Welcome to Hospital Chaplaincy

January 2017 – Doing things differently

Celebrating epiphany

Rev Jean Shannon, Harold Small Rev Margaret Middleton

Music by Joan PrattRichard Bramley

The Uniting Church in Australia

Chapel is held every Thursday @ 9:30—everyone is welcome – no matter what your faith background or engagement might be or might have been. You are welcome to join us for a small moment in community.

Uniting Hospital Chaplaincy

Canberra Hospital

Phone: 62443768

We pay respects to the traditional owners of this land, the Ngunnawal people, and to their elders, past and present, for their stewardship and wisdom.We give thanks.

Christ/community candle is lit

Call to Prayer

Epiphany – the time when we are supposed to recognise what’s right in front of us.

Epiphany – the moment we see something or someone – in a completely new way.

Epiphany – seeing God in our world

Epiphany – the ground hog day of the Christian calendar

-the opportunity to start over but do it differently.

Welcome to the beginning of the calendar year – a blank page – a white canvass – a lump of un-carved marble. Today we ask, what will you make?

In the presence of God

We gather

At the foot of the future

We gather

At the call of your word

We listen

As the body of Christ

We pray.

Gracious God – we open our hearts today as a new journal. Hear our songs and praise; fill us with wonder and refresh us in our worship. Amen.

Hymn:Annie’s Song

Prayers for your people –we pray for those in need, those not with us and for the suffering in the world. Let’s take a moment of silence to wrap our hearts around them.

Light the care candle

Readings from our Biblical tradition

Please join me as you are comfortable with our prayer of hope and confession….

You came incarnate – in human form, in searing heat, in winters’ cold. You came to hear our stories, to eat with us to feel our pain. You taught, you healed, you reminded us of our source. You cried for us, you died for us to show us the way.

Lord, hear our prayers

In prayer,
we say the name
that gives us hope:
JESUS.

In song,
we raise the name
that brings us peace:
JESUS.

Withshouts,
we cry the name
that brings us healing:
JESUS.

You who are the same
yesterday
today and
tomorrow….
Stay with usand love us
yesterday
today and
tomorrow
through seasons of change

Stay with us in the heartache
through tears and praise
and lament and delight
yesterday
today and
tomorrow.
We long to be made new,
we can leave the past behind us,
but you have brought us this far and
you have promised to continue.

Stories and experiences
shape us like ancient stars shape the night sky,
so do not teach us to turn our backs
on what has been but to listen
for stories of what may be.

Teach us not to start overinfear
but to wade in every water and to walk
through every wilderness with the patience
of hearts that trust you.

Teach us not cynicism but curiosity
so that our souls might sing gratitude
and our tongues speak prophecies
of your love and glory
for as long as we have breath to give.

To you, the One who is worthy,
to you in whom the angels delight,
to you alone at the beginning and the end,
to you we bring our prayers and our whole lives this day. Amen.

Adapted from Rachel G. Hackenberg

There are times like this when the heaviness of the year gone by has weighed us down and we only remember the dark days. God of light, shine on the path we travelled and the one before us so we can see our blessings. Don’t let us dwell in the dark, forgive us our weariness – remind us of light.

Hymn: Where does Jesus live? Tune is Eventide TIS 586

1. Where does this Jesus live? Where does he stay?

Are gospel stories right in what they say?

We wish to know where Jesus spends the night.

‘Nowhere to lay his head’ – Could this be right?

2. Where would this Rabbi choose to live today?

Close to a church? At least not far away!

In some large house where strangers can’t intrude?

Or rubbish dumps where orphans scrounge for food?

3.Where is he found, this man from Galilee?

Is Jesus safe or with a refugee?

Is he with field-slaves in their earthly hell?

Or with the wealthy where they do quite well?

4. Is Jesus seen where shares are bought and sold?

Or is he there among the poor and cold?

Is Jesus dressed in rags that need a clean?

Or clothes for some up-market fashion scene?

5. Jesus is seen and lives where people know

Sorrow and pain, where poverty‘s on show;

This Cosmic Christ is here and everywhere

To give humanity the call to care.

Communion

We have come asking for the child —
Wondering where that love might be born,
Seeking that joy that might satisfy our thirst,
Wandering through the darkness of so many mistakes.

We have come to this place where
wisepeople and shepherds and young women met.
We have come to this place called Bethlehem.

To this place where our hearts rise like yeast.
To this place where we meet our newborn hope.
To this place where we taste our deepest joy.

In Bethlehem, where we assumed the worst,
Imagining that no good can come,
We somehow missed its name.

Bethlehem.
Lehem meaning bread.
Bethel meaning house.

There is something here that will satisfy our hunger.
No matter how long we have wandered,
Here our hearts arise. Our light has come.

In this bread and in this cup,
We celebrate something we can’t quite understand.
Because God has made a house at this table.
Because God satisfies our hunger in the most unlikely places.
Because God comes to be with us.
Now and always.

It is with this expectation that we come to the table
to taste and see that God is here.

Let us pray:

Holy Spirit, come into this bread and this cup.
Transform these ordinary objects
As you change our hearts
To shape and form your world
With the joy you promise.

Pour your grace upon us,
so we overflow with your love.
Help us to remember how
As newborn baby might grow
Into a little child that would one day
Turn to his hope-filled friends
In an upper room…

Rev. Elsa Peters, the United Churches of Olympia, WA.

And we know that on the night before he died, Jesus blessed the bread, broke it and said to his friends

“This is my body broken for you – whenever you do this in remembrance of me.”

He took the cup and blessed it – saying “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

The Lord be with you

And also with you

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Let us receive what we are:

Let us become what we receive

The body of Christ.

Together we say, the Lord’s prayer…as you remember it.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins,

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours

now and for ever. Amen.

Share the bread & wine:

Hymn : Christ be our light

Hymn: Christ be our light

Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people,
light for the world to see.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has pow’r to save us.
Make us your living voice.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

Longing for food, many are hungry.
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others,
shared until all are fed.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others,
walls made of living stone.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

Many the gifts, many the people,
many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
making your kingdom come.

Repeat Refrain

Words of mission

Today is the first step into the new story. It is the blank journal into which we will write our year. Let us not dwell on the disasters but count the blessings one by one. Let us make this a new story – one where we have more hope; a better chance and an opportunity to be the best we are. Take this gift and change one thing that may change your life or the life of others.

Blessing

Go in peace to bring light to others

And may God go before you

Jesus walk with you

And the Spirit lift your feet.

AmenJ Shannon

Threefold Amen

The candle is extinguished

Go in peace and the Lord be with you. Thank you.

This liturgy is a gift from the Uniting Church in Australia. Please feel free to take it with you.