General Chat

Good morning :-)


This weekend our church is celebrating its 150th anniversary. I was there last night helping to set things up......lots and lots of photographs recalling past events. Today the building is open for people to look around and tomorrow we are holding a special celebration service in the evening. Busy....busy...

For today.......this is a prayer for all churches, not just mine....

On this our special weekend, we pray for our church…….


O God our heavenly Father,
Make the door of our church wide enough to receive
All who need human love and fellowship and a Father’s love,
And narrow enough to shut out all envy, pride and uncharitableness.
Here, may the tempted find help and the sorrowing receive comfort.
Here may the careless be awakened to repentance, and the penitent
Assured of your mercy
And here may all your children renew their strength in you and go on their way rejoicing,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


I spent a fair amount of time, on and off, at church yesterday. Those who visited really seemed to enjoy looking at the old photos and re-living happy memories.
Today, we have the Annual Enrolment Service for our Boys' Brigade company and this evening, we are having a Celebration Service - so 'tis all go!!! :-D


The Collect (special prayer) for today :

Grant, we beseech you, merciful Lord,
to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that they may be cleansed from all their sins
and serve you with a quiet mind;
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.


The gospel reading is from St. Luke and tells the story of the persistent widow.....never give up praying.


Love to all Cx :-)

Good morning - from the walking dead :-)


An excellent weekend at church culminating at our Celebration Service last night. It was something my OH and I had put together and I lead the presentation which involved 10 children. It all went really well and I received so many thanks - it was almost embarrassing. Well worth it though. :-D


God of all blessings,
source of all life,
giver of all grace:

We thank you for the gift of life:
for the breath
that sustains life,
for the food of this earth
that nurtures life,
for the love of family and friends
without which there would be no life.
We thank you Lord....Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


We continue to give thanks.......

We thank you for the mystery of creation:
for the beauty
that the eye can see,
for the joy
that the ear may hear,
for the unknown
that we cannot behold filling the universe with wonder,
for the expanse of space
that draws us beyond the definitions of our selves.
Amen.


Cx :-)

The bells, the bells!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last night that awful clanging we get here, it was 4 x 20 minutes from 6 pm - 9 pm this morning the same, 7 am to start a service 7.45 am to finish, 8.30 am start to 9. 30 finish. More to come today.

It's St Luke's Day here and guess who's patron saint of the village?

They'll be stalls out in the main street, school children off school and we'll have traffic jams all day and evening going through the village.

Even the older locals don't like today - OK if you have children as there are a couple of rides set up, they enjoy themselves but there's only so much religious items, nuts and niff naff that you can buy.

It was different years ago when people traveled to their villages on saints days if they lived away from there. Families got together. Now they all have cars so doesn't mean so much. The young aren't so religious and the stalls aren't full of special foods now it's mainly cheap tat. Shame but as they say - that's progress.

Off out for a couple of hours, then back and hiding away until tomorrow. Need to get the car back in the drive by midday as we sometimes get cars parked up our street from lunchtime until very late even though we're about half a mile from the action.

Only 1 day a year :-)

Isn't it funny how church bells rung for a few minutes before a service or to celebrate a wedding sound wonderful, yet constant ringing of them can drive you mad. I hope you have a reasonably peaceful day Pat.

I do think it is sad, though, when someone buys a house next to a church and then complains about the bells or the clock, with the result that the church is silenced.

It sounds as though your church anniversary weekend went very well Cynthia. I hope you have recovered from your exertions.

Still thinking of Kandj and her OH and hoping that there are some signs of improvement at last.

I'm not Catholic, but I know the Hail Mary consists mostly of the scripture in the Gospel according to St Luke.

Sometimes wonder what religion the Angles and Saxons were converted from.

Cynthia - I hope you don't mind me butting in here with this supposedly light-hearted composition I plan to submit for our parish magazine due out at Christmas. I'm sure the readers of this thread will point out anything I've said that might lead to my excommunication or worse. Here goes!
-------------------------------
Amongst the various items discussed at the Parish Pastoral Council meeting held a few weeks ago was the worrying dearth of youngsters & young families attending our churches. One might conclude that the Pied Piper of Hamelin had marched through the area.

There was an old rule of thumb much loved and adhered to by adults of a bye-gone generation that suggested young children should be seen and not heard. Few, it should be said, took that idea more to heart than the Catholic Church. The only noise expected to be made (the collection plate excepted) during Mass was to respond to the priest in the way laid out in the Mass booklet.

For the few carefree youngsters who might have taken a more freestyle approach to proceedings on the Altar, there were special rooms – still are in some churches – into which those likely to make irritant noises during Mass were corralled like sheep.

Some foolhardy inexperienced parents were brave enough to take a chance on their little treasures maintaining a job-like silence during ceremonies. But they then ran the risk of having to take the ultimate walk of shame down the side aisle with a screaming child wriggling from their grasp while the priest would halt proceedings temporarily just to heighten the tension & embarrassment.

Talking during Mass was up there with stealing the altar wine in terms of sin – but, it seems, no more. One church in London I used to attend made a point of reminding parents that there were crayons and sheets of paper in front of the altar in case any of the younger participants need a temporary diversion.

Apparently, this church isn't on its own in this more liberal approach to children – other churches have been doing so for years – although I’ve not witnessed it in Devon yet.

The sheets of paper supplied – it must be said – had a religious theme to them, but little people just want to colour inside and outside the printed lines; some very young ones may not recognise Christ’s face from Goosy Goosy Gander on TV, and they're as likely to give Him a purple face as a flesh-coloured one. No harm!

Nobody really minds the odd yelp out of a little person during Mass – at least outside of the consecration – and bringing them along is the only way that young parents themselves can get to go in the first place.

Equally, after arriving at church, what's the point of enclosing yourself & offspring in a soundproof room away from the main body of the Church? You might as well stay at home and tune into a Mass on local radio.

So setting out the crayons is a good idea – assuming the little ones stick to colouring in the pages rather than parts of the church’s ancient & precious fabric. There is little wrong with a little bit of noise during Mass anyway; God did not intend anyone to sit like automatons, speaking only when spoken to – and certainly healthy two year olds were never put on this earth to sit still for very long.

Small steps for sure, but ones in the right direction – and maybe the next generation will turn Mass attendance into an art form as well as regular occurrence. Please God, it will happen!

Good morning :-)


How lovely to be joined by others............. <3


Pat, you told us not long ago, that the bells where you live are not exactly melodious so I can imagine the ear pain :-D What a shame that such a special day for your area is gradually being downgraded by so much disinterest and tat on display.

There has been a furore over here regarding the bells of York Minster. It seems as though there has been some sort of 'issue' with one person, and all the volunteer bell ringers have been sacked. Its caused quite a stir in some church circles. I am one of those folk who feel that the situation has not been handled well - volunteers are the life blood of any church and they are to be cherished.

David - yes indeed the Hail Mary is mainly taken from scripture - mostly St. Luke as you say. Anglo Saxons were pagans.

Dermot my friend, commenting on here is not butting in at all......anyone is welcome to comment, light heartedly or seriously. That is an interesting articles you have penned and I can see the point of it. I think perhaps it is a fine line between welcoming little ones into church and making them feel comfortable, to allowing them to rampage, out of parental control, around the building.

We have a meeting room which adjoins church and we have a cupboard with lots of toys etc in it. We used to have an organised crèche for the pre-schoolers but finding leaders was an issue. Now, the little ones are welcomed into church and given school type bag which contains books, papers and crayons and they can either go into the meeting room or stay in church - that is up to the parents.

It can be difficult at times, to maintain a sense of equilibrium between making the littlies welcome and keeping the oldies happy. Certainly there isn't the sense of discipline you and I had when attending church, and many parents seem to lack 'gumption'. For those who are wishing to enjoy the worship and concentrate on what is going on, it can be difficult if a child is yammering up and down the pew in front whilst the parent checks their phone!!

Somewhere, there has to be a happy medium and a sense of understanding on both sides.

And on that note......we will give thanks......... :-)


Lord, we thank you for setting us in communities:
for families
who nurture our becoming,
for friends
who love us by choice,
for companions at work,
who share our burdens and daily tasks,
for strangers
who welcome us into their midst,
for people from other lands
who call us to grow in understanding,
for children
who lighten our moments with delight,
for the unborn,
who offer us hope for the future. Amen.


Cx :-)

Remembering Kandj and her OH in my thoughts
and prayers x

Good morning :-)


Like others, praying for kandj and her husband at this difficult time and for all who are caring for loved ones.


We remain thankful for so many things


Lord, we thank you for this day:
for life
and one more day to love,
for opportunity
and one more day to work for justice and peace,
for neighbors
and one more person to love
and by whom be loved,
for your grace
and one more experience of your presence,
for your promise:
to be with us,
to be our God,
and to give salvation. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning everyone :-)


May you find a gift this morning
Laid out for you in the sky.
A beautiful reminder
That sets your hope in flight.

May you notice birds above you
That soar and ride the winds.
And know that as you lift your prayer
God lifts your heart and sings.

May you hear the sweet birds chirping
May you smell the fresh cool air
And know that God's love is all around
Holding you so dear.

May this day be like a present
That fills your heart with awe
And takes your world from grey to gold
And soothes your very soul.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Morning is God’s way of saying one more time –
“Go and make a difference, touch a heart -
Encourage a mind -
Inspire a soul -
And enjoy the day.”



Cx :-)

"Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall "

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2016/10/22/sacred-mysteries-the-return-of-the-dew-that-we-hardly-knew-wed-l/

Good morning :-)

Thank you Rollo, that was an interesting read. I remember the word 'dew' being used but that article added an extra dimension.


I spent an hour or so at church yesterday with another lady who is interested in family history, and we sorted out all the registers and books which we felt belonged in the local archives. It was so interesting to see Minutes from meetings a hundred year ago - usually discussing the same sort of thing which is discussed these days!

They have been duly packed into the specialised archive boxes and will be taken there soon.


The Collect (special prayer) for today:

Blessed Lord,
who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
help us so to hear them,
to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them
that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word,
we may embrace and for ever hold fast
the hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

The Gospel reading for today tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax man.


Love to all Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

A quiet Sunday in church yesterday and a contrast to the festivities of last week. This is a common occurrence and it was actually quite nice to have a peaceful service with an excellent sermon.

This week some Christian thoughts and quotes.

“Don’t be an ‘average Christian’ who attends church on Sunday mornings, wears a cross around their neck and has a faith sticker on their car, but forgets about God until next Sunday comes round. God wants you to give him not just your Sunday mornings but your all!


Cx :-)

Thinking of kandj and her husband and others
who are in need of comfort and prayer. x

Good morning :-)


Continuing our week of Christian thoughts and quotes.....


Lord I have no words,
but thankfully you know exactly how I feel.
Be my voice today,
help me to focus on you knowing that you have my best interests at heart.
Thank you that you are with me and you will be my comfort and help.
Amen

Love to all C :-)

Hello all

WOW..... your prayer today could have been written with us in mind Cynthia and
so I will say a very big AMEN to that.

Not a great deal of change here and so we continue to take baby steps recognizing
that all is not so good right now, but we step back and hope for a better time to come

I am popping in to read up and say THANK YOU for all your thoughts and prayers.
You are all really so kind and this is very much appreciated right now. xx