Healing Word: all my rage.

[B.T.]

a cleric always has to run up into melee and get beat on to heal his comrades?

It's why he has armor and a d8 HD.

 

[Campbell]

Here's my view on the limits of a cleric's power: D&D gods are not omnipresent all powerful beings that are the purview of monotheistic religions. As such they grant a small measure of their divine power to clerics to act as their stewards in the world and act where the cannot either because they are needed elsewhere or celestial politics would cause issues with their direct intercession. However, mortals need to develop understanding of divine truths and prove that they are trustworthy to wield the power of the gods. Clerics are not prophets or direct representatives of the gods - at least not at first level. While more enlightened then the lay folk they lack the spiritual understanding to bring the full power of their patron to bear.

This also opens up opportunities for prophets who achieve understanding or the favor of the gods in a more direct manner. If anyone reads Sepulchrave's Story Hour the Selah is a good example despite existing in a monotheistic paradigm. He's a lay priest who spent most of his time cloistered in a monastary that becomes the physical manifestation of a diety. Eadric on the other hand (although a Paladin) had to prove himself through acts out in the world. Of course that's gross oversimplification, but you get the point.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I don´t think healing word as daily spell is as offensive as a spell that should be used every encounter.