General Chat

Good morning :-)

A rather manic weekend - I am just getting back onto a steady footing.....
Lovely service in our church yesterday and people were so appreciative of it.

Resurrection, new life and spring is in the air!!


God, give us eyes to see
the beauty of the Spring,
And to behold Your majesty
in every living thing –
And may we see in lacy leaves
and every budding flower
The Hand that rules the universe
with gentleness and power –
And may this Easter grandeur
that Spring lavishly imparts
Awaken faded flowers of faith
lying dormant in our hearts,
And give us ears to hear, dear God,
the Springtime song of birds
With messages more meaningful
than man's often empty words
Telling harried human beings
who are lost in dark despair –
‘Be like us and do not worry
for God has you in His care.'

- Helen Steiner Rice


Cx :-)

Hello all

Easter Sunday and our village church reopened for the first time in 13 weeks. All Covid safe and a real joy to be back amongst my church family again.

Christ is risen.....He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Good morning :-)


HOLY SATURDAY

Lord God,
On the Sabbath,
Jesus rested.
He was in the grave.
He had finished his work.

To most people’s eyes,
It looked as if it were all over.
He was dead and buried.

But only as a seed dies when it is planted in the earth,
Not to decay, but to spring to new life.
Teach us to take refuge in you when we are afraid
Teach us that death is not our end

Teach us to hope always in you
And in the resurrection, the making of all things new.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.



Compassionate God,
cradle in your arms today
all who grieve.
We think especially of those
whose loved one lies
in an unmarked grave;
or whose loved one’s body
has never been found.
We remember those prevented by Covid
from sitting by a bedside
or saying a fonder farewell.
Come near, good God,
soothe the pain and torment
of deaths that haunt the living
and bring your deepest peace.
Amen.


Cx :-)

Thank you for the posts today x

Hello all

It just doesn't feel like Good Friday at all to me...
No taking part in the Walk of Witness......No sitting quietly in church for the hour long Watch by the Cross service.....it's just so different and very strange this year.

On this Good Friday, may the Lord bring
PEACE into your heart,
HAPPINESS into your home, and
BLESSINGS into your life.

Have a blessed Good Friday everyone
and stay safe.

JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS

Joseph of Arimathea, who was a member of the Sanhedrin and revered Jesus, requested Pilate for his body. Nicodemus, another follower of Jesus helped wrap the body of Jesus. Pilate wanted to confirm if Jesus was dead and a soldier pierced the side of Jesus showing that blood was oozing out and thus Jesus was dead. This is the sad history of Good Friday; after the Jewish burial customs Shabbat began at the sunset.

https://youtu.be/LRaFdFkOVyY Were you there

THE LORD LET GO HIS SOUL

Jesus suffered on the cross for long six hours and during his last three hours on the Cross, he had seen darkness fell over the entire land. His last words were "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus gave up his spirit with a loud cry, followed by natural disasters like earthquake, curtains in the temple tore off, and the tombs broke open. The centurion who was on guard at the site of crucifixion said in himself, "Truly this was God's Son!"

https://youtu.be/uWTBaZTkGl4

THE DEATH SENTENCE

On knowing the answer, Pilate again faced the crowd and confirmed that Jesus was innocent and washed his own hands in water to prove that he was not involved in this criticism.

However, Pilate handed over Jesus to the crowd to get crucified as he feared that a riot would start up anytime. Jesus has his cross with him to the site of execution and was accompanied by Simon of Cyrene. The sentence mentioned "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" and the execution site was said to be the "place of the Skull", or "Golgotha". He was crucified there along with two criminals.

https://youtu.be/gzoj_QrSwxc

"CRUCIFY HIM"

Herod also questioned Jesus but did not get any answer; and then send him back to Pilate. Pilate confirmed the assembly that neither he nor Herod had found Jesus guilty. He proposed of just whipping Jesus and released him. The chief priests and the crowd called for the Barabbas, who was in the prison for murdering during an insurrection. Pilate was surprised and asked what relation they had with Jesus? And the crowd demanded, "Crucify him".

Pilate's wife dreamt of Jesus previous night and she already warned him not to harm this righteous man. Somehow, Pilate elbowed Jesus out from the crowd to release him. The chief priests got enraged and demanded Pilate to get Jesus be sentenced to death only "because he claimed to be God's son." Pilate got puzzled and also afraid; he brought in Jesus into his palace and asked him from where he belonged.

PILATE’S JUDGEMENT
Next day morning, Jesus was brought to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate by the assembly under charges of destabilizing the nation, refusing taxes to Caesar, and claiming himself as a king. Pilate directed the Jewish leaders to review according to their own law. However, the final word was the death sentence.
Jewish leaders were not ready to let out the death sentence as the Romans restricted this right on Jews. Pilate then questioned Jesus and informed the assembly that the death sentence was not justified. He further learned that Jesus was from Galilee, and that led him to take over the case to the ruler of Galilee, King Herod.

https://youtu.be/4_fvFfPqjO4

JESUS – THE SON OF GOD?

There were many conflicting testimonies against Jesus along with many witnesses, and Jesus remained numb to all this. Then, the high priests made Jesus undertake the solemn oath, saying "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us, are you the Anointed One, the Son of God?" Jesus accepted the witness obscurely, "You have said it, and in time you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, coming on the clouds of Heaven."

That day the Sanhedrin brought upon the sentence of death as the high priest condemned Jesus for sacrilege. Peter also did not stand as a well-wisher and also denied Jesus three times to onlookers. The interrogations went on just like Jesus had predicted.

https://youtu.be/X5Akz6J8Rw0

Arrest of Jesus –

As per the documents in the Gospels, the Temple Guards were protected by the Jesus' disciple Judas Iscariot; in the Garden of Gethsemane he then arrests Jesus. In exchange, Judas was rewarded with money, 30 pieces of silver was his reward to betray Jesus. After the arrest, Jesus was forcibly brought to the house of Annas, (the father-in-law of the high priest, Caiaphas), who then interrogated Christ but could not get satisfactory answers. He was then taken into captivity by Caiaphas, who was the high priest where the Sanhedrin had gathered.

https://youtu.be/I8nhMX_ogqE

Good morning :-)

Such a solemn day today. The day when our friend Jesus faces arrest, trial, crucifixion and death. We stay close by Him hour by hour until the end.

On each hour, there will be a prayer and a suitable hymn so that we can be close to Him.

O Jesus, on this day we remember your death, the day your light went out from this earth. We sit in the darkness today, remembering the trials you faced on our behalf. You have borne our sin and made the ultimate sacrifice to save us.

Today, as we recall your final hours, we consider a world without you and hold onto the hope we know we have in you. Lord, commit my heart ever closer to you, because I don’t want to live in a Good Friday world without you. I want you and your light in my life.

I believe in you and want to follow you all the days of my life, even knowing the road ahead will be difficult. Come, Lord Jesus, come and fill this world with your light. Amen.

Cx :-)

I am continuing to read this thread though I don't always have anything much to post so thank you to those of you continuing to keep it going.

I did mean to post on Palm Sunday and say I like All Glory, Laud and Honour as well kandj, but I clearly forgot to do it - the old memory does let me down sometimes. Another that is often sung at Palm Sunday/Easter is Rejoice the Lord is King. I love the emphasis on rejoicing.

Good morning :-)


TODAY IS MAUNDY THURSDAY - Holy Thursday. Maundy Thursday services are typically more solemn occasions, marked by the shadow of Jesus' betrayal. It is the day when Jesus shared His last meal with His disciples before His crucifixion.
It is also the day on which He washed the feet of the disciples and gave them (us) the command to love one another and to celebrate the Eucharist. "Do this in remembrance of me". It was a command, not an option.


Footwashing Jesus,
today as every day,
your call is the same -
“Follow me.”
So beckon us down beside you
to work with our hands,
to play among children,
to give ourselves away.
So may our hands get dirty
and our feet get dirty
and our bodies sweat and tire
and the needs of your world
be better served.
Amen.

Send out a blessing today
on the cleaners of floors
the attenders of toilets
the sweepers of streets
the collectors of rubbish
the pushers of trollies
the carriers of luggage
the disinfectors of handrails
the greeters of neighbours.

Cx :-)

Hello all

Thank you for the thoughtful Holy Week postings.

I used to be a Martha many years ago, busy busy, always on the go. Never a minute to call my own.
Life took over and circumstances changed and for a couple of years I turned into a Mary. Now I like to think that I'm an equal mixture of the two of them.

Thank you Heavenly Father for the ways that you have brought us to have faith in you.
Help us to walk amongst others who are also travelling along that same journey in faith.
Amen.

It's a beautiful God-given day filled with sunshine,
a real tonic for us all. Stay safe everyone.

Good morning :-)


WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK


Matthew 26:27-56; 1 Corinthians 1:18

Lord God,
We tremble to think
That it was one of Jesus’ own friends who betrayed him.
One who sat by him, who broke bread with him.

Give us strength, we pray,
To walk faithfully with Jesus,
Even when the road we walk is rocky
Even when the message of the cross seems like foolishness
And even when we feel betrayed.

You, Lord, are always faithful.
We stumble, we become lost,
But you are steady and sure.

Give us the grace to endure our troubles,
And reveal to us the glory of your kingdom,
Through your son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK

Matthew 26:36-46; Hebrews 5:7-9

Lord God,
The message of the cross is difficult to take.
How can death give way to life? How can weakness be strength?

Yet your word says that Jesus, being God,
Took on human flesh
And suffered the worst kind of death.
How can this be?

This message is indeed difficult to take.
But your foolishness is wiser than our wisdom.
Your weakness is greater than our strength.
Help us to know that none of us can boast before you.

It is only in Christ Jesus that we can boast.
In his name, we ask you to help our unbelief.
That we may love you, and walk in the way Jesus taught us.
In his name,

Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Yes I like that one too kandj. As my church isn't opening until next week, I went to the main parish church and the service was spot on. We received our palm branches in the usual fashion and then held them up for a blessing. The choir sang the hymns for us. So, so uplifting. <3

To is Monday of Holy Week - and I love this story - we have much to learn from it.


Matthew 21:10-17; John 12:1-8

Lord God,
Six days before his death, your son sat with Lazarus,
Whom he had raised from the dead,
And ate dinner with his friends.

Once again, your gospel tells us, Martha served,
And Mary knelt at Jesus’ feet
To anoint them with costly perfume.
The disciple who was about to betray him
Said that it was a waste.

He didn’t care about the poor, really –
He just wanted to fill his own pockets
And make Mary feel ashamed.

Lord God,
Often we cannot discern what is best:
When to pour out costly perfume for your sake,
Even if the world thinks it a waste.

When to be busy serving,
Or when to rest at your Son’s feet and learn.
Give us ears to hear you and eyes to see.
For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Cx :-)

Hello all

Thank you for the links for this special Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. I'll be singing the more modern catchy ones probably all day long.

My favourite hymn for Palm Sunday is traditional.
It is All Glory Laud and Honour.

All glory, laud and honour
To thee Redeemer King.
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.

Thou art the King of Israel
Thou David's royal son
Who in the Lord's name comest
The King and Blessed One'

The company of angels
Are praising Thee on high
And mortal men and all things
Created make reply.

The people of the Hebrews
With palms before Thee went
Our praise and love and anthems
Before Thee we present.

To Thee, before Thy passion
They sang their hymns of praise
To Thee, now high exalted
Our melody we raise.

Thou didst accept their praises
Accept the love we bring
Who in all good delightest
Thou good and gracious King.

All glory, laud and honour
To Thee redeemer King.
To whom the lips of children
May sweet hosannas sing.

Keep warm and stay well everyone.