The Rev. Nancy J. Lane, an Episcopal priest from the Diocese of Central New York who lives with cerebral palsy, believes wholeheartedly in this Gospel message and in Jesus' commitment to the healing of body and soul. In 1983 Lane established a ministry to educate Central New York congregations to be more welcoming and inclusive of people with disabilities. Disability Awareness was designed to address negative and stereotypical attitudes, Lane notes, and to speak to the universality of limitation, suffering, and difference.

"It takes great faith to live with a disability, to constantly adjust and readjust to the barriers imposed by our society, whether physical barriers or negative attitudes," Lane said. "People with disabilities often live marginalized lives because of discrimination, low income, and lack of access to the church, market place, transportation, or a fulfilling social life. It takes enormous faith to live with these challenges."

Lane acknowledged that people who are not welcomed and included in the life of a worshipping community may not have a developing and deepening spiritual and prayer life to support them through their difficulties. "This is where the real meaning of healing when living with a disability can be seen more clearly," she said. "Healing happens when we are welcomed, included, and our gifts received because we are part of the body of Christ. As I traveled around the country I discovered enormous suffering in people with and without disabilities. Much of this suffering was caused by people who wanted them to be 'cured' and when they were not, had been pronounced as evil, possessed, sinful, or lacking faith."

These were issues that Lane had often encountered and she had wrestled with these issues and their attendant questions in prayer, therapy and throughout her theological and psychological studies. "I had learned long ago that healing of my disability [cerebral palsy] was not what I needed or even wanted," she said. "Rather, I often needed healing from the negative attitudes and responses of others and, like most of us, needed healing from the hurts that life may bring to any of us."

Process of transformation

Lane's life experiences, academic studies, theological training, and long years of spiritual direction have convinced her that healing is a process of transformation and requires attention and discernment of one's spiritual journey to God. Her research in the study of healing, suffering, psychology, and theology has also reinforced her understanding of the Church's original purpose for confession, reconciliation and anointing in the healing ministry. "Each has a role in allowing us to let go of pain, grief, and anger that destroys body and soul," she said. "I felt more and more called to a ministry of healing which incorporated all these aspects."

While studying in England in 1991 Lane, who has lectured both nationally and internationally on a variety of subjects dealing with disability and suffering, read about several Christian Healing Centers in the Church of England which were concerned with healing of the whole person -- body, mind and spirit. "I visited twelve Centers in order to learn how spirituality, theology and psychology were integrated for use in the healing process," she said. "The work being done in these Centers is extraordinary and is based on the use of the sacraments: communion, confession, absolution, laying-on-of-hands, and anointing." Healing work also includes psychotherapy, spiritual direction, and other complementary therapies, she noted. "However, they have found after 50 years of work that without confession the majority of people do not heal."

Lane's goal is to found a Christian Healing Center with others who are committed to a life of prayer, transformation and healing. "People are hungry for healing in their lives and we know that many turn to the latest trend in search of spirituality and healing," she said. "We need to teach people about healing and spread the word about God's healing work today. It may be the best evangelizing tool we have."

Reflecting Jesus' healing ministry

In 1995, Lane embarked on a new mission and outreach project and founded A Healing Ministry, which currently provides therapy, lectures, workshops and retreats with counseling to clients using Jungian psychology, sacred psychology and prayer therapy. "Sacred psychology enables one to look at the wounds, betrayals, and deep holes of life and learn how to turn them into holy places of strength," Lane said. "Spiritual direction, healing prayer, anointing, and laying on of hands is available for those who request it with services directed toward those who are seeking healing of body, mind and spirit and integration."

The ministry also offers seven workshops on healing and a retreat for people living with disability and chronic illness. The workshops use psychology (understanding the power of the mind, the effects of consciousness and unconsciousness), theology (understanding God at work in people's lives), and spirituality (connection to God and self) to understand how healing is meant to transform lives.

Workshops on healing and spirituality explore the relationship between spiritual health and faith in God and physical and psychological well-being. "This holistic approach reflects Jesus' ministry of healing, which was always concerned with the whole person and their transformation," Lane said.

A workshop on The Christian Healing Ministry in the Church is designed for people wanting to learn more about the healing ministry, churches wanting to start a healing ministry, or churches already involved in a healing ministry who want further training.

A retreat for people with disabilities focuses on the theological and psycho-spiritual aspects of living with disability, as opposed to suffering from disability. Using a format of talks, discussion, story-telling, and worship, the dimensions of the psycho-spiritual journey when living with a disability are explored. These include: the cycle of grief and depression in disability; expressing anger at God, self and others; the meaning of suffering and healing in the spiritual journey, including the suffering of God; understanding the connection between sexuality and spirituality and what it means to be embodied; finding God's strength in weakness; and how transformation leads to healing and wholeness. The retreat also looks at how healing integrates disability into the totality of life. Each day includes a rhythm of prayer, meditation and guided visualizations.

Lane notes that Scripture clearly indicates that the church has been endowed with specific healing power and that the reader of the Gospels can readily perceive how Jesus invested a major portion of his ministry in healing the sick. "The Church often examines the individual healing miracles of Jesus without considering the theological meaning of Jesus' healing miracles and the ongoing significance of those acts in the life of the church today," she said. "The meaning of healing extends far beyond the symbolic action of curing the sickness. The power of healing confronts the powers which oppress us and witnesses to the presence of God's power at work in the world."

"Jesus healed," Lane added. "He touched lame legs and gave them strength. He reached his hand to blind eyes and gave them sight. He touched weak minds and restored order. He forgave sins and cast out demons setting people free from spiritual, emotional, and physical bondage ... Jesus healed both body and soul."

An outline of the workshops and further information about A Healing Ministry may be obtained from: http://ahealingministry.com/index.html. E-mail: nlane2@stny.rr.com.