General Chat

Hello all (again)

Very difficult for me to choose a favourite hymn, I also like Abide with Me (had goosebumps singing this in the old Wembley Stadium for an FA Cup Final many years ago)...... Praise My Soul the King of Heaven is special as this was sung at our wedding, but When I Survey the Wondrous Cross is one that has me in tears at Lent..... the last verse.....

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all........ the words get me every time.

A hymn that I have never really liked is Make Me a Channel of Your Peace, although the words are so beautiful and yet I groan inwardly when this is sung, like last Sunday in church.

David .....................

as a scientist, I cannot believe the Bible, especially the OT, as "true" as written.

However, there are ways of understanding what is being said if you think about it and realise that everything in those days was passed on by story tellers with very little written down.

Thus someone living 2000 years ago would not truly understand a time line of anything longer than a year ............... the passing of seasons was what they understand. So to try to explain something that happened over 1,000 or 1 billion years was just beyond comprehension.

Therefore a story teller simplified matters. People really understood what a day was, so they used 1 day as the time period that God took for each event.

BUT that time line is only a story, and not true.

Similarly, most people did not know how old they were because they could not count. Therefore, the story tellers again simplified things OR made things more dramatic. If a normal life span was 20 or 30 years, then someone having a baby at 20 was probably seen as being old ................ but drama is more effective when one say "80 years". That makes it beyond all comprehension.


I hope that I haven't offended anyone with my scientists' view. If so, I am very sorry.

Mine is Jerusalem ........ one apparently not in favour these days, but we sang it often at school.

Mine is I vow to thee my country when it is sung on Remembrance Day it makes me very tearful

My daughters favourite is The Old Rugged Cross but
she cannot sing or hear it without crying.

In general anything written that long ago will lose something in the many translations since and the meaning of the original words not fully comprehended and may be symbolic rather than factual?

There are sites where you can find interpretations of the Greek or Latin or Hebrew of the original texts, which can be enlightening.

Imho, (which is def' not orthodox and speaking only for myself) it is sometimes better to go with the spirit of the thing rather than the word. ie seven days to create the world? whose "days"? God's, or some limiting time frame humans invented to explain the sun rising and setting and the darkness in between and the word we apply to 24 hours?

Regarding "Abide with me" I know it tends to be used as a funeral hymn, but I find it very comforting and uplifting.

"....when other helpers fail and comforts flee,
help of the helpless, O abide with me."

David, really?

A baby at 80?

I don't have a favourite Vera but my daughter likes Abide with Me, Rose.

I remember being between her and friends at a funeral, one side gave a little groan when Abide with Me was announced but my daughter said what a lovely hymn with wonderful words it was.

There was one hymn, sung at my uncle's RC funeral in Liverpool several years ago that my OH really liked. Neither of us can remember its name but it was sung very softly and quietly and the gist was that the body would be made whole again, without any of the illness or injury that was there. To both of us it seemed to create an atmosphere of complete calm.

Although I know a lot of hymns, that is one I had not heard before and I'd really like to pin it down so if anyone knows, please tell me.

Also Abide with me and Nearer my God to Thee.

Thank you Vera, I hope I may be permitted to continue posting.

How does the reader of the OT & NT KNOW which texts are not literal ?

I do Vera, it's "Abide with me". :-)

I too am sure that David's doesn't mean to upset anybody and he is always most apologetic. Perhaps, David, you just need to think things through fully before posting and you might then decide that some items might be better put on a different thread. I would however hate to think that a Christian thread like this was not welcoming to all.

A lovely prayer today Kandj. Thank you.

I feel I am going slowly round the bend (nothing new there lol). I have had the hymn Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine going round and round my head for days and I cannot get rid of it. It's not even a favourite of mine but it set me wondering what is my favourite hymn. I've come to the conclusion I don't have one favourite but lots depending on my mood and what is on my mind at the time. One that seems to have been a part of my life in many ways is Praise My Soul the King of Heaven. It was sung on special occasions, such as Founder's Day, at my school, my daughter had it at her wedding, and my brother and I chose it for our father's funeral. What about you? Do you have a favourite hymn?

Hello all

Goodness me, in all the years that I have contributed to this Christian thread, I don't ever recall a post being RRd...... I could be wrong and somebody may correct me.

I really don't think that David would ever upset anybody intentionally. I'm off now to see if I can find the other thread that Emma is referring to.

Sharing a prayer for today:.............................

As the sun shines, may your hope shine in me,
As the birds sing, may your love flow out of me,
As your light shines throughout today, may your joy shine in me.
I come before you Oh Lord and and drink in this moment of peace,
That I might carry something of your hope, love and joy today in my heart.
Amen.

Have a good and blessed weekend everyone.

Minxy, I apologise. I'd no intention of offending any one, but apologies again.

It's a shame but this thread is spoilt for me by you David.
Why put it on this thread when you have already written
on the other?

David, some things are not to be taken literally.

It's in the news this morning that an Indian couple aged 73 & 82 have

had twins with medical help.

Abraham's wife Sarah had a child aged 80 !! No Doctors then.

Good morning :-)

Not at all Rambling - I know you have the patience of a saint ;-) :-D ;-) :-D

It rather looks as though we are going to be without landline and internet until next Friday :-( :-( :-(

Saturday is like a blank page, fresh and new, a pause from responsibilities and routines. Thank you God for rest and relaxation, for families and friends. Lord, thank you for Saturdays. Amen

Cx :-)

and "Amen" to that prayer Cynthia ( you put it there for me didn't you ;-) ).

Good morning ??

I certainly had a case of hiccups didn't I? ???? it's taking me ages to get used to doing this via my phone. It's nice to know that I was missed - thank you <3

As for why Christians fight each other I suppose a lot is to do with their humanity coming out. As in life, there tends to be those who see a situation differently. You should hear some church meetings :-D :-D

Father, I have to thank You for looking beyond my faults and for loving me unconditionally. Forgive me when I fail to love others in the same way. Give me eyes to see the needs of the difficult people in my life, and show me how to meet those needs in a way that pleases You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Cx ??