World Mental Health Day
Service
10 October 2012, 7pm.
St Peter’s Church,
Minshull Vernon
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Opening Prayer
Loving Creator, we come to you this day because we know that
you are a God of love and compassion. We come seeking your
presence, comfort and guidance. We come as users of
services, family members, friends, co-workers and mental
health professionals. We come this day believing that you love
each person just as she or he is, and you walk with each one of
us on our individual journeys through life. You see the
ignorance and injustice that divides and separates persons
struggling with mental illness and you weep with us.
Give us courage to face our challenges and open us today to
the many ways you are already working in our midst. Help us to
identify the hurt people feel, to have the courage to challenge
ignorance and stigma, to overcome fear, to acquire knowledge,
and to press for compassionate enlightened treatment and
services.
May we help to open hearts, homes and communities to your
healing presence. Be with us all as we seek to be your hands
and feet.
Inspire doctors, therapists, researchers, social
workers, and all other professionals to work with care and
compassion.
This we ask in the name of Jesus, the compassionate healer of
mind, body and soul.
AMEN
Hymn: Longing for light we wait in darkness
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 88 vs 1-12
Lord God, my Saviour, I cry out all day,
and at night I come before you.
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Hear my prayer;
listen to my cry for help!
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So many troubles have fallen on me
that I am close to death.
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I am like all others who are about to die;
all my strength is gone.
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I am abandoned among the dead;
I am like the slain lying in their graves,
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those you have forgotten completely,
who are beyond your help.
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You have thrown me into the depths of the tomb,
into the darkest and deepest pit.
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Your anger lies heavy on me,
and I am crushed beneath its waves.
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You have caused my friends to abandon me;
you have made me repulsive to them.
I am closed in and cannot escape;
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my eyes are weak from suffering.
Lord, every day I call to you
and lift my hands to you in prayer.
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Do you perform miracles for the dead?
Do they rise up and praise you?
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Is your constant love spoken of in the grave
or your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
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Are your miracles seen in that place of darkness
or your goodness in the land of the forgotten?
WE LISTEN TO “COMFORT YE MY PEOPLE” from
Handel’s Messiah
At this point one or more persons will explain how they, or
others, have been assisted through the ministry of
Christians
Hymn: Kum ba yah, my Lord
Prayers of Penitence and forgiveness
For the times that we have erected barriers,
to exclude those whom we experience as
different from ourselves,
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
In the situations when we have failed to see the light of Christ in
those who appear different from ourselves,
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
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For the arrogance of assuming superiority, or the failure to
recognize our own vulnerability,
Lord have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
May the Source of all life
forgive our excluding instincts,
remove the fear of difference from our souls,
and enable us to embrace all who are created in God’s image.
Amen.
New Testament Reading: Luke 12:22-28
Then Jesus said to the disciples, And so I tell you not to worry
about the food you need to stay alive or about the clothes you
need for your body.23 Life is much more important than food,
and the body much more important than clothes.24 Look at the
crows: they don't plant seeds or gather a harvest; they don't
have storage rooms or barns; God feeds them! You are worth
so much more than birds!25 Can any of you live a bit longer by
worrying about it?26 If you can't manage even such a small
thing, why worry about the other things?27 Look how the wild
flowers grow: they don't work or make clothes for themselves.
But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had
clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers.28 It is God who
clothes the wild grass—grass that is here today and gone
tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure
to clothe you? What little faith you have!
Hymn: Dear Lord and Father of Mankind
Intercessions
O Lord our God, for those whose lives are strained and
stressed……
Hear our prayer
and pour out your peace.
For those whose lives are darkened by fear and anxiety
Hear our prayer
and pour out your peace.
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For those whose hold on life is fragile……
Hear our prayer
and pour out your peace.
For those whose illness makes them vulnerable……
Hear our prayer
and pour out your peace.
For those whose families struggle to
understand them……
Hear our prayer
and pour out your peace.
For families and friends,
nurses, doctors and therapists
and all who seek to walk alongside
the stressed and strained, the vulnerable and the fragile……
Hear our prayer
and pour out your peace.
O Lord our God,
for all whose lives are in turmoil
through the effects of mental illness……
Hear our prayer
and pour out your peace.
Amen.
Hymn: Lord of all hopefulness
Address.
One voice will read the following.
Individuals will bring up candles
representing Truth, Healing,
Understanding, etc.
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We light the candle of Truth that God will help us dispel
ignorance and misinformation about mental health conditions
such as major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia,
severe anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder.
We light the candle of Healing that troubled minds and hearts,
broken lives and relationships might be healed.
We light the candle of Understanding that the darkness of
stigma, labels, exclusion and marginalization might be dispelled
for those touched by mental illness.
We light the candle of Hope for persons and families living with
a mental health issue, for better treatment, for steadier
recovery, for greater opportunity to work and serve.
We light the candle of Thankfulness for compassionate,
dedicated caregivers and mental health professionals; for new
discoveries in brain and mind research and better medications.
We light the candle of Faith to dispel doubt and despair for
those who have lost hope and are discouraged.
We light the candle of Steadfast Love to remind us of God’s
love and faithfulness, and to prompt us to share the light of love
and service for those living in the shadows.
Anyone present will now be welcome to come up to light a
candle for someone they know, or for themselves.
FINAL BLESSING
Final Hymn: Brother sister let me serve you
You are invited to stay after the service for refreshments
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Many aspects of church and parish life help create the
conditions for good mental health and parishes can also
offer valuable support to those with an existing mental
health problem and to their carers. The Diocesan Mental
Health Forum has created a resource for parishes in a
response to those who feel uncertain about how best to
help and have requested further support and information
in order to feel equipped and resourced to deal with the
issues and challenges.
For more information on the Mental Health Forum and to
access the ‘1 in 4: Mental health and your church’ do to
www.chester.anglican.org/csr and select ‘Counselling
Services’ (under ‘Areas of Work’).
(This service has been adapted from materials of “Time to Change”
www.time-to-change.org.uk and “National Alliance on Mental Illness”
www.nami.org)
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