General Chat

Good morning :-)


I do hope you can manage to make arrangements to get back to your church soon kandj. Is there someone your husband is friendly with who would sit with him whilst you are out? I can just imagine how much you are missing the worship and fellowship which is so dear to you.

We've all heard people say that "you don't need to go to church to be a Christian", but that's not entirely the whole point unless, like kandj, one is simply unable to get there. For those who take the gospel seriously, then worshipping together is of vital importance - rather like an avid football fan who wouldn't miss going to a match.

I once heard it described as being like a coal which has fallen from the fireplace. It smoulders for a while on its own, but to be of any use, it needs to be back with the other coals - burning brightly. So with us, we need the teaching, support and love of fellow Christians if we are to be of any use in this world. :-)


Lord God,
your love for humankind
present in the beginning of all things,
extends throughout history
and touches even my life.

Your love sees failings
and forgives.

Your love feels pain
and wipes away our tears.

Your love knows grief
and comforts the sorrowful.

Your love sees sin
and still loves the sinner.

Forgive us when we fail to live
lives that reflect your love.
Forgive us the many times
when we take for granted
all that you have done for us.
Transform us, through your Spirit,
and empower us to serve you,
this day and all days

Amen



Continuing in prayer for kandj and her husband; Vera's widowed friend; Emma's young friend and all others known to us. Cx :-)

Cynthia, I have heard this dying ember comparison before and I agree with every word. Our neighbour has offered to come and sit with my husband on a Sunday morning and it was a kind and genuine gesture but he isn't comfortable with this arrangement and so sadly, I had to decline this offer.

We have a Prayer at Home session each morning at 9.00am and I try to join in and pray for our church, villagers and folk who I know are in need of prayer. It is a way of connecting with the church family. I have to admit that I am often later than 9am but I don't think our Lord will mind in the least. This small act makes me feel a part of our church family until I can join in praise and worship and share fellowship once again.

Good morning :-)


I'm sorry your husband isn't comfortable with that arrangement kandj as it would have been so beneficial to you. Never mind, maybe something else can be arranged in the near future where you can rejoin your friends, even for that brief hour. :-)



Jesus Hugs


Have you ever had a “Jesus hug”,
Do you know what one feels like?
If you’ve never had a “Jesus hug”,
I pray one day you might.

A “Jesus hug” is different,
As far as hugging goes;
It’s a little taste of Heaven,
Here on earth below.

Only those who love the Lord,
Can give a “Jesus Hug”;
It conveys God’s grace and mercy,
And unconditional love.

Those who give out “Jesus hugs”
Always seem to somehow know
Just when you’re in need of one
To make your spirit glow.

And if you ever need one
I hope that I will see,
So I can give you a “Jesus hug”;
Just like someone did for me.

- J M McIntosh


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

Good morning :-)


I hope everyone is well - thinking especially of kandj and her husband; Vera's widowed friend; Emma's young friend and anyone else known to us.



Gracious God,

help us to listen gently, pray daily, read our Bibles carefully, laugh kindly, give generously, love outrageously and leave everything else to you.

Amen.


Cx :-)

Amen.

Thinking of all who need comfort and guidance.

Emma x

Help us Lord to work together with the gifts that you have given to each one of us.
Give us compassion and a unity of purpose to help one another as we strive
to serve You each day.

This hymn has been in my mind, and I have been singing it most of today:-

New every morning is the love, our waking and uprising proof
Through sleep and darkness safely brought, restored to life and power and thought.

Beautiful words (imho) ..... the old ones are the best ones I feel, although I do like some of the more modern ones too.

Good morning... :-)


I agree that that is a lovely hymn kandj and the words are so special. There is something very comforting and uplifting in singing the old hymns isn't there? The words just flow from our mouths and from our hearts. :-)


However, those old hymns were once new hymns and, looking at the latest modern hymns, I have to say that I absolutely love singing this :


In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! - who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
his gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand:
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

-Stuart Townend


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8welVgKX8Qo



Enjoy your day everyone. Cx :-)

One of my favourite modern hymns Cynthia.

Thoughts to all in need of strength and comfort right now

I am also agreeing with Vera that is such a beautiful hymn. Very many thanks Cynthia, for sharing the link which is very powerful and moving.

Remembering that our collective prayers are ongoing for all who are finding life difficult.

Thank you to everyone for supporting me and my husband, your prayers and kind words are appreciated so much.

Good morning... :-)


So many hymns contain wonderful words don't they? Mind you, I have to admit that some of the Victorian ones are a bit 'hellfire and brimstone' and are rarely sung these days.

Some words for today........


We rob ourselves of life's greatest need
when we lock up our hearts and fail to heed the
outstretched hand reaching to find
a kindred spirit whose heart and mind are
lonely and longing to somehow share
our joys and sorrows and to make us aware
that life's completeness and richness depends
on the things we share with our loved ones and friends.

~Helen Steiner Rice


With love to all. Cx :-)

Thank you Cynthia, lovely words <3

Good morning... :-)


Today, we are celebrating the feast day of St. Matthew, one of the twelve Apostles, and the author of the first Gospel. He was the son of Alpheus and was called to be an Apostle while sitting in the tax collectors place at Capernaum. Before his conversion he was a publican, i.e., a tax collector by profession. He is identified as the "Levi" in the Gospels of Mark and Luke.


The Collect for today:

O almighty God,
whose blessed Son called Matthew the tax-collector
to be an apostle and evangelist:
give us grace to forsake the selfish pursuit of gain
and the possessive love of riches
that we may follow in the way of your Son Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and for ever.
Amen.


Cx :-)

Very interesting today, Thank you Cynthia.

St Matthew was chosen by Christ to leave his materialist love of money behind and come and follow Jesus; and he did this in faith and hope without hesitating.

Matthew ch 9 v 9
As Jesus went from there, he saw a man sitting at the tax collectors booth. "Follow me", he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Jesus looks for sincere commitment. Money and material trappings cannot compare with being a friend and follower of Jesus. How easy would it be for any of us to answer His call "Follow Me" today?

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, will you let my love be known
Will you let my life be grown in you and me in you.

Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel or kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare, should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me.

Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me.

Will you love the "you" you hide, if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found, to reshape the world around
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me.

Lord, your summons echoes true when you but call my name
Let me come and follow you and never be the same.
In your company I'll go, where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

Though these words form a worship song of our generation, it's call to the Christian pilgrim is a timeless one and fits in with the Collect of Today posted by Cynthia.

Good morning :-)


Thank you for reminding us of that hymn kandj, I've just been humming along to it. Wonderful words and such a cheerful tune.... :-)


Speaking of being cheerful, how about some announcements from church bulletins?


• Coming Up—Theological Open House. We discuss thought-provoking topics. Your opinions are hardly welcome.

• All singles are invited to join us Friday at 7 p.m. for the annual Christmas Sing-alone."

• Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk will please come early.

• Wednesday, the Ladies Liturgy Society will meet. Mrs. Jones will sing "Put Me In My Little Bed" accompanied by the pastor.

• Thursday at 5:00 p.m. there will be a meeting of the Little Mothers Club. All wishing to become little mothers, please see the minister in his study.

• Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.

• The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing "Break Forth into Joy."

• The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church.

• Next Sunday Mrs. Vinson will be soloist for the morning service. The pastor will then speak on "It's a Terrible Experience."

• Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.

• The concert held in Fellowship Hall was a great success. Special thanks are due to the minister's daughter, who laboured the whole evening at the piano, which as usual fell upon her.

• Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist. Come hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

• The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours."


It's good to start the working week with a smile :-)


Continuing to remember our friends in prayer.....Cx :-)

So funny! Just what I needed. A real tonic Cynthia, thanks very much for those.

Good morning :-)


It's always good to have a laugh........and I love to hear laughter in church. We used to have some great times with our late vicar but, as we slowly come to terms with his loss, there is fun creeping back into our church life. :-)


Thank you God for giving me another day,
another chance to become a better individual, another chance to give and experience love.

Thank you God for giving me health, for the food you provide, for the awareness you have awaken in me..

Thank you for the energy that feeds my soul, the sun that warms our bodies and the air that fills our lungs...

Because of you I believe in the good without the bad and the ugly, because of you I am learning to love and accept myself, because of you I believe in believing.
My source, stay connected to me today and always, for I need you in order to fulfil my spiritual tasks...

God, show me how to love myself, to be able to love others. Help me become the type of person that I would like to befriend, help me forgive myself and forgive others...

God, make me a channel of your energy and help me understand. I thank you God for giving me another day, another unused opportunity to do it right. Keep us all close to you and listen to our prayers.

Amen.


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

Thinking of all in need of comfort,
For all who have no one and are lonely,
For those in pain who need strength to see them through
the stressful times.
And for the blessing of a loving and caring family.

Emma x

Sometimes, because of tiredness or brain-fog moments I do find it difficult to pray or find the right words when I am so grateful for each new day (despite the challenges
I offer my hands outstretched and know He understands and can read my thoughts.

Offering support in thought and prayer for those who are struggling and feel in a dark place today.

Good morning :-)


Sometimes, we have to admit that we are 'past praying' and it's time to let others pray on our behalf until our spiritual strength has built up again. I liken it to 'floating' on a cloud of prayer, and the experience is a humbling one. I thank God for those who are so willing to support others in this way.


Yesterday was the first day of Autumn.......my word, how the year has flown...




O God of Creation, you have blessed us with the changing of the seasons.
As we embrace these autumn months,
May the earlier setting of the sun
remind us to take time to rest.

May the crunch of the leaves beneath our feet
remind us of the brevity of this earthly life.

May the steam of our breath in the cool air
remind us that it is you who give us your breath of life.

May the scurrying of the squirrels and the migration of the birds
remind us that you call us to follow your will.

We praise you for your goodness forever and ever. Amen.


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

A definite nip in the air in the evenings now that Autumn has arrived but today in Yorkshire we are blessed with blue sky and white fluffy clouds and a gentle breeze that is drying the washing. (A double bonus).

When I was in junior school VERY many years ago, I won a prize for the best "composition" in English class. I was asked to go to the front of the class and decide which gift I would like. My friends urged me to pick Ashes of Roses bath cubes but I wanted the poetry book, A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson and that was my choice. I still have this lovely special book and will share his Autumn poem with you today.

Autumn Fires by R.L.Stevenson

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The gray smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the Summer,
Fires in the Fall.

I can still enjoy this poetry book even today, and I hope you enjoy the poem too.