and who Jesus is, so too it seeks to broaden its understanding of its role in today's world in seeking wholeness and wellness. In the ancient world, the sick were excluded from the assembly of God's people in the temple because they were perceived to be sinners and impure. Unclean things − including unclean people − had no place among holy, righteous folk who might be contaminated by the impurity of sinners. Jesus' willingness to touch (and to be touched) by those who were physically and emotionally/psychologically ill ("possessed by demons"), tells us that the Church as Christ's Body in the world, is not a sanctuary for the sinless but a healing place for the broken. And while this is true, even today there is a presumption that churches are an unwelcoming place for those who don't have it together; rather than a place in which the broken are, together, seeking to get it together with God's help. The goal of the spiritual life, after all, is not to understand and accept our brokenness but to be healed of them and to discover a transformed and changed life. That is the promise of Easter. So, plan to join the dialogue on the Wednesdays in Lent. We begin with a potluck supper at 6:30 p.m., a brief talk at 7:30 followed by table discussion and we adjourn by 8:30 p.m. Childcare will be provided (5 and up). Nursery care (newborns through 4) need to sign up ahead of time. All are especially welcome to attend the healing service on the last Wednesday of Lent, March 28th, which also begins following dinner (approximately 7:30 p.m.) Copyright © 2007 St. Augustine by-the-Sea
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