On Service: A Prayer Book of the Clinical Hours [9781636081892]

Overview

What would change if the everyday carry of healthcare workers included not only a stethoscope and a smartphone, but also an illuminated book of prayers and practices for the clinical hours? Compact for work like the quick reference guides doctors and nurses carried for decades, On Service fits between your phone and your heart, a soul-nourishing analog resource that reorients you to the soul of medical care. At a time when many in the profession experience burnout and disillusionment, On Service will help clinicians slow down, reclaim presence, and see their patients with the eyes of faith, hope, and love.

The book reimagines the rhythms of the clinical day, beginning with prayers a doctor or nurse might say as they cross the threshold, gather before rounds, enter a patient’s room, welcome a child, prepare for surgery, sit with one who is dying, or wait on call. Each page is an immersive visual experience to delight and steady the spirit of those called to serve the sick: details from centuries-old prints, typographic art pieces turning medical materials into invitations to read scripture, and inky woodcuts from contemporary artists paired with texts from the Christian tradition. On the busiest days, simply carrying this little book will remind clinicians of their intention to practice medicine with mercy and grace, as if they are serving Christ himself.