Summer News: 2010

The following homily was given at a Celebration of Wholeness and Healing at Grace Episcopal Church in College Hill, Ohio.  This service is an ecumenical healing service that incorporates the traditional laying-on-of-hands and other healing modalities with African drumming.  The homily is left in the format in which it was constructed, which was to facilitate preaching. 

It is offered in thanksgiving for the life of the Reverend Canon Robert D. Gerhard - 1928-2010, a co-founding trustee of Episcopal Healing Ministries, which was chartered in 1987.  Bob served for 23 years in various positions within EHM.  He was a strong advocate for implementing the goals of educating clergy and lay persons in the practice of the ministry of healing and mainstreaming the rites of the laying on of hands and unction within the worship services of the church.

Love and Acceptance

Luke 3:15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,* 16John answered all of them by saying, 'I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with* the Holy Spirit and fire.  21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved;* with you I am well pleased.'*

Open with Prayer - Invite Holy Spirit to lead and guide

You are my Son, the Beloved;* with you I am well pleased.

You are my child, my beloved

I am well pleased with you

You make me really happy

I delight in you

I love you!!!

How we long to hear those words

How we need to hear those words and take them into the very core of our being!

What healing they would bring!

Matt you are my beloved son

Gwynne you are my beloved daughter

Bob you are my beloved son

Lisa you are my beloved daughter.

God speaking directly to each of us and calling us by name

God telling us how precious we are.

Even Jesus needed to hear those words.

How many times do the Gospels record what God has to say to Jesus?

Mostly, all we know is that Jesus went off to pray.

And in the garden of Gethsemane we know some of what Jesus had to say but there were no voices from heaven.

Only twice in the Gospels do we have a record of what God said to Jesus.

At the Baptism and at the Transfiguration.

Both times we hear God saying: You are my Son, the Beloved;* with you I am well pleased.

Words, affirmations that Jesus needed to hear.

And if Jesus needed to hear these words, how much more do we???

Love, acceptance, a sense of belonging - these bring healing to our hearts and souls

On Saturday morning, I got a call that a good friend - in many ways my mentor in doing ministry - had died.

So I prayed

What else could I do?

As I prayed about Bob and what he meant in my life, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and thanksgiving.

When I meet Bob, I was an itinerant seeker

I went wherever I could experience the presence of God, the divine, and then I moved on.

I listened and I learned, but most of all, I just wanted to be in the divine presence.

I checked out Christian groups, studied with a rabbi, read the Sufis, was a Tibetan Buddhist and eventually considered myself a Saivite

I stayed wherever the spirit of God was strongly manifest and I drank it all in.  And then I moved on.

But Bob was different.

He loved me

He affirmed me

He trusted me

He saw way more in me than I saw in myself.

He accepted me just as I was - a long haired hippie, a professor of world religions, an unorthodox mystic.

And he said welcome, come and join us

Most of all, by his actions he said those words that we all need so desperately: you are part of me - you are special and I love you

Yes we all long for that, for we all have a hole in our soul

It is God's love and acceptance that fills that hole

But God's love is often experienced through others, flesh and bones we can touch and know

I believe that is what makes this service so special

God's love and presence and grace and goodness are so very manifest.

Everyone is welcome

All the gifts of the spirit, all the ways healing happens are encouraged!

Everyone is special

Everyone is treasured

Everyone is safe

We take time to be present to one another

Nothing is rushed

Everyone is free to come and go as they need to.

All are honored

All are respected

Each person is a child of God.

By all that we do, we try to show forth God's love, grace and care to one another.

It is awesome and I thank you all for being here and sharing your love and goodness.

I will conclude with a time of prayer. 

When that is over, you may sit in God's presence and be still, or drum, or participate in one of the healing stations. 

Please feel free to pray, worship and heal as the Divine Spirit leads you.

Let us pray: 

Blessed Lord Jesus we praise and thank you for your presence here among us.  Help us to be aware of you love and grace.  Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us.  Fill us, sanctify us, guide us and direct us so that all that we do, all that we say, all that we are, may bring honor and glory to you!  In your most holy and precious name we pray.  Amen.

The Episcopal Healing Ministries is committed to offering inspiring and enlightening subjects to our readers.  Since we are an unendowed 501 C non profit organization, we are dependent on gifts and memorials to further our work.  If you would like to send a gift of thanksgiving or a memorial to assist in carrying on this work of the EHM, we would be most grateful and will send you a letter of tax exemption along with a prayer of thanksgiving.  As you read this, we wish for you to experience the Healing Love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Fall News: 2009

 1. General Convention Resolution AO77: Episcopal Health Ministries

2. Name Change: EHMF becomes Episcopal Healing Ministries

 3. Reflections from conventions & missions

 4. Need for intercessors and financial support

AO77: Episcopal Health Ministries

               In July 2009, the 76^th General Convention of the Episcopal Church passed resolution A077 which was entitled Episcopal Health Ministries. A077 resolved "that the 76^th General Convention urges the congregations of The Episcopal Church, which have not already done so, to explore and implement health ministry as an organizing concept or vital component of outreach and pastoral care of the congregations by 2012; and be it further Resolved, That the General Convention encourages congregations to raise awareness of health ministries and promote the understanding that health includes body, mind and spirit."  This resolution had been proposed by the Standing Commission on Health.

Episcopal Healing Ministries

               Since its inception in 1987, The Episcopal Healing Ministry Foundation (EHMF) has worked diligently to implement the Gospel imperative of Luke 9:2 where Jesus Christ commands us to preach and to heal.  Preaching the Gospel and healing the sick are imperative for the wholeness and salvation of everyone.  To further the healing ministries of our Lord Jesus Christ and his church and to help implement AO77, EHMF has refined its name to become Episcopal Healing Ministries (EHM). EHM is committed to the vision of A077. 

               Funding for charitable organizations and ministries is at an all time low. EHM has prayed and sought guidance for how to best carry out its mission in the current economic climate.  EHM discerned that the word "foundation" could be misleading since it implies an endowed organization with a financial legacy.  EHM is unendowed and to retain the word "foundation" in its name has proved to be a significant barrier to getting grants to support its active ministries.

Reflections from conventions & missions

            God is alive and well and very active in the world and in the church.  While many people focus on the political debates and dissensions that abound in the Episcopal Church, we have had the opportunity to interact with numerous clergy and laity who have shared their stories.  Perhaps the fact that our organization's name is explicitly about healing invites people to share their stories about what God is doing in their lives and parishes.  Over and over we hear about God's grace and love being made manifest.  And the greatest blessing of all is that we get to see it with our own eyes.  Even in the exhibit hall of the General Convention where we had a booth, people would come and ask for prayers.  And to top it off, people would come back and report the wonderful things God had done!  It was amazing.

            A frequent question that has arisen over the last few months concerns the relationship of EHM and OSL (The Order of St Luke the Physician).  First of all, OSL and the EHM are totally separate organizations and operate independently of one another.  While individuals may be active in both, many may find one or the other to be better suited to their needs at any given time.

             It is important to note that the chief objective of both organizations is to promote the healing ministry of Jesus Christ in the Christian Church.  Both OSL and EHM use the actions and teachings of Jesus as their primary source of instruction and look to the New Testament as their "guidebook."  In brief, both organizations were founded to train and encourage individuals in the actual practice of the healing ministry.

           There are important differences between OSL and EHM.  OSL was founded to be an ecumenical organization which operates independently of any denominational polity and doctrines.  EHM was founded to operate under the authority of the Episcopal Church and in conformity with its constitution and canons.  When individuals complete their training in OSL, they are inducted as members of OSL.  When individuals are sufficiently trained by the EHM to exercise ministries of healing, they are commissioned by their local parish to carry out their ministries as a member of that parish.  They operate under the authority and supervision of the rector of their home parish.  EHM tailors its training programs to be in conformity with the norms and expectations of the local parish so that healing and wholeness ministries can be integrated into the existing structures of parish life.

While OSL remains focused on healing as embodied in the ministry of Jesus and the early disciples, EHM has expanded its focus to include all ministries of wholeness and pastoral care that might be done in a parish setting.  EHM has worked extensively with parish nurses and health ministry programs such as Stephen Ministers to incorporate healing prayer in appropriate ways in their ministries.  EHM takes a holistic approach to healing and works with both bio-medical and alternative modalities of therapy.

               In conclusion, there is a very large degree of congruity between OSL and EHM. 

While OSL is ecumenical in membership, its focus in the healing ministry is centered in the

areas traditionally associated with healing prayer.  On the other hand, EHM works largely

within the Episcopal Church but its focus on healing and wholeness is inclusive and holistic

and works to include healing prayer in all aspects of pastoral ministries. The Order of Saint

Luke and Episcopal Healing Ministries are valuable and effective assets to ministries of

healing in parishes. Each one addresses a portion of the Lord's imperative to extend

wholeness and healing to all who wish or need to experience it.

Need for intercessors and financial support

               Episcopal Healing Ministries receives many requests from individuals and parishes around the world for help in establishing healing ministries.  EHM often donates significant time and energy working with those who cannot afford to pay an honorarium and/or travel expenses.  Much of that work is limited to what can be done via the internet and cell phone conversations.  We would like expand our services to parishes that are in need but we need your assistance to cover travel expenses.  Even a small donation of what many spend on an evening’s entertainment would empower us to help a struggling parish.

               Currently the staff of EHM does not receive any compensation for their work.  We would like to be able to cover at least some of the health care costs for our full time executive director.  The generosity of God's people has been what has enabled us to carry on our ministries for the past 22 years.  Will you be part of this mission and Luke 9:2?  Please send your contributions to Episcopal Healing Ministries, Christ Church Cathedral, 318 East Fourth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202.  EHM is a 501 C 3 charitable organization.

               Prayer is at the heart of all that EFM does.  Become an intercessor and join us in praying for those in need.  If you would like to become a prayer partner with EHM, contact Hawley Todd TSSF at todd@episcopalhealing.org. 

               The Irish Book of Common Prayer has a wonderful service of healing entitled A Celebration of Healing.  The following prayer is taken from that service. Hear the prayer we offer for all your people. Remember in your mercy those for whom we pray:

heal the sick, raise the fallen, strengthen the fainthearted and enfold in your love the fearful and those who have no hope. In the fullness of time complete your gracious work.

Reconcile all things in Christ and make them new. Restore us in your image, renew us in your love, that we may serve you as sons and daughters in your kingdom; through your anointed Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit we lift our voices of thanks and praise:

Blessed be God, our strength and our salvation, now and for ever. Amen.