A prayer composed by Anna Chaplain Eileen Simmons struck a chord with a carer who tracked her down to ask for a copy! We asked Eileen to tell us what happened and to allow us to share it more widely.
In reply, she wrote: 'I am an Anna Chaplain in my sixth year and find belonging to the team a privilege and a pleasure. My own background is in education and I believe in life-long learning. I learn so much from other Anna Chaplains and the central team.
In Methodism we have an annual prayer book, September to August and I have a prayer published in the current 2024/25 edition:
Dear Lord,
We pray for the elderly, housebound individuals, who are often very lonely.
We praise and thank you for their carers, who come into their homes and brighten their days by showing tenderness, kindness, and giving much needed practical support.
Make us more sensitive to the needs of both groups and move our hearts and minds to seek ways in which we may become more involved.
Increase our awareness of the conditions under which carers do their work, often earning so little for such a valuable contribution and help us seek social justice for them.
Amen
A couple of weeks ago I received via Marian Muskett, the Co-ordinator for Anna Chaplaincy for Older People, the following email. I always change the names to ensure privacy for the individual':
'Dear Eileen,
Thank you for your lovely prayer for day 3 in the Methodist Prayer Handbook. My husband John, is a Supernumerary Minister and he has advanced Alzheimer’s. I am still managing to look after him at home with the help of wonderful carers. As he has a sling hoist to move him from bed to armchair and back we have two carers three times a day.
I was so delighted when I read your prayer last month so I read it to the carers who came that day and to each different one who came the following days. Their reaction was very moving. Two of them were near to tears and one Christian Zimbabwean said ‘That’s a Powerful Prayer’. They all appreciated it, including a Muslim brother and sister.
I reminded them last Thursday that many people all over the country would be praying your prayer for them. Thank you. My daughter found you on the internet and we were able to read about Anna Chaplaincy as well as finding an email address! May God bless you in all you do.
Margaret'
'I replied to her email and said that if ever she wanted to chat then she could email me and we could fix something. At our Annual Anna Chaplaincy Gathering (last week) I told this story in one of our break out rooms and was asked for a copy.'
We share it with pleasure and thank you!
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