John Wimber and healing

Power Healing

I have to confess I had some reservations associated with Wimber’s name. I had heard of the excesses of the Toronto blessing, and some how associated Wimber with that – with crowds seeking after the manifestation of God’s glory (I have been one of those) and worse with other independent third wave charismatic churches who seemed to get such a kick out of how their bodies couldn’t handle the presence of God that those experiences became the bread and butter of a good worship time. I don’t disparage such experiences, but living for them seems to be a recipe for flakey half-baked Christianity.

Thankfully Foster’s introduction to the book stripped away these sentiments by unexpected shock. Foster to me has always been the quintessential symbol of spiritual depth. That he was all right with Wimber was incongruous with my preconceptions. (It was like the time I went into the coffeehouse of my youth, my favorite, to notice that they leave their portafilters out of the machine loosing precious heat between brew cycles –I just don’t know what to think about them any more!) So it was with Wimber. Not knowing what to think of him, I was open to the way he stumbled upon the Spirit reluctantly, (not with flakey enthusiasm) and found his story authentically refreshing.

I have always been taught that Christ was “wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities and by his stripes we are healed.” I never before struggled with whether healing is a product of the atonement or the very stuff of the atonement. Wimber presents the arguments of theologians arguing both ways with fairness. If it is in the atonement, then why is healing not guaranteed in every case like salvation? Wimber and theologians who suggest that it is a product of the atonement find, there, room for healings not to happen. I guess I don’t need that room. Even salvation isn’t a done deal at conversion. I believe that we await the consummation of our salvation just as we may wait the consummation of our healing. Am I saved from sin? Not yet. But also yes already. I love this tension.

Another thing that caught my attention was Wimber’s treatment of various kinds of healings. I was reading some of this in the midst of a fight with my wife over my irrational fear of using the phone. It got me wondering weather this fear required inner healing (I racked my brain for memories of unresolved hurt), or if I need deliverance from demonic mischief.

The Atonement and Spiritual Direction

In Moon and Benner's book, Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls, they give a section to Spiritual Direction from various traditions. Gary Temple offers an interesting description of Spiritual Direction in the Episcopal tradition that has me thinking.

I find it interesting that the "snake belly low"* Episcopal churches in America have, in their focus on the Atonement, left out spiritual direction all together (83). Every Thursday I hear from one local Methodist pastor whose congregation has Baptist roots. He has a hard time getting them past their salvation (a product of the blood) to see the importance of sanctification (spiritual formation). He notes that the most cantankerous trouble makers in his congregation often pray "Thank you that you have covered me with your blood," and yet it doesn't seem to amend their lives.

I come from a tradition myself that has a high view of the Atonement, or I should say a tunnel vision view of Atonement. I, too, have seen a reticence among the more evangelistic of my colleagues to see any importance for ministry beyond the salvation altar call. Certainly spiritual direction to many of them would be a foreign concept and a waste of time.

However, Temple offers the way out (94). Couch your high view of the Atonement in a high view of the Incarnation. Now you can appreciate the work of Christ's life as well as his death.

*This was the term used by Anglican retreatants at the Abby while I was on retreat in describing the vast variety in the Anglican Communion, from High Church to low - snake belly low.