Here is Arnold Come:

Each man is in vital organic continuity with that whole in which he comes into being, and so he drinks into his life all to which his avenues of receptivity and sensitivity are open. It is by these realities, which flow and drive into his being, that he is shaped and empowered and filled, or perhaps shattered and destroyed.(2)

In biblical thought, each person's words and deeds leave imprints that can enter the souls of others. For example, if person A is heard and seen by persons B and C, then B and C receive A's words and deeds into their souls. When that happens, A is said to be in B and C, becoming an aspect of their souls and forming their very life.(3)

The soul is healed, strengthened, and renewed as Christ comes to live in the soul. This is neither magic, nor mysticism, nor accident. It happens as Jesus' words and deeds, under the power of the Spirit, enter the soul as the very reality of Jesus himself. It is not magic or accident because one must choose to receive Jesus' words and deeds and act on them. It is not mysticism because his words and deeds are given in Scripture and received through sense impressions, especially in worship. In worship, word and sacrament, the soul hears, sees, touches, and tastes realities that convey the very life of Christ. Worship is the foundation for Christian healing.

Now let us consider lectio divina, beginning with some examples. Consider a man who has been rejected and belittled like Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1f), or a woman disparaged and scorned like the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears (Luke 7:37f).

What could happen when such a person reads Luke 7 or 19? The whole self, especially the memories of being demeaned, can become present with the event of Jesus calling Zacchaeus or defending the women. At that moment, Jesus' time, the reader's past painful time, and the present moment come together so that the person, in the person of Zacchaeus or the woman, is forgiven, honored, and made new by the living Lord Jesus.(4) This way of reading Scripture, lectio divina, was practiced universally by the early church.(5) It was a way of receiving the healing life of Christ into the soul.

In actual practice, however, many broken people are too "shattered and destroyed" to read Scripture in this way. They need the help of experienced pastors. How can this happen?

First, I recommend that help be given by at least two persons, a man and a woman. Let them begin by listening to the person in need.

Secondly, notice what sorts of events and actions contributed to their pain, shame, and sinful destructive behavior.

Third, gently ask the person to confess their sins and to be willing to forgive those who sinned against them. Proclaim the forgiveness of Jesus.

Next, lay hands on them and pray the Scriptures for them. Ask Jesus to be present in their pain as he was in the case of Zacchaeus or the women who washed his feet with her tears. Or pray their pain in relation to the passion narratives. Identify their suffering with the abuse suffered by Christ. When the life of Jesus and the suffering person are prayed in this way, the person is redeemed, made new, and brought into living relationship with Jesus Christ through the power of the resurrection.(6)

This is a pastoral form of lectio divina.

Lectio divina alone, however, is not enough since the triune God is known by Word and Spirit. Lectio divina mediates the Word, but the Spirit must also work. The biblical word "spirit" means breath or wind, an invisible power with force and direction. The Holy Spirit assists the soul to receive Christ, evil spirits drive the soul away from him. People who have been hurt are especially subject to the powers of lust, shame, guilt, and fear. If these and other spirits are present in force, beyond ordinary levels, they need to be cast out in the name of Jesus. If this is not done, the person remains subject to inner forces beyond their control. Such persons find it difficult to receive Jesus into their souls. Deliverance from evil spirits is clearly taught in the New Testament and universally practiced by the ancient church. Once delivered, pray for the infilling of the Holy Spirit so that the soul may truly receive the biblical words and deeds of Jesus. Deliverance and infilling can be done as one is praying lectio divina so that Word and Spirit work together.

I have been aware of these forms of healing for more than 35 years. In my experience this approach is far, far more powerful than secular therapies, although there is a place for such therapies including medications. But we are the church. As Anglicans we need an approach to pastoral care that is grounded in Scripture, informed by a biblical anthropology, reflective of the practice of the first few centuries, and faithful to the Lord Jesus who heals the soul as much now as always.

Endnotes

1. Arnold Come, Human Spirit and Holy Spirit, (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1959).
2. Ibid, p, 61.
3. Ibid., p. 116.
4. Barth calls this "contingent contemporaneousness," Jesus present and active as his biblical words and deeds. Church Dogmatics, Vol. I, book 1, pp. 145-9, Vol. 1, book 2, pp. 45-59. Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1936 61. Hooker has a similar view, Richard Hooker, Laws, V,lv-lvii.
5. See the essay by Fr. Luke Dysinger, O.S.B., www.valyermo.com/id-art.html.
6. Among many good books on the subject I would recommend Healing by Francis MacNutt, (Ave Maria Press, 1999). See also www.christianhealingmin.org.

--The Rev. Robert J. Sanders, Ph.D. is the rector of Christ the King Anglican Church in Jacksonville, Florida. He is VirtueOnline's resident cyber theologian.