CHRISTIAN HEALING MISSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19038, 7 December 1923, Page 2

CHRISTIAN HEALING MISSION.

The? Final Service. Record Number of Patients. CASES OF BENEFIT REPORTED. Yesterday the third and last of Mr J. M. Hickson's healing mission services was conducted in St. Paul’s Cathedral; The number cf patients treated has averaged about 560 on each of the three days, the total yesterday being larger by 30 or 40 than that of the previous two days, The whole large gathering was again controlled and handled with perfect order and precision in spite of the fact that the, accommodation was more taxed than it had been before. The bright weather tended to the comfort of the patients and their friends, though the wind was perhaps a little cold for some. Numerous nurses and lay and 1 clerical helpers attended to their assigned duties within . the Cathedral and without, and by half-past 9 practically all. the, patients, young and old, andi the intercessors were seated in their allotted places. . The Rev. V. G. Bryan King briefly addressed the mentally afflicted in the crypt, and afterwards they were prayed with and individually ministered to by Mr Hlokson and Bishop Richards. There wore a largo number of frail old ladies in the front seats in the Cathedral, and one of them partially collapsed early in the morning. She was carried out and later brought in on a stretcher. Another elderly lady was taken sick, but after being assisted out and rested for a while she was able to resume her seat. The patients were under the constant vvatchful eyes of trained nurses, and it was evident that any sign of distress attracted instant attention. -** From the crypt service Mr Hickson, with (bo Bishop and clergy, entered the Cathedral shortly after 10 o'clock. After (he singing of praise and the offering of prayer he began his address by returning (hanks to all who had taken nart in the work of the mission. He thanked the Bishop for asking him to his diocese and for his sympathetic help, the clergy and ministers who -had co-operated so well in (he work of the mission, the secretary. Archdeacon Curzon-Siggers, and those who had taken the great burden of tile preparation. The mission would not have been what it had been without all that, care and work. He thanked also the doctors who had helped and the nurses, many of whom wore doing double duty in order to help. Thor had also to thank the organist, Mr E. Hcywood, for his beautiful music that (lad so rested their hearts and minds, the stewards, whose organisation had carried everything through without, a hitch, the ladies and gentlemen who had been helping at the refreshment tent, and the ambulance corps who gave (heir time, and many others who had helped. They were grateful also to the press and for what it had/ done and the sympathetic way it had reported these sendees. Mr Hickson said ho felt ho could go away believing and knowing that this was not by any means the end of the mission, but only the beginning of a great work which they were going to carry on for God and for suffering humanity. They must not, forget that Jesus Christ, the only Healer, remained with them. Such a work as, this did not depend upon an individual or a few individuals. Apart from the individual gift of healing, Christ had endowed His Church with power in a corporate sense, and prayer they could draw upon that power of God to heal and strengthen their mortal bodies ns well ns to comfort and uplift their souls. Everyone could have a part, in the bleared ministry of healing because everyone could prav. They needed to regain the simple unquestioning faith of p- little child, and God would give them that if they nsk&d Him in faith. Another thing thov needed above all was a fresh vision of the living Jesus Christ. It was faith in the heart and not intellectual belief that counted. It was. very often the uninstruoted people who had nothing to unlearn that found healing most readily. He asked them to do what they could to carry on this work. They must not leave it all to the clergy because they must remember that' the clergy, wore-iiot-thed'Cliufchi. " They vfrere the.’- Church. The officers Were not the army. .He urged the, formation, of .prayer, cithlea ■of m"‘ fcrcessdrs for l-lie sick, and said. the only rule was that cvervone who became ail intercessor must believe and confess the Godhead of the Lord Jesus Christ and the truth of the Incarnation. That; did ' not*, put out any Christian. In many churphea , throughout the world regular healing ‘ ser-J vices -were being held sometimes‘ once' a fortnight, sometimes once a week, some-', times once a month. It was an ordinary part of the services of the Church ' held' just as naturally as the communion service.,-: So many religious people were inclined to hold back apd go slow. Ho did not know ’ whv religious' things should go slow. .Wa had been going slow for 2COO years, and it was about time wo woke up a little. iney should form their prayer circles and begin their praying at once because sick people were suffering. If the Church was to be a living Church it must be a healing Church. They must obey the laws, of Qod oh every plane, and so it was not right to neglect the help of doctors. In closing, Mr Hickson called his hearers to penitence, reminding them that if they sought the greater things all else would be added unto (hem. Special prayer was offered for some 45 persons unable to he present and for various institutions for (he sick and needy. Thereafter the. patients wore impressively mims(erod to in order, as on previous days, first the stretcher and chair cases, then the children, and then the rest of the patients. Once again the whole of the work was over by .20 minutes, past 12. As the patients left (he building and made their way to the refreshment tent or to one of the waiting cars many stories were exchanged among the bystanders of more or loss noteworthy cures said to have happened hero or elsewhere. To prevent misconception and disappointment, however, the statement of a clergyman who has had some 12 years' experience of the healing ministry, for a considerable part of the tinie in England, is of much interest. He stated that in all that time ,he had known only one case of instantaneous cure Mid that was certified to by a doctor. Instantaneous (healing was not the normal or usual method, and in most cases It was weeks and sometimes months before any results came. In the. case of his own wife, who had a remarkable recovery, there was no apparent benefit for a whole week, but in about five weeks her cure was complete. Perhaps the most striking case discussed yesterday was that of Mr John Gill, of AVinton. ihough oven it lacks confirmation In some particulars. Mr Gill suffered severely in a motor accident, and, after having his leg set three or four times and enduring much suffering, ho. was discharged from hospital in a. very unsatisfactory state. One leg was shorter than the other by an Inch, and he. had to use crutches or slicks to enable him to get about. He was helped into the mission service with his sticks on Wednesday morning, but yesterday no appeared walking without difficulty, looking for Mr Hickson to tell him of the wonderful benefit he had received. He claimed that both legs were of the same length. The fact as to his suffering and injuries were ascertained from the nurse who had charge of him. but she had not seen him personally since the improvement took place. A Presbyterian minister mentioned the case of a lady who had suffered much from a slight curvature of the spine, but who has been free of pain since attending the mission on Tuesday. A mft.n suffering from osclorosis, who had been trembling and shaking, astonished some who know him yesterday morning by walking round on the green by the rest tent, after coming out of (ho service. He w*ns anxious to walk to the car to prove his new-found ability, but was persuaded by one of the attendants to go in a chair. Some of the ambulance, men who have been doing such line service relate (hat they wheeled one patient to (he crvpt on Wednesday, but when they returned for her with the chair she had and they had not seen her since. A case' of cure of acute rheumatics was reported by one of the workers, but without any details. Some cheery patients and friends in the rest tent after the service were quite pleased to tell of a remarkable case of healing to a relative of theirs in Napier. This lady, Mrs Templeton, had . not walked for nine years without the aid of two sticks. She was able to walk away from Mr Hickson’s service and her friends understand that she is now doing her own work. She has been regularly attending church services and walking home afterwards. This at least may safely bo said once more of the patients here, (hat the great majority ■of them appeared obviously the happier and more contented for having been at the service. Now that the mission is over the principal secretary (Archdeacon W. Curzon-Sig-gors) wishes especially to extend thanks: to a number of friends and workers. Among

these are Mr A. A. Paape, of the Oban Hotel, who provided all the workers with free luncheons each day, the Rev. W. Hamblett, who arranged hospitality, the Rev. S. J. Cooper, who with helpers conducted the rest and refreshment tents —they in turn being indebted to Messrs Thomson and Co. for a generous gift of mineral waters, the Rev. A. Wingfield, who organised the stewards and ushers. Sister Young and the two Nurses Richards', who were responsible for the organisation of the nursing staff, Mr E. Hey wood, the organist, the Rev. G. E. Moreton. who controlled the motor transport, and the Rev, V. G. Bryan King, who superintended the crypt cases, the verger (Mr Erridge), Canon Nevjll, for valuable help which as vicar of the Cathedral he alone oould give, and Mr Congleton (Mr Hickson’s secretary). Mr Moreton speaks very highly of the kindness and generosity of private car owners and of taxi drivers, too, in convoying patients to and from the Cathedral. In tile afternoon Mr Hickson visited the Hospital, the Montecillo Red Cross Home, the Benevolent Institution, and the Convalescent Home for the purpose of ministering to the inmates of these institutions. In the_ evening he met privately a gathering of clergy and ministers to speak to them on the subject of carrying on and following up the work of the mission. Mr Hickson will leave by the express this morning for Timaru. whore he is to start u two-days’ mission on Tuesday. This evening simultaneous thanksgiving services, to which admission is by ticket only, will bo held in St. Paul’s Cathedral and St. Matthew’s 'Church. It has been so arranged that the tw‘o services will be exactly the same.

THE HEALING MISSION. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— if the doctors who wen? interviewed in regard to the healing mission bad been present in the Cathedral during the last few days I am certain that their views would have' been entirely different. Right through the mission Mr Hickson has tried to make sufferers realise that doctors are the living agents of “the Great Physician,” and that, in going to them, they are going to men whom God hag specially blessed for the purpose of carrying on His healing work. Would to God that every medical man’ could have hoard the missioner’s ear-, nest appeal, yesterday morning, to patients, urging them to co-operate prayerfully with their doctor in his work for buffering humanity ! The doctors would have realised that the Church—l use the word-.in its wide sense—instead of working against them recognises that they have n very high and blessed part in its ministry among those in need of physical help and comfort.—l am, etc., V. G. Bryan King.