General Chat

Good morning everyone...... :-)


I don't know that hymn kandj but I have experienced singing lustily in worship settings. The feeling of being surrounded by enthusiastic, like-minded folk is truly uplifting - akin to that experienced by football fans I imagine.

The song that always comes to mind with that reading from Ezekiel is the old spiritual one.......

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.
Now hear the word of the Lord.

Very catchy indeed :-)


A prayer for today:

Lord, at times I struggle to be hopeful when I see
a world, with too many tragic headlines;
a Church trying to be faithful,
but uncertain about its future;
a neighbour rocked by bad news;
and I haven't even thought about myself, yet.

Hang on, though … neither have I thought about you.
And I'd forgotten about when
I recognised your Spirit overflowing
in that aid project I heard about;
I shared in that unbelievably moving act of worship;
I heard about that broken relationship recently restored.
Wow! There is hope. I see light.
You are here alongside me. Amen.

Ward Jones


Love to you all....Cx :-)

Cynthia, it's hard to believe how quickly Lent is passing. Palm Sunday next week, which heralds the beginning of Holy Week.

Today's Old Testiment reading Ezekiel 37 v 1-11(NIV) speaks about the valley of dry bones and how God and Holy Spirit breath life into bones of His people of Israel.

Several years ago I had the privilege of joining many others in concerts led by committed Christian Evangelist Godfrey Birtill. An awesome experience to sing and praise God with hundreds of like-minded Christians in the huge arenas.

One of his worship songs was based on this weeks old testament reading and I am transported back to the excitement and loud singing praise and worship back then.

These are the days of Elijah
Declaring the word of the Lord
And these are the days of Your servant Moses
Righteousness being restored
And though these are days of great trial
Of famine and darkness and sword
Still, we are the voice in the desert crying
"Prepare ye, the way of the Lord!".

Chorus
Behold He comes riding on a cloud
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call;
Lift your voice, it's the year of jubilee
Out of Zion's hill, salvation comes.

These are the days of Ezekiel
The dry bones becoming as flesh:
And these are the days of your servant David
Rebuilding a temple of praise.
These are the days of the harvest,
The fields are as white in your world
And we are the labourers in Your vineyard
Declaring the word of the Lord.

Chorus repeated again (with lots of loud singing and enthusiasm as I recall).

Good morning everyone.... :-)


How quickly Lent is flying past......it is the 5th Sunday already.. When I looked at the Collect and readings for today, I saw that the Old Testament reading is from Exekiel....(the valley of bones) and the Gospel is the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. I think the New Testament lesson brings it all together nicely, so I have included that..... :-)


The Collect
Most merciful God,
who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ
delivered and saved the world: grant that by faith in him
who suffered on the cross we may triumph in the power of his victory;
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.


From the New Testament : Romans 8.6-11
To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law – indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you.

Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.


Enjoy your day...... Cx :-)

We also are blessed with the wonderful simple beauty of yellow daffodils on roundabouts and the pathway from our village into town. I love daffodils and have vases filled to overflowing in our home. They don't last for very long (too warm), but they are cheap and cheerful and a reminder of the rebirth that heralds Springtime.

Good morning... :-)


I don't know where else it happens but, around where I live, the council plant daffodils and crocus by the road side. For several years now, these bright, happy flowers have sprung up and I find them immensely cheering because they herald the arrival of Spring.

They are a reminder of the resurrection of Jesus .... of rebirth.....of renewal.

So I share these famous words with you...


I wandered lonely as a Cloud
That floats on high o'er Vales and Hills
When all at once I saw a crowd
A host of dancing Daffodils,
And the Lake, beneath the trees,
Ten thousand dancing in the breeze.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee: --
A Poet could not but be gay
In such a laughing company:
I gaz'd--and gaz'd--but little thought
What wealth the shew to me had brought:

For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude,
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the Daffodils.

William Wordsworth


Enjoy your day....Cx :-)

BananaNaNa, what a beautiful child and so very special, bless him. Thank you.

Cynthia, perhaps it was best not to have been a witness to the "disagreement" but it happens in all families and obviously goes on at certain times within the church family
Hopefully all other matters and decisions were reached amicably for everyone present.

Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within,
Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown
Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.
(Bickersteth)

Good morning..... :-)

What a moving video that was BananaNaNa. Oh to see heaven through the eyes of a child......


I was a little late arriving at the meeting kandj and discovered that I had missed a 'disagreement'. Ooops! The rest of the evening was fairly predictable - elections and reports an so forth. There was actually a good attendance which makes a change :-)


Our prayer for today :

When we are going through dark times
give us, O God, glimpses of light.
May we never lose our hope and trust in you.
Help us to remember that, however hard the path, however dark the tunnel,
at the end of it is the light of your love beckoning us on. Amen.

- Anne Brown


And now I must make sure I am prepared for the arrival of the flooring men....

Enjoy your day........ Cx :-)

Probably my last post my sub expires in 3 weeks and I may not renew

http://www.godvine.com/Describes-Heaven-fb-ibj-3492.html

Very responsible and demanding roles and a great commitment as I know from personal past experiences Cynthia. My prayers are offered to you all, for a good and productive AGM for your church tonight, to enable your church to move forward in faith.

Onward Christian Soldiers has just come into my mind.........

Like the mighty army moves the church of God
Brothers, we are treading where the Saints have trod,
We are not divided, all one body we
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.

Good morning..... :-)


Thank you for those words kandj......it is very true that we are never alone.

Tonight we have the church AGM where officers are elected or re-elected or stand down or..........sit down :-

We are due to elect two new churchwardens. One wishes to stand down after several years of office and the other left the parish some time ago. It's quite a demanding and legal responsibility so my prayers are with those who are willing to take the role on. Also, the Parochial Church Council will be elected as well as those who are willing to take on the role of sidespeople.

There is so much that goes on in a church besides the taking of services and community events. Most lay roles are taken up entirely on a voluntary basis with no income attached - mainly just the organist and the verger who receive a small amount. Just hope and pray that it all goes well tonight.


A traditional Celtic prayer for today:


God with me lying down,
God with me rising up,
God with me in each ray of light,
Nor I a ray of joy without him,
Nor one ray without him.

Christ with me sleeping,
Christ with me waking,
Christ with me watching,
Every day and night,
Each day and night.

God with me protecting,
The Lord with me directing,
The Spirit with me strengthening,
Forever and forevermore,
Ever and evermore, Amen.
Chief of chiefs, Amen.


Take care all....Cx :-)

A lovely prayers Cynthia and so appropriate when we are worried and anxious.

Our children are our flesh and blood and age has nothing to do with not worrying about them. I think being a Mum it's inevitable to feel their pain and it come with the job title!

It isn't easy to be still when our mind is elsewhere and prone to racing ahead. That is the natural human way of thinking. I personally find this verse from scripture calms me, and reminds me I am never alone and God is walking beside me too.

I, the Lord your God hold your right hand
It is I who say to you
Fear Not. I will help you
Isiah 41: 13

Good morning everyone :-)

Haven't sung 'Beauty for Brokenness' for a while.....the words are good and I love the melody.

My son is in severe pain at the moment as he is also waiting for a back operation - fusion of discs. I think the way he has been limping with the knee injury has affected his posture. Dear oh dear - we still sorry about them even when they grow up don't we? I will put myself on 'standby' mode in case needed :-)


Our prayer or today :

God, who is with us
in the midst of traffic chaos and noisy commerce,
remind us to stop and listen to the sounds of longing hearts.
In the dark loneliness of crowded living,
remind us to look for glimpses of your light.
When tempted to see only struggle and bad news,
remind us that the city is full of stories of hope and human flourishing.
Help us to be the human agents of your divine grace. Amen.

- Michaela Youngson


Take care......Cx :-)

I'm pleased that you liked the Beauty for Brokenness hymn Vera. I often find that after church I drive home singing the last hymn which sticks in my mind for ages.

Amen, to your prayer Cynthia, such wonderful words that help to heal and strengthen our body, mind and spirit. I hope that your son's knee pain is less and he is improving.

Good morning and what a beautiful morning it is..... :-)

It has taken me almost an hour to get on here this morning....not the fault of the site but of my laptop........ :-(

I have resorted to using my desktop for the moment.....I should really be cleaning bedrooms whilst I am up here... :-)

I was asked to help at Vestry hour last night......2 baptisms and 2 weddings....it's lovely to know that people are still wanting God's blessing in their lives...



A brief prayer for today:

Eternal God,
the light of the minds that know you,
the joy of the hearts that love you,
and the strength of the wills that serve you:
grant us so to know you
that we may truly love you,
so to love you that we may truly serve you,
whose service is perfect freedom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.


Enjoy your day Cx :-)

One of my favourite hymns kandj and it will now be going round and round my head for days! It seems to me that we should all be aiming for a bit more compassion and, rather than give up anything for Lent, I decided to challenge myself to be a generally kinder person (and to keep it up after Lent). As my poor OH has borne the brunt of my irritability and moods more than he should, I am afraid I have not been completely successful, but I am still trying.

Edit: I'm sorry Cynthia, I forgot to say that I hope your son is free from pain soon. I'll keep him in my thoughts

Your prayer for today Cynthia has reminded me of the hymn Beauty for Brokeness with meaningful words written by Graham Kendrick and worthy of sharing I feel:

Beauty for brokeness
Hope for despair
Lord, in your suffering
This is our prayer
Bread for the children
Justice, joy, peace
Sunrise to sunset
Your kingdom increase!

Shelter for fragile lives
Cures for their ills
Work for the craftsmen
Trade for their skills
Land for the dispossessed
Rights for the weak
Voices to plead the cause
Of those who can't speak.

God of the poor
Friend of the weak
Give us compassion we pray
Melt our cold hearts
Let tears fall like rain
Come, change our love
From a spark to a flame.

Refuge from cruel wars
Havens from fear
Cities from sanctuary
Freedom to share
Peace to the killing-fields
Scorched earth to green
Christ for the bitterness
His cross for the pain.

Rest for the ravaged earth
Oceans and streams
Plundered and poisoned
Our future, our dreams
Lord, end our madness
Carelessness, greed
Make us content with
The things that we need.

Lighten our darkness
Breathe on this flame
Until your justice
Burns brightly again
Until the nations
Learn of your ways
Seek your salvation
And bring you their praise.

Good morning everyone...... :-)


I had a very busy Mother's Day indeed and was totally exhausted last night.

The Mothering Day service went very well. A large congregation; lots of children; the youth group played their instruments and a new Rose Queen was chosen. At the end of the service, the present Rose Queen gave everyone a prayer card for their mothers as they left church. It was reminiscent of the fans of the winning football team leaving the stadium as people milled about after church. so good to see.

My family came round but my son was in a lot of pain with his poorly back and knee. He brought his recently widowed mother-in-law with them and it was good to be all together.

It sounds as though you had a good morning at church too kandj and I'm sure the daffodils were much appreciated by those who received them.

Our prayer for today:

Come Holy Spirit, fill our thoughts that we may see all things through your eyes; awaken our souls that we may love all things with your tenderness; and melt our hearts that we may feel all things with your compassion; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Johann Freylinghausen (1670-1739)


Enjoy your day everyone.....Cx :-)

I hope all Mothers have felt blessed on this special day.

Our Rector gave out 3 daffodils wrapped in a paper lace pattern doily and tied with ribbon during the Mothering Sunday service to all ladies present within the congregation. We were remembering the Mother church and the many blessings we receive daily as part of our church family.

A very good amount of money from your Spring Fayre yesterday Cynthia.
You were obviously very well supported and seemingly everyone gave generously.
A blessing indeed..

Good morning and a very Happy Mothering Sunday to all mums on here. <3


This day has become such a commercial event that many people, especially of the younger generation, are possible totally unaware of the religious significance and history behind it.

Mother church - young people working away - honouring both church and mother.....so much more than many realise.

Today, I have been asked to do a presentation for the church service. I have arranged for a young boy, who has remarkable reading and intonation skills, to narrate a pertinent story. His mum and another young mum are going to portray the action words in mime. I will then lead into the prayers which will include words for those who find this day difficult.


The Fayre went extremely well.......a great crowd of people of all ages, all happily wandering around without a cross word. I know what you mean about stallholders kandj. When the school building was altered, some stalls had to move their position....my word, it really flummoxed some of them :-)
So many people working hard together for a common cause is a joy to behold and, to add to the sense of purpose, we raised £1650. We have a very happy Treasurer.... :-)



This morning, after a candle has been lit by another young mum, the prayers will begin with the following words by the two young mums who took part in the presentation:

We light this candle to remind us that the love of God is like a light in our darkness.

We praise you, our God, for all mothers who have loved and laboured as they cared for their children.

We praise you, our God, for all mothers who have wept in sorrow and joy for their children.

We praise you, our God, for Jesus, born of a woman and nurtured in her love, and for Mary, a reminder of your patient, waiting love.


Love to you all...Cx :-)

Oh that is sad news about Jonesy Cynthia, I remember his Avatar and the dry sense of humour in his postings. Prayerful support to his family at a sad time, and the Christina Rossetti words say it all.

Is is good that your son is home and recovering from his knee operation, a huge relief for your family.

At events in my church the stalls are placed in the same order at every annual function and although this makes it a little bit regimental, it is so much easier to set up.
I often see village folk who come regularly to support the church events and strangely, I rarely see them in the streets at any other time.

It is a dry, bright sunny day here in Yorkshire after a foggy start to the morning and so I do hope that your Spring Fayre will be well attended Cynthia and that folk will dig deep and be generous today.