Royal North Shore Hospital September Prayers
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and theLord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the presentevil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Galatians 1: 3-5
Pray for “an agnostic”…
We are in Drug and Alcohol; patients are here to detox over a period of time. I am told that the patient is cognitively impaired, perhaps by alcohol abuse, but they do not present so. The social worker introduces me with a clergy descriptor. And the patient informs me they are an agnostic. I say we begin with them and they’re off to find us a quiet space. They grew up singing in the choir of the Church of England, later joining the Army Medical Corp, and then a big gap to sleeping rough. I ask what do they hope for? Sobriety not abstinence. You seem hopeful, from where does this hope come? I need to be competent to manage my superannuation. What do you want to do? A dream is shared to buy a house in a small rural community in NSW and retire. I am looking for resources. There are brothers and a mother. They like the structure of detox, food, bed, safe. We have spoken for longer than I normal. There is more to explore. But I sense this is enough for now. They thank us for a conversation without an axe to grind. I ponder later the agenda-lessness of grace and love and ironically how agenda-ful they can become. Read and pray Galatians 1-2, especially 2:20.
Pray for a person “despairing‘’…
I call upon a person. They were dux of the school, successful at university in maths, and statistics, and leading the introduction of computers in their career. Flourishing in very good jobs in Australia and overseas. They speak of past confidence. I could do anything. They regret euthanising their cat. They have no family. A fleeting glimpse of hope appears in the mention of friends. But evaporates as despair fills the room. A litany of person depreciations: I have nothing to live for. I am a loser, a coward, a non-entity, unimportant. An end-of-life circumstance calls me away. Pray using Lamentations 3, especially verses 22-23.
Give thanks for a person “hoping”…
I am referred by the Catholic chaplain to a patient who was ‘catholic’ but now self-identifies as ‘Christian’. They have suffered a stroke. They speak of their resources of church and family. I note mention of one humble contribution, as a Sunday school teacher. Their Lord is forever on their faltering and disfigured lips in praise and thanksgiving. Hope fills the room. We read the story of Naaman the Syrian, 2 Kings 5 and we pray. I am conscious that for them to hear, I am projecting my voice and the words fill the room. I wonder how they may be received by others on the ward, with welcome and embrace or anger and scorn. Read and pray, 1 Peter 1, especially verses 3-4.
Chaplain Andrew Osborn 0497 414 388 andrew.osborn@anglicare.org.au
