General Chat

Good morning :-)

So many styles of ministry…………Ordained Ministry

There is so much information about the ordained ministry, that we could spend a year on it. This quote, from an Anglican diocese, sums it up quite well.

‘Most often people are ordained first as Deacon and then a year later as Priest.
A priest (also known as presbyter) represents Christ and his Church in a particular way, through a ministry of teaching, preaching, celebration of the sacraments and pastoral care.

It is a ministry of leadership and mission, enabling all Christian people to share the Good News in their everyday lives.

But priesthood is not just about doing, but about being. Through the lives they lead, priests point to Jesus and encourage people to show love and compassion and to build the Kingdom of God. As they do this, priests share in people’s joys and sorrows as they walk with them on their journey through life.

"I would have every minister of the gospel address his audience with the zeal of a friend with the generous energy of a father and with the exuberant affection of a mother.”
~ Francois Fenelon

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Collect (special prayer) for today:

God our creator,
who in the beginning
commanded the light to shine out of darkness:
we pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
may dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief,
shine into the hearts of all your people,
and reveal the knowledge of your glory
in the face of 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 is from Luke 2. 22-40 and tells of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



Yesterday, we had the lovely story of the elderly Simeon and Anna greeting the baby Jesus and his parents in the Temple. These days, within church life, so much centres on youth and it’s easy to sometimes forget the value of age. We forget the wisdom and the priceless value of experience which many of our older folk have.

“Ageism prevents many people of all ages from seeing that potentials are as bountiful as problems among older adults… It diminishes the church's witness and mission.” —UM Discipleship Ministries

“Don't dismiss elders for there's wisdom with age” - Oumar Dieng.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Remembering the elderly couple Simeon and Anna in the temple.

The elderly are, for us a living link to the past, becoming an invaluable resource in knowing and understanding the history and background of the church's practices and ways. A willingness to listen and learn from those who know our traditions often brings younger generations a wiser and more appreciative awareness of the heritage that is ours.


"My life is in Your hands and the joy of the Lord has been my strength throughout all the days of my life. My trust is in the Lord my God. My hope is built on nothing less that Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Praise Your glorious name for ever and ever, Amen."


Cx :-)

Hello all

Amen to your morning prayer Cynthia.

My village church has a mainly elderly congregation, and so it was a joy to hear children's voices in during Sunday's service. Mum and Dad had brought their 3 year old and his 16 month old brother Noah who is being baptised next Sunday.
We desperately need young families to join us all.

White Rabbits..... for the 1st of February, wrap up and keep warm and safe everyone.

Good morning :-)


February 2nd Candlemas, and so much to commemorate on this day!

Candlemas :
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple (where Jesus is presented to Simeon and Anna)

The Purification of the Virgin Mary (a ceremony where women were 'purified' after giving birth)

The Blessing of the Candles (where the year's supply of candles is blessed)

The taking down of Christmas decorations - marking the end of the Christmas period (an old custom still upheld by many people including Her Majesty the Queen)

An ancient festival marking the midpoint of winter, halfway between the shortest day and the spring equinox

And, on top of all that, it's Groundhog Day
And, on top of all that, it's Groundhog Day
And, on top of all that, it's Groundhog Day ????


Dear Lord,
give us the eyes of faith
to see you in the world.
Where fear closes our eyes, help us.
Where tears blind us, heal us.
Set us free to see your love at work in the world.
Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


NO PERFECT CHURCH

I think that I shall never see
A church that’s all it ought to be;
A church whose members never stray
Beyond the strait and narrow way;
A church that has no empty pews,
Where all the people pay their dues;
A church whose members always sing
And flock to church when bells do ring.
Such perfect churches there may be,
But none of them are known to me.
But still we’ll work and pray and plan
To make our own the best we can.
~ Unknown


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Children Learn What They Live
If a child lives with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, they learn to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, they learn to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, they learn to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, they learn to be confident.
If a child lives with praise, they learn to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness, they learn justice.
If a child lives with security, they learn to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
they learn to find love in the world.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Tomorrow marks Accession Day - 6 February 2022 will mark 70 years since The Queen acceded to the throne on the death of her father King George VI. Her Majesty has gone on to reign longer than any other British Monarch in history, and to become a beloved figure around the world.

In 1952, King George VI's health was poor, and illness forced him to abandon a proposed Commonwealth tour. Princess Elizabeth, accompanied by Prince Philip, took his place. On Wednesday 6 February 1952, she received the news of her father's death and her own Accession to the throne while staying in a remote part of Kenya. In an instant, she had ceased to be Princess Elizabeth and became Queen Elizabeth II.

A new Monarch comes to the throne at the moment of death of the previous Monarch, hence the phrase, 'The King is dead, long live The King! (or Queen)'

In 1952, she requested: “Pray that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making and that I may faithfully serve Him and you, all the days of my life’.

Tomorrow, special prayers will be said as we remember and give thanks for the 70 years of service given by our Queen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne. May God bless her - always.

Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness, bless our Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth, and all who are in authority under her; that they may order all things in wisdom and equity, righteousness and peace, to the honour and glory of your name and the good of your Church and people; 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 Collect (special prayer) for today :

O God, you know us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: grant to us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations; 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 reading is taken from Luke 5 1-11 and tells the story of Jesus calling the fishermen to be his first disciples.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Life in 1952 was very different to what it is like now.

Food: When the Queen came to the throne in 1952, sugar, butter, cheese, margarine, cooking fat, bacon, meat and tea were all still rationed. Rationing did not actually finish until 1954, with sugar rationing ending in 1953 and meat rationing in 1954.

Food was seasonal (no tomatoes in winter for example); there were no supermarkets, no frozen food or freezers to store it in and the only takeaway was from the fish and chip shop.

The 1950s were the age of spam fritters (now making a comeback!), salmon sandwiches, tinned fruit with evaporated milk, fish on Fridays and ham salad for high tea every Sunday. The prices were very different too!

White bread 6d.
Butter 2/6d
¼lb tea 11d.
2lb sugar 1s.
1lb potatoes 2d.
1pt beer 1/3d

For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen.

Cx :-)

Things certainly were very different in the early 1950s. People still talk about the "good old days" but my husband says the "good old days" are now. Certainly when the Queen came to the throne people knew their neighbours and everyone interacted more because we weren't all glued to screens, but most women still had to do the family wash by hand, beat the rugs, scrub the floors. I certainly wouldn't want to go back to running a home without a washing machine, vacuum cleaner and everything else that makes life easier.

I don't think people always realise how fortunate we are in this country to have such a steadying influence at the top. Governments come and go but the monarchy is always there. We had an interesting talk with one of our granddaughters recently. She had asked what the Royal Family actually do. She is a very bright girl but genuinely had not understood the goodwill generated around the world, particularly by the Queen, and the amount of wealth they indirectly bring in to the country in terms of trade and tourism.

I've rambled on but I am truly grateful for the technology that gives me an easier life than my parents had, for all the hard workers in the Royal Family, and especially for the Queen and her wonderful sense of duty and service. God bless her.

Good morning :-)

You are very true in what you say Vera thank you. My grandchildren don't understand the Royal Family very much either - but I do my best to help make things clearer for them. We are certainly blessed with Her Majesty. <3

A different world – 1952

The Church of England. I quote……

In the 1950’s, the Church of England was smug and confident and had cause to be. Congregations were large and in many places growing. Many clergy would work at least a sixteen-hour day, saying the Offices and going to a daily Mass if that were the tradition, running youth clubs, teaching in the church school, and visiting, visiting, visiting.

There was little lay involvement and often no meeting, be it Mothers Union, Men’s Society or whatever, was valid without a clerical presence.

High and low
The Church then was divided into strict compartments, yet each group – at least on the surface – accepted that the Church of England was big enough to hold all together, albeit in a somewhat uneasy truce. The dismissive description was ‘high and crazy, low and lazy, broad and hazy’ but they rarely met.

We thank God for our churches and pray for a revival in faith and witness. Amen.

Cx :-)

Hello all

I also feel blessed to have the Queen as Head of the Church of England, she is an inspiration to me and to a great many of the elder generation too.

Vera, I fully agree with your husband's thinking that "the good old days" are now. I hope he is now enjoying better health after your holiday scary experience.

Sending Happy Tuesday blessings to one and all.

Good morning :-)

A different world – 1952

Education

In 1952 there were no pre-schools or nurseries, so for most children their first day at school was the first time away from their home, on their own and without their mothers. Consequently, it could be a very tearful event – on both sides! Once they got over the shock, school life soon fell into a predictable routine. School milk was part of this routine, but not every child liked it. In Post War Britain school milk, a third of a pint per child, was introduced in schools to supplement the child’s diet.

Class sizes were large, often over 30 children to a class, as these were the ‘baby boomers’, children born after WW2. There were no classroom assistants, just the class teacher and so discipline was strict. It was quite common for a disruptive child to be rapped over the knuckles, on the buttocks or on the palm of the hand with a ruler. Children wrote on blackboards with chalk progressing to
pens (with nibs) and messy ink.

Reading, writing and arithmetic (the Three ‘R’s) were very important, as was learning by rote and times tables were learnt by chanting aloud in class.
There was also a strong sense of being British learning about the history and geography of Britain and the Commonwealth. Happy days!

Memories welcome :-D :-D

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



A different world – 1952

Fashion. The End of Rationing and the Beginning of Excess.

As the 1950s dawned, many war-torn countries were still rebuilding. Goods were available again in many places that had seen shortages. In many cases, returning soldiers had married and started families, and women had left the workplace to become stay-at-home wives and mothers. Some countries encouraged consumerism as a way of strengthening the economy.

Women's dresses in particular exploded with excess fabric, showing off intricate gatherings, a multitude of pleats, poofy petticoats, and fabulous collars, all made of the best taffeta, nylon, rayon, wool and leather in the brightest and boldest patterns and colours.

For men, fashions changed very little throughout the decade. Choices were suits, sport coats, slacks, sweaters, or casual wear all in similar fabrics and styles. Occasionally bolder patterns might emerge for casual wear, but business clothing remained largely unchanged during the fifties.

Fashion in church - What to wear
It’s often said that it doesn’t matter what we wear to church because God loves us anyway. But, thinking about it, God deserves our best, even when it comes to clothing. It would be considered rather rude to go to a wedding in scruffy casual gear, so going to worship is not an issue of being dressed up to the nines, but an issue of respect and reverence for who God is.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

A different world – 1952

Health.
Vaccines are very much in the news at the moment. We are emerging from the effects of the Covid pandemic and, apparently, measles is on the rise once more. However, 1952 was no stranger to infectious disease or disaster. The Great Smog of London alone, caused many thousands of deaths and countless injuries. Polio, measles, diphtheria were responsible for millions of deaths.
Thankfully, due to the use of vaccines, these diseases are kept under control.

The NHS was developed as a tax-funded, universal health care system. It was, and still is, free at the point of use and people do not need to pay to see an NHS doctor. However, people using the NHS do pay for some things: in 1952 charges were introduced for prescriptions, dental treatment and spectacles. There was a one-shilling charge for prescriptions and a £1 charge for dental treatment.

We thank God for the continuing development of vaccines which will help to fight disease and keep us safe.

Cx :-)

Hello all

Thank you Cynthia, so much has changed since the 1950s era.


Remembering all who work hard to provide health and social care, especially as they are all exhausted. Thinking of all NHS staff in busy hospitals and also the many dedicated carers looking after people in their own homes, and all staff working hard in care homes too.

Good morning :-)


A great deal has changed in the world since 1952. Throughout the many changes, The Queen has been a faithful and stable presence in all our lives, quietly nurtured by her Christian faith and nurturing it in others. We give thanks for her and for her steadfast service.



"The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts."
Haggai 2.8

God, save the Queen,
as we give thanks for Her Majesty’s
70 years of service to this nation
and to the Commonwealth.
With the splendour of silver,
the dignity of gold,
the sparkle of diamonds,
and the quality of platinum
may we seek to serve one another
and follow in the steps that she has trod
for the common good
and for the building up of your kingdom;
in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



The Collect (special prayer) set for today :


Almighty God, who alone can bring order to the unruly wills and passions of sinful humanity: give your people grace so to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, among the many changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; 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 set for today:
Luke 6. 17-26

Cx :-)