General Chat

Good morning :-)



“There is no ageism with God” said the vicar yesterday. Well, that’s good to know because the church as a whole, even 50 years ago was biased on attracting young people.

Age is a funny old thing. The number of those aged over 70 who are in full- or part-time employment has been steadily rising year on year for the past decade, according to 2019 Office for National Statistics data.

Clergy are well known for continuing to work well past retirement age and the church relies heavily on them.

I read this yesterday, written by an evangelist …… “the churches have not yet begun to exploit the potential of the elderly in the mission. They are the greatest missionary force that we will have available in the coming decades. The church must awaken the mission call that the Lord gave them”.

Father, cover the elderly people in the church with Your love and protection. May we always remember to include elderly people in conversations and activities. They have wisdom and experiences to share. Amen.


Cx :-)

Hello all

Amen to the Collect Cynthia.

"Two are better than one....... for if they fall,
one will pick up the other."

(Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

Good morning :-)


Collect (special prayer) for today

Almighty God,
whose Son revealed in signs and miracles
the wonder of your saving presence:
renew your people with your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness
sustain us by your mighty power;
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 for today is about the Wedding at Cana – Jesus’ first miracle.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Collect (special prayer) for today

Almighty God,
whose Son revealed in signs and miracles
the wonder of your saving presence:
renew your people with your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness
sustain us by your mighty power;
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 for today is about the Wedding at Cana – Jesus’ first miracle.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


One of our long-standing church members is from a Ukrainian background and he has been telling us how our town is supporting the people who have fled in terror. It's really interesting to know what is going on in our own locality and good to hear how people are responding and trying to help. There is still a lot of good in this old world of ours!

Pray for Ukraine

Loving God,
We pray for the people of Ukraine,
for all those suffering or afraid,
that you will be close to them and protect them.
We pray for world leaders,
for compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.
We pray for the world
that in this moment of crisis,
we may reach out in solidarity
to our brothers and sisters in need.
May we walk in your ways
so that peace and justice
become a reality for the people of Ukraine
and for all the world.
Amen.

Cx :-)

Hello all

During an interregnum which is a challenging time, the bonus is that we have other clergy to lead our Sunday morning worship and support us in prayer.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Ukraine who didn't ask for this war, and just wanted to be left to get on with their daily lives, their jobs and with bringing up their families.
(Archbishop Eamon Martin).

Good morning :-)


Lord, we hold in our hearts the people of Ukraine as they stand in danger. We ask for peace and reconciliation. Conscious that thousands are likely to be uprooted, we pray for those who seek refuge, that they might find welcome and bridges to sanctuary. Amen.

Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


O Lord our God, look down with mercy on the Ukrainian people. Protect and save them from the unjust aggressors who seek to subdue them. Grant them steadfast trust in your mercy and protection. Amen.


Cx :-)

Hello all

On a cold and frosty morning and in my warm home, my thoughts are with the people of Ukraine.
I pray for the innocent, the frightened and those who have lost loved ones, homes and family.

"Come to me all who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."
(Matthew 11:28)

Good morning :-)

Almighty and merciful God,
whose Son became a refugee and had no place to call his own;
look with mercy on those who today are fleeing from danger,
homeless and hungry.
Bless those who work to bring them relief;
inspire generosity and compassion in all our hearts;
and guide the nations of the world towards that day when all will rejoice in your Kingdom of justice and of peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Thank you for that Vera. xx

At our church, we have a guy who is of Ukrainian heritage and he has been very involved in the process of refugees coming to our area. It's fascinating to know how the families are cared for once here.

We continue to pray for this war-torn country

Heavenly Father, hear our prayers for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. Lord we ask for peace for those who need peace, reconciliation for those who need reconciliation and comfort for all who don't know what tomorrow will bring. Lord may your Kingdom come, and Your will be done. Amen.

Cx :-)

Amen to that Cynthia. I think I may have posted this prayer for peace before. We said it regularly at school in the 1950s and it seems even more relevant today.

Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed, kindle we pray Thee in the hearts of all men the true love of peace; and guide with Thy pure and peaceable wisdom those that take counsel for the nations of this earth, that in tranquility Thy kingdom may go forward till the earth be filled with the knowledge of Thy love. Amen

Keeping the Ukrainian people in my thoughts

Good morning :-)

One item which remains firmly in our news broadcasts is the war in Ukraine.


A Prayer for Ukraine
God of peace and justice,
we pray for the people of Ukraine today.
We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons.
We pray for all 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.
Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear,
that you would hold and protect them.
We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Amen

Cx :-)

Hello all

Amen to today's Collect Cynthia.

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high, and don't
be afraid of the dark.
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky, and the
Sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on
Walk on
With hope in your heart, and
You'll never walk alone,
You'll never walk alone.

Gentle hugs for those in need right now.

Good morning :-)

Collect (special prayer) for today:

Almighty God,
in Christ you make all things new:
transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives
make known your heavenly glory;
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.

Today, the Gospel reading tells us of Jesus being called ‘The Lamb of God’. - John 1: 29-42

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



Like the Magi, may we also journey and be attentive, untiring and courageous on the path to find the invisible God who was born among us. = Pope Francis.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Epiphany:

The Irish call it the Feast of the Epiphany or Little Christmas or Women's Christmas. On that day, women traditionally rested and celebrated for themselves after all the cooking and hard work of the Christmas holidays.

The men would take over cleaning, preparing meals, and looking after the children for the day. This left the women of the house free to socialize with female relatives and friends and generally let their hair down after a busy and probably quite exhausting holiday season.

Today, women typically dine at a restaurant or gather in a pub in the evening. They may also receive gifts from children, grandchildren or other family members on this day.

Other Epiphany customs, which symbolize the end of the Christmas season, are popular in Ireland. They include the burning the sprigs of Christmas holly in the fireplace which have been used as decorations during the past twelve days.

Sounds fine to me!!!


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


The tradition of ‘chalking of the doors’ is a centuries-old Epiphany practice used throughout the world and I can remember it happening on our church doors 3 or 4 years ago.
It’s simple: take chalk of any colour and write the following above the entrance of your home: 20 + C + M + B + 23.

This is the explanation and blessing.

The three Wise Men,
C Caspar,
M Melchior,
B and Balthasar followed the star of God’s Son who became human
20 two thousand
23 and twenty-three years ago.
++ May Christ bless our home
++ and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



Epiphany is celebrated in unique ways around the world.
In Greece, Bulgaria, and other Eastern Orthodox countries, priests bless crosses and toss them into freezing waters. Young men dive in after them. The first to find the cross is blessed with good luck for the new year.

In Latin America, the Phillippines, and Spain, Epiphany is called Día de los Reyes Magos. During the celebration, the Three Kings bring gifts to good boys and girls, leaving them in the children’s straw-filled shoes left out the night before.

In the Netherlands and Belgium, during Epiphany children dress as the three kings and visit neighbours’ houses, singing songs and receiving sweets and coins.

In East Harlem, New York City, El Museo del Barrio (a cultural museum), puts on its annual parade celebrating the arrival of the three kings, complete with music, dancing, and even live camels.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)




Throughout the world, there are several traditions which are observed at Epiphany time – one of these is the custom of the Epiphany cake.

The cake is baked with great love and candied fruits in honour of the three kings. It is generally circular, in the shape of a crown. (Plenty of recipes on Google).

After the cake is baked, a certain secret mark (such as a ceramic figure of the Baby Jesus) is placed inside one of the pieces. It is then decorated. The child who takes the piece with the secret mark is proclaimed “king” for the day.

There was a custom in France that 2 portions of the cake are reserved for the poor. This was a reminder that Jesus, though King, was also humble and poor and that it is fitting that the poor should have a share in the joy.


Cx :-)