Welcome to our Service
Light
up a
Life
Order of Service Silent Night kindly performed by Jess Thayer Silent night, Holy night, All is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin mother and child, Holy infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night, Holy night, Shepherds quake at the sight, Glories stream from heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing alleluia; Christ the Saviour, is born! Christ the Saviour, is born! Silent night, Holy night, Son of God, Love's pure light Radiant beams from Thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth. Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.
Official welcome by Mike Ridley, Chair of the Board of Trustees of St Luke's. You will be invited to light a candle at home as we begin our service.
A message of thanks by Clare Wolff, Day Hospice Nurse Manager, including the following poem by Elizabeth Anna
'Letting Go' Eventually, while studying the reflection of the stars upon my skin, it hit me. I cannot control my life. My destiny cannot be carved by human hands. My path cannot be paved by my own sheer will. And as I gazed up at the sky, surrendering to the realisation that stars shine just as bright, unaligned, I finally let go.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing kindly performed by Mereside Brass Band based in Northwich
Thoughts and reflections by Chris Jackson, manager of St Luke's Family Support & Counselling Team and Spiritual Care & Chaplaincy Team
Chaplain's Address by Andrew Smith, St Luke's Spiritual Care & Chaplaincy Co-ordinator
Light and life. At this time of year, as the days shorten, we see how precious light is to us. Most world faiths celebrate light. People of all backgrounds enjoy fairy lights, fireworks and the flames of candles and warming fires. Some people light up our lives. When they have died, it feels dark. We can struggle to see that morning will come again. In this year, of all years, as we have shared in the experiences of Covid and lockdown on top of everything else going on in our lives, we feel the need for hope to sustain us through dark times. When we light a candle or lamp to remember a loved one who has died, we look back to the times we shared, to all that they meant to us, all the love we still hold for them. But we also look forward in hope, to times when we will still remember them, but the sadness will be easier to bear, when it will not overwhelm us. The Christmas story reflects this sense of darkness and light, grief and hope. We hear it in carols and readings at Christmas time itself and during Advent, the weeks which look forward with hope towards Christmas. I know for many in our community, the Light Up A Life at St Luke’s is an important moment in preparing for Christmas.
One of my favourite carols is “Hark the herald angels sing.” In the last verse, Charles Wesley wrote the words: “Light and life to all he brings/ risen with healing in his wings.” We all need to feel the healing of that light and life within us. John’s gospel begins with an account of Christmas which speaks of light and life: John says of Jesus, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” And of Christmas itself, the birth of Jesus, “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” This is a message of real hope. A message which recognises how dark life can be, how dark it may feel now in your sadness and sorrow, in struggling with everyday hardships and worries, in facing the anxieties of our times, or perhaps simply overwhelmed with grief. But however dark, the darkness has not overcome the light. And John’s message is that the light of the world gives light to everyone, whoever we are, whatever has happened in our life. We can see it in the world around us, in the beauty of nature – in birds and trees, in starlight. We can see it in other people – the kindness and compassion of nurses and carers, of friends, family and neighbours. If we stop and look, in the stillness we can see it in ourselves, in moments of peace, in moments of love.
Illuminating the Tree of Light We light these lights in memory of our loved ones.
Pie Jesu kindly performed by Jess Thayer
Hospice Prayer read by Neil Wright, CEO of St Luke's Hospice
Dear Lord we ask your blessings on this place. Bless those who wash, clean, cook and serve. Those who administer and calculate. The fundraisers and those who give. Bless those who volunteer their services and their time. The ministers who give spiritual and religious support. Those who offer counsel and advise. The therapists with their comforting hands. Bless all of the families who enter the Hospice doors. Relieve their pain, support them in their distress and grant them peace. Lord Jesus, bless the Hospice of St Luke’s. Fill it and surround it with your love.
'So Loved' read by Jane Nield Those we love don't go away, They walk beside us every day, Unseen, unheard, but always near, So loved, so missed, so very dear.
Thank you to the Community by Andy Bailey, including a very special performance by children from Smallwood C of E Primary Academy
We Wish You a Merry Christmas kindly performed by Mereside Brass Band
On behalf of all the staff at St Luke's, and all those families we will care for and support in the future, we offer you our sincere thanks for the donation you have given to support Light up a Life. The Book of Memories, which includes the names of those you have remembered this year, is now available to view online at www.slhospice.co.uk/lightupalife
We wish you all the very best for Christmas and the New Year