There are many times when our lives will intertwine with that of another whose days are numbered. There are many ways in which we can serve as chatplain/chaplain in these times. Some circumstances call for a simple prayer and our presence. Other times there may be Scripture that is read and talked of along with a prayer. Still other times, we can serve best by using a time honored tradition from the church that allows us to hold a simple worship service with the person who is ill or dying.

 

In what follows, I have reproduced parts of a service for use with an ill person from the Book of Common Worship. I use this with the permission from The Book of Common Worship  Pastoral Edition, c. 1993, Westminster/John Knox Press.

 

Opening Sentences

Our help is in the Name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they will mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not be faint.

 

Prayer

God of compassion,

You have given us Jesus Christ, the great Physician,

Who made the broken whole

And healed the sick.

Touch our wounds, relieve our hearts,

And restore us to wholeness of life,

Through this same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Here a passage of Scripture may be read and reflected upon as it relates to the person who is ill and in need of our prayer and support in Christ.)

Laying on of Hands and Anointing with Oil

Gracious God, source of all healing,

In Jesus Christ you heal the sick

And mend the broken.

We bless you for this oil

Pressed from the fruits of the earth,

Given to us as a sign

Of healing and forgiveness,

And of the fullness of life you give.

By your Spirit, come upon (Name) who now receives the anointing with oil.

That he/she may receive your healing touch

And be made whole,

To the glory of Jesus Christ our Redeemer.  Amen.

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Lord and Giver of Life,

As by your power

The apostles anointed the sick

And they were healed,

So come, Creator Spirit,

And heal (Name) who now receives the laying on of hands. Amen,

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Example 1.

(Name), may the God of all mercy

Forgive your sins,

Release you from suffering,

And restore you to wholeness and strength. Amen.

Example 2.

Spirit of the Living God, present with us now,

Enter (Name), in body, mind, and spirit,

And heal her/him of all that harms her/him.  Amen

An example of words spoken when anointing with oil

(While making the sign of the cross on the person's forehead with a finger dipped in oil, say)

I anoint you with oil,

In the name of the Father,

And of the Son,

And of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God,

Ruler of all creation.

We praise you for the abundance of your blessings.

To those who ask, you give love;

To those who seek, you give faith;

To those who knock, you open the way of hope.

Help us to serve you in the power of the Holy Spirit,

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Blessing

May the God of hope

Fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

So that you may abound in hope

By the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

 

Prayer for a person whose death is imminent

There will be times when you and I find ourselves at the deathbed of a person whose hope is in the Name of Jesus. We will be asked to pray. Sometimes, we will say with the Apostle Paul in Romans 8,

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

Like Job's friends who sat in stark silence for a week before  any of them opened his mouth to speak, we may simply not know what to say. At times like that, it may be useful to turn again to the Book of Common Worship and use a prayer that has been around for decades. Examples 1 and 2 are addressed to the dying person. This is then followed by a prayer such as follows the examples.

Example 1.

(Name) our brother/sister in the faith,

We entrust you to God who created you.

May you return to the one who formed us out of the dust of the earth.

Surrounded by the great cloud of witnesses beyond all time and space,

May Christ come to meet you as you go from this life.

May Christ, the Lord of glory,

Who was crucified for you,

Bring you freedom and peace.

May Christ, the High Priest,

Who has forgiven all your sins,

Keep you among his people.

May Christ, the Son of God,

Who died for you,

Show you the glories of his eternal kingdom.

May Christ, the Good Shepherd,

Enfold you with his tender care.

May you see your Redeemer face to face

And enjoy the sight of God forever.  Amen.

Example 2.

Almighty God,

By rising from the grave,

Jesus Christ conquered death and leads us to eternal life.

Watch over our dear brother/sister (Name).

Give him/her a vision of that home within your live

Where pain is gone and death shall be no more;

Through Jesus Christ the Lord of Life.   Amen.

 

Prayer

O Lord, support us all the day long,

Until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes

And the busy world is hushed

And the fever of life is over,

And our work is done.

Then, in your mercy,

Grant us a safe lodging,

And a holy rest, and a peace at the last;

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Last modified: Tuesday, August 7, 2018, 10:15 AM