General Chat

Hello all

David, I would have found witnessing the crew on hands and knees praying
to be a humbling experience.

Amen to your posting for today Cynthia.

Today is the last day for our village school children before the Summer holidays.
Great excitement for the little ones and trepidation perhaps for their parents.

My 12.01 post earlier today is perhaps not an enigma.

The 12 tribes numbered in Numbers were Judaic, not Christian

Good morning :-)

It seems as though summer may have arrived :-D


Father, Creator of all, thank You for summer!
Thank you for the warmth of the sun
and the increased daylight.
Thank You for the beauty I see all around me
and for the opportunity to be outside and enjoy Your creation.
Thank You for the increased time I have to be with my friends and family,
and for the more casual pace of the summer season.
Draw me closer to You this summer.
Teach me how I can pray
no matter where I am or what I am doing.
Warm my soul with the awareness of Your presence
and light my path with Your Word and Counsel.
As I enjoy Your creation, create in me
a pure heart and a hunger and a thirst for You.
Amen.


Cx :-)

Hello all

I have dragged myself reluctantly around the village supermarket today. This heat
and humidity is unbearable and both of us are wilting now. No rain at all for days.
There was a new display half way around the store and it was a pleasure to see.
Four full rows of sunflowers were a wonderful sight and cheered me up no end.
Sadly I think the majority of people were too busy looking to find bargains, not flowers

Blessed are those who see beautiful things in humble places, where other people
see nothing. (Author unknown).

Good morning :-)

It rather looks as though the weather is turning cooler so that will, no doubt, make things a lot easier for those who find the hot weather too much. I'm not a sunbather but prefer to watch the sunshine from the shade :-D


Hopefully off to church soon.....my life is dominated by the clock and administering pills.....and trying to make sure my husband takes what he needs at the right time. We take one lot with us when we go and he has them before the service starts in the kitchen which adjoins the church itself.

Due to clergy holidays etc., we aren't able to have Holy Communion today but a service of morning prayer instead. This will be lead by our Local Missional Leader (a new term, recently invented by the powers that be)......but known to most of us as our Lay Reader. Can't keep up with the way the diocese comes out with new terms all the time.

The Collect (special prayer) for today:

Almighty God,
who sent your Holy Spirit
to be the life and light of your Church:
open our hearts to the riches of your grace,
that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit
in love and joy and peace;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen


The Gospel for today tells the story of Jesus teaching the Lord's Prayer and continuing on to that famous saying...."Ask and it shall be given to you'.


Hope everyone has a lovely day......Cx :-)

Hello all

I have had a little quiet time, sat reading my bible. Now I am ready to face today.

"Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face."
(Ronald Reagan).

Sending out hugs to all who need one right now. xxx

Good morning :-)

A little cooler this morning but the promise of a pleasant day ahead.


So many things going on in this world of ours……….this week we will take a look at some of the major issues and offer our heartfelt prayers. Today we think of those who do not have access to clean water – the facts are horrendous.

Every 90 seconds, a child dies through a water related disease.

663million (1 in 10) lack access to safe water.

2.4billion (1 in 3) lack access to a toilet.

More people have mobile phones than have a toilet.



Father,

We pray for those who must travel to find enough water,
those with no source of clean water,
those who are flooded with dirty water.
Help us to manage the water you give us wisely,
so all may have enough for their needs.
In Jesus name, Amen.


Cx :-)

Hello all

You have me thinking about how much I take water for granted. I turn on a tap
and its there. There is no substitute for this precious resource, I should be
giving thanks to our Lord every time I turn on a tap.

"We never know the worth of water until the well runs dry." (Thomas Fuller>)

Good morning :-)

I must admit that yesterday's post made me think about how much water I waste at times...... :-(


For today's global issue we are thinking about children at risk – the numbers are frightening.

As a result of war, famine or disease, there are 108 million orphaned children throughout the world

Many children are taken from their families to be used in active combat. 300,000 children are serving in armies or militia groups worldwide.

Through lack of opportunity or dropping out to support their families. 700 million children of primary age do not attend school.

Children from poor families are often victims of trafficking. This can be for sexual exploitation or to provide cheap labour. 1.2 million children are trafficked each year.


Ever-watching Father:
we pray for the suffering children whom we do not see.
We know that your eyes see their tears,
that your heart knows their sorrow,
that your hands can reach them now.
We remember that Jesus was once a child,
that poverty stole his bread,
that tyrants sought his life,
that his mother tasted tears.
Give us the wisdom to do our part,
share our possessions,
leave our comforts,
lend them our voice,
send them our food,
love them with more than prayers.
We call on you in the name of your child Jesus.
Amen.


Cx :-)

Hello all

Amen to your prayer Cynthia.

I had a happy childhood, although material things were rationed, I was brought
up in a Christian home with siblings and a Mum and Dad who loved us and did
their very best to keep up safe and happy. Many children don't have that today.
Too many children in our world are orphaned, abandoned or destitute and scared.

Lord,
Help us to be their ears and listen to the children's cries
Help us to be a voice, speaking only love and kindness,
Help us to be their feet by walking beside those children in need.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.

I haven't posted recently but I am reading the thread everyday. Some thought provoking posts lately.

Re. Cynthia's post of a couple of days ago, water is the basis of life yet so many millions do not have access to clean water, while we in the affluent parts of the world take it so much for granted. I am guilty of using far more water than I need simply because it is so easily available to me.

As for today's post about children at risk, the numbers of suffering children are mind-boggling. There is no easy answer but education must play a big part. We have to change the mindset that says it is okay to "use" children.

As a little aside that has some relevance to the above, yesterday I had lunch in the cafe connected to Bury St Edmunds cathedral. I was fascinated to learn that they have "twinned" the toilets to some in Pakistan. We all know about town twinning but I've never come across toilet twinning before! There was a box for people to donate when "spending a penny". Half the donations then go to the upkeep of the cathedral loos and the other half go towards building toilet facilities in Pakistan, mostly in schools I think. It seems that even when they are permitted to go to school many young girls drop out when they reach puberty because of the lack of suitable facilities for them. Anything that helps to keep them in education must be a good thing I think.

My thoughts tonight are with all those children who are unhappy and suffering for whatever reason.

In a world where violence begets violence and people harbour deep grudges
it is wise to remember the three wise monkeys.
SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL

Good morning........and another morning of grim news.

However, it is lovely to hear from our friends now and again and goo to know that you are still looking in <3 I like the idea of the twinned toilets very much......


In the wake of the French priest being shockingly murdered yesterday, we look at the global issue of the Persecuted Church.
.
There are those who get self-conscious about their faith…..maybe saying “I’ll be thinking of you” when they mean “I’ll be praying for you”.

Maybe they don’t mention that they have been to church at the weekend. That is just their embarrassment, but imagine how it must be if you knew that mentioning your faith in public could result in imprisonment or even death.

Over 200 million Christians are persecuted in this way around the world.

Persecution comes in all shapes….there are those who have to meet in secret and in North Korea, over 50,000 Christians are held in prison camps and believers are regularly tortured or executed.

Lord, God, we pray that you will strengthen and protect all those who suffer for being followers of Jesus. We pray too for comfort for those who have lost loved ones or are suffering as a result of persecution. Finally, we pray for those who persecute, that their hearts may be turned towards Jesus through the faithful witness of those they persecute. Amen.


Cx :-)

Hello all

Nice to have you join us yesterday Vera, what a good idea to toilet twin with
another Country. I have never heard of that before, but I think it's a great idea.

David..... The See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil took me back to my own
childhood days where my parents had an ornament of the 3 Wise Monkeys on
the sideboard and would often show this to make a point with us children.
The world would certainly be a much better place if we all pracised this. Thanks.

Cynthia I think we are all horrified to hear the terrible news of the hostage situation and the killing of the Priest in the church in Rouen .It is just almost unbelievable
that a long serving Roman Catholic Priest should end his life in service this way.
May he Rest In Peace.

Good morning :-)


We have a set of the three wise monkeys upstairs.....I think they are orang-utans but they carry the same message.

Today’s global topic is something which affects all of us…..climate change.

Climate change is happening and it is happening very quickly and it is expected to hit the poorest people hardest.

The global temperature is rising. This will cause death due to overheating and the spread of deadly diseases.

Hurricanes and droughts are caused by climate change.

Some species of animal are becoming extinct.

If everyone in the world were to enjoy a lifestyle similar to those in the West, more than three Earth’s would be needed.

Lord, we pray for this beautiful world you have given us in all its glory. We ask that governments who are involved in climate summit meetings may be committed to making wise decisions. We pray for ourselves as we reflect on how we might adjust our own choices and lifestyles in response to these issues. Amen.


Cx :-)

Hello all

Climate change affects us all Cynthia, so thank you for reminding us today.

Spiritual and religious leaders from around the world share interfaith ongoing prayers
to try and encourage world leaders to work together to protect our planet for the future

Archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu has written a prayer asking all world
leaders to act with compassion and courage on all matters regarding climate change.
We can only say Amen to his wise words and pray those will be acted upon always.

Good morning :-)


Almost at the end of our week of looking at Global issues, today we look at Global poverty


World poverty is not OK with God, and it shouldn’t be OK with us. 18,000 children die every day of preventable causes, but many of us wonder if we can make a difference in the face of such a grim number.

What causes poverty? Behind the scenes are global decisions, policies, and practices. These are generally influenced or formulated by the rich and powerful - perhaps the leaders of rich countries or maybe multinational corporations, institutions and influential people.

In the face of such influences, the governments of poor nations and their people are often powerless. As a result, in the global context, a few get wealthy whilst the majority struggle.


Christ, who showed great compassion to the poor,

give us compassion toward those in poverty.

Your wish is for all of your children to live with dignity,

with adequate food, shelter, health care and education.

Help us take up your work as a community of faith

and guide us as we seek just solutions to the poverty in our midst.

Amen.


Cx :-)

Hello all

It is over 10 years now that Nelson Mandela made his famous speech in
Trafalgar Square to over 20.000 people to "Make Poverty History" I can
remember our church members individually sponsored a Christian man
from Uganda to train for the Ministry and we contributed every month
and later we also supported his wife while she trained as a teacher.
He actually came to our village on two occasions and we all felt humbled as he
spoke of the genocide that had taken place in his Country and the poverty
everyone was forced to suffer. It is easy to take things for granted until we
hear and see someone face to face, turning to God and helping his fellow man.

Nelson Mandela's message to all world leaders: (It applies to all individuals too).

"Do not look the other way; Do not hesitate.
Recognize that the world is hungry for action,
and not words. Act with courage."

Good morning :-)


'Make Poverty History' - wouldn't it be wonderful if, one day, that actually happened?
We can but hope........and pray.


At the end of our week of looking at Global issues, we finish with one which is often on most minds……..Peace.

The basic Christian ideal specifies that peace can only come by the Word and love of God, which is shown in the life of Christ:

In an ideal world, Christian world peace means living and active Christian life full of all good works following the Word of God. We are shown examples of this in the Gospel especially in the Sermon on the Mount, where forgiving those who hurt us is encouraged.

Many Christians believe that world peace is expected to become apparent upon the "new earth" that is promised in Christian scripture such as Revelation 21.

We remember the words of that lovely hymn….
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.
With God as our Father
Brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.



Have a peaceful day everyone Cx :-)

Hello all

How wonderful it would be to live in peace and harmony with one another. Bliss!!

MAKE ME A CHANNEL OF YOUR PEACE

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred let me bring your love.
Where there is injury, your pardon Lord
And where there's doubt true faith in you.

Chorus
O Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness, only light.
And where there's sadness, ever joy.

Chorus is sung again. This was never one of my favourite hymns as I
always felt Barry the regular Organist used to play this soooo slowly
and drag the hymn out far too long.... well that is only my opinion, but
the words are humbling and thought provoking and fit in here today.

The Peace of the Lord be with you and those you love today. xxx