General Chat

Good morning :-)

Planting a biblical garden

The Rose

Roses in the Bible symbolize love, beauty, and spiritual devotion. They often represent God’s love and His creation’s beauty. In biblical stories, roses are associated with sacrifice and redemption, such as the sacrifice of Jesus and the redemption of mankind. The use of roses as a metaphor for love and desire is seen in the Song of Solomon, where the lover compares his beloved to a "lily among thorns" and "a rose of Sharon."

Tending to roses, with their thorns and blooms, symbolizes the challenges and rewards found in a devoted spiritual life.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

That's a lovely hymn kandj and yes, it's very 'catchy', so I'm not surprised it was still going round in your head!! :-D


It’s Springtime and gardeners everywhere are thinking about what to plant and when to plant. The garden centres are packed with people peering at labels and examining foliage.

Many flowers are mentioned in the bible and there is a lot of interesting symbolism connected with them. Take, for example,

The Lily

"Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these"

Lilies are often associated with purity and innocence in the Bible. In the Song of Solomon, the lily is used as a metaphor for love and beauty. Lilies also represent resurrection and new life, as they bloom in the spring, symbolizing the promise of eternal life in Christianity.

Cx :-)

Hello all

Tying in with the Collect for today, the last hymn in church this morning was........................

Allelulia, Allelulia give thanks to the risen Lord
Allelulia, Alelulia give praise to His name.

Jesus is Lord of all the earth
He is the King of creation..

Allelulian, Allelulian give thanks to the risen Lord
Allelulia, Alelulian give praise to His name.

Spread the good news o'er all the earth
Jesus has died and is risen.

Allelulia, Allelulia give thanks to the risen Lord
Allelulia, Allelulia give praise to His name.

Come, let us praise the living God
Joyfully sing to our Saviour.

Allelulia, Allelulia give thanks to the living Lord.
Allelulia, Allelulia all praise to His name.

So why do I have this beautiful hymn still going around and around in my head even now??

Good night and sweet dreams to everyone.

Good morning :-D

The Collect (special prayer) for today:

Almighty Father,
who in your great mercy gladdened the disciples
with the sight of the risen Lord:
give us such knowledge of his presence with us,
that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life
and serve you continually in righteousness and truth;
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 :-)

Good morning :-)


I understand about the lilies kandj and I love the idea of everyone bringing a small posy with them. May mention that at our church!!



The very first Easter taught us this: that life never ends and love never dies. Kate McGahan.


Cx :-)

Hello all

I agree that having the church filled with flowers on Easter Sunday after bare window sills during Lent was a wonderful sight to see.

People were asked to bring along a small few flowers for the Easter Day service and lots of lovely people came with beautiful Spring flowers which made such a difference to our worship. Very uplifting on such a very special day.

Sorry Cynthia, I'm not a lover of lilies.... they remind me of funerals and I don't like the strong scent.

I've just seen bluebells flowering in my garden border this morning which is a big surprise as we don't normally have these out until May usually??

A chilly start so far but hopefully it will improve.

Sending Happy Friday blessings to everyone today.

Good morning :-)

One of the many glories of Easter in church life is the flowers. Those beautiful Easter lilies look absolutely stunning. We thank God for our talented flower arrangers.

The Easter lily whispers low
Of resurrection long ago.
Its petals soft, its message clear
Easter's promise, always near.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

This is one of my favourite post-Easter stories.......

Jesus Makes Breakfast: A Poem about John 21:1-14

I could smell that charcoal fire a long way off
while we were still rowing far from shore.
As we got closer I could smell the fish cooking,
I imagined I could hear it sizzling.
When you're hungry, your mind works that way.

When the man by the fire called out asking us about our catch,
we held up the empty nets.
And his advice to throw the nets in once more
is something we might have ignored,
except for the smell of cooking fish…
this guy must know something about catching fish!

The catch took our breath away;
never in my life have we pulled so many in one heave.
I was concentrating on the catch,
but John wasn't even paying attention,
he was staring at the shore
as if his life depended on it.
Then he clutched my shoulder, crying,
"It is the Lord!"

Suddenly, everything came into focus,
the man, the catch, the voice,
and nothing could stop me,
I had to be with the Master.

There were no words at breakfast,
beyond, "Pass the fish,"
or "I'll have a bit more bread."
We sat there, eating our fill,
basking in the sunrise.
We didn't have to say anything.
Jesus just smiled and served.


And this is the man who, a few days before, was hanging dead on a cross.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Now that we have celebrated Easter Day and eaten our chocolate, we probably think that Easter is over until next year. Not so, we are still in the Easter season and should still be pondering on the amazing story of the Resurrection and what it means for us.

We often hear people, when talking about death, say “ I don’t know what to think, no one has ever come back to tell us what it’s like”. Erm………not true. JESUS DID. The Resurrection proves who Jesus is. No other faith has anyone who came back from the dead.

No one else has ever given their lives for a lost world and then returned from the dead. NO ONE.
Jesus Christ is the only one who holds the power over sin and death, and who offers us a fresh beginning and a new life.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Easter Day is the Sunday when it is hoped, that all those who say they are Christians, attend church. It is the main festival of the Church's year and, generally, attendance is higher than the rest of the year.

However, it is a different story the following Sunday. The 2nd Sunday in Easter is known as ‘Low Sunday’, one of the reasons being that numbers drop after all the festivities of Easter.
It’s also known as Quasimodo Sunday. Really? Everyone knows Quasimodo as the Bell-ringer at Notre Dame – the hunchback who hid himself away.

In the novel – Quasimodo, a poor deformed child is rejected by his parents and abandoned inside Notre Dame Cathedral. A Monseigneur Claude Frollo finds the child on ‘Quasimodo Sunday’ and calls him by that name.

Quasimodo is the Latin name for the Sunday following Easter. It is drawn from the first words of the chant for the day, which is sung as the priest approaches the altar for Mass. The chant begins with: "Like newborn infants," or, in Latin, "quasi modo geniti infantes."
So there we are. Hopefully, everyone had a very happy Quasimodo Sunday! ??


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

We've heard a lot about Doubting Thomas over the last couple of days.........we all have doubts at some stage.


Give us confidence in the depths of danger.
Give us hope when we are surrounded by fear.
Still our worries, calm the anxieties pressing
in on us from the world we live in.
Lord Jesus, give us Your peace.
Reassure us that You are with us when we seem alone.
Ease our doubting, as You did Thomas' doubt.
Lord Jesus, give us Your peace.
Guide our searching for peace,
so that we may not seek it where it is not to be found,
but we may seek it in You.
Lord Jesus, live in us and give us Your peace. Amen.


Cx :-)

Amen to the morning Collect for today.

I'll be blown away going into church this morning.

Take care and stay safe everyone.

Good morning :-)

Collect (special prayer) for today:
Almighty Father,
you have given your only Son to die for our sins
and to rise again for our justification:
grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness
that we may always serve you
in pureness of living and truth;
through the merits of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

Today we hear the story of Doubting Thomas.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


After Easter, we hear the story of Doubting Thomas - the disciple who didn't believe Jesus was alive until he saw him for himself.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the story of Doubting Thomas, which serves as a reminder of Your patience and understanding with our doubts and questions. We ask for Your guidance and strength as we navigate our faith journey, especially during times of uncertainty
Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


I know what you mean kandj - it is a sort of 'wow' poem.

Over Easter, many churches will have created an Easter garden inside or outside the building. Children are often encouraged to make their little contributions out of stones, sticks and soil. They can be extremely imaginative at times! What about our own gardens - if we have one of course.

As I walk through my garden
On a sunny day in spring,
Flowers of every colour bloom
And birds begin to sing.

I’m reminded of a garden
Far away and long ago,
Where Jesus knelt and suffered
Through pain we’ll never know.

He suffered for our sins
To redeem all humankind.
He drank the bitter cup and said,
“Not my will, but thine.”

After Judas had betrayed Him,
Men nailed Him to a cross.
And when He died so meekly,
It seemed that all was lost.

But on Easter day He rose again
With new life and new breath.
He was the resurrected Lord,
Winning victory over death.

As I walk through my garden
On a sunny day in spring,
I think of the Atonement of
My Saviour, God, and King.

-Jamie Lawson

Cx :-)

Hello all

Cynthia, Wednesday's poem gave me goosebumps

Happy Thursday Blessings everyone.... remember,

"You are never too old to set another goal or
to dream another dream." (C.S.Lewis).

Good morning :-)


Easter Children's Prayer
God made you and God made me,

He made the world for us to see.

God loves you and long ago,`

He sent his Son to tell us so.

Jesus showed us many things,

To love and share and dance and sing.

To learn and pray, to help and care,

He promised he'd always be there.

He died but then came back to life,

Let's celebrate for he's alive!

Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Two Mothers

Long time ago, so I have been told,
Two angels once met on streets paved with gold.
“By the stars in your crown,” said the one to the other
“I see that on earth, you too, were a mother.

And by, the blue-tinted halo you wear
“You, too, have known sorrow and deepest despair…”
“Ah yes,” she replied, “I once had a son,
A sweet little lad, full of laughter and fun.”

“But tell of your child.” “Oh, I knew I was blessed
From the moment I first held him close to my breast,
And my heart almost burst with the joy of that day.”
“Ah, yes,” said the other, “I felt the same way.”

The former continued: “The first steps he took-
So eager and breathless; the sweet startled look
Which came over his face – he trusted me so.”
“Ah, yes,” said the other, “How well do I know”

“But soon he had grown to a tall handsome boy,
So stalwart and kind – and it gave me so much joy
To have him just walk down the street by my side”
“Ah yes, “said the other mother, “I felt the same pride.”

“How often I shielded and spared him from pain
And when he for others was so cruelly slain.
When they crucified him – and they spat in his face
How gladly would I have hung there in his place!”

A moment of silence – “Oh then you are she –
The mother of Christ”; and she fell on one knee.
But the Blessed one raised her up, drawing her near,
And kissed from the cheek of the woman, a tear.

“Tell me the name of the son you love so,
That I may share with your grief and your woe.”
She lifted her eyes, looking straight at the other,
“He was Judas Iscariot: I am his mother.”

[Author Unknown]

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Easter is more than just the most important celebration on the liturgical calendar - the Resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of all Christianity.

Easter Reflections

With OUR EYES we see
The beauty of Easter
as the earth awakens once more...

With OUR EARS we hear
The birds sing sweetly
to tell us Spring again is here...

With OUR HANDS we pick
the golden daffodils
and the fragrant hyacinths...

But only with OUR HEARTS
can we feel the MIRACLE of GOD'S LOVE
which redeems all men...

And only with OUR SOUL
can we make our 'pilgrimage to God'
and inherit His Easter Gift of ETERNAL LIFE.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Thank you for the kind words, they are much appreciated and it's lovely to have some interaction on here.

The last few days have been manic as there has been so much going on at church - and only coming home to eat and sleep! It's all been well worth it though. Lovely church services - new faces as well as familiar faces. Lots of laughter yesterday as we celebrated not only the resurrection but also a special birthday for one of our very popular clerics. It was a great day.

Sending <3 to you all.

Lord, we thank You for the love You have poured out on us through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. May His resurrection be a source of inspiration and renewal for us all. Help us to grasp the depth of your love and the power of redemption. Amen.

Cx :-)