October 2003 - Tower - Page 13

Church and Society

Russell Fox, Captain

The presenters were Dale A. Matthews, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine, and Dr. James K. Wagner, senior pastor of Fairview United Methodist Church in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Wagner served as the director of The Upper Room Prayer and Healing Ministries and as the executive director of the Disciplined Order of Christ. His books include, An Adventure in Healing and Wholeness, Blessed to Bea a Blessing and Anna, Jesus Loves You. (Copies of these books, and Dr. Matthews' book, The Faith Factor, will be placed in our church library.)

Dr. Matthews, an internist by training, has become deeply involved in studying the effects of prayer and religion on the healing process. He is the author of several books and over sixty peer-reviewed scientific articles. The thrust of his presentation was to show how a person's religious life and prayer can have a major effect on the healing process. For example, people who attend church regularly live longer than those who do not. Of course, people who attend church regularly are less likely to smoke, drink alcohol beverages, and they tend to be more moderate in their life style than those who do not attend church.

At one time in our ancient past, the tribal medicine man was also a priest. Many cultures today, throughout the world, still regard their healing in this manner. In Western cultures religion and medicine remained closely linked until the end of the Medieval period. With the advent of the Scientific Revolution, however, the twin-healing traditions were separated. Only the examination of empirical and rational scientific method could be trusted in the search for knowledge.

Overwhelmed by the extraordinary success in the scientific method, the church lost its undisputed authority and command over truth. It was hard, if not impossible, to define an experiment about God. So doctors were left with only medical techniques that stood up under the scrutiny of the scientific method.

Today, centuries later, we see the unfortunate consequences of this split between religion and medicine. We see the benefits of treating a person holistically. In other words, we see the effects of one's spiritual life on his physical well-being and the healing process. We recognize that there are three classes of people: those who are spiritual, but not religious; those who are religious but not spiritual; and those who are both religious and spiritual. It is the spiritual life of the individual that plays an important role in the well-being of the person, and especially in the healing process.

The object of the book, Adventures in Healing and Wholeness by Wagner, is to be an instruction manual for a church that is interested in initiating a healing ministry with its congregation and the community. Using Christ's ministry as an example, the church's ministry is one of teaching, preaching and healing, which are all interrelated. The Church is encouraged to give more attention to the third aspect of its ministry, namely, the healing ministry.

One of the areas of discussion dealt with the question of the difference between being cured and being healed. Whereas being cured deals with the physical aspects of the problem, being healed invokes the spiritual side also. And so the Church is called upon to administer healing. This ministry extends beyond the Church to the neighborhood, wherever there is need of healing.

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If you have any comments on any of these pages, please email me: Robert W.(Bob) Mckitrick, thanks.

Last update: November 29, 2003