General Chat

Good morning :-)

Good news was announced yesterday......our church is opening up at Easter...people are so pleased.

Yes, its now Spring and I would think everyone on here has filled in their census form. Haven't they changed over the years? Why on earth they want to know what sort of central heating we have is beyond me though.



A hymn often sung during Lent - very comforting words.

How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
in a believer's ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
and drives away his fear.

It makes the wounded spirit whole,
and calms the troubled breast;
'tis manna to the hungry soul,
and to the weary, rest.

Dear Name, the rock on which I build,
my shield and hiding-place,
my never-failing treasury, filled
with boundless stores of grace!

Jesus! my Shepherd, Brother, Friend,
my Prophet, Priest and King,
my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
accept the praise I bring.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Today is a very special day as we remember what has happened over the last 12 months, with our world, our country, our people, our lives, hearts and minds.


Dear God,
Be with us as we think about all that has changed this year,
And help us to trust that you are always with us.
Be close to us as we remember those who have died,
And help us to trust they are at peace with you.
Show us how to reach out to others with kindness and care,
So that hope shines out in every heart and home,
Amen


https://www.churchofengland.org/.../national-day-reflection

Cx :-)

Hello all

On this National Day of Reflection I was saddened that the village church has remained closed even for private prayer.

Heavenly Father
Be near as we remember all that has happened this past year.
Be close as we think about those whom we have loved and lost and are no longer with us because of the Corona virus.
Help us to reach out to others in kind deeds and
bring hope into all of our lives and our homes.
Amen.

Good morning :-)


The same here Kandj. Whilst some churches were open in different areas, our church and the other 6 in the cluster remained closed. Sad.


God our hearts are heavy, with sins untold
and cares unshared.
Our lives are burdened with doubts unvoiced
and fears unmentioned.
God who is greater than our hearts, deeper than our minds,
always alive,
always longing for our response, may we stretch out our hands
and surrender,
walking with you through the wilderness, to find freedom in
following Christ alone.
May we willingly walk with Jesus, The One who carries our burdens
to the cross where fear is transformed into love, and loneliness
into communion with you.
Amen

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Lent is a time of going very deeply into ourselves.
What is it that stands between us and God?
Between us and our brothers and sisters?
Between us and life, the life of the Spirit?
Whatever it is, let us relentlessly tear it out, without a moment's hesitation

. - Catherine Doherty


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


God our Father,
in your love and goodness
you have taught us to come close to you in penitence
with prayer, fasting and generosity;
accept our Lenten discipline,
and when we fall by our weakness,
raise us up by your unfailing mercy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


A popular hymn with a Lenten theme - a tune which can go round in your head for hours!!



Amazing grace, How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come,
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Today is Palm Sunday, that day when we remember Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey.

The following is taken from The Iona Community - a Christian Ecumenical Community based on the Isle of Iona.


Cheers, Jesus!
Cheers to you, champion of the poor.
Cheers to you, lifter up of the downtrodden.
Cheers to you, fearless voice of truth to power.
It’s your green carpet day!
Send up pomp and ceremony.
Send up military prowess.
Send up the tyrants’ parade.
Your glory is trotted out!
Here’s to you, Jesus.
We salute you with flung down coats
and brandished branches.
Lead us on
in your way,
Amen


There are many hymns which are suitable for today - here are a couple to keep you singing happily........

https://youtu.be/Zo5pfl6z6lA

https://youtu.be/8t8zA1N6mCY


Cx :-)

Hello all

Thank you for the links for this special Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. I'll be singing the more modern catchy ones probably all day long.

My favourite hymn for Palm Sunday is traditional.
It is All Glory Laud and Honour.

All glory, laud and honour
To thee Redeemer King.
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.

Thou art the King of Israel
Thou David's royal son
Who in the Lord's name comest
The King and Blessed One'

The company of angels
Are praising Thee on high
And mortal men and all things
Created make reply.

The people of the Hebrews
With palms before Thee went
Our praise and love and anthems
Before Thee we present.

To Thee, before Thy passion
They sang their hymns of praise
To Thee, now high exalted
Our melody we raise.

Thou didst accept their praises
Accept the love we bring
Who in all good delightest
Thou good and gracious King.

All glory, laud and honour
To Thee redeemer King.
To whom the lips of children
May sweet hosannas sing.

Keep warm and stay well everyone.

Good morning :-)

Yes I like that one too kandj. As my church isn't opening until next week, I went to the main parish church and the service was spot on. We received our palm branches in the usual fashion and then held them up for a blessing. The choir sang the hymns for us. So, so uplifting. <3

To is Monday of Holy Week - and I love this story - we have much to learn from it.


Matthew 21:10-17; John 12:1-8

Lord God,
Six days before his death, your son sat with Lazarus,
Whom he had raised from the dead,
And ate dinner with his friends.

Once again, your gospel tells us, Martha served,
And Mary knelt at Jesus’ feet
To anoint them with costly perfume.
The disciple who was about to betray him
Said that it was a waste.

He didn’t care about the poor, really –
He just wanted to fill his own pockets
And make Mary feel ashamed.

Lord God,
Often we cannot discern what is best:
When to pour out costly perfume for your sake,
Even if the world thinks it a waste.

When to be busy serving,
Or when to rest at your Son’s feet and learn.
Give us ears to hear you and eyes to see.
For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK

Matthew 26:36-46; Hebrews 5:7-9

Lord God,
The message of the cross is difficult to take.
How can death give way to life? How can weakness be strength?

Yet your word says that Jesus, being God,
Took on human flesh
And suffered the worst kind of death.
How can this be?

This message is indeed difficult to take.
But your foolishness is wiser than our wisdom.
Your weakness is greater than our strength.
Help us to know that none of us can boast before you.

It is only in Christ Jesus that we can boast.
In his name, we ask you to help our unbelief.
That we may love you, and walk in the way Jesus taught us.
In his name,

Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK


Matthew 26:27-56; 1 Corinthians 1:18

Lord God,
We tremble to think
That it was one of Jesus’ own friends who betrayed him.
One who sat by him, who broke bread with him.

Give us strength, we pray,
To walk faithfully with Jesus,
Even when the road we walk is rocky
Even when the message of the cross seems like foolishness
And even when we feel betrayed.

You, Lord, are always faithful.
We stumble, we become lost,
But you are steady and sure.

Give us the grace to endure our troubles,
And reveal to us the glory of your kingdom,
Through your son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.


Cx :-)

Hello all

Thank you for the thoughtful Holy Week postings.

I used to be a Martha many years ago, busy busy, always on the go. Never a minute to call my own.
Life took over and circumstances changed and for a couple of years I turned into a Mary. Now I like to think that I'm an equal mixture of the two of them.

Thank you Heavenly Father for the ways that you have brought us to have faith in you.
Help us to walk amongst others who are also travelling along that same journey in faith.
Amen.

It's a beautiful God-given day filled with sunshine,
a real tonic for us all. Stay safe everyone.

Good morning :-)


TODAY IS MAUNDY THURSDAY - Holy Thursday. Maundy Thursday services are typically more solemn occasions, marked by the shadow of Jesus' betrayal. It is the day when Jesus shared His last meal with His disciples before His crucifixion.
It is also the day on which He washed the feet of the disciples and gave them (us) the command to love one another and to celebrate the Eucharist. "Do this in remembrance of me". It was a command, not an option.


Footwashing Jesus,
today as every day,
your call is the same -
“Follow me.”
So beckon us down beside you
to work with our hands,
to play among children,
to give ourselves away.
So may our hands get dirty
and our feet get dirty
and our bodies sweat and tire
and the needs of your world
be better served.
Amen.

Send out a blessing today
on the cleaners of floors
the attenders of toilets
the sweepers of streets
the collectors of rubbish
the pushers of trollies
the carriers of luggage
the disinfectors of handrails
the greeters of neighbours.

Cx :-)

I am continuing to read this thread though I don't always have anything much to post so thank you to those of you continuing to keep it going.

I did mean to post on Palm Sunday and say I like All Glory, Laud and Honour as well kandj, but I clearly forgot to do it - the old memory does let me down sometimes. Another that is often sung at Palm Sunday/Easter is Rejoice the Lord is King. I love the emphasis on rejoicing.

Good morning :-)

Such a solemn day today. The day when our friend Jesus faces arrest, trial, crucifixion and death. We stay close by Him hour by hour until the end.

On each hour, there will be a prayer and a suitable hymn so that we can be close to Him.

O Jesus, on this day we remember your death, the day your light went out from this earth. We sit in the darkness today, remembering the trials you faced on our behalf. You have borne our sin and made the ultimate sacrifice to save us.

Today, as we recall your final hours, we consider a world without you and hold onto the hope we know we have in you. Lord, commit my heart ever closer to you, because I don’t want to live in a Good Friday world without you. I want you and your light in my life.

I believe in you and want to follow you all the days of my life, even knowing the road ahead will be difficult. Come, Lord Jesus, come and fill this world with your light. Amen.

Cx :-)

Arrest of Jesus –

As per the documents in the Gospels, the Temple Guards were protected by the Jesus' disciple Judas Iscariot; in the Garden of Gethsemane he then arrests Jesus. In exchange, Judas was rewarded with money, 30 pieces of silver was his reward to betray Jesus. After the arrest, Jesus was forcibly brought to the house of Annas, (the father-in-law of the high priest, Caiaphas), who then interrogated Christ but could not get satisfactory answers. He was then taken into captivity by Caiaphas, who was the high priest where the Sanhedrin had gathered.

https://youtu.be/I8nhMX_ogqE

JESUS – THE SON OF GOD?

There were many conflicting testimonies against Jesus along with many witnesses, and Jesus remained numb to all this. Then, the high priests made Jesus undertake the solemn oath, saying "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us, are you the Anointed One, the Son of God?" Jesus accepted the witness obscurely, "You have said it, and in time you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, coming on the clouds of Heaven."

That day the Sanhedrin brought upon the sentence of death as the high priest condemned Jesus for sacrilege. Peter also did not stand as a well-wisher and also denied Jesus three times to onlookers. The interrogations went on just like Jesus had predicted.

https://youtu.be/X5Akz6J8Rw0

PILATE’S JUDGEMENT
Next day morning, Jesus was brought to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate by the assembly under charges of destabilizing the nation, refusing taxes to Caesar, and claiming himself as a king. Pilate directed the Jewish leaders to review according to their own law. However, the final word was the death sentence.
Jewish leaders were not ready to let out the death sentence as the Romans restricted this right on Jews. Pilate then questioned Jesus and informed the assembly that the death sentence was not justified. He further learned that Jesus was from Galilee, and that led him to take over the case to the ruler of Galilee, King Herod.

https://youtu.be/4_fvFfPqjO4

"CRUCIFY HIM"

Herod also questioned Jesus but did not get any answer; and then send him back to Pilate. Pilate confirmed the assembly that neither he nor Herod had found Jesus guilty. He proposed of just whipping Jesus and released him. The chief priests and the crowd called for the Barabbas, who was in the prison for murdering during an insurrection. Pilate was surprised and asked what relation they had with Jesus? And the crowd demanded, "Crucify him".

Pilate's wife dreamt of Jesus previous night and she already warned him not to harm this righteous man. Somehow, Pilate elbowed Jesus out from the crowd to release him. The chief priests got enraged and demanded Pilate to get Jesus be sentenced to death only "because he claimed to be God's son." Pilate got puzzled and also afraid; he brought in Jesus into his palace and asked him from where he belonged.