General Chat

Good morning :-)


I am now working hard to scan and print pictures for my OH's upcoming 80th birthday - (he married a child bride remember) - we can't do much but I want to make it special for him.


The Collect (special prayer) for the fourth Sunday before Advent..

Almighty and eternal God,
you have kindled the flame of love in the hearts of the saints:
Grant to us the same faith and power of love,
that, as we rejoice in their triumphs,
we may be sustained by their example and fellowship;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Amen.

The gospel tells the story of Zacchaeus the tax collector, who climbed a tree in order to see Jesus.



Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

For today.....

Those who leave everything in God’s hand will eventually see God’s hand in everything.



Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


God's love is always considered as all-embracing David - a wonderful thought.


For today:


Lord, I ask that this day you would give me the opportunities to speak of you and when they come you would give me your words to say. Amen.


I love the quote from St. Francis....."Preach the gospel at all times - if necessary, use words. :-)


Cx :-)

Like your last posing, it's all embracing <3

Good morning :-)


Today's thought for the day........

The best gifts to give:

To your friend, loyalty;
To your enemy, forgiveness;
To your boss, service;
To a child, a good example;
To your parents, gratitude and devotion;
To your mate, love and faithfulness;
To all men and women, charity;
and To God, your life.


Love to all Cx :-)

It was so good to open up this morning and see that you had posted Kandj. I am so sorry that things are still not too good for your OH and hope that things will start to pick up very soon. Stay strong and remember to take care of yourself as well.

You are ever in my thoughts <3

Good morning :-)


I had to do a 'double take' when I saw kandj's name bless her. How lovely of her to pop in when she has so much on her hands at the moment. We continue to pray for both her and her husband as the battle through each day....... <3


A thought for today....

DEFINITION

A Christian is:

A mind through which Christ thinks.

A heart through which Christ loves.

A voice through which Christ speaks.

A hand through which Christ helps.


Something to bear in mind as we go about our daily lives.

Love to all Cx :-)

Hello all

WOW..... your prayer today could have been written with us in mind Cynthia and
so I will say a very big AMEN to that.

Not a great deal of change here and so we continue to take baby steps recognizing
that all is not so good right now, but we step back and hope for a better time to come

I am popping in to read up and say THANK YOU for all your thoughts and prayers.
You are all really so kind and this is very much appreciated right now. xx

Good morning :-)


Continuing our week of Christian thoughts and quotes.....


Lord I have no words,
but thankfully you know exactly how I feel.
Be my voice today,
help me to focus on you knowing that you have my best interests at heart.
Thank you that you are with me and you will be my comfort and help.
Amen

Love to all C :-)

Thinking of kandj and her husband and others
who are in need of comfort and prayer. x

Good morning :-)

A quiet Sunday in church yesterday and a contrast to the festivities of last week. This is a common occurrence and it was actually quite nice to have a peaceful service with an excellent sermon.

This week some Christian thoughts and quotes.

“Don’t be an ‘average Christian’ who attends church on Sunday mornings, wears a cross around their neck and has a faith sticker on their car, but forgets about God until next Sunday comes round. God wants you to give him not just your Sunday mornings but your all!


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Thank you Rollo, that was an interesting read. I remember the word 'dew' being used but that article added an extra dimension.


I spent an hour or so at church yesterday with another lady who is interested in family history, and we sorted out all the registers and books which we felt belonged in the local archives. It was so interesting to see Minutes from meetings a hundred year ago - usually discussing the same sort of thing which is discussed these days!

They have been duly packed into the specialised archive boxes and will be taken there soon.


The Collect (special prayer) for today:

Blessed Lord,
who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
help us so to hear them,
to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them
that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word,
we may embrace and for ever hold fast
the hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

The Gospel reading for today tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax man.


Love to all Cx :-)

"Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall "

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2016/10/22/sacred-mysteries-the-return-of-the-dew-that-we-hardly-knew-wed-l/

Good morning :-)


Morning is God’s way of saying one more time –
“Go and make a difference, touch a heart -
Encourage a mind -
Inspire a soul -
And enjoy the day.”



Cx :-)

Good morning everyone :-)


May you find a gift this morning
Laid out for you in the sky.
A beautiful reminder
That sets your hope in flight.

May you notice birds above you
That soar and ride the winds.
And know that as you lift your prayer
God lifts your heart and sings.

May you hear the sweet birds chirping
May you smell the fresh cool air
And know that God's love is all around
Holding you so dear.

May this day be like a present
That fills your heart with awe
And takes your world from grey to gold
And soothes your very soul.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Like others, praying for kandj and her husband at this difficult time and for all who are caring for loved ones.


We remain thankful for so many things


Lord, we thank you for this day:
for life
and one more day to love,
for opportunity
and one more day to work for justice and peace,
for neighbors
and one more person to love
and by whom be loved,
for your grace
and one more experience of your presence,
for your promise:
to be with us,
to be our God,
and to give salvation. Amen.

Cx :-)

Remembering Kandj and her OH in my thoughts
and prayers x

Good morning :-)


How lovely to be joined by others............. <3


Pat, you told us not long ago, that the bells where you live are not exactly melodious so I can imagine the ear pain :-D What a shame that such a special day for your area is gradually being downgraded by so much disinterest and tat on display.

There has been a furore over here regarding the bells of York Minster. It seems as though there has been some sort of 'issue' with one person, and all the volunteer bell ringers have been sacked. Its caused quite a stir in some church circles. I am one of those folk who feel that the situation has not been handled well - volunteers are the life blood of any church and they are to be cherished.

David - yes indeed the Hail Mary is mainly taken from scripture - mostly St. Luke as you say. Anglo Saxons were pagans.

Dermot my friend, commenting on here is not butting in at all......anyone is welcome to comment, light heartedly or seriously. That is an interesting articles you have penned and I can see the point of it. I think perhaps it is a fine line between welcoming little ones into church and making them feel comfortable, to allowing them to rampage, out of parental control, around the building.

We have a meeting room which adjoins church and we have a cupboard with lots of toys etc in it. We used to have an organised crèche for the pre-schoolers but finding leaders was an issue. Now, the little ones are welcomed into church and given school type bag which contains books, papers and crayons and they can either go into the meeting room or stay in church - that is up to the parents.

It can be difficult at times, to maintain a sense of equilibrium between making the littlies welcome and keeping the oldies happy. Certainly there isn't the sense of discipline you and I had when attending church, and many parents seem to lack 'gumption'. For those who are wishing to enjoy the worship and concentrate on what is going on, it can be difficult if a child is yammering up and down the pew in front whilst the parent checks their phone!!

Somewhere, there has to be a happy medium and a sense of understanding on both sides.

And on that note......we will give thanks......... :-)


Lord, we thank you for setting us in communities:
for families
who nurture our becoming,
for friends
who love us by choice,
for companions at work,
who share our burdens and daily tasks,
for strangers
who welcome us into their midst,
for people from other lands
who call us to grow in understanding,
for children
who lighten our moments with delight,
for the unborn,
who offer us hope for the future. Amen.


Cx :-)

Cynthia - I hope you don't mind me butting in here with this supposedly light-hearted composition I plan to submit for our parish magazine due out at Christmas. I'm sure the readers of this thread will point out anything I've said that might lead to my excommunication or worse. Here goes!
-------------------------------
Amongst the various items discussed at the Parish Pastoral Council meeting held a few weeks ago was the worrying dearth of youngsters & young families attending our churches. One might conclude that the Pied Piper of Hamelin had marched through the area.

There was an old rule of thumb much loved and adhered to by adults of a bye-gone generation that suggested young children should be seen and not heard. Few, it should be said, took that idea more to heart than the Catholic Church. The only noise expected to be made (the collection plate excepted) during Mass was to respond to the priest in the way laid out in the Mass booklet.

For the few carefree youngsters who might have taken a more freestyle approach to proceedings on the Altar, there were special rooms – still are in some churches – into which those likely to make irritant noises during Mass were corralled like sheep.

Some foolhardy inexperienced parents were brave enough to take a chance on their little treasures maintaining a job-like silence during ceremonies. But they then ran the risk of having to take the ultimate walk of shame down the side aisle with a screaming child wriggling from their grasp while the priest would halt proceedings temporarily just to heighten the tension & embarrassment.

Talking during Mass was up there with stealing the altar wine in terms of sin – but, it seems, no more. One church in London I used to attend made a point of reminding parents that there were crayons and sheets of paper in front of the altar in case any of the younger participants need a temporary diversion.

Apparently, this church isn't on its own in this more liberal approach to children – other churches have been doing so for years – although I’ve not witnessed it in Devon yet.

The sheets of paper supplied – it must be said – had a religious theme to them, but little people just want to colour inside and outside the printed lines; some very young ones may not recognise Christ’s face from Goosy Goosy Gander on TV, and they're as likely to give Him a purple face as a flesh-coloured one. No harm!

Nobody really minds the odd yelp out of a little person during Mass – at least outside of the consecration – and bringing them along is the only way that young parents themselves can get to go in the first place.

Equally, after arriving at church, what's the point of enclosing yourself & offspring in a soundproof room away from the main body of the Church? You might as well stay at home and tune into a Mass on local radio.

So setting out the crayons is a good idea – assuming the little ones stick to colouring in the pages rather than parts of the church’s ancient & precious fabric. There is little wrong with a little bit of noise during Mass anyway; God did not intend anyone to sit like automatons, speaking only when spoken to – and certainly healthy two year olds were never put on this earth to sit still for very long.

Small steps for sure, but ones in the right direction – and maybe the next generation will turn Mass attendance into an art form as well as regular occurrence. Please God, it will happen!

Sometimes wonder what religion the Angles and Saxons were converted from.