WoL 2015 July - September

Transcription

Way of Life
A Bee Orchid in a
bee loud glade at
Othona, West Dorset.
Arise now, and
find more on p14
the Journal of
The Guild of Health
Vol 48 issue 3: July - September, 2015
The Guild of Health
St Marylebone Parish Church,
17 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LT
Telephone: 01303 277399
Web site:
www.gohealth.org.uk.
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Editor of Way of Life / website:
Steve Press: 01303 277399 / editor@gohealth.org.uk
Membership and General Enquires:
Rosie Press: 01303 277399 / enquiries@gohealth.org.uk
Trustees and Council
Rev’d Lucyann Ashdown(Chair);
Rev’d Stanley Baxter (Vice-Chair);
Nigel Roissetter (Company Secretary & Treasurer);
Rev’d Elizabeth Bayliss; Douglas Beeken;
Rev’d Stephen Evans; Pam Freeman; Dr James Harrison;
Dr David McDonald, Dr Michael Platt; David Sims;
Mary Tschiersch.
Officers
Clinical Director:
Seminar Secretary:
Intercessions Secretary:
Northern Associate:
Dr Michael Platt
Douglas Beeken
Mary Tschiersch
Rev’d Elizabeth Baxter
*Membership and Journal:
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(*Please direct these enquiries to our Folkestone Office:
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Way of Life
July - September, 2015
vol 48 issue 3
From Our Chair:
Rev’d Lucyann Ashdown writes.
Guild Objective 2: Study:
Mindfulness Transforming the Emotions?
Guild Objective 4: Abundant Living:
The Good Goatherd and The Potter
Guild Objective 4: Abundant Living:
Nepal and Kent - Both Matter
Guild Objective 3: Prayer:
Discovering Divine Intimacy in Dorset
Judith Stewart describes her bedroom wall
Opportunities for Healing Prayer at St Marylebone
Guild Partner: Holy Rood House: Reflections
Rev’d Elizabeth Baxter, Executive Director writes
Labyrinths: Sue Smith writes
Guild Objective 3: Prayer
Lectio Divina: a How To Guide by David Cole
Guild Objective 2: Study
You Read It Here First - a book in process.
Guild Objective 1: Healthcare Professionals
MA / MSc Course in Spirituality, Theology and Health
Events Coming Up
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From Our Chair:
A few weeks ago I had the enormous privilege of being
present at the birth of ‘F’ who came in the early hours of the
morning and whose arrival was witnessed and welcomed by her
3 older siblings. It was a special moment, not least because I
had been at the birth of all of these children. After settling the
family down, my midwifery colleague and I bid one another
farewell, after which I showered and set off to the hospice
where I serve as a chaplain. To some this seems a rather
curious combination, yet prior to professionalization midwives
or ‘handy women’ as they were know then, would be called to
assist at births and to lay out the dead. That said I had not
personally gone from one to the other in the same day before.
On reflection I became aware that I felt both full and grounded,
as though something in these liminal, transitional moments
brings with it a deep awareness of the Divine presence which is
profoundly moving and almost inexpressible.
As a Guild we are experiencing something of a similar
journey, when in April we bid farewell to Alex our CEO, due to
increasingly challenging issues with his own health. We are
grateful to Alex for his gentle pastoral approach during his time
with us and we wish him well on the next phase of his journey.
As we said goodbye to Alex we were also in conversation
with the Guild of St. Raphael (GoSR) to explore plans for a
merger with the Guild of Health (GoH), which, if it should go
ahead, would mean the two Guilds being reunited after a
separation of a century.
This is a very exciting prospect allowing the potential for
both Guilds to benefit from the riches the other has developed
over the years; GoSR with its strong emphasis on local group
and the GoH with its partnerships across health delivery,
research and education. Yet both of Guilds have a shared
understanding of the healing ministry and a commitment to
prayer.
It’s easy at first glance to think that we’ve returned to where
we started, and in one sense we have, but the mirror image of
p4
Way of Life: July - September, 2015
these experiences has put me in mind of the Labyrinth, the
sacred path that offers us the opportunity to gain a fresh
perspective on our journey with God by taking a walk on a
sacred path. The labyrinth reminds us that we do not return to
a former place unchanged, the journey transforms us, providing
the potential for healing, self awareness and a greater
alignment with the Spirit of God. (Ed: see p26)
As a Guild we have been changed by the journey we have
taken with Alex and his predecessors, we are hopeful of the
potential of our planned merger with the Guild of St. Raphael.
Yet we are only too aware that the very nature of this liminal
moment is deeply challenging, the journey continues and we
need God’s help to show us how to bring our various Christian
expressions, charisms, skills and resources together to enable
the healing, wholeness and well-being of our world.
It seems apposite to be writing this on midsummer’s night
a pivotal point in the earth’s journey and it brings me the
comforting reminder that God is both Alpha and Omega. So
may the Holy Spirit who evokes both the desire and the
outworking of Christ’s love within us, weave a healing melody
among us and between us, to light our path, season our words
that we may be bearers of healing and wholeness.
Rev’d Lucyann Ashdown
Chair
@Arandorastar
© D. Shaw
p5
Whole Person Health Network’s
Birmingham Medical School Conference
Thursday 17 September
WPHN and the Guild of Health, our sponsors, invite you to our
3rd
Conference within the theme of Faith in Health and Healing.
God, Mental Health and
Wellbeing £85
* Constructions of Mental Health and the Creative Spirit
Rev’d Professor June Boyce -Tillman OBE.
Professor of Applied Music and Convenor of the Centre for
the Arts as Well-being, University of Winchester.
* Staying in touch, listening to people with dementia
Rev'd Wes Sutton, Director Acorn Christian Healing
* Introducing the Cadbury Centre for the public
understanding of Religion
Rev'd Dr Ali Gray. Hon research fellow, Cadbury Centre.
* The Work of Holy Rood House, Centre for Health
and Pastoral Care
Rev’d Elizabeth Baxter. Executive Director
* Mental Health and discipleship
Rev'd Prof Chris Cook. Director Project for Spirituality,
Theology & Health, University of Durham
Booking & more Details from the venue’s website:
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/mdscpd/conferences/wphn/index.aspx
At the: College of Medical and Dental Sciences,
Vincent Drive, Edgbaston, B15 2TT
Email: mdsenquiries@contacts.bham.ac.uk
Venue, Directions & Car Parking: Click here
p6
Guild Objective 2: Study: Saturday Seminar
Mindfulness:
Transforming
the Emotions?
Having been an avid
follower of most things
written about Mindfulness,
being a happy follower of the
voice of Mark Williams on
Mindfulness CDs and knowing
he is a Priest in the Church of
England I was really excited
to hear that he was coming to
lead a seminar at St
Marylebone.
Mark Williams, D Phil, is a Professor of Clinical Psychology
and Wellcome Principal Research Fellow at the University of
Oxford. His research is concerned with psychological models
and the treatment of depression and suicidal behaviour. With
colleagues John D. Teasdale (Cambridge) and Zindel Segal
(Toronto) he developed Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy
(MBCT) for prevention of relapse and recurrence in depression,
and two Randomised Control Trials have now found that MBCT
halves the recurrence rate in those who have suffered three or
more previous episodes of major depression.
To begin we settled ourselves with an exercise familiar to
Mindfulness followers – the Body Scan. Mark’s gentle voice
(well beloved by those who use CDs / downloads from the
Oxford Mindfulness Centre) encouraging us to notice the body
and how it was at this time. To notice the emotions, and let
p7
them go; to notice the rhythm of our breathing and to
concentrate on a part of the body where our breathing was
noticeable. This was a lock on the concentration but when the
mind wandered to gently escort it back to its focus with no blame.
On to the theory of MBCT – the intriguing thing is that
Mindfulness is a practice of focused awareness, yet why would
greater awareness help anyone with suicidal thoughts? The
answer seems to be that our sense of EFFORT is the problem.
It’s not that we must DO something, but just shine the light
of awareness on a situation. This is the purpose of the body
scan - to learn attention and how to shift the attention of the
mind. Then the process encourages the opening up of space for
things to change; but our concentration as an observer, on
sounds and thoughts keeps us grounded while the shift happens.
My own observation having read the books The Mindful Way
through Depression by Mark Williams, Teasdale, Segal and
Kabat-Zinn, and Mindfulness for Health by Burch & Penman
(foreward by Mark Williams) is that one of the keys is the
unconditional acceptance and compassion with which you are
encouraged to view yourself, your pain, and your so-called
failures. In short the power of Love.
Clinical Trials reveal that those who DO Mindfulness find it
as effective as CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), and about
as effective as anti-depressants - if not 20% better: it halves
their repetition of depression.
Mindfulness and Religion
Mark pointed out that all Religions have traditions for
cultivating stillness. He highlighted Elijah listening for the sound
of silence, the Desert Fathers, the Ignatian tradition of letting
silence enfold you and allowing God to gaze at you lovingly.
In Buddhism the teaching is that all are Noble, but that our
craving for life to be different clashes with the way things are,
hence the need for stillness and silence. Mindfulness trains
people in stillness but without God. This helps people who may
have a ‘God’ Problem, and it may also be a route by which God
can be re-discovered.
p8
Another practice: The Mindfulness of Thoughts.
In stillness observe the breath and the body. Notice your
thoughts. Maybe a sad thought comes up. Notice this thought
as an observer. It might be that a web of additional thoughts
emerges, such as ‘I don’t want to feel this’ and ‘I shouldn’t feel
this’ ie guilt and anger. Just be with the thought itself and let
the web of attached feelings drift off. Choose not to get
entangled in the greater web of emotion.
Analytical mind is useful if you want to buy a house or read
a timetable but for emotional issues it isn’t. Leave the analysing
behind and just be with the sadness and where it is expressed
in the body. This in itself will lead to mindful action, that is
actions which have come from a peaceful and helpful space.
To quote from The Mindful Way though Depression p114:
On waking, we will focus our attention directly on our body
sensations and rest in the awareness of them as they are. This
allows us to be with the uncomfortable sensations without trying
to avoid them or making them worse through thinking about them.
The sense of early morning heaviness is greatly increased by
negative thoughts. But mindfulness in the same situation –
bringing a gentle and compassionate awareness to the bodily
sensations themselves, with out having to change them, and
letting go of thoughts about them, or about ourselves, or about
anything – can be immensely energising. It might just change our
whole day.
Health warning: These are my summaries of the
mindfulness meditations, just to give a taste of the approach,
and are much shortened. For the full impact of them please use
the downloads from the Oxford Mindfulness Centre:
www.mbct.co.uk
or
www.oxfordmindfulness.org
Try the 3 Minute Breathing Space with Mark Williams. You
will also find this posted on the Guild of Health Facebook page.
Rosie Press May 2015
p9
Guild Object 4: Abundant Living
The Good Goatherd
I was recently at Holy Rood House in Thirsk, a lovely house
and gardens in a lovely environment.
Long-standing [tho'
sometimes
sitting]
Friends of the house are
(left) Phoebe, Freya and
Meg, who are goats! all female, with horns
and beards - I've met
some like that.
They usually talk to
me but, on this occasion,
they were a bit standoff-ish until my very last
morning, when I was handed a slightly past best cauliflour to
encourage them.
The encouragement worked and they ran to sample the
delicacy of a far from best cauli, whilst also allowing me to
stroke them.
Of course, it was all cupboard love.
Are we sometimes stand-off-ish with God?
Don't let it persist for long. Run back to Him, to be embraced,
stroked and loved.
Of course, it's only cupboard love.
But God is very willing to feed you, and His cupboard is full,
with the BEST food.
Be blessed. Be encouraged.
David Sims
(Ed: photo of the goats above was not taken on the same occasion!)
p 10
Guild Object 4: Abundant Living
I Am the Potter
We hold a treasure
not made of gold,
As earthen vessels,
wealth untold,
One treasure only,
the Lord the Christ, In earthen
vessels.
(reminiscent of 2 Cor 4:7)
Isaiah 64 v. 8:
We are the clay, you are the potter
Isaiah 45 v. 9b:
What are you making?
Jeremiah 18: 2-6:
Go down to the potter’s house
Romans 9 v. 21:
Pottery for noble purposes
and common use
Only in our comparative surrender [as opposed to Christ’s
total surrender], does God have the freedom to mould us in His
likeness.
We are partners in the continual process of our becoming.
What colour clay am I ?
What is my consistency: dry, malleable, moist?
Into what kind of vessel am I being shaped?
How does my vessel reflect the creativity of God
[i.e. the fact that I am created by God] ?
Can you sense the hands of the potter as He patiently
moulds you into His image?
David Sims
Inspired by a day at The Living Well, nr Canterbury, Kent.
p 11
Guild Objective 4: Abundant Living
Nepal and Kent Both Matter
Simon is an old friend of the Guild having
led two London Seminars on the
Enneagram and creative interviews with
famous historical notaries.
He is a writer, therapist, former priest
and regular at Greenbelt.
This piece was found by David Sims in the
Church Times’s Comment Column of 5 June. Doubtless David was
enticed from the very first word…
Kent is not Nepal. But does that mean that Kent doesn't
matter?
The tectonic plates that shifted recently beneath the coastal
town of Sandwich had implications across Kent. Many were
woken at 2.55 a.m., one man describing it as "like having a car
driven into your house". It was not the biggest of quakes: it
measured 4.2, compared with 7.2 in Nepal. One mother
reported that her child slept through it, "so I can now truthfully
say: 'She'd sleep through an earthquake.'"
No properties were damaged, no one was hurt; so does that
mean it doesn't count? I heard one person describing his terror,
and then saying sheepishly: "I know it was nothing like Nepal."
This made me sad. He felt unable to say how he felt, simply
because others had felt it worse. "Oh, my situation is nothing
compared to those people." Such self-denial is nothing grander
than an underdeveloped sense of self masquerading as virtue.
A woman came to see me recently and spoke for 50
minutes about everyone but herself. Towards the end of our
time together, I suggested that she talk about herself for a
moment. "You've talked about your husband, your children,
p 12
your mother, and your children's friends' parents — but you
haven't spoken of yourself."
"Me?" she said, with some anger. "What's there to say
about me?" It came as a huge shock to this 40-something to
find that her life was entirely defined by others; that her sense
of self was gasping for air. It perhaps also pointed to what was
waking her at night — her long-lost self wanting a word,
perhaps?
Alarm bells may now be ringing loudly for some. Following
Jesus, they say, is all about denying self, not finding it. "Selfindulgent navel-gazing", they say — a pejorative yet catchy line
to keep the flock in order and removed from self-awareness.
"We look to God, not to ourselves."
But these people shoot themselves in the foot; for we
cannot say goodbye to something until we have said hello to it.
How can I deny someone whom I have never known? Once I
have fully appreciated my majesty, my utter glory, then,
perhaps, I can begin to lay it down, or give it away, as they say
Jesus did — but not until then.
It reminds me of the depressed man I knew who would
always speak about the homeless. "I've got nothing to complain
about," he would say, expecting to be admired for these
sentiments. But, really, it was a virtuous cover for his refusal to
face his own feelings.
When Jesus hung on the cross, he did not say "My God, my
God, why have you abandoned so many more deserving souls
than me when they needed help?" No, he said: "My God, my
God, why have you abandoned me?"
Kent matters.
Simon Parke
Thanks to all our contributors!
You could be one! - contact the Editor:
editor@gohealth.org.uk / 01303 277399
p 13
Guild Object 3: Prayer: Othona’s Quiet Day:
Discovering
Divine Intimacy
David Cole did not have to
travel too far from Hampshire’s
picturesque New Forest to the
delights of the Dorset Downs
overlooking Chesil Beach. Those
who have travelled further for
previous Days have always found
them worthwhile. Othona is a
place, an outlook, a community,
an orientation, a calling to a wide,
deep spirituality that is at home
to - and with - smells from Nag Champa to Frankincence and
sounds from the Angelus Bell to the Singing Bowl which
summoned us to the day.
Sometimes
piercing,
always
haunting, heart-warming and as
memorable
as
candles,
reminding us of the way God’s
love penetrates and permeates.
It made me consider previously
experienced
overtures
to
worship. Did they have the same
osmotic effect of helping us soak
into God?
Once the Day opened, I realised that on offer was a kind of
‘mindfulness plus’, a fitting dovetail to Mark Williams’s Seminar
(see p 7).
David took three topics to help us improve our closeness
with God: Peace (Meditation), Presence (Mindfulness) and
Perception (True Self).
p 14
Peace (Meditation)
Meditation is a way of creating the inner environment
whereby we can connect to the Divine Presence. Aligning with
a Pan - en - Theistic theology, David suggested the point was
not to ask God to be with us, because by His nature He is
always with us - Jesus’s final words in Matthew’s Gospel infer
as much - as much as to whether we can be with God.
Meditation helps by reducing our cognitive operations. A
popularist neuro-logical explanation might run: we close down
our ‘left brain thinking’ for ‘right brain awareness and creativity’.
Meditation frees us from the need to ‘speak’ to God; certainly
counter-intuitive for those who want to continually converse
with God - the danger being that God doesn’t ‘get a word in
edgeways’. Our shallow immediacy excludes the deep eternity;
anatomically, we have two ears and one mouth, so perhaps
prayer needs to reflect that ratio!
Yoga teachers would tell David that the hardest task for
students was to get down on the floor - not through arthritis but
attitude. He rehearsed our plentiful claims on time, distractions
of the legitimatey important but not vital, and the compendium
of excuses for not making time, withdrawing, taking time out
etc to be with God. Good habits
need installing and practise, and if
making time to be with His Father
(Luke 5:16) was good enough for
Jesus, it is good enough for us.
First, we have to get our bodies
in the right aspect hence David
recommended the oft suggested
regular special place and time and
not too comfortable a seat, with a
minimal risk of interruption.
Next the mind. David reminded
that an empty mind results from
brain death, so the intention is
rather to under stimulate the mind
with low level sensory distractions:
p 15
perhaps a flower, candle, something to look at, sound,
fragrance etc. Nothing is necessary, and all is possible. (He
noted that famous housewife and mother Susannah Wesley
who could only manage an apron pulled over her head to find
respite from life). Well established meditating traditions will use
chanting, counting, breath counting, physical movements even
dance as ways of gently bringing the mind into the presence of
God. There is no ‘one size fits all’; we need to take responsibility
and initiative as we experiment to find a way that works for us:
to plagiarise a well known writer: ‘meditate the way you can,
not the way you can’t.’
Presence (Mindfulness)
Mindfulness is in current vogue; there is a glut of popularist
books, downloads, courses etc (See p 7). As a strategy for
coping with the stresses and strains of modern life its benefit
cannot be doubted. Even in ameliorating certain diagnosable
psychological conditions it has had noted success as Mark
Williams testifies: health benefits can be achieved through
being still and reducing thinking to a minimum. Should
thoughts wander they need shepherding - not dragooning back to base. The intention is to develop a certain amount of
mind control that can be brought into use when the everyday
threatens to overwhelm.
Most of the ‘mindfulness’ on offer - it is even on offer from
the NHS - has a non transcendental basis, and this is where a
real distinction occurs. ‘Secular’ mindfulness entails the person
being ‘mindful’ of their body and mind ‘in the Now’, in the
Present Time. On the other hand (or is it dimension?) ‘Sacred’
mindfulness is about clearing space for Divine Intimacy. We are
on familiar ground here. Brother Lawrence, Antony de Mello,
Thomas Merton, Richard Rohr, Teresa of Avila and many others
advocate making the effort to be ‘Present to The Presence’
whose origin is beyond yet who is most richly discerned within.
Those who feel Life is created and sustained by an agency that
is not of this world (but in it), the ‘stilling’ (the writer’s preferred
term for secular mindfulness / meditation), has the purpose of
opening the door of awareness to that ‘agency’, to God. There
p 16
are parallels over attitudes to Yoga, which to some seems little
more than spiritually harmless ‘aerobics for grannies’ and
others for whom it is anathema as being Hinduism’s ‘thin end
of the wedge’.
David draws upon the Celtic and Franciscan traditions of
learning to see the Presence of God in all things citing prayers
for putting the fires out and milking the cattle. This has NT
credence from Paul’s joyous advice to thank God for everything
- and without ceasing - in Phil 4:6-7, and even John 3:16 where
God so loved the ‘world’, not the ‘chosen’, not just human
beings but all of it - warts and all. His book, The Inner Journey,
part of which he has given permission to reproduce, (p33) has
as frontispiece a piece based on a Thomas Merton quote:
A man can not be happy for long
Unless he is in contact with the springs of
spiritual life
Which are hidden in the depths of his own
soul.
And if a woman is exiled constantly from her
own home,
Locked out of her spiritual solitude,
She ceases to be a true person.
It does seem that a mindfulness without ‘God’, although of
proven benefit, is missing out on the Real Deal.
Perception (True Self)
In the Day’s final session David led us in Holy Communion,
which for many, is THE opportunity for Divine Intimacy. Did it
matter that he is neither priest nor Licenced Layman? Before
that, he invited us to wander the beauties of Othona’s grounds,
not so much as to search out wild flowers (such as the Bee
Orchid on the front cover), but to explore ourselves. Following
a line Richard Rohr shares in his books Falling Upward and
Immortal Diamond, David reminded us that since our earliest
days we have been accepting - mostly subconsciously, but also
p 17
consciously, ‘projections’ from others and
society at large. Some of these labels we
accept are important and coalesce to
produce our public image and persona.
This ‘False Self’, as Rohr and Cole refer to
it, is not fallen or bad, it is just a
temporary and
inadequate device in
which to live, a kind of shorthand to make
us intelligible to the outside world - and
perhaps ourselves…
Meanwhile and
eternally, our True or Real Self, that
Immortal Diamond, is that unique,
beloved personhood that Mindfulness with
a sacred purpose can reveal. It is more
than a strategy to cope with Life, it is an
adventure of self discovery where God is
the facilitator, the purpose and the end.
For the more intimately we allow
ourselves to connect with God, the more
we find ourselves - and thus receive
healing, and the more we sense our share
in the Divine nature.
Mind how you go!
Steve Press
The Inner Journey: David Cole: Anamchara Books 978 1 62524 105 4
Falling Upward: Richard Rohr: Jossey-Bass 978-0470907757
Immortal Diamond: Richard Rohr: Jossey-Bass 978-1118303597
(hard cvr)
A.G.M.
2pm on 6 July, at St Marylebone Church,
17 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LT.
(If Members have not already received papers,
please call: 01303 277399)
p 18
"I don’t follow Jesus in order to go to heaven when I die — or
conversely, to avoid going to hell. That’s a cheap form of faith
that is really nothing more than fire insurance. I follow Jesus
here and now for the sake of experiencing salvation (which
means “wholeness” and “healing”) here and now – and to help
others do the same."
Roger Wolsey
Found on Facebook
p 19
Meditation Moment
It is a while ago since I saw the original of the Cosmic
Christ-Peace by the artist David Risk Kennard; this he had
carved into a large piece of Sycamore wood. It brings to life
Jesus sleeping in a fishing boat during a very severe storm that
can often 'blow up' on the Sea of Galilee. From this original,
silk panels are now being made featuring Jesus with fish at his
feet, and just visible, the faces of two very frightened disciples.
A panel now hangs in my bedroom and is the first thing I
see every morning. I do believe that a true work of art becomes
a vital element in one's life, so can never be ignored. In fact I
can truly say that The Cosmic Christ-Peace reveals more to me
almost every time I gaze at it.
The sleeping Christ is surrounded by the darkness of danger.
My first thought he is in the boat of my life. So often when all
seems like a raging storm and daily life not easy to handle, he
is with me as he promised:
Live in Me and I will Live in You.
What helps me the most is
seeing the Christ in David's
painting as an Icon. First thing
that stands out for me is that
Christ
in the boat bears the
marks of the crucifixion in hands
and feet;around his head a crown
of thorns. The ear that is visible is
very pronounced, owing that even
when asleep Jesus is listening and
ever lives to intercede for us.
Every morning I awake to the
sleeping Christ, and so in prayer I
speak to him and ask blessing on
what the new day will hold.
p 20
I must confess that I am far
from perfect, so like the
frightened disciples, I panic and
do not look the right way,
however like them I cry out and
in the silence a voice of calm
assures me,
Did I not tell you, ‘I will never
leave you or forsake you’?
One last thought to share
with you is that God provides for
all our needs. This we see in the
fish lying at Christ's feet. Now
this has made me aware of
'another line of thought'. We are
his disciples of today and like the
fish caught in the Sea of Galilee
and like the young lad with his
lunch of five loaves and three
fish, the task for us is to feed the
hungry and calm the fears of
those who feel forgotten.
I am learning so much since the banner of the Cosmic
Christ-Peace
became a permanent
hanging in my bedroom. It seems to me
‘the more we learn, the larger our L-Plates
become’.
Judith Stewart
Above and on previous page are details
from David Risk Kennard’s woodcut viewable
on his website in full, which also says of him:
born in England in 1953, David attended Marlborough College, where
he flourished in the art school. He has exhibited in St James, Bond
Street, Winchester Cathedral, Devizes, Salisbury.
To order a banner ring 01308 485529, or email info@riskkennard.co.uk.
p 21
Healing Prayer at
St Marylebone
Do join us when you can!
Choral Healing Evensong
(in the church)
6.00pm NB: new time.
1st Sunday of each month
Special Guest Preachers
Holy Communion with
Healing Prayer
(in the Crypt Hall),
Weds 1.10pm - 1.40pm
Morning Prayer
(in the Crypt Chapel,
9.30am, Monday - Friday
(Fridays with the Eucharist)
Evening Prayer
Mon - Fri at 5pm.
tel:
020 7935 5066
e-mail: healing@stmarylebone.org
Post:
p 22
St Marylebone Healing & Counselling Centre,
St Marylebone Parish Church,
17
Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LT
Guild Partner: Holy Rood House
Reflections from
Holy Rood House
This Summer, the Magna Carta has
been celebrated throughout Britain, and many of our churches
have been involved. The community of Holy Rood had a stall on
Thirsk race course, with medieval costume, head gear and chain
mail! All kinds of groups attended, particularly enacting battles.
The story-tellers, singers and dancers were my favourite parts
of the day, and this got me thinking about the wealth of riches
brought to the Christian community through the medieval
mystics who spoke, wrote and painted ideas of a God beyond
that which the medieval church had developed to keep control
of the people, and how the more liberal ideas of the Magna
Carta, were already flourishing and continued to flourish
through the lives of some of the mystics of the day who were
not easily controlled by the institutional Church.
I especially think of Hildegard of Bingen, and some readers
may know that our own house is
named Hildegard House. Hildegard is
most inspiring to those of us who are
committed to the Churches Ministry
of Healing. Living as a nun in 12thc
Germany, Hildegard founded the
monasteries of Rupertsberg in 1150
and Eibingen in 1165.
I always think of her as an allrounder. Among her many writings,
letters and sermons, we have three
great volumes of her visionary
theology with some of her music
today (in fact some of it made the
p 23
Top Ten the 1980s), and we also have some of her art work. We
are fortunate that at the end of her life, and probably under her
initial guidance, all of Hildegard’s works were edited and
gathered into the single Riesenkodex manuscript.
Hildegard was a botanist, indeed an ecologist in today’s
terms, and wrote about ‘greening power’. She used herbs for
healing and within her women’s monastery she nursed and
prescribed potions, and we have drawings and writings relating
to gynaecology. Hildegard’s great passion was music, and her
nuns filled the monastery with song until the Pope brought an
edict to stop the music as a punishment for Hildegard’s defiance
in relation to the burial of a pagan in holy ground. As the
centuries role on, the church becomes a little wiser and in
October 2012 Pope Benedict XVI named Hildegard, a Doctor of
the Church.
In 2001 Holy Rood House set up The Centre for the Study
of Theology and Health, with an Annual Hildegard Lecture. This
year Rev’d Professor June Boyce Tillman OBE, (who has been a
Consultant to the Community since 1993, and continues to be
an international scholar on Hildegard of Bingen), is going to
present the Hildegard Lecture on Friday September 3rd followed
by a weekend full of music: In Tune with Heaven or Not.
We chose the name, ‘Hildegard’ as we felt she embodied so
much of what the charity is about. She was primarily a healer
and theologian, and creative arts and nature were her way into
the mysteries of the divine, whose call she followed. She was
prepared to stand and be counted, to withstand that which was
unjust, whilst always concerned to work towards reconciliation,
and with the Church to which she owed her vocation and her
love for God.
To me, Hildegard is an icon who should be brought to light
during the celebrations of Magna Carta, as her influence
towards freedoms is even now felt throughout the Churches of
Europe, especially as women are at last finding their voice and
equal presence in the Church.
Web: www.holyroodhouse.org.uk
p 24
(This, and bottom image
on p23, courtesy of
Wikpedia.)
(Left) Scivias I.6:
Hildergard’s
The Choirs of Angels
from the Rupertsberg
manuscript.
And, to conclude, a
joyous, empowering
prayer from Hildergard:
The Holy Spirit is Life-giving-life,
all movement, root of all being,
purifier of all impurity,
absolver of all faults, balm of all wounds,
radiant life, worthy of all praise.
The Holy Spirit resurrects and awakens everything that is.
Be not lax in celebrating!
Be not lazy in the festive service of God!
Be ablaze with enthusiasm.
Let us be an alive, burning offering before the altar of God!
Two forthcoming Events (call: 01 845 522 580):
11-13 Sep
Men's Spirituality Weekend
27-29 Nov
Advent Retreat for M.E.
Rev’d Elizabeth Baxter
Exec Director, Holy Rood House: enquiries@holyroodhouse.org.uk
p 25
Labyrinths: a New Pathway to
Healing? Walk On!
For many the word 'labyrinth' brings distant memories of
Greek myths such as of Theseus entering the labyrinth in Crete
to find and kill the terrifying Minotaur; so we may think of
labyrinths as frightening, dark places, synonymous with mazes.
However there is an essential difference: mazes have blind
alleys and divergent paths where choices have to be made.
They are designed to confuse and disorientate. It is possible to
get lost in a maze.
Unlike a maze the labyrinth has only one path to the centre.
It leads from the entrance to the centre, and out again by the
same route. A labyrinth may have many twists and turns and it
may take some time to reach the centre, but as long as you
stay on the uni-cursal path, you cannot get lost.
Labyrinth designs have been found in many cultures
throughout history. The Wordsworth Dictionary of Symbolism
states that the 'near universality' of similarly constructed
labyrinths suggests they were significant as religious symbols indicating a long and twisting path in a designated space. As
well as finding the labyrinth design in ancient Greek mosaics, in
Scandinavia and on a rock wall near Tintagel, Cornwall, one
unusual manifestation has been discovered in Peru.
Ancient lines found in the Nazca desert, created between
100BC and CE700, preserved by the arid Peruvian coastal
environment are said to include a labyrinth that can only be
discovered by walking it. Prof Clive Ruggles (Leicester
University) discovered its existence by walking its 2.7 mile
length, through direction changes, that ended, or began, inside
a spiral:
When I set out along the labyrinth from its centre, only gradually
did I realise that here was a figure set out on a huge scale and
p 26
still traceable, that it was clearly intended for walking - and that
I was almost certainly the first person to have recognised it for
what it was, and walked it, for some 1500 years.
Prof Ruggles says that it makes no sense from the air, but if
you walk it 'discovering' it as you go, you would have a set of
experiences that would have been the same as anyone walking
it in the past. In ancient times, walking the labyrinth may have
had a spiritual and ritual purpose.
In more recent times, labyrinths were laid in the floors of
medieval Christian cathedrals. So what was their purpose?
Maybe they were a sort of crèche for children to use during long
services. The labyrinth at Rheims Cathedral was destroyed in
1779 because Canon Jacquemart objected to the noise made by
children in the labyrinth during Divine Service!
What is much more likely, however, is that labyrinths became
a substitute for pilgrimage in the Middle Ages. Pilgrimage has
been a requirement in many religions. Muslims are required to
make pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. In
medieval times it was usual for Christians to make a pilgrimage
to Jerusalem. However during and after the Crusades this
journey was unsafe, and walking a labyrinth became an
acceptable alternative. The most famous labyrinth, still in use
today, was laid into the
nave of Chartres Cathedral
when the present cathedral
was built in the early 13th
Century. At that time the
centre was named
Jerusalem.
Chartres Labyrinth (courtesy of
Labyrinthos Photo Library)
The Chartres labyrinth is
42 feet in diameter and has
11 circuits. The path is 16
inches wide and just over
861 feet long. According to
p 27
Père Françoise Legaux, of Chartres, the number of stones
making the path is the same as the number of days in an
average pregnancy! - a symbol of inner growth and rebirth? Its
tortuous path and unexpected changes of direction are also
symbolic of our life's journey.
This is certainly a clue to the modern use of labyrinths. The
revival of the labyrinth as a tool for healing and transformation
recognises that walking a labyrinth can help integrate body and
mind and refresh the spirit. Walking is a bodily activity; the
uni-cursal path frees the mind from its decision-making
stresses and the rhythm of walking at a pace chosen by the
individual allows time and space for reflection and meditation
that can soothe the sadness of a soul.
The Rev’d Dr Lauren Artress is credited with this revival.
After being drawn to the Chartres labyrinth and walking its
sacred path, she realised its potential as a tool for spiritual
healing. Dr Artress has developed her work after introducing a
labyrinth at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. When Canon for
Special Ministries there in 1991, she had become aware of a
'spiritual hunger' for nourishment that many could not find
through church services alone. Even regular churchgoers felt
that while theologically refreshed, they were missing a
connection to the sacred and longed for deeper ways of
engaging with their spiritual journey. This was particularly true
for those struggling with issues of loneliness, past abuse,
unfinished business in relationship concerns, or life transitions.
Dr Artress now trains Labyrinth Facilitators, and gives many
examples of the help people have experienced through walking
the labyrinth. They have found it an aid "to guide healing,
deepen self-knowledge, and empower creativity. Walking the
labyrinth clears the mind and gives insight into the spiritual
journey… It calms people in the throes of life transitions... to
others in deep sorrow, the walk gives solace and peace."
But she points out that the experience is different for
everyone because each of us brings different raw material to
the labyrinth. "We bring our unique hopes, dreams, history and
longings of the soul."
p 28
As more people both Christian and those of other faiths, or
none, have become aware of the benefits of walking the
labyrinth, new labyrinths are being created and portable canvas
labyrinths are available. Sally Welch, an Anglican priest in
Oxford and Diocesan Spirituality Adviser, trained as a facilitator
and now uses labyrinths for prayer and reflection with
individuals and with groups.
Zara Renander (a nurse with whom I trained in London a
while back) became a hospital chaplain in the US, and has now
moved on to concentrate on labyrinth work with many different
groups. She runs Labyrinth Days. These start with an
introductory session, suggesting ways in which the labyrinth
can be used. The attendees then walk the labyrinth at their own
pace. When all have completed their walk, there is follow up
discussion, and individual time for those who want it.
Walking the Labyrinth reflects the themes of pilgrimage:
● The way to the Centre can be seen as a Way of Release. It
is the journey of letting go and allowing ourselves to
experience the walk.
● The Centre is the Place of Receiving. Here we can stay, sit,
kneel, take as long as we want, to let go of burdens or
reflect on issues of relevance to us.
● The walk back from the Centre to the exit (and entrance) is
the Way of Return, or the Way of Integration and refers to
the journey home as we come back to our everyday life.
Zara Renander works with Suicide Prevention groups and
with US military veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan
conflicts - many suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
or experiencing difficulties returning to civilian life.
She has used it to mark Rites of Passage. In our modern
24/7 lives, with even the age of retirement no longer fixed, we
do little to mark life stages - especially entry to the later phases
of our earthly lives. A time for reflection to consider what we
really do want to do "with your one wild and precious life"
before it's too late, could be a welcome use of a labyrinth walk.
p 29
Zara has also worked with children who have suffered sexual
abuse and undergone a year of therapy but were still not healed.
It is this account that can best demonstrate the labyrinth's value:
On a labyrinth day, these children had a morning of background
work. They were each given a rock and were asked to paint on it
some symbol representing an aspect of their abuse. One painted a
heart that was shattered like glass. They were told they could
choose to carry the rock with them into the labyrinth and, if they
were ready, to put it down.
As it is important to put down the burden only when willing,
the children who were not ready were told to keep the stone
with them, and to relieve themselves of it only when they felt
ready. They could then throw it in a river, or leave it on a hill.
In fact, all put down their stone on the path of the labyrinth that
day. When the social workers examined the evaluations by the
teenagers of their experiences during therapy, they were
stunned to find that over the course of a year of therapy, the
children considered their day at the labyrinth the most
important part of their healing.
Labyrinth use knows no boundaries. Jill Geoffrion, a Baptist
minister and trained labyrinth facilitator, has a global ministry
and uses labyrinths for healing work in Rwanda, Myanmar and
the Ukraine. [See http://www.jillgeoffrion.com]
Jill also spends three months
a year in Chartres where she
does individual and group
labyrinth work. I met with Jill
after I first walked the Chartres
labyrinth in April 2013. I had
gone with an open mind and no
expectations, but it became an
enriching
and
healing
experience that changed my life.
The candlelit Labyrinth, Chartres
Cathedral (courtesy of Labyrinthos
Photo Library)
p 30
I hope your interest may have been tickled enough to find
out more about the labyrinth and its possibilities. It could help
bring a healing balance to your life, healing to others - and have
relevance to the work of the Guild of Health.
If you have any comments, or would like further information,
please contact me at suebsmith1@yahoo.co.uk
Sue Smith
Bibliography:
Artress, L, 2006, Walking a Sacred Path, Rediscovering the
Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice, Riverhead Books, New York
Oliver, M, 2004 The Summer Day, in Wild Geese--selected
poems, Bloodaxe Books, Northumberland
Renander, Z, 2011, Labyrinths--journeys of healing, stories
of grace' Bardolf & Co, Florida. Available on Amazon for kindle
Welch, S., 2010 Walking the Labyrinth--a spiritual and
practical guide, Canterbury Press Norwich
New light on the Nazca Lines 2012 Report of Research by
Clive Ruggles, Emeritus Professor of Archaeoastronomy. Press
release issued by University of Leicester Press Office on 10
December 2012
Biographical details:
Sue Smith, MSc., RN, RHV has worked as a nurse, and
Health Visitor in inner London. She was Community Nursing
Editor at Nursing Times for 12 years, and is a mother,
grandmother and SilverLine befriender. She attends St
Marylebone Church.
You cannot love properly and deeply
without Mindfulness.
Thich Nhat Hanh
The Art of Communicating
p 31
Health Warning!
If other people believing exactly what you believe is very
important to you, your theology is probably damaging.
If your faith is more about changing others than changing
yourself, your theology is probably damaging to others.
If you tell half of your church to keep quiet, that they cannot
teach, or to keep their heads covered, your theology is probably
damaging.
If you spend more time pointing out the sins of others than
working on your own life, your theology is probably damaging
to others.
If you believe you have a right to tell others how to live,
including those not in your community, your theology is
probably damaging.
If you've ever told someone "these aren't my words, these
are God's words," your theology is probably damaging to others.
If you ask people to choose between scientific fact and God,
you're theology is probably damaging to others.
If you use church discipline or authority to abuse or
manipulate people, your theology is certainly damaging to
others.
If "speaking the truth in love" causes you to be cruel or
abusive, especially toward someone with less social standing,
your theology is certainly damaging to others.
Source unknown
If you have not yet begun to meditate, I implore you by the love of
our Lord, not to deprive yourself of so great a good.
There is nothing to be afraid of: there is everything to gain.
Teresa of Avila
p 32
Lectio Divina: Lord’s Prayer.
This is an abridged part of Chapter Two Scripture Meditations from
David Cole’s The Inner Journey (see p14.) He understands there to be
four phases of encounter with the Divine in this method:
Read the Scripture,
Reflect upon its meaning,
Respond to what the Divine says to you about it, and just
Rest in the Divine Presence in quiet and trust, feeling not thinking.
1] Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven. . . . Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory
forever.
These invocations from two parts of the prayer are a deep
cry from within. Our cries rise from our knowledge that our
separation from the Divine intrinsically affects our world and us.
This plea releases our egos. It shouts from deep within us that
we desire Divine control in the world rather than ego-driven
human control. These are courageous statements. To pray
them for our world, we must allow them to begin within us.
What area of your life will you open today to Divine
control?
2] Give us this day our daily bread. . .
We know we must at one level use our own intelligence and
knowledge, skill and gifts to work for our well-being and
physical welfare—but at a deeper level, we understand that the
Divine One is in ultimate control. The Divine Presence provides
for us each day.
Divine provision does not mean we can sit around doing
nothing, waiting for things to fall in our laps. Instead, this
sentence acknowledges that we are not in ultimate control of
our daily physical needs; a greater power, beyond our control,
brings us the nourishment we need. The Hebrew scriptures tell
p 33
how God provided for the Israelites in the desert by sending
manna from heaven. Most us won't wake up to find fresh
manna spread across the front lawn—but we can increase our
awareness of the Divine Presence in farmers' crops and
creatures, the plants and animals that give us our food. In this
statement from the Lord's Prayer we find the same sentiments
that Native Americans expressed when they honoured the life
of the animals they killed for food.
Note too that the prayer is for today. We are given what we
need for the day ahead - no more. The manna provided in the
desert spoiled when the Hebrews tried to store it. We cannot
always see where tomorrow's meal will come from. (See also
Matthew 6:34). We like to make longer-term plans for our
provision. Where I am going to get grocery money next week?
How am I going to pay the rent or mortgage next month? What
am I going to do when my contract runs out next year? But here
Jesus reminds us that Divine care and provision is about the
present moment. When next week, next month, next year
comes, the Divine will be there too—but we are called to be fully
present in this moment, in the Now.
Are you most in need of spiritual sustenance today - or
physical? What worries for your well-being are with you
today? Can you release them into the Divine hands?
3] Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
This is a powerful line that acknowledges Divine authority
over the powers of spiritual darkness and the evils of the world.
The Judaic-Christian scriptures never indicate that God is in the
habit of removing folk from dangers and difficulties (see, for
example, Daniel 3:19-27, 6:1-22), but these same scriptures
are full of examples where God goes with human beings
through all their problems. "I will never leave you nor forsake
you or forget you," says the Divine One (Hebrews 13:5).
You might want to extend your meditation on this by
including Hebrews 2:14-15 and 1 John 3:8.
In what areas of your life do you need divine
deliverance today?
p 34
A timely Prayer for Midsummer Solstice.
The summer solstice is the celebration of the longest day, the
day when the darkness is at its least, and the light is at its
greatest. It is Mid-Summer's Day.
Here is a prayer to help you meditate on the meaning of this
day in the year's turning wheel.
Great Light, come and illumine and guide us today.
Shine forth with radiance and power into the darkness that
covers this land.
Let not the days of our destruction overcome us, let not the
darkness have its way.
Leave us not to our own evil devices and any unkind way but
come and shine with brilliance over this land.
Raise us again into that which we have been
- and can be again in you.
Light of the world, shine within me today.
Shine from within me today and all days henceforth.
Let naught but you be indwelling in me,
And naught but you stand out in me.
Great Light, be my guide and hold me fast,
that I may be the light upon a hill that cannot be hidden.
Shine forth from within me, now and ever more.
David Cole
Visit David’s website: http://www.waymarkministries.com/
Email: WaymarkMinistries@live.co.uk
Mob: 07702 054198
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meditation is a way of slowing down
so as to descend into the depths of yourself in the present moment,
where God lies waiting to grant you a deep experience
of your eternal oneness with God.
James Finley
p 35
Guild Objective 2: Study
You Read it Here First!
(Well, part of it…)
Readers may recall WoL’s Oct - Dec 2013 p15 issue where
we inserted a few pages of a book in the making with the
working title The Healing Tradition in the New Testament. Mrs
Mary Pett, widow of the author Rev’d Dr Douglas Pett, called to
say that Lutterworth Publishing had taken it up and the work is
in preparation.
Author, Rev’d Dr Douglas Ellory Pett BA BD AKC PhD was an
oft published writer whose chief contribution was in the field of
hospital chaplaincy; he was Resident Chaplain St Mary's
Hospital, London from 1966-1983 and chaired the London
Hospital Chaplains' Fellowship. Coincidentally, he was Sub
Warden of the Guild of St Raphael and regular contributor to
their journal, Chrism.
The work is thoroughly researched, yet an easy read;
Douglas’s writing style is economical, yet clear. He attempts successfully in this writer’s mind - to identify and trace the
undeniably differing attitudes towards ‘healing’ as found in New
Testament literary sources. Beginning with the Pauline corpus
and moving through Q, M, L, James and Acts and then
juxtaposing them with later church tradition, the conclusions he
draws might not suit all tastes.
It is sound and kindly meant. For those who want to be
certain of the earliest attitudes to Christian Healing, this work
will be near essential reading. Watch this space for further news
of the book’s progress.
Steve Press
Find, like and follow us at:
www.gohealth.org.uk
www.facebook.com/groups/gohealth
http//:www.twitter.com/guildofhealth
p 36
Guild Objective 1: Healthcare Professionals:
MA / MSc in Spirituality, Theology and Health
Is offered by the Durham Project for Spirituality, Theology & Health, in
which clergy, health professionals, theologians, anthropologists, psychologists
and others may study alongside each other. Programme aims:
• To provide a taught postgraduate programme on which theologians &
scientists, clergy/chaplains & healthcare professionals reﬂect together on
their understanding of the interdisciplines of spirituality, theology & health.
• To assist practitioners (clergy and healthcare professionals) in acquiring
and extending their ability to reﬂect theologically on their pastoral and
clinical work in spirituality and healthcare
• To provide practitioners and researchers with subject specific knowledge
and skills supportive of progression to teaching others about spirituality,
theology and health
• To provide a depth of knowledge of the literature and in research skills
prior to undertaking a doctoral programme of study (PhD or DThM) in this
field
• To assist those who, already having a master’s degree or doctorate in a
different but related field, wish to enter this as a new academic field for
research or teaching
• To allow students to conduct, on their individual initiative, a substantial
piece of academic research with a primary focus on either theology (MA) or
health (MSc).
Programme structure: Two core modules and a dissertation
1 Spirituality, Religion & Health: 30 credits
2 Practical Theology: Context, Practice & Methodology: 30 credits
3 Dissertation: 60 credits
Details from: Rev’d Professor Christopher Cook,
Department of Theology and Religion,
Abbey House, Palace Green, Durham. DH1 3RS.
email: c.c.h.cook@durham.ac.uk / tel: 0191 334 3929
p 37
Application for Membership / Subscription.
I wish to join the Guild of Health / take out a Subscription
to Way of Life. (Please use BLOCK CAPITALS)
Name: ......................................................….……..........
Address:......................................................….……........
..................................................Post Code:....….…........
Tel:...................................… E-mail:.................……..….…
Signed:..............................................Dated:.................
Membership: £20 Way of Life Subscription: £16
Cheques to:
The Guild of Health please, and return to:
The Membership Secretary, The Guild of Health,
58 Phillip Road, Folkestone, Kent. CT19 4PZ
Please tick box if you’d like to pay by Standing Order; we’ll
send you a form. If you wish to use BACS: The Co-operative
Bank: Sort Code: 08-92-99; a/c: 65623367
Gift Aid: I confirm that I pay UK income tax and I would like
The Guild of Health to treat all donations I make from the date
below (until I notify otherwise), as Gift Aid donations.
NAME (PRINTED): ..........................................................
Signed ......................................... Dated .....................
p 38
Events Coming Up
Do also look at the website: www.gohealth.org.uk/events.html
Mon 6 July Annual General Meeting 2pm
All Members Welcome!
If you have not received your papers, call 01303 277399.
Venue:
St Marylebone, 17 Marylebone Rd, NW1 5LT
11-13 Sep Men's Spirituality Weekend:
Led by:
Theme :
Venue:
Contact:
Rev’d Stanley Baxter, Br John SSF,
Prof Stephen Wright OBE
Dreaming Dreams and Seeing Visions
Holy Rood House, Thirsk, N. Yorks
01845 522 580 /
enquiries@holyroodhouse.org.uk
Thur 17 Sep Birmingham Day Conference
Speakers and Workshops: see p6
Theme :
God, Mental Health and Wellbeing
Venue:
Birmingham Medical School B15 2TT
Book here: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/mds-
cpd/conferences/wphn/index.aspx
Sat 19 Sep
Speaker
Theme :
Venue:
Book here
Sat 17 Oct
London Seminar 10 - 1
Rev’d Dr Carys Walsh
R.S Thomas: A Restless Integration
or: call Margaret Sykes: 020 7935 5066
London Seminar 10 - 1
Speaker:
Julienne McLean
Theme:
The Diamond Heart: St Teresa of Avila
Venue:
Book here: or: call Margaret: 020 7935 5066
p 39
The Guild of Health
bringing Christian spirituality and healthcare together;
striving for care and compassion.
The Guild of Health, founded in 1904 to bring together
members of the clergy and the medical professions to study and
promote the healing ministry of the Church, is the oldest
organisation in the UK working in the field of Christian healing.
It is unique in that it seeks to be truly ecumenical and to draw
on a broad spectrum of Christian traditions, whilst scientifically
being clear that medical outcomes should be evidence-based.
The AIM of The Guild of Health is: to help people to
experience within the fellowship of God's family the
freedom and life promised by Jesus Christ.
The CHARITABLE OBJECTS of the Guild are:
1.
to bring together Christians including doctors,
psychologists and ministers of religion, to work
in fellowship for fuller health both for the
individual and the community.
2.
to enable members to study the interaction
between physical, mental and spiritual factors in
well-being.
3.
to sustain and strengthen by prayer, the sick and
those who minister to them, and all who exercise the
divine gift of healing.
4.
to help men and women to realise in themselves
as members of the Christian family the abundant
life offered in Christ.
E & W Registered Charity: 211016.
UK Company Limited by Guarantee: 487460
01303 277399
Web site:
www.gohealth.org.uk.
Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/gohealth.
Facebook Page:
www.facebook.com/guildofhealth

WoL 2015 July - September

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