General Chat

There are some amazing churches around, both old and new. As you know from other posts, when we are away or just on a day trip somewhere, we love to visit the local churches. There is always something to see and admire, whether it is the architecture or treasures housed there or just the feel of the place. I am sure Rose is right - some atmospheres seem imbued with calm and peace.

I found Coventry Cathedral very moving and I loved the church Jeanne d'Arc in Rouen which is modern, opened in 1979. When we went there in the early 80s there was hardly anyone around and the whole space seemed to be filled with light through the stained glass windows. It just felt a very happy and inclusive place.

Ongoing thoughts for anyone affected by the Israeli/Palestine turmoil and the Ukrainian conflict. May there soon be peace for all.

Hello Cynthia :-)

Holy Trinity in Stratford upon Avon is certainly a beautiful church in a lovely setting,I've visited several times.

As you know I am not a church goer to services, but every time we went on holday or visited somewhere when I was a child/adult going to have a look at the local churches was a given. From visiting the very ornate in Austria to quite plain little chapels, 'Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows" in Dolgellau Wales has a special place in my memory. The windows are particularly beautiful. It is one of those churches where the atmosphere of prayer seems to be held in the air if you know what I mean ( perhaps all churches are like that to a committed Christian??).

https://tinyurl.com/57kebp9j ( edited the URL so it doesn't stretch the page)


Chester Cathedral has amazing architecture, and a beautiful cloister garth, but has less charm, I think, than the much older St John's Church.

I hope the Wigan church building situation improves, prayer may be done anywhere ( even in a market they tell me lol) but surely there must be some cummulative effect from the centuries of prayers said in a church? x

Good morning :-)

They’re everywhere! Pumpkins, witches, broomsticks, spider’s webs and skeletons. Yes, the Halloween season is upon us once more.

Halloween, the night where children dress up as demons and witches and go ‘trick or treating’.

Think about it for a moment, what is being celebrated and what Halloween is all about? Is it uplifting? Is Halloween pure? Is it lovely, holy, good or bad?

What does the Bible say about witchcraft, witches, and sorcery? The Bible makes it clear that these practices are evil.

Because 31st October was traditionally a time of preparing for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, various superstitions grew up about the souls of the dead visiting homes seeking hospitality. These ideas may explain the fascination with ghost stories and scary films but they have absolutely no basis in Christianity.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Holy Trinity church Stratford upon Avon.

Although there is evidence of monks living in this area as far back as the 800s, Holy Trinity Church wasn’t built until 1210. That still makes it the oldest building in Stratford.

Set in a beautiful churchyard by the river, Holy Trinity Church is one of the most visited churches in England, perhaps not surprisingly. Wiliam Shakespeare was baptized here in 1564, and he was buried here in 1616.

It is possible that this beautiful church inspired his thinking and we thank God for the amazing legacy left by William Shakespeare, not only to our country but to the whole world.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6e/4a/89/6e4a89a8bd99544a75b06007c11518da.jpg

https://www.crystalinks.com/shakespearsgrave.jpg



Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Church buildings are the most amazing examples of architecture throughout the centuries. Take a look at this…….before cranes, diggers and all the modern building equipment we take for granted.
St. Peter and St. Paul's Wagon Roof Shepton Mallet, England.

Inside this magnificent 12th-century church is one of the finest carved wagon roofs in all of England.

A church of some kind has stood on this property since the days of the Norman conquest. However, much of the building was designed and constructed during the 15th century. Inside the church is one of the more fantastic examples of medieval architecture.

Adorning the interior of the church is a fantastic timber, slightly bowed roof containing 350 individually carved panels, with no repeating designs.

Around 36 carved angels are also featured in the design. The roof was added to the church during the 15th century and restored in the 1950s. The carved bosses at the panel intersections are also very intricate.

The church also contains a pulpit crafted from a single block of limestone and a really nice four-stage tower intended to support a spire that was never completed.

The church is currently defined as a Grade I listed building.

We thank God for the skill of those amazing builders.

https://facultyonline.churchofengland.org/CHR/Handlers/GetImage.ashx?fileid=209734

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



There is a lot of anxiety about the future of church buildings in Wigan at the moment. Yes, the ‘church’ is the people, but these people obviously love, and find comfort in their ‘own’ church because of the personal memories within those walls.

There are some beautiful churches in Wigan ranging from those that are quietly plain and simple, to those that have very ornate decoration and some that have special features. All over the country, this represents the ‘breadth’ of the Church of England and gives people a choice of preference in how they are called to worship God.

There are some churches in this country which have features which are slightly more than unusual. Take, for example, the quiet, unassuming church of Holy Trinity in Headington Quarry, Oxford.

On the left side, there is a small window that could be easily missed. It pays tribute to The Chronicles of Narnia, the beloved children’s series by Oxford professor C.S. Lewis. The window depicts multiple characters from the series and is steps away from where Lewis would sit every Sunday morning.

How fantastic it must be to be able to sit where Lewis sat and to admire that window.

We thank God for the skill and craftsmanship which has given us these places of worship.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Collect (special prayer) for today
God, the giver of life,
whose Holy Spirit wells up within your Church:
by the Spirit’s gifts equip us to live the gospel of Christ
and make us eager to do your will,
that we may share with the whole creation
the joys of eternal life;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, Amen.

Today, the Gospel reading is about paying taxes and has that famous quote: "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God's."

Cx :-)

Hello all

With so much heartache and sadness all around,
I've been searching for inspirational quotes to share

No matter how bad things get something good is
out there, just over the horizon.

If you can look at the sunset and Smile, then
you still have Hope.

Evenings are life's way of saying
that you are closer to your dreams.

The best way to end the day is with
a heart filled with gratitude and a
smile upon your face.

Every night I turn my worries to God
He's going to be up all night anyway.

Sending blessing to all who are struggling x

Good morning :-)

Lord, you never force us to believe in you.
You don’t make us praise you.
You won’t command us to love you.
But instead, you invite us to come.

Lord, you don’t deliberately wait out of sight.
You don’t always hide and leave us guessing.
You don’t just hope we’ll notice you.
But instead, you invite us to come.

Lord, you took such a great risk for us.
You let go of so much.
You made the first move.
Lord, you invite us to come.

Lord, you opened the door first.
You made it all possible.
You cleared the way between us.
Lord, you invite us to come.

Lord, you long for our coming
You came to meet our longing.
You loved us first.
Lord, you invite us to come.


Cx :-)

Good Morning :-)

Thinking of the poor folk in Scotland with all this rain. <3



We’ve been looking at last week’s Gospel reading and the parable of the great feast which Jesus told. He was trying to get over to His listeners that the Kingdom of God is open to everyone.

We are all invited to follow Jesus and experience the glory of God but, the trouble is, not everyone accepts that invitation. Those who refuse to accept the invitation will never experience that glory, but our God is merciful and more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved.

he Invitation needs to be accepted.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


As we continue to pray for the situation in the Middle East, we think especially of the Anglican-run hospital which was attacked. We pray for the patients, medical staff and those who were taking shelter. Lord, have mercy.


Continued from yesterday.....
When the king entered the wedding hall, he noticed that one guest clearly stood out from all the others because he was not wearing a wedding garment.

Having the man brought forward, the king asked him why he was not wearing what had been provided for him.

The lack of a wedding garment was another example of extreme disrespect for both the king and his son. It showed that he did not wear one on purpose. He had defiantly refused to put one on.

The king reacted very quickly and had him bound hand and foot and cast into ‘outer darkness’.

The man wanted the honour of attending the wedding feast, but he did not want to follow the custom of the king. He wanted to do things his own way. His lack of proper dress revealed his inner rebellion against the king and his instructions. He was executed as a rebel.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Such dreadful news from the Middle East. We ask for God's peace to descend on these stricken areas.

From yesterday.

So, there it is, the King had set out a lavish spread to celebrate his son’s wedding, and no-one turned up even though they had been invited. In fact, some of the servants who had invited the guests were killed. The king was so angry that he sent his army to destroy his enemies.

A wedding banquet was one of the most joyous occasions in Jewish life and could last for up to a week so he told his servants to go and bring anyone they could find, the rich and the poor, the good and the bad and the hall was soon filled.

In today’s world, most people make an effort to dress up for a wedding, but the custom in those days was for the one hosting the wedding feast—in this case, the king—to provide garments for the wedding guests. These wedding garments were simple, nondescript robes that all attendees wore. In this way, rank or station was covered, so everyone at the feast could mingle as equals.

And then the king spotted a man who was not wearing a wedding robe.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

I love it when the priest makes us laugh during our services - it helps people to relax and smile at each other. :-D

In Sunday’s Gospel, we hear how Jesus told the story of a king who was giving a wedding banquet for his son. Invitations were sent out…….

The sending of wedding invitations began around the beginning of the 18th century when reading and writing was a sign of education, so it was only the educated who could use this form of correspondence.

These days, with modern technology, there are various options to consider, and it is quite usual for the happy couple to design their own invitations.

So what about the king in the story Jesus told? Despite receiving the invitations, the guests simply did not come – they were too busy and occupied with other things. The king was definitely not happy! Who can blame him?

Cx :-)

Hello all

I do love the traditional way of reading in church.

Yesterday when a lovely young priest from a nearby church read out the wedding banns, he chose to use the old words.... "speak now, or forever hold your peace" taken from the marriage liturgy section of the Book of Common Prayer first published in 1549! Being a young Priest, he waited and when no one in the congregation objected.... he said, "A big relief, the objections only ever happen in Eastenders" which made us all laugh out loud.

Good morning :-)


In yesterday’s Gospel reading, Jesus told a story about a wedding. There was much more to the story of course, but weddings are an interesting subject.

The very first wedding at the church I attend took place on 27th December 1866 and was between a widow and a widower.

On this site, we would realise that it would have been a very different type of wedding to what we are used to today. The widower was a carter, so money would probably have been in short supply. The fact that they married on 27th December was probably because the Church often didn’t charge for marriages over the Christmas period.

It certainly wouldn’t have been a ‘fairy tale’ wedding and it’s quite possible that the happy couple simply wore their ‘Sunday best’ clothes.

Just a fashion note.......had they been from wealthy families, the widow would have worn a pearl, lavender or satin gown trimmed with ostrich feathers. There would be no bridesmaids, no veil, and no orange blossoms.

The service would have been taken from The Prayer Book of 1662 which is still used in many churches today.

FORASMUCH as N. and N. have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a ring, and by joining of hands; I pronounce that they be man and wife together, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Cx :-)

Hello all

The heating was on in church, it was cosy for a change. A big surprise, but a good one on a cold morning.

Cynthia, your posting on 13th October took me back very many years....
Standing on the Promises of God was a favourite that I had forgotten about. We never sing it now.

Prayerful support to those who are struggling for whatever reason.

Good morning :-)

Collect (special prayer) for today:
O God, forasmuch as without you
we are not able to please you;
mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit
may in all things direct and rule our hearts;
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.


In the Gospel reading we hear……..that “Many are called, but few are chosen”.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


PROMISES, PROMISES

Thousands of baptisms take place each year. At each baptism, the parents promise to bring their child up in the Christian faith. It is hoped that the parents keep those promises so that, when the child reaches Confirmation age, they can make those promises for themselves.

A reminder:
In baptism, God calls us out of darkness into his marvellous light.
To follow Christ means dying to sin and rising to new life with him.

Therefore I ask:
Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?
I reject them.

Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?
I renounce them.

Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?
I repent of them.

Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?
I turn to Christ.

Do you submit to Christ as Lord?
I submit to Christ.

Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth and the life?
I come to Christ.

Lord, help us to keep all the promises we have made.

Cx :-)

Good morning everyone..... :-)


PROMISES, PROMISES
Standing on the promises of God

"Standing on the Promises" is a hymn written by Russell Kelso Carter in 1886. Inspired by his time in the military, this hymn contains a martial musical style complementing its theme and focus.

1 Standing on the promises of Christ my king,
through eternal ages let his praises ring;
glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
standing on the promises of God my Saviour;
standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
by the living Word of God I shall prevail,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

3 Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord,
overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
listening every moment to the Spirit’s call,
resting in my Saviour as my all in all,
standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb58igFrrNA


Cx :-)

Amen to kandj's prayer