Our prayer diary, published three times a year, is available below or in a printable format at the bottom of this page.

Our Senior Chaplain writes:

When I first became a Christian and attended Confirmation classes, I was taught that prayer should begin with praise and thanksgiving, and I learned that beautiful old prayer, the General Thanksgiving from the Book of Common Prayer. That routine of thanksgiving is a very good discipline, and as we travel further and deeper into our Christian life, we train our souls to see signs of God’s presence and his healing love active within us and in the world around us, and that changes our whole perspective.

I don’t think I shall ever get used to seeing, hearing about and experiencing the power of God’s healing love. Every time a person is healed of hurts and damage accumulated sometimes over a lifetime, every time a life is transformed by the inrushing love of God, every time one of us is guided into doing something or going somewhere and then finding out why, every time God breaks through our own agendas and replaces them with his – my heart leaps, and I say aloud or silently, ‘Wow, how amazing you are, Lord, thank you!’

I wondered whether I should go on being surprised and amazed that God listens to our prayer and responds – shouldn’t I expect him to? Then I remembered my little grandson’s face when he opened his Christmas present and how he’d hugged me as he said, ‘Wow, Grandma, thank you!’ and how that made me feel. I hope he never loses his delight at being given gifts of love, and I suspect that God rejoices too when we say, ‘Wow, Lord, thank you, you are amazing.’ So I shall go on being surprised and delighted by the depth of God’s love, his awesome understanding and his endless generosity. Or, to put it more sedately, in the words of that old prayer:

‘We beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips but in our lives.’ Amen.

Christine Garrard
Senior Chaplain
 

Prayer needs for June to August 2010

JUNE

2nd	Christine Garrard attends a meeting of hospital chaplains today.
8th	Pray for all those attending the Quiet Day today and for Henry Edwards as he leads it.
20th	Pray for the success of the Garden Party being held at Burrswood today.
23rd	Pray for the guests at today's special supper to introduce new friends to Burrswood.
30th	Gareth Tuckwell will be attending a meeting of the Christian Healing Enabling Group in London today.

 
JULY

1st		Gareth Tuckwell will attend a meeting of the Rochester Diocesan Council for Health and Healing  today.
2nd		A special conference takes place at Burrswood today entitled “Are we there yet? The need for  spirituality in professional health care.” Pray for all those attending.
10th		Fellowship Day
12th		The Community Council meets today.
13th		Pray for the Quiet Day being held today - for its leader, Deborah Tomsett, and for all those who attend.
21st		The Finance Committee meets today.
22nd		The Burrswood Trustees meet today. Pray that the mind of Christ is clear to them.
27th		Gareth Tuckwell will be leading a seminar at New Wine

 
AUGUST

3rd		The Executive Group meets today
10th		Pray for the Quiet Day being held today - for its leader, Tricia Hempsall, and for all those who attend.
27th		Pray for Heads of Department as they meet at lunchtime today.

Burrswood Daily Prayer Cycle

Sunday

• Patients and guests

• Chaplaincy Team

• Worship – 11 am Eucharist

• Reception and Gift Shop – Receptionists in St.Michael’s

Monday

• Executive Group & Administration: Dr Gareth Tuckwell and Heads of Departments Team, Accounts, Personnel, Admissions & Secretaries

• Holy Communion - 5.00 pm

Tuesday

• Trustees of the Dorothy Kerin Trust

• Holy Communion - 12.00 noon

• The Friends of Burrswood

• Burrswood Charity Shop and the commercial ventures run by Burrswood Ltd

• Applications to Trusts and Foundations – may they be looked on with favour

• Tuesday Management Team meetings

Wednesday

• Hospitality and Catering Teams

• Evening Worship - 5.00 pm

• The Book, Gift & Charity Shops

• All visiting children - that they may be touched by the love of God

Thursday

• 9.00 am Community Communion

• Physiotherapy Team

• Volunteers in all departments

• The Healing Service - 11.30 am

• All members of the Events Committee & the Fundraising and Marketing Team

Friday

• Estate & Gardening Teams

• Counselling Team

• St. Peter’s Pool and Outpatient Department

• Bocky’s Kitchen (Tea Room) – blessing through the food, service and beautiful location

• Holy Communion - 11 am

Saturday

• Doctors – Dr Paul and Dr Alasdair

• Suzanne Owen, Clinical Services Director and the Nursing Team

• St. David’s Conference Centre - for visiting groups

• Healing Ministry - 3.30 p.m.