Welcome
Good afternoon and welcome to our Chapel Service. It is lovely to see you. My name is Ian. I am one of the Hospital Chaplains. This is Sharon. She is a nurse in the hospital. Therefore, if you need help let her know. If you feel able, please join in with the singing and responsive prayers and opportunity to share.
(Is anyone gluten free in regards to Holy Communion?)

NB This text is for the encouragement of those who cannot attend the chapel service. The actual format of the service may vary depending on the needs of those who are in attendance. We hope you are blessed by the reflections, prayers, readings and hymns.

Prayers of Intercession
O God, with faces touched by the light of a new dawn,
and hearts warmed by the fulfilled promise of resurrection,
we come before you to pray
for the needs of our world.

Into the light of Easter
we raise those who are struggling with illness,
with despair over their lives, or with
the breakdown of relationships.
We pray for them to experience resurrection hope.
May the light of your salvation shine upon them.

Into the light of Easter,
we bring those places in our world
where war, violence, poverty and need
are the experiences of everyday life.
We pray for them to experience resurrection hope.
May the light of your salvation shine upon them.

Into the light of Easter,
we bring the needs and challenges in our world
we hold in our hearts the pain
of those suffering violence, bereavement or conflict.
We pray for them to experience resurrection hope.
May the light of your salvation shine upon them.

And into the light of Easter
we bring ourselves, the private struggles,
the heart’s yearnings, the hidden dreams,
the unfulfilled potential,
our doubts, our fears, our guilt, our shame,
We pray for ourselves to experience resurrection hope.
May the light of your salvation shine upon us.
In and through the name of the risen Jesus we pray.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
All Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Prayer of Preparation
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayers of Penitence
God so loved the world
that he gave his only Son Jesus Christ
to save us from our sins,
to be our advocate in heaven,
and to bring us to eternal life.
Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith,
firmly resolved to keep God’s commandments
and to live in love and peace with all.

Let us pray:
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you
and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry
and repent of all our sins.

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
who died for us, forgive us all that is past
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.

Please repeat after me:
Lord, have mercy.
All Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.
All Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.
All Lord, have mercy.

Breaking of the Bread
Great is the mystery of faith
Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.

Christ is the bread of life
Therefore let us remember
when we eat this bread,
and drink this cup,
we proclaim his death,
until he comes again in glory.
We break this bread
to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body,
because we all share in one bread.

Prayer of humble access
We do not presume
to come to this your table, merciful Lord,
trusting in our own righteousness,
but in your manifold and great mercies.
We are not worthy
so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table.
But you are the same Lord
whose nature is always to have mercy.
Grant us therefore, gracious Lord,
so to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ
and to drink his blood,
that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body
and our souls washed through his most precious blood,
and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us.
Amen.

Giving of Communion
Draw near with faith.
Receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ
which he gave for you,
and his blood which he shed for you.
Eat and drink in remembrance that he died for you,
and feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.

The bread and wine are served
The body of Christ, broken for you.
The blood of Christ, shed for you.

Prayer after Communion
Lord, we thank you
that as we have broken your bread
you have fed us in this sacrament,
you have given us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet
prepared for all peoples.
You have united us with Christ,
and we have received your life.
By the power of your Spirit
keep us always in your love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Reflections What do you say to a 90 year old man who is isolated, suffering, whose faith has been shaken? Some people, much younger, have given into their darkest thoughts, their doubts and their fears. They have not realised that wherever life takes you, Jesus has promised to never leave you nor forsake you.

Separated / sequestered: John, a disciple of Jesus, is on a Roman penal colony, the island of Patmos, a bit like Alcatraz. He is pushing 90 at least and has outlived all of his friends.

Suffering: John describes himself as a brother and companion in suffering. But this is not a cry for sympathy. John is not wallowing in self pity. He is not speaking about purposeless suffering. He has a vision of the risen Jesus and knowing Jesus gives him strength in his suffering. John may have been sent to an isolated island but to quote Romans 8:38-39 “… neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” As the Contemporary English Version translates Revelations 1:9 “We suffer because Jesus is our king, but he gives us the strength to endure.” John could endure the mental anguish, the agony and distress, even violence because he knew him who was victorious over all. In Christ his salvation was secure.

Spiritual engagement: It is so easy to give up on God when times get tough. People have stopped going to church or turned their back on religion because of loss, bereavement or suffering? They blamed God and they turned their backs. But when you turn your back to the Sun you always walk in the darkness. You live in the shadow. The way to find light and life is to look to the one who is the light of the world, to follow the one who is the way the truth and the life. Even with all his challenges, John was open to God. We read vs 10 “It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshipping in the Spirit.” (NLT) One translation says that the Spirit took control of John. Are you going to let your suffering turn you from God or drive you closer to God? You will suffer. Life has setbacks. Life hurts. But like the athlete training for the next victory, will you push through the pain because it has a purpose – the Kingdom is been established and even death not the gates of hell shall prevail against it. The victory has already been won on the cross and we see a risen saviour.

What did John see? John saw a reason to endure. John saw a reason to be encouraged. John saw Jesus in his risen glory that gave him the strength to go on. He saw the presence of Jesus. He saw the power of Jesus and he saw the prevailing of Jesus.

The presence of Jesus John had a vision of Jesus standing in the midst of seven churches each represented by a lampstand. There were echoes of the book of Daniel. There we are reminded in the midst of persecution of a fourth figure in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Here too in the midst of suffering the Son of Man was walking among the churches. Christ is present with us. He has not abandoned you to pain. He has not left you in your loss. He walks with you through the valley of the shadow of death. John was on a small island but he was not alone. He knew the presence of Jesus.

The power of Jesus Vv12b-16 John sees Jesus in all His glory. We can summarise the vision in this way, in that John saw Jesus as the true priest, the true King, and the true prophet. The true priest, because he sees Him dressed in priestly garments. He's wearing a white robe, with a golden sash. The true King, because He has white woolly hair; eyes like fire; he is wise. The true prophet because He has a doubled-edged sword coming out of His mouth, it is the Word of God that cuts and convicts. John fell at his feet in worship.

If your life has problems never forget that you can live in the resurrection power of Jesus. (Eph. 1:19) Why, because you know the real presence of Jesus. We know something else. When know because of who Jesus is, he prevails or as John wrote, we can know endurance. We will endure.

The prevailing of Jesus I love the reassurance in vs 17 How does Jesus respond, the same way he does to all who show reverence in worship, “But he laid his right hand on me and said, ‘Don’t be afraid!’” Divine words would have been enough but the fellowship the right hand is felt by John and his fear is put to rest. As Dt. 33:17 reminds us, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

What does that mean? John gives an empowering portrait or the risen Jesus reflected in three affirmations.

“I am the first and the last.”
“I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever!”
“I hold the keys of death and the grave (or Hades).”

“Paint Christ not dead but risen,” cried Thomaso Campanella to the Italian painters of his day, “Paint Christ with his foot set in scorn on the split rock with which they sought to hold him down! Paint him the conqueror of death! Paint him the Lord of life! Paint him as what he is, the irreversible Victor who, tested to the uttermost, has proved himself in very deed mighty to save.” And in these verses from Revelation chapter one we have a portrait of the risen Christ like no other, might in majesty, ruling with unequalled authority, resplendent in glory.

So, for a people of faith who will believe, we have nothing to fear because Jesus is all-powerful, in control and even death has been defeated. We can have confidence both in this life and the next. We are never on our own. Christ is present. We may have to endure suffering but Christ gives us power to prevail.

Benediction
Live in the world in the joy of Jesus.
Walk in the world in the peace of Jesus.
Rest in the resurrection hope of Jesus.
Care for his redeemed creation;
follow him as children of the light;
make disciples by your life and words;
and glorify him by your dedication and love;
so may he bless you and keep you until he calls you home.
Amen.


Chaplaincy gives pastoral, spiritual and religious support to patients, staff and relatives. It has been shown that people who experience spiritual support recover quicker, spend less time in hospital and feel a greater sense of wellbeing going forward.

For more information, please contact the
Chaplaincy Office Tel: 01228 814090

or contact Switch Board and ask for the
Duty Chaplain Tel. 01228 523 4444

Email chaplaincy@ncic.nhs.uk