General Chat

Good morning :-)

After the resurrection……………

Who hasn’t doubted things at times? Most of us have doubts about one thing or another. The most famous of ‘doubters’ was, of course, Thomas……..

Thomas is famously known for doubting Jesus’ resurrection, telling the other disciples, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” Jesus then appeared and offered to let him do just that.

Upon seeing Jesus in the flesh with his own eyes (and possibly touching the wounds), Thomas proclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus responded with one of the most powerful and prophetic statements about faith in all of Scripture: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”

“Doubting Thomas,” evolved into a term for anyone who needs proof before they believe something.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


The days leading up to Easter each have their own special significance as, indeed, do the days afterwards. They are all well known in their own way but it’s sometimes good to remind ourselves………..

Enjoying a meal, sitting around a table with family and friends, we relax and chatter. Suddenly, something comes up in conversation which has been puzzling us but, finally, ‘the penny drops’.

Jesus miraculously appears to two men while they are walking to Emmaus a small village that was roughly seven miles from Jerusalem. He scolds them for not believing what the prophets foretold regarding the Messiah, then explains to them all the Biblical verses that related to him.

The two men do not realize whom they are talking with until they all sit to eat. The moment 'their eyes were opened' and, when they realized it was Jesus they were talking with, he vanished from their sight!

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Thank you Gwyn, that is much appreciated. <3



An Easter Promise

If we but had the eyes to see
God's face in every cloud,
If we but had the ears to hear
His voice above the crowd,
If we could feel His gentle touch
In every Springtime breeze
And find a haven in His arms
'Neath sheltering, leafy trees...
If we could just lift up our hearts
Like flowers to the sun
And trust His Easter Promise
And pray, "Thy will be done",
We'd find the peace we're seeking,
The kind no man can give,
The peace that comes from knowing
He died so we might live!

- Helen Steiner Rice.


Cx :-)

Happy Easter Cynthia and everyone looking in.

Thank you Cynthia for your faithful service to this thread, especially your reflections during Lent.

Wishing you all a very special day. <3

HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELULIA!

Wishing you, your family and everyone in your home, a very happy and blessed Easter.

The Collect (special prayer) for today :
Lord of all life and power,
who through the mighty resurrection of your Son
overcame the old order of sin and death
to make all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin
and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
may reign with him in glory;
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be praise and honour, glory and might,
now and in all eternity. Amen.

Cx :-)

I agree kandj about the words of Fulton J Sheen. I think they will stay with me.

I also like the piece Cynthia posted today. You’ve certainly made me think a bit with your Lent and Holy Week postings Cynthia. Thank you.

Hello all

I like the words by Fulton J Sheen..... worthy of repeating:

"Unless there is Good Friday in your life, there can be no Easter Sunday".

"Spring adds new life and new joy to all that is."
(Jessica Harrelson).

Sending good wishes to all on this Holy Saturday.

And here we are.......saying "if only", mumuring "surely not"
counting the cost for once of our carelessness
and our lovelessness and our sin.
In trying so vainly to have it all,
we have lost the one who found us.
with the saints of all time,
we wait,
for only you can tell
whether we are worth rising for...........

Fulton J. Sheen
"Unless there is Good Friday in your life, there can be no Easter Sunday."

Good morning :-)

Today is Maundy Thursday - the day when we remember Jesus and his disciples at what is known as The Last Supper. A poignant day for Christians. Many churches will hold a service of Holy Communion tonight. This service may end with the altar being stripped of all cloths and items and left completely bare. This reminds us of the starkness of what is to come.

SCRIPTURE Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to feel sorrow and distress. Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me.” He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” -Mt 26:36-39

REFLECTION This is the night of the Passover meal. For the Passover, the people are instructed to consume the sacrificial lamb as well as 4 cups of wine. Christ changes the Passover, he institutes the Eucharist at the Last Supper, a new feast of remembrance for us all to partake in. And He and the apostles leave for the Garden of Gethsemane after having only 3 cups of wine.
Jesus prays in the Garden for the cup to pass, the fourth cup, his death. The Passover is not complete until the Lamb is sacrificed and all four cups are consumed. The crucifixion has to happen.

PRAYER Lord, you entered into this world knowing you would suffer and die. For each of us. For me. Help me to remember that. Each time I am tempted towards sin, help me to remember that my sin nailed you to the Cross. Thank you Lord, for your sacrifice, for saving me from sin, and for giving me new life. Amen

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Wednesday of Holy Week

SCRIPTURE “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went off to the chief priests to hand him over to them. When they heard him they were pleased and promised to pay him money. Then he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.” -Mk 14:10-11

REFLECTION While the apostles are preparing for the Passover meal, Judas walks away from them and meets with the Pharisees and hands Jesus over in exchange for 30 pieces of silver.
The plot to kill Jesus is set, all Judas has to do is find the right time and place to execute the plan.
And on Holy Thursday, at the Last Supper, Jesus will share with the Twelve that one of them will betray Him. And Judas does. He betrays Jesus with a kiss. And he will come to realize the error of his ways, the truth of what he did, and the blood that is on his hands.

PRAYER Lord, it is so easy right now to turn away from you. To turn towards the TV or social media or the news and make that my god instead. Help me Lord, to remember Judas, who betrayed you in his sinfulness and brokenness. Help me to overcome the moments where I am tempted like Judas to betray you. Amen.

Cx :-)

Hello all

Vera it sounds like you and your OH have enjoyed a special time away for your Diamond Anniversary..... making even more happy memories together.

Tomorrow our village church is hosting a Confirmation service..... I am excited!!!

Good morning :-)

Tuesday of Holy Week
SCRIPTURE: “The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry. Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went over to see if he could find anything on it. When he reached it he found nothing but leaves; it was not the time for figs.
And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!” And his disciples heard it.” (Mk 11:12-14)

REFLECTION : Here, the apostles and Jesus cross a fig tree and Jesus curses it. It seems really weird and random, but there’s more to it than the text says.
The Jewish people believed that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the Tree Adam and Eve ate from, was a fig tree, because after they had eaten from it, they clothed themselves in fig leaves. By cursing the fig tree, Jesus is demonstrating for the apostles how he, the New Adam, is going to redeem the actions of the first Adam.
Where Adam causes all of humanity to inherit sin, Jesus, the New Adam, wins salvation for all of humanity.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to overcome my sinfulness. In this time of anxiety and fear, in this time where I feel isolated, help me to turn to you for help and away from the temptation to sin. The temptation to place other things before you. The temptation to watch another episode of TV instead of entering into prayer. The temptation to be angry with my family or with this situation. Whatever temptations are placed before me, help me to turn away from them and to turn towards you. Amen


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Monday of Holy Week

SCRIPTURE
Then Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’” And every day he was teaching in the temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words. -Lk 19: 45-48

REFLECTION
As Jesus enters the Temple and sees the people buying and selling inside this place of worship, he responds in anger. This can cause us to question how could Jesus be angry if he does not sin?
Jesus’ anger is a just anger. He responds justly to the situation because the people are not using the Temple for what it was made for, and after he drives them out, he begins to teach those who enter the Temple.

PRAYER
Lord, as I am gathered with my family, help me to remember what Paul said to the Ephesians, “Be angry, but do not sin, do not let the sun set on your anger” (4:26). Help me to not resort to harsh words or cruel remarks when my family members hurt me or annoy me. Help me to find peace, patience, love, and joy amidst them, each day.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Oh Vera, how lovely to hear about your celebrations and how good everything was. I'm so pleased for you both - you are, indeed, blessed by good family and friends.

That's a lovely prayer which captures a lot of thoughts and feelings in today's world. The church sounds beautiful and I am glad that you enjoyed your visit there. Yes, it was April Fool's Day yesterday, hope you laughed! :-D <3



Today is Palm Sunday when we remember how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Palm crosses will be given out at many churches.

The Collect (special prayer} for today

Almighty and everlasting God,
who in your tender love towards the human race
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross:
grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
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.

Cx :-)

While in the Church of St Peter and St Paul at Aldeburgh I came upon this prayer which expresses better than I can all I would want to say.

A Prayer for the World

God of peace and justice, we pray for the world today
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons
We pray for those who fear for tomorrow
That your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them
We pray for those with power over war or peace
For wisdom, discernment, and compassion to guide their decisions
We also pray for those caught up in natural disasters
And those who through climate change and crop failure
Endure the reality of hunger and disease
Above all, we pray for all your precious children at risk and
That you would hold and protect them
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace

Amen

April 1st Cynthia? Ha, ha.

We are home from our few days away and have had a great time, in spite of some poor weather. At least our anniversary day remained mainly dry for us. When we arrived back there was a somewhat soggy box on the doorstep which contained beautiful tulips and hyacinths which have filled 4 jugs and vases, 2 bottles of wine and some chocolates. They were from our son and dil and their family. Today a parcel arrived with a bottle of champagne from OH's "baby" sister and his bil. I was very touched that they had remembered us as OH's sister was a 7 year old bridesmaid at our wedding. I am blown away by how kind and generous people are and feel blessed a million times over.

One of the things we did on our anniversary was visit the church of St Peter & St Paul at Aldeburgh. As we went in we were immediately struck by the light streaming through a stained glass window and the depth and intensity of the colours. OH took a couple of photos and I bought a postcard but they don't do justice to the beauty we saw. It was a window installed in 1980 as a memorial to the composer Benjamin Britten who lived at Aldeburgh and is buried there, along with Peter Pears the singer, Imogen Holst, daughter of Gustav Holst and Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first woman to qualify as a doctor. I can't explain how moved I was by this church - our visit there made my special day complete.

Good morning :-)

LENT DAY 39:

MEDITATE: Mark 14-16 – Holy Week Story

PRAY: Lord Jesus, you are the only one who is truly holy. As this Holy Week begins, still our hearts and our minds and allow us to enter into your presence. We want to wholly reflect on you this week as we follow your journey to the cross

REFLECT: Prayerfully think on the events described in this passage and their deep and life-changing meaning for each of us.

------------------------------

We've had some good news at our church today.
Since the pandemic, we have really missed our little choir and how much we would like to get it up and running again. With this in mind, we recently held some auditions to try and build up the group and, finally, we may have succeeded. Here is a short video clip of the likely candidates and their abilities. We're very pleased with them.

https://youtu.be/AZ8zXStqzPk

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Oh I do hope that Vera and her husband have had a wonderful time - I'm sure they will have been thoroughly spoiled by their family. <3 <3


LENT DAY 38:

MEDITATE: Matthew 26:17-30 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.”
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

PRAY: Jesus, we, like your disciples, have denied and betrayed you. We have doubted you and deserted you. We have failed to live perfectly like you showed us, yet you love us anyway. Thank you, Jesus. We are undeserving of your grace and your sacrifice.

REFLECT: How has the Lord transformed you?

Cx :-)

Hello all

Vera, sending Happy Diamond Wedding Anniversary wishes to you and your OH. I hope you've both enjoyed your special day today and I hope you have many more happy times together.

Great is Thy Faithfulness is a favourite of mine.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with 10,000 beside.

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed your hand has provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.