General Chat

Rose, yes I wonder why that was such a popular school assembly hymn? that and Onward Christian soldiers.

Cynthia yes, Spurgeons college for the Baptist ministers and they did all seem to 'come out of there' the same. Although I remember great excitement when I was in my teens, when we had a set of Spurgeons students come to run a 'crusade'. They seemed to be very outspoken and modern in their outlook. Wonder if they ever actually made it into the ministry? :-D

Ann, Fight the Good Fight was probably apt for the teachers as they faced the daily fray!!! :-D



Anglican and Roman Catholic clergy go to theological colleges/seminaries - of which there are many.

Applicants have to go through a quite stringent process before they are recommended for ordination..

Depending on their churchmanship - high or low - there are colleges of both persuasions to which ordinands can apply.

There are training courses for those who are in full time employment but who feel called to be ordained and Training Colleges for those wishing to enter both the Baptist/Methodist/URC churches.

My parents were SA officers and were both fully trained in the doctrines of the SA before being 'let loose' on the public...... ;-)

Cynthia you remind me of when I was a young child
many years ago and went to Sunday School.
My teacher was lovely and like you had a lovely way about her
and her teaching of the bible stories.
I enjoy reading your posts on here as I have said before, keep
up the good work.

Emma :-)

My ex brother in law trained at a college in Bristol. He was a Methodist Royal Naval Chaplain, then a Methodist Minister. But he left the church and now (would you believe) runs a funeral service on line.

I had a wonderful Minister when I was in my teens, he was not much more than a teenager himself and really had a great relationship with the youth of the church of whom there were many. He ended up as (I think) head of the Baptist Church in Scotland - I can't remember the official title.

I hadn't thought about when I had gone to church or Sunday school
for years Ann and wonderful memories when thinking back.

Believe it or not, and he doesn't care to be reminded. I met my OH in church. He was a young artificer apprentice in the R Navy and away from home. His Mum was a Methodist and told him to go to church. As I have said, we had a big youth group, mainly because we were just down the road from HMS Collingwood so, instead of trailing into town to the Methodist church he came to ours. So, yes I have lots of memories of first sunday School and then Church - and not all religious, but all good memories.

Cynthia. My friends Mother was an officer in the SA, such a lovely wise and gentle lady, but good sense of humour too. When I was first married she used to turn up wth the SA band opposite my house on Sunday mornings siniging with great gusto I have so many happy memories.

It's so nice to hear these happy reminiscences....thank you everyone. :-)

Cynthia and others. Have read through recent posts and some very nice thoughts. And I don't mind the admonitions either.

I started my Christian life in 1982 and was 36. Not a Christian family, so really found myself swimming in deep water for many years. I would stand up when others sat down, I would know few of the hymns, I would look for Hebrews and Jude in the Old Testament.

I am very enthusiastic about the merits of Jesus and love to link Old Testament passages with new. I do very little praying in any formal manner. I am often asked to pray publicly and can do that without notes, but seldom drop down at the side of teh bed like I did as a boy. But I do talk to God regularly. Even when I drive or walk I have a conversation. I feel he listens all the time and helps me. I try to be a 24/7 Christian.

I am sure the more you grow in grace, the more you realise the depth of your sin. One of the most perfect men in this world (Rev John Fletcher of Madely, Salop 1729-1785) frequently wrote that he was the worst of sinners. I just think the closer you get to heaven, the more you realise you fall short of the example of Jesus. And the more you think you do not deserve to be treated by God as co-equal with your Saviour. Tis mystery all, the Immortal dies.

I would gently like to suggest then John, that when you are next having a conversation with God, you ask for advice on how to deal with the current political conversation taking place on these boards. Maybe ask Him to guide your words and calm your thoughts.


It seems as though your feelings are so strong that you are leaving Him out of the equation. HE needs to be right in there with you and YOU need to have Him there.




I rarely drop to my knees these days either.......mainly because it's so hard to get up again!! :-D

I suppose my feelings are strong about some politicians, Cynthia. And I do ask God for help in forming my views about them and what they do.

I am pretty certain that God is very very unhappy with many of the actions of our politicians. Some of our MPs and ex-MPs are in prison for fraud, we have just had a major expenses scandal, powerful politicians and civil servants seem to be heavily involved in child abuse scandal.

Jesus cared for children, cared for the poor. Government policies have led to a huge number of people having to claim benefits and credits to live (when we thought we were moving away from means testing). And children are left alone because their parent or parents has to go out to work and cannot afford child care. All this is happening in the country with the sixth greatest assets per head of population.

That a daughter of a Methodist local preacher should be the architect of the opposite of what Jesus wanted seems to me to have been a gross betrayal of her responsibilities. And I feel the same about Blair and Brown. Nothing to do with hatred for them. Just for their actions.

John, may I humbly suggest that you read what you have just written and pray for a little guidance.

Sorry John, I have tried to stay off this thread but

That a daughter of a Methodist local preacher should be the architect of the opposite of what Jesus wanted seems to me to have been a gross betrayal of her responsibilities. And I feel the same about (Blair and Brown). Nothing to do with hatred for them. Just for their actions.

:-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S

Away and gone

Roy

Roy and Errol. Getting very tired, and not sure what you are both getting at. Will have a proper look in morning when refreshed. Nice to see you both on this thread :-)

I must have said this before!
Mum and family walked at least times twice a day on a Sunday to Chapel the opposite side of the village up very steep hill.,about a mile,

Mum used to say.....
You don't need to attend the Chapel every Sunday to be a Christian [ and in her later years wasnt' able to as she used to , there were no services in the village.]
If you are a believer you can make your prayers at anytime at home or in a chapel or church ,you must live your life as you believe it to be.

Why have poliiticans come into this thread ? Christians they may be but,
Please leave politics out.

In no way do I want Cynthia's thread changed from what she wants it to be.

Take care all
Sandie'x

John ................

your views re that politician is the absolute reverse from what I understood her to have done

and, I think if you really look back at the state of the UK in 178 and 1979, you may also see something different.

I was horrified when I googled last night, at some of the images I saw of what she faced when she came in to power in March 1979. Leicester Square filled with garbage, in bags and strewn around, because of a strike. Tales of bodies piling up in mortuaries because grave diggers were on illegal strike.20% inflation. Unions demanding salary increases of 20 or 30%. Businesses closing or leaving the country. On and on it went.

The UK would not have survived much longer under those conditions.

You were very close to becoming a Third World country.

Those of us overseas watched with horror.


If what she did was so very bad, why has no subsequent government, Labour or Tory, ever repealed them???


In the meantime, like others, I think you displayed less than Christian charity in your words on this thread .................


never speak ill of the dead

show charity to others



.............. and also that politics really has no place on this thread.

I'm known as being a-religious ............

............ but I had a darned good grounding in Anglican theology, by virtue of attending an Anglican church school from age 4 to 11.

There was no attention paid to how young we were when the vicar came to give us lessons, nor when he preached during our once weekly attendance at a morning service in the church

We were also taught very firmly about Christian charity, and say no evil about anyone. That was in addition to what our parents taught us

Then I went to a state Grammar School, where we had religious instruction twice weekly for 2 years ................. given by a Welsh tub thumping Methodist Minister, and I mean that literally!. Then we got a much calmer, and boring, Anglican teacher, and the lessons dropped to once a week, before we were able to drop Religious Instruction for good in the 4th year.


Morning hymns were the saving grace!


Meanwhile, OH's grandfather was a Welsh Methodist minister, entered the ministry late after an apprenticeship of 7 years in furniture building, and worked the North Wales circuit. He changed parishes every 3 years ............... and only one of the manses he lived in from about 1902 to his death in 1937 had anything other than an earth floor

My m-i-l had wonderful stories of how she and her 2 siblings managed to avoid signing the pledge, as they were supposed to do every year once they reached a certain age. She became a devout Anglican after marrying.


No, I do not go to church, except for baptisms, marriages and burials.

Yes, I do understand a lot of theology, and what the church means to people.

I certainly don't want to spoil anybody's enjoyment of this thread and prefer to keep it non-contentious as I know Cynthia does.

I think there is a difference between showing charity (or unconditional love) for someone and judging the ACTIONS of that person.

It is difficult (very difficult) to love some politicos as people. Tony Blair, for example. Now I don't know if he was right or wrong to go into Iraq and I'm sure he was under intense pressure from George Bush and daddy. But he sexed up a report (probably openly lied to Commons) to get support from Tories and his divided side of the Commons.

I think deep down I can love Tony Blair as a person. I am sure I don't hate him, or Mrs T or anybody else as a person. Do we as Christians not comment on (nay, even hate) these actions of politicians though? Particularly if they directly affect the vulnerable and the children in our society? I will promise to try to keep politics off this thread.

I'm a bit confused.

From what I've read of the bible both God and Jesus could get quite angry. And isn't there a concept of "Righteous Anger"?

I'm not a fan of the increasingly bland Christianity I see today. I was raised Welsh Chapel and our minister could certainly get quite cross.