Day 9 - Bradbury Home

I have been visiting Bradbury Home (Salvation Army Eventide Home) for the last seven years to lead the morning prayers, Sunday afternoon service and laterly the Home League (Ladies meeting).  Today I went to cover the Home League for Beth as she's on holiday.

I always try and make the services as interactive as possible by singing songs/hymns of their generation, which even if their eyesight has failed to the extend that they can no longer read from the hymns books - they can still join in because they know the hymns so well.  Having quizes that makes folk think, brings back memories or makes a discussion point.  I often download songs from iTunes that they would have sung in their youth and I watch/listen with joy as the expressions on their faces change and they sing along.

Today I entitled the service 'Windows' and asked for favourite stained glassed windows that they can remember seeing over the years and got some wonderful answeres about the colours, pictures and the churches/cathedrals they had seen them in.  I also played George Formby's 'When I'm cleaning windows' and that was just a hoot.

I always find it sad, too, because I only visit maybe once or twice year and there are those who have died and others whose memory, physical appearance is failing rapidly.  That was certainly the case today - one lady who I used to work with 30 years and who on my last visit I was still able to hold a conversation with - well I wasn't able to do that on this ocassion. So I just sat with her and allowed her to express herself from the world she is in now, held her hand and prayed with her.

This evening my thoughts and prayers are with the residents of Bradbury Home and, in particular, for the Manager, the staff and the Chaplain who minister daily to them.

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