This afternoon I had the privilege of leading the service in the chapel at the local Hospice.
I have led services in different churches and in a hospital chapel but never in a Hospice. I was, understandably, a little nervous about it all. I really wasn’t sure what to do as I was told that my congregation could be anything from zero to fifteen people. In the end, after much prayer and thought, I put together a service that was fairly flexible including hymns to sing, readings and prayers and I would add in or leave out elements according to the number of people who turned up. The readings were those set in the Lectionary for Passion Sunday.
In the end less than five people turned up to worship and so we had a simple time of shared prayer and scripture readings. We were few in number, yet the presence of Jesus felt so real as we prayed that I was convinced that if I looked up I would see him standing there. The presence of Jesus was more powerful and real to me in those moments than at any mass praise and worship celebration I have been to.
Jesus said, ‘Where two or three gather in my name then I will be with them.’ He certainly kept that promise for the small group of Christian brothers and sisters gathered at the Hospice this afternoon; but that should not surprise me because Jesus is always faithful to his word.
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