General Chat

Good morning :-)

There’s a story about a Sunday church service when the children were called forward for a short story. Everyone in the congregation watched with joy as the little ones tripped down the aisles. Some running, some walking but all moving excitedly to reach the front of the chancel.

The Vicar sat down on the floor in front of the pulpit to see from their perspective and glanced round at them. “Now”, he said to them “Does anyone know how the wise men found the baby Jesus on that night so long … ?”and before he could finish his question, a little boy, maybe 5 years old, jumped up on both feet and yelled, “Star!”

It took a few minutes for the laughter to die down from the congregation. Somebody had taught this little boy the story of the wise men who took a long journey to see Jesus, an event celebrated as Epiphany on the Christian calendar. And this little chap was so excited. He knew exactly how the wise men had found their way to the Christ Child. Lord, give us that excitement when we find you. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


The Three Wise Men
Three wise men, come from afar,
Seeking the King whose herald’s a star!
A new star in Pisces, a remarkable thing,
Jupiter and Saturn in conjunction bring
News of the coming of Messiah and King,
Promised by prophets, by Jews spread around,
Wise men determined He shall be found,
For honour is due, and shall be given
To One who has His own star in heaven.

A star of His own, of great glory telling,
But the child is found in a most humble dwelling,
In no king’s castle, in no prince’s robes,
But laid in a manger in swaddling clothes.,
All signs of a life with hardship afflicted
Just as the prophets have all predicted,
So praise, honour and gifts the wise men bring,
Gold, frankincense and myrrh, fit for the King.

Jesus, it is whose star shines in the sky,
Jesus the "Salvation Of God" from on high,
Jesus of whom the old prophesies speak,
Jesus for whom all wise men seek,
So offer all praise, give honour and attend
To Jesus, Our Saviour, Our God and Our Friend.
~ William Sutcliffe ~

Cx :-)

Hello all

Epiphany Sunday and what better hymn to begin church morning service than..... We Three Kings.

We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain
Moor and mountain
Following yonder star.

O star of wonder star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light.

This old traditional carol takes me back to the school assembly hall of very many years ago.

Definitely much colder.... take care everyone.

Good morning :-)

The Collect (special prayer) for today:

Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son, anointing him with the Holy Spirit: grant that we, being born again, and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.

The Gospel reading for today is The Baptism of Jesus.

Cx :-)

Hello all

12th night.... Epiphany and time to take the arc candles out of the windows now and put them away for another year.

I hope everyone is feeling well today.

Good morning :-)

Today, in the Christian church calendar, we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. Generally, this is accepted as :

The time when the Wise Men visited Jesus after his birth – where Jesus was revealed to the Gentiles (those who were not Jewish).

However, it’s quite a mixture because today also celebrates,

The Baptism of Jesus – where Jesus is revealed as the Son of God and also,

The Wedding at Cana in Galilee where Jesus’ first miracle is revealed.

That’s quite a lot of revelations to digest.

Most of us will have had an Epiphany/revelation moment in our lives – that moment when the ‘penny dropped’ and all was revealed.

We forget sometimes that the Jesus whose birth we celebrated at Christmas spent many years growing up in a small Jewish family, growing wiser and stronger, learning a trade, waiting for his moment and that moment came when He entered the waters of the Jordan, the Holy Spirit descend on him and that voice come from heaven saying "You are my beloved Son; in whom I am well pleased”.

Lord, may we have that moment of revelation when your greatness is revealed to us. Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


New Year's resolution?

4. FIND WAYS TO SERVE OTHERS
"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace" (1 Peter 4:10)
We all have different strengths, abilities, and resources to use in serving others as gifts from God. Some of these gifts may be immense, but most are fairly simple. Scripture calls us to utilize our God-given gifts in serving our neighbour with love and humility. Making a cup of tea, shopping, giving people a lift, making someone laugh……..it all helps. As Christ loves us, so we should love others.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

How are things with the New Year Resolutions? ??

3. BE AN ENCOURAGER.
1 Peter 4:3-5 " You have had enough in the past of the evil things the godless enjoy—sex sin, lust, getting drunk, wild parties, drinking bouts, and the worship of idols, and other terrible sins.
Of course, your former friends will be very surprised when you don’t eagerly join them anymore in the wicked things they do, and they will laugh at you in contempt and scorn. But just remember that they must face the Judge of all, living and dead; they will be punished for the way they have lived."

Oh, how discouraging our world can be! As Christians, we can face ridicule, backlash and, sometimes, plain nastiness. Even at work, we can be mocked for our beliefs and taunted because we go to church or because there are some things we don’t want to join in or do. Some people do not understand or support our way of life.
Because of this, we need to be encouragers. Encourage everyone, but especially encourage your friends who are Christians.

Lord, help us build up our fellowship of Christians, especially those struggling with relationships. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

New Year Resolutions - No.2 How about this?

GO TO CHURCH REGULARLY.

Hebrews 10:24-25 speaks of gathering together to “spur each other on to good works”. This can happen anywhere, of course, but where do we normally, meet and greet, enjoy each other’s company learn more about the gospel and plan to do more good works?

Church is a good place to discuss these things. It’s holy ground and, hopefully, a safe and neutral place to meet up. It’s good to set aside a day (a few hours, really) every week where we stop our frantic rush and just worship and be with our Saviour and other Christians.

Yes, we welcome crying babies, rowdy toddlers, elderly people, tired mums, stressed dads, anxious young professionals — everyone!

Let’s all come together once a week and just set aside our life for a second to be reminded of His.

Let’s sing at the top of our lungs and pray with each other.

Let’s listen to the preached Word.

Let's hug each other and be reminded that we aren’t the only ones fighting this battle against sin and self.

Lord, help us to discipline ourselves to set aside time to be with you and with each other in worship in our churches. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

So, how many people have made some New Year's Resolutions? Does anyone keep these? We can but try!

How about some Christian resolutions to help us on our way this week? Some are very simple but not necessarily easy. They are all possible – if one is prepared to put a bit of effort in. Have fun.

1. BE A PEACEMAKER.
Matthew 5:9 It is so easy to get worked up about things; world politics, community politics, people who wrong us, family drama, church drama, etc. But resolve to bring peace. Don’t spread the rumours, don’t listen to the stories, don’t join the clique. Be one of those who initiates peace and unity.

Jesus, today I pray You would show me how to be a peacemaker. As the Prince of Peace, steady my heart to surrender control of situations over to You. Help me untangle any feelings of unresolved hurt in my heart so I can truly walk in the beauty of forgiveness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Lysa Terkeurst

Cx :-)

Hello all

Back home after being thoroughly spoiled by family.

Cynthia.... Amen to your prayer and many thanks for your daily postings..... much appreciated.

Vera, I hope 2024 brings less stress to you and your husband, family and friends. Enjoy your new granddaughter. A precious gift in 2023.

Gwen, I hope you and your family are well and have enjoyed Christmas/New Year celebrations.

Rambling, so nice to have you pop in the thread.

Tabitha, I hope that al the aches and pains you coped with during 2023 are left behind you now.

I SAID TO THE MAN
who stood at the gate of the year,
"Give me a light that I may tread safely
into the unknown."
He replied, "Go out into the darkness
and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and
safer than a known way!".

Happy and Healthy New Year to all.

Good morning (just) :-D

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.

Heavenly Father, as we face both known and unknown challenges of the coming year, grant us strength and courage. Help us to rely on your mighty power and to find our refuge in you. May we be steadfast in our faith, knowing that you are our rock and our fortress. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good evening

Just popping in to wish you all a happy, healthy and blessed New Year <3

Good morning :-)


Today is the First Sunday after Christmas

The Collect (special prayer) for today

Almighty God,
who wonderfully created us in your own image
and yet more wonderfully restored us
through your Son Jesus Christ:
grant that, as he came to share in our humanity,
so we may share the life of his divinity;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Christmas has gone and though some days seem to have lost their shine, He's still the same.

Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

On all the big, celebration days and on all the days in between.

The manger is empty and so is the tomb. Jesus didn't stay there, He's alive today, our Emmanuel, "God with us."

Whatever we might be facing, don't ever doubt His great love for us. He sees us and He cares. He made a way for us to be free. And that truth puts all the joy and "Merry" in Christmas and the New Year too.

We still have such reason to celebrate, we still have great reason for joy, today, and every day.

For He is with us.

Always.

May His peace and joy fill our hearts and homes today, more than ever before. Amen

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



The Maid-Servant At The Inn
"It's queer," she said; "I see the light
As plain as I beheld it then,
All silver-like and calm and bright-
We've not had stars like that again!

"And she was such a gentle thing
To birth a baby in the cold.
The barn was dark and frightening-
This new one's better than the old.

"I mind my eyes were full of tears,
For I was young, and quick distressed,
But she was less than me in years
That held a son against her breast.

"I never saw a sweeter child-
The little one, the darling one!-
I mind I told her, when he smiled
You'd know he was his mother's son.

"It's queer that I should see them so-
The time they came to Bethlehem
Was more than thirty years ago;
I've prayed that all is well with them."


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

We're in those strange days between Christmas and New Year. Holiday? No holiday? Work? No work? We press on.

When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with the flocks,
then the work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
to heal those broken in spirit,
to feed the hungry, to release the oppressed,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among all peoples,
to make a little music with the heart.
And to radiate the Light of Christ,
every day, in every way, in all that we do and
in all that we say.
Then the work of Christmas begins.
- Howard Thurman

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Dear God,

Fill us with your joy and the peace of your Spirit. Thank you for your reminder that both in seasons of celebration and in seasons of brokenness, you’re still with us. You never leave us. Thank you for your daily Presence in our lives, that we can be assured your heart is towards us, your eyes are over us, and your ears are open to our prayers. Thank you that you surround us with favour as with a shield, and we are safe in your care. We choose to press in close to you, in all these days after Christmas. Thank you for giving us this hope we can carry all year through.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Goodness me, fancy being so preoccupied that I didn't get round to posting on here, but I do hope that everyone managed to have a good Christmas.

Maybe a day to relax is what many people need right now.

As with all new parents, Mary and Joseph, with their new baby born in such a hurried and rather uncomfortable way, would surely have been glad to have a few days to recover from all the turmoil such an event brings.

We are grateful to all those who have had to work over the festive season, especially those who care for others, and we pray that they, too, may get the opportunity to rest, relax and recover their strength.

Meanwhile, if you are able, put your feet up and smile. God loves you ??

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Today is the 4th Sunday in Advent.

Our final Advent calendar link

https://calendar.myadvent.net/?id=yl8e1um3vtnkec075gcpyni01evojx7c

Cx :-)