General Chat

Hello all

Thank you Cynthia....... here is a favourite of mine,

Light of the world you stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes, let me see.
Beauty that made this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You.

Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You're my God.
You're altogether lovely,
Altogether worthy,
Altogether wonderful to me.............

I'll probably be singing this lovely old hymn all night!

Gentle hugs to all who have been upset today.

Good morning :-)


Light of the world
by Bettina Van Vaerenbergh


Jesus is the Light of the world;
The Light that will never grow dim.
They shall never walk in darkness;
All who believe and follow Him.

The words the Lord has spoken;
They teach us how to live.
Jesus has shown us by example
How to serve, and how to give.

His Spirit imparts the holy desire
To live a life of genuine love;
A desire to forgive, to be gentle -
To be as innocent as a dove.

Jesus gives believers the power
To become the children of God,
So come to Jesus and receive Him;
Entrust the Saviour with your lot.

You will have the Light of life;
The light that will never grow dim.
You'll never walk in darkness —
And never alone with Him!

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

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 for today tells of Jesus healing the merchant;s son.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Thank you kandj <3

Halloween and things

Everyone wants a child to have fun but why not make Halloween a time of light rather than darkness?

Carve your pumpkin with a smiley face or a cross.

Make shiny pretty face masks

Instead of bobbing for apples, tie a doughnut to a string and hang it up – hands not allowed!

Make cakes and take them out to the neighbours – no tricks, just treats.

Dress up as a superhero or biblical character who is famous for their courage or kindness

It’s not always easy to go against what others are doing but, as Christians, we do need to stand up for what we say we believe in. Spread the light of Christ.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

Cx :-)

Hello all

Cold and rainy (again) today but nothing at all compared to the horrible devastation in the Middle East. I pray for an end to the conflict, for peace and reconciliation and a way forward for all involved.

Thanks to Rose and to Vera for sharing thoughts.
It's good to visit other churches at home and abroad, there's so much beauty in God's house.

Cynthia, sadly Halloween is a money making business with a variety of items for sale.

Wigan churches are in my thoughts and prayers, having been through a threat of closure twice in my village church I do know how upsetting it is.

Sending out Friday blessings to everyone.

Good morning :-)

Thank you to both Vera and Rose for your comments. Church architecture is simply amazing especially when you think of how few tools, compared to today, the workers had.

As for the prayerful atmosphere in churches, it doesn't always happen, even for committed Christians. I have been in some which are cold and unwelcoming and it makes me wonder what has gone on in the past or, indeed, is there conflict within the church at the present.

The situation in Wigan is both depressing and stressful, with all churches making that special effort to remain open. In one way, it may be good for us to re-evaluate things but this is a very painful way of doing things. One lady, who is working really hard, told me yesterday that she is living on Gaviscon and Nytol to keep going. That can't be good. :-( (other brands are available :-D)

Moving on..................

Halloween and things…….

Interest in the paranormal is becoming increasingly common. There are individuals and businesses that claim to be “ghost hunters,” who, for a price, will rid your home of ghosts. There are TV programmes about all this too. Really?

It’s popular these days for people to see psychics, tarot card readers and mediums. People are looking for ‘something’ but are not sure what that ‘something’ is. This is certainly not for the Christian.

For Christians, the only way to find the truth is by keeping in touch with God, finding out more about Him, and then trusting Him.

From the bible….” And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.”

Cx :-)

There are some amazing churches around, both old and new. As you know from other posts, when we are away or just on a day trip somewhere, we love to visit the local churches. There is always something to see and admire, whether it is the architecture or treasures housed there or just the feel of the place. I am sure Rose is right - some atmospheres seem imbued with calm and peace.

I found Coventry Cathedral very moving and I loved the church Jeanne d'Arc in Rouen which is modern, opened in 1979. When we went there in the early 80s there was hardly anyone around and the whole space seemed to be filled with light through the stained glass windows. It just felt a very happy and inclusive place.

Ongoing thoughts for anyone affected by the Israeli/Palestine turmoil and the Ukrainian conflict. May there soon be peace for all.

Hello Cynthia :-)

Holy Trinity in Stratford upon Avon is certainly a beautiful church in a lovely setting,I've visited several times.

As you know I am not a church goer to services, but every time we went on holday or visited somewhere when I was a child/adult going to have a look at the local churches was a given. From visiting the very ornate in Austria to quite plain little chapels, 'Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows" in Dolgellau Wales has a special place in my memory. The windows are particularly beautiful. It is one of those churches where the atmosphere of prayer seems to be held in the air if you know what I mean ( perhaps all churches are like that to a committed Christian??).

https://tinyurl.com/57kebp9j ( edited the URL so it doesn't stretch the page)


Chester Cathedral has amazing architecture, and a beautiful cloister garth, but has less charm, I think, than the much older St John's Church.

I hope the Wigan church building situation improves, prayer may be done anywhere ( even in a market they tell me lol) but surely there must be some cummulative effect from the centuries of prayers said in a church? x

Good morning :-)

They’re everywhere! Pumpkins, witches, broomsticks, spider’s webs and skeletons. Yes, the Halloween season is upon us once more.

Halloween, the night where children dress up as demons and witches and go ‘trick or treating’.

Think about it for a moment, what is being celebrated and what Halloween is all about? Is it uplifting? Is Halloween pure? Is it lovely, holy, good or bad?

What does the Bible say about witchcraft, witches, and sorcery? The Bible makes it clear that these practices are evil.

Because 31st October was traditionally a time of preparing for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, various superstitions grew up about the souls of the dead visiting homes seeking hospitality. These ideas may explain the fascination with ghost stories and scary films but they have absolutely no basis in Christianity.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Holy Trinity church Stratford upon Avon.

Although there is evidence of monks living in this area as far back as the 800s, Holy Trinity Church wasn’t built until 1210. That still makes it the oldest building in Stratford.

Set in a beautiful churchyard by the river, Holy Trinity Church is one of the most visited churches in England, perhaps not surprisingly. Wiliam Shakespeare was baptized here in 1564, and he was buried here in 1616.

It is possible that this beautiful church inspired his thinking and we thank God for the amazing legacy left by William Shakespeare, not only to our country but to the whole world.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6e/4a/89/6e4a89a8bd99544a75b06007c11518da.jpg

https://www.crystalinks.com/shakespearsgrave.jpg



Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Church buildings are the most amazing examples of architecture throughout the centuries. Take a look at this…….before cranes, diggers and all the modern building equipment we take for granted.
St. Peter and St. Paul's Wagon Roof Shepton Mallet, England.

Inside this magnificent 12th-century church is one of the finest carved wagon roofs in all of England.

A church of some kind has stood on this property since the days of the Norman conquest. However, much of the building was designed and constructed during the 15th century. Inside the church is one of the more fantastic examples of medieval architecture.

Adorning the interior of the church is a fantastic timber, slightly bowed roof containing 350 individually carved panels, with no repeating designs.

Around 36 carved angels are also featured in the design. The roof was added to the church during the 15th century and restored in the 1950s. The carved bosses at the panel intersections are also very intricate.

The church also contains a pulpit crafted from a single block of limestone and a really nice four-stage tower intended to support a spire that was never completed.

The church is currently defined as a Grade I listed building.

We thank God for the skill of those amazing builders.

https://facultyonline.churchofengland.org/CHR/Handlers/GetImage.ashx?fileid=209734

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



There is a lot of anxiety about the future of church buildings in Wigan at the moment. Yes, the ‘church’ is the people, but these people obviously love, and find comfort in their ‘own’ church because of the personal memories within those walls.

There are some beautiful churches in Wigan ranging from those that are quietly plain and simple, to those that have very ornate decoration and some that have special features. All over the country, this represents the ‘breadth’ of the Church of England and gives people a choice of preference in how they are called to worship God.

There are some churches in this country which have features which are slightly more than unusual. Take, for example, the quiet, unassuming church of Holy Trinity in Headington Quarry, Oxford.

On the left side, there is a small window that could be easily missed. It pays tribute to The Chronicles of Narnia, the beloved children’s series by Oxford professor C.S. Lewis. The window depicts multiple characters from the series and is steps away from where Lewis would sit every Sunday morning.

How fantastic it must be to be able to sit where Lewis sat and to admire that window.

We thank God for the skill and craftsmanship which has given us these places of worship.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Collect (special prayer) for today
God, the giver of life,
whose Holy Spirit wells up within your Church:
by the Spirit’s gifts equip us to live the gospel of Christ
and make us eager to do your will,
that we may share with the whole creation
the joys of eternal life;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, Amen.

Today, the Gospel reading is about paying taxes and has that famous quote: "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God's."

Cx :-)

Hello all

With so much heartache and sadness all around,
I've been searching for inspirational quotes to share

No matter how bad things get something good is
out there, just over the horizon.

If you can look at the sunset and Smile, then
you still have Hope.

Evenings are life's way of saying
that you are closer to your dreams.

The best way to end the day is with
a heart filled with gratitude and a
smile upon your face.

Every night I turn my worries to God
He's going to be up all night anyway.

Sending blessing to all who are struggling x

Good morning :-)

Lord, you never force us to believe in you.
You don’t make us praise you.
You won’t command us to love you.
But instead, you invite us to come.

Lord, you don’t deliberately wait out of sight.
You don’t always hide and leave us guessing.
You don’t just hope we’ll notice you.
But instead, you invite us to come.

Lord, you took such a great risk for us.
You let go of so much.
You made the first move.
Lord, you invite us to come.

Lord, you opened the door first.
You made it all possible.
You cleared the way between us.
Lord, you invite us to come.

Lord, you long for our coming
You came to meet our longing.
You loved us first.
Lord, you invite us to come.


Cx :-)

Good Morning :-)

Thinking of the poor folk in Scotland with all this rain. <3



We’ve been looking at last week’s Gospel reading and the parable of the great feast which Jesus told. He was trying to get over to His listeners that the Kingdom of God is open to everyone.

We are all invited to follow Jesus and experience the glory of God but, the trouble is, not everyone accepts that invitation. Those who refuse to accept the invitation will never experience that glory, but our God is merciful and more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved.

he Invitation needs to be accepted.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


As we continue to pray for the situation in the Middle East, we think especially of the Anglican-run hospital which was attacked. We pray for the patients, medical staff and those who were taking shelter. Lord, have mercy.


Continued from yesterday.....
When the king entered the wedding hall, he noticed that one guest clearly stood out from all the others because he was not wearing a wedding garment.

Having the man brought forward, the king asked him why he was not wearing what had been provided for him.

The lack of a wedding garment was another example of extreme disrespect for both the king and his son. It showed that he did not wear one on purpose. He had defiantly refused to put one on.

The king reacted very quickly and had him bound hand and foot and cast into ‘outer darkness’.

The man wanted the honour of attending the wedding feast, but he did not want to follow the custom of the king. He wanted to do things his own way. His lack of proper dress revealed his inner rebellion against the king and his instructions. He was executed as a rebel.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Such dreadful news from the Middle East. We ask for God's peace to descend on these stricken areas.

From yesterday.

So, there it is, the King had set out a lavish spread to celebrate his son’s wedding, and no-one turned up even though they had been invited. In fact, some of the servants who had invited the guests were killed. The king was so angry that he sent his army to destroy his enemies.

A wedding banquet was one of the most joyous occasions in Jewish life and could last for up to a week so he told his servants to go and bring anyone they could find, the rich and the poor, the good and the bad and the hall was soon filled.

In today’s world, most people make an effort to dress up for a wedding, but the custom in those days was for the one hosting the wedding feast—in this case, the king—to provide garments for the wedding guests. These wedding garments were simple, nondescript robes that all attendees wore. In this way, rank or station was covered, so everyone at the feast could mingle as equals.

And then the king spotted a man who was not wearing a wedding robe.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

I love it when the priest makes us laugh during our services - it helps people to relax and smile at each other. :-D

In Sunday’s Gospel, we hear how Jesus told the story of a king who was giving a wedding banquet for his son. Invitations were sent out…….

The sending of wedding invitations began around the beginning of the 18th century when reading and writing was a sign of education, so it was only the educated who could use this form of correspondence.

These days, with modern technology, there are various options to consider, and it is quite usual for the happy couple to design their own invitations.

So what about the king in the story Jesus told? Despite receiving the invitations, the guests simply did not come – they were too busy and occupied with other things. The king was definitely not happy! Who can blame him?

Cx :-)

Hello all

I do love the traditional way of reading in church.

Yesterday when a lovely young priest from a nearby church read out the wedding banns, he chose to use the old words.... "speak now, or forever hold your peace" taken from the marriage liturgy section of the Book of Common Prayer first published in 1549! Being a young Priest, he waited and when no one in the congregation objected.... he said, "A big relief, the objections only ever happen in Eastenders" which made us all laugh out loud.