General Chat

Hello all and a Happy Easter to everyone.

Many thanks for the lovely posting on such a holy day

He is not here; for He has risen as He said!. Come, see the place where
the Lord lay. (Matthew 28: v 6 King James Bible)

Here is my favourite Easter hymn to share with you all on this
very special Easter Sunday morning.

Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son
Endless is the victory, thou o'er death hast won;
Angels in bright raiment, rolled the stone away
Kept the folded grave clothes where thy body lay.

Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son
Endless is the victory, thou o'er death hast won.

Lo Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb
Lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom.
Let the church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing;
For her Lord now liveth, death has lost its sting.

Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son
Endless is the victory, thou o'er death has won.

No more we doubt thee, glorious Prince of life
There is nought without thee, aid us in our strife,
Make us more than conquerors through thy deathless love,
Bring us safe through Jordan, through thy home above

Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son
Endless is the victory, thou o'er death hast won.

Wishing you Peace and Happiness at Easter. xx

Wishing all of you on this thread a very Happy Easter. <3 <3

Happy Easter <3

Good morning :-)

Great news...........He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!.............Allelulia. <3


The collect for Easter Day.

Lord of all life and power, who through the mighty resurrection of your Son overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
may reign with him in glory;
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be praise and honour, glory and might, now and in all eternity.

The gospel is, as may be expected, telling the wonderful story of the resurrection Jesus Christ.

We have two babies and one adult for baptism this morning.


A very Happy Easter and blessed Easter to you all.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Almost at the climax of the long period of waiting throughout Lent.......this is Holy Saturday.

Father,
Creator of heaven and earth,
Grant that as your son Jesus lay dead in the tomb,
on this holy Sabbath,
That we may wait along with him,
and his faithful disciples,
for his glorious resurrection,
on Easter morning.
And, that along with all the saints,
grant us the grace
to boldly celebrate
his conquering of sin and death. Amen

- David Bennett


Cx :-)

Hello all

Thank you to Cynthia for continuing to post interesting things each day.
Dermot, I do find your posts very interesting to read too.... thank you.

Thanks Vera hubby is recovering from his latest set back. I am plodding on still.

For this very Holy Good Friday, I send blessings, a gentle hug to all in need today. xx

Good morning.....

I don't often agree with Piers Morgan, Dermot, but I do in this case. Christians are still being persecuted today.

Today is Good Friday, one of the holiest days in the year for Christians around the world. We pray that all are allowed to worship in safety.

HANG IT ON THE CROSS

If you have a secret sorrow,
a burden or a loss,
an aching need for healing,
HANG IT ON THE CROSS.

If worry steals your sleep
and makes you turn and toss
if your heart is feeling heavy,
HANG IT ON THE CROSS.

Every obstacle to faith
or doubt you come across
every prayer unanswered,
HANG IT ON THE CROSS.

For Christ has borne our brokenness
and dearly paid the cost
to turn our trials to triumph
BY HANGING ON THE CROSS.

- Lisa O. Engehardt.


Cx

Piers Morgan has criticised the US media for not giving enough coverage to the bombings of two Egyptian churches on Palm Sunday that left more than 40 people dead.

Speaking to Fox News, Morgan said that the latest attack on Egypt’s Coptic Christians was “unbelievably significant” and that ISIS was carrying out “a genocidal attack” on Christianity across the Middle East.

“You know, if you look at what ISIS really stands for, what they are carrying out in the Middle East, and in Egypt in particular, is a kind of genocidal attack on Christians and Christianity,” he said.

“They want Christianity eradicated, and they want to convert all Muslims to their crusade, they want it to be a Holy War, and they want Christians gone.”

He added: “I don’t think that narrative is getting the attention it should get in the American media, and I have to say in other media around the world also.”

(Excerpt from 'The Catholic Herald' - a weekly magazine.)

Good morning :-)


Thank you Vera, it is good to know that someone is 'out there' <3


Good morning everyone.......we are nearly at the end of Holy Week......so much drama....so much pain. Many churches will be holding services to commemorate this special day.

MAUNDY THURSDAY

Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter. Christians remember it as the day of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and established the ceremony known as the Eucharist.

The night of Maundy Thursday is the night on which Jesus was betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The word maundy comes from the command (mandate) given by Christ at the Last Supper, that we should love one another.

It is indeed right to give you thanks,
Father most holy, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
For on this night he girded himself with a towel
and, taking the form of a servant,
washed the feet of his disciples.
He gave us a new commandment
that we should love one another as he has loved us.
Knowing that his hour had come,
in his great love he gave this supper to his disciples
to be a memorial of his passion,
that we might proclaim his death until he comes again,
and feast with him in his kingdom.
Therefore earth unites with heaven
to sing a new song of praise;
we too join with angels and archangels
as they proclaim your glory without end:


The altar will be stripped of all cloths and silverware. There is no blessing at the end of the Maundy Thursday service.....we leave in silence.


Cx :-)

Just letting you know I am still here and looking in every day though I have little to add, so you are not talking to thin air Cynthia.

I hope your hubby is feeling a bit better now Kandj.

Sending a hug to all in need of a little tlc.

Good morning :-)

Wednesday of Holy Week

'Then one of the twelve disciples—the one named Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?” They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to him. From then on Judas was looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over to them.'

It’s so easy to betray Jesus in the ordinary course of life. It’s so easy to make big promises to God on Sunday, only to see them crumble when we are with our co-workers on Monday morning, or meeting up with friends on Tuesday evening.

The call to follow Jesus is a call to endure and even suffer for his sake. It’s a call to deny what’s easiest for you, and give up earthly comfort; a call to follow him and trust the course that he sets even when it seems that it’s not “working”.

Lord, may we ever be true to you.

Cx :-)

Good morning :)

Tuesday of Holy Week…….Jesus Curses a Fig Tree.

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

For Jesus, the leafy barren fig tree must have been a picture of religious Jews of that day, all flash and finery. They knew the right words to say but their hearts were far from God.

God of Truth, save us from a religion of mere words: from repeating phrases which have lost their meaning; from uttering empty prayers that have no soul; from calling Jesus “Lord, Lord,” when we fail to own His sovereignty. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Haven't sung that hymn for a long time kandj.....thank you. <3

Nearly full church yesterday with almost 200 palm crosses given out and two babies baptised. Each family was given a tiny palm cross to put aside for their little ones and to remind them of their baptism. :-D

We are now in Holy Week. Yesterday we came away from church with our palm crosses to remind us of Jesus entering Jerusalem.
Today we remember how he threw the money changers out of the temple.

"Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!"
Jesus worshipped God in the temple somewhat like we worship God in the church building. When he went to the temple, however, he saw things he did not like.

Is it possible to worship badly now, also? Yes. We can miss the point and worship to serve our own ends rather than God’s.

How does God want us to worship Him? We should think about Him, not us. We should be thoughtful of others. We should try to learn all we can. We should behave ourselves, and not be disrespectful.

We can do this by being quiet, listening to the speaker, singing the hymns, and concentrating on the prayers.

Worshipping God is like meeting Him in person. What could we do to displease God during worship? Thinking about worldly things. Talking when we should be listening. Not concentrating on what is happening. Moving around and disturbing other. We need to focus……….and be still.

Lord, help us to worship in spirit and in truth.

Cx :-)

Hello all

A beautiful sunny God-given Palm Sunday here, which is a real tonic to us both.

My favourite all time Palm Sunday hymn is one I'd like to share with you all today:--

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam

O Praise Him, O Praise Him
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

I hope all reading this will enjoy a happy and blessed Palm Sunday today xx

Good morning :-)


TODAY IS PALM SUNDAY.
Everyone in many churches will receive a palm cross to remember the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

Collect for today
Almighty and everlasting God,
who in your tender love towards the human race
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross:
grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


The reading tells the story of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

We also have two baptisms this morning - it could get a bit manic. :-D


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

As we approach the holiest week of the Christian year, we offer this prayer.

Fill with your Spirit Christ’s broken body, the Church … Give to Christian people everywhere a deep longing to take up the cross and to understand its mysterious glory. By the Saviour’s cross and passion, Lord, save us and help us.

We ask God to bless those who lead Christian worship throughout the world this week.

Cx . :-)

Hello all

Joining Cynthia with thoughts and prayers for all caught up in the troubles in Syria. Unbelievably shocking and distressing news coverage of this heartbreaking situation.

I have read back and say Thank You Vera for your kind words. Hubby is responding to the antibiotics and we feel blessed to still have the NHS to turn to (yet again!).

Sending gentle (((hugs))) to those struggling during Passiontide week. xxx

Good morning :)

Listening to this morning's news, we pray for all those involved in the ongoing conflict in Syria and for the families of those who have been killed.

Passiontide……..and Passion Plays. What IS a Passion Play?

A Passion Play dramatises the events of the last week of Jesus’ life, depicting the events that led up to his crucifixion. Many Passion Plays today also include a dramatic portrayal of Jesus’ life, including his teachings and miracles, and his resurrection to show the context in which his death took place.

Passion Plays use theatre to bring the words of the Gospel to life in new, often vivid and startling, ways. They show how the message of second chances, forgiveness and new opportunities has the potential to speak life and hope into communities struggling with poverty, crime, addiction or hopelessness and boredom.

Oberammergau Passion Play is probably the most famous play of all and has been taking place since 1634. They take place every 10 years and people flock to see them from all over the world.

However, whilst researching this subject, I was surprised to see how many Passion Plays are taking place in the UK in 2017. I would imagine they would be very worthwhile. Take a look at this link to see if there is one local to you....

http://passion-plays.co.uk/passion-plays-2017/


Cx :-)

Good morning :)

Last night, 20 folk from church, from the age of 6 upwards, met to make Palm Crosses. Oh my word, we had so much fun. I was leading the session because this is one of the few craft things I can actually do and it was fun teaching others. A really good night. Mind you, this was after Baptism prep where we had had 6 families.........and still they come.

Continuing to look at various aspects of The Passion....

Today, The Passion of Christ………in art

The Passion is one of the most common subjects in art. Paintings of the Crucifixion were much in demand for church use.

The earliest paintings of the Crucifixion date from the 5th century.

Among the most famous paintings is the Isenheim altarpiece (1515) by Mathias Grunewald shown below. The painting of the Crucifixion is gruelling in both its detailed treatment of the physical anguish of Jesus, and the visual language used.

The Crucifix as a sculpted cross with the figure of Jesus dates from the 10th century (the Gero Cross of Cologne Cathedral).

In many churches a Crucifix stands on the choir screen, in the arch between the nave and the chancel. These are often known as 'roods' and the screen as a 'rood screen'. Rood comes from the Saxon word for a crucifix.

I had never heard of this work of art but, on googling, found it to be breathtaking. Pictures can be found on this link….

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isenheim_Altarpiece

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

During this season of Passiontide, let's take a look at The Passion of Christ…….in music.

In Christian music a Passion is a setting of the Passion of Christ. Liturgically most Passions were intended to be performed as part of church services in the Holy Week.

Passion settings developed from intoned readings of the Gospel texts relating Christ's Passion since Medieval times. Passion Plays, another tradition that originated in the Middle Ages, could be provided with music such as hymns.

The best known example is probably The St. Matthew Passion, a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727.

When you get a chance, sit back, relax and listen to part of this wonderful work of music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1lpv1kKwgo

Another musical setting is the rock opera – Jesus Christ Superstar.
I saw this when it first came out…..absolutely stunning. This is just one song from it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-ChyH9RHfY


Be inspired....


Cx :-)