Have you noticed that when Jesus says, 'preach,' he usually adds, 'and heal'?"

This simple question started the author thinking. If that is true, he wondered, why are our churches engaged in only half the task? And how am I going to respond to Christ's command?

Lawrence tells the story of his early fumbling attempts to grasp this neglected Christian service, tracing the growth of his own healing ministry and the ever fascinating ways God has worked in and around the parishes Lawrence has served.

Christian healing, the author discovered, is concerned not so much with cures as with wholeness, with that harmony with God which helps one become more of a person, spiritually, mentally and physically.

Lawrence also deals with the tough questions that arise in the midst of such a ministry: Why does God allow suffering? How does Christian healing work? Why are some people not healed? Here is a basic introduction to Christian healing today.

Roy Lawrence (M.A., Oxford) is vicar of St. Stephen's in Prenton, England, and a recognized authority on Christian healing in the Anglican church.