General Chat

Good morning :-)

Meant to say kandj - that hymn really says so much doesn't it? Can't wait until we are able to belt out these old hymns at the top of our voices! :-D


Jesus said “I am the Living Bread”

Bread fact: The people who built the Egyptian pyramids were paid in bread.

Each Christmas we hear the words……..“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:1–4

Jesus was the physical embodiment of God’s holy word. He and the Word were one in the same. Since Jesus is the bread of life, we can make the connection that the Bible feeds us spiritually. For the Bible to nourish us, though, we have to open it up and read it. God gives us free will to never read any of it, but if we truly want to experience His grace and find eternal life we must eat His bread. That’s where the meat and the nutrients are that keep us spiritually alive.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Bread fact: Sliced bread was introduced to Britain in the 1930s…
…but it was invented in the USA by Otto Frederick Rohwedder, who created a special machine for slicing loaves and coined the phrase “The best thing since sliced bread”

Jesus was born in Bethlehem and it seems that the word Bethlehem, in Hebrew, means ‘House of Bread’. It is a place of life.

Jesus said "I am the Bread of Life"

Jesus emphasizes that he is the nourishment, the food that we, as believers, need to strengthen us as we make our pilgrimage through this land of exile In the holy Eucharist, Jesus provides food for the world — the food of his body, blood, soul and divinity. Christ, born in the House of Bread, has become our food for the journey of life.

Cx :-)

A powerful hymn kandj

There have been just a few times, when I have been at a communion service and real bread has been used.
I rather like that, as it really gives a sense of sharing one bread.

I accept that generally though, wafers are used for hygienic reasons.

Hello all

Bread of Heaven springs to mind after reading this weeks posts.The beautiful hymn was sung at our wedding (Mum and Dad's choice), it's really special.

Guide me O thou great redeemer
Pilgrim of this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty
Hold me with thou powerful hand:
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven
Feed me now and ever more.
Feed me now and ever more.

Open thou the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream does flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through:
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer
Be thou still my strength and shield.
Be thou still my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan's side:
Songs and praises, songs and praises
I will ever give to thee.
I will ever give to thee.
Songs and praises, songs and praises
I will ever give to thee.
I will ever give to thee.

Take care everyone and keep well.

Good morning :-)

Jesus said - I am the Bread of Life

Bread fact: Apparently, bread provides over 10% of the average grown-ups iron, zinc, magnesium, protein and B vitamins as well as a small amount of essential potassium.

The Jewish people still use unleavened bread to celebrate Passover and their rescue from Pharaoh. Christians use bread too, in celebrating holy communion or eucharist, where we base the bread on Jesus and His gift of salvation - Jesus’s death on the cross gives us life.

Bread is nourishment for the body, but Jesus offers spiritual bread that feeds our spiritual lives. It brings our souls to life and offers a way to salvation. It’s why, during the Last Supper, Jesus took the unleavened bread and broke it to symbolize His broken body and His death on the cross on our behalf.

Lord, we thank you for the enormous sacrifice you made on our behalf.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Up until a few years ago, Warburtons were baking bread in the area and I would stand on the step and sniff the air like a basset hound – it was glorious!

Jesus said “I am the bread of life”.

Bread is mentioned 492 times in the bible, from Genesis through to Revelation with a variety of symbolism and meaning.

One of the things bread symbolizes is God’s provision and we still depend on God for our survival today. It’s not just about food to eat, we depend on Him for so much more.

So, when we pray “Give us this day our daily bread,” we are reminded that God has already promised to provide what we need, day in and day out, without fail. He is always faithful. Despite there being enough food for all in the world, greed, corruption and bad management means that there are still people who are starving. So wrong.

Lord, help us to 'do our bit' in supporting those in need. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Collect (special prayer) for today

Let your merciful ears, O Lord,
be open to the prayers of your humble servants;
and that they may obtain their petitions
make them to ask such things as shall please you;
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.

Gospel reading John 6.35,41–51 - "I am the bread of life"

Cx :-)

Hello all

Vera I also find Maya Angelou's words inspirational.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 43 v 13).

My thoughts and prayers are with all who are affected by the horrendous wildfires in Greece.

Good morning :-)

Happiness....

Lord Jesus, help me to understand that all things are possible in you. Even when things seem difficult, your strength can carry me through. Help me to always be faithful to you and to live in your example. You are my fortress and the rock I turn to in my time of need. Whenever I feel despair or overwhelmed, bring me happiness. Help me to see the good in every day and in every person that I meet. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Thank you Vera...... <3

Hope your week improves kandj <3


Happiness.....

Thank you, Lord, for all of your blessings in my life. Thank you for surrounding me with wonderful friends, family members and neighbours.

Thank you for giving us the gift of your beautiful world and all the skies, mountains and lakes. Thank you for the thrill of celebrations and the enrichment of music.

Thank you for all of the animals and creatures that you made. Thank you for giving us the promise of eternity and everlasting life. When I am down or depressed, please remind me of all of the many reasons why I should be thankful and guide my spirit toward your happiness.

Cx :-)

Thank you Cynthia for another interesting theme this week.

I am sorry you are having a difficult week kandj.That's a good quote from Jung and I shall make a note of it. I am a fan of Maya Angelou and a saying of hers that helps me when I am having a bad day is 'No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.'

Take care and God bless

Hello all

Amen to your morning prayer Cynthia.

A difficult/challenging week but reading this quote spoke to me..... perhaps it will speak to others too?

"Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of
darkness, and the happy word would lose its meaning if not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and
calm composure." (Carl Jung).

Have a Happy Thursday everyone.

Good morning :-)

Happiness

O Father, please help me to find rest within your happiness. Make my smile linger upon my lips as I think back to an amazing memory of a sunlit place. Help me to awaken each morning with hope for everything that the world has to offer. Guide me so that I can discover life in all of its infinite varieties. Help me to discover the joy in each day and the beauty of your creation. As I go through each day, help me to touch each soul I encounter and be thankful for every person in my life. Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


A prayer for happiness and joy

Lord, take my heart on a journey into your goodness and grace where I walk on grass soft with forgiveness and wait by the everlasting lake.

Lord, take my mind to a new place filled with the promise of life where I rest with great dreams of your kingdom and wake with a new joy inside.

Lord, take my soul to adventure - may I find greater freedom in you where I run with great vision and insight and trust that my dreams are from you.

Lord, take me into your promise where eternity awaits at the door and I find I’m renewed, redeemed and restored – thank you. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



Happiness.......

Dear Lord,

Thank you for all your blessings,
For my family, friends and neighbours.
Thank you for all the beauty
In the skies, the lakes and the mountains.
Thank you for all the excitement of celebration,
Birthdays, weddings and christenings.
Thank you for all the variety of animals, birds and insects.
Thank you for all the enrichment of music, art and literature.
Thank you for the amazing jigsaw of life!
What a beautiful picture is made when I place all these pieces together!
Thank you for the promise of eternity,
For the sacrifices you made so that I can be free,
Free to make my life into a glorious patchwork of thanksgiving
That carries me onwards to the promises of new heavenly pieces to add to all that I already hold.

Thank you.

Amen.

Cx :-)

Hello all

Another good subject this week Cynthia. Thanks.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful.
Proverbs 15 v 13.

The sun shining today has made me happy and it's a good tonic too. Stay well and keep safe all.

Good morning :-)

Happiness


Father,

Please help me to rest in your happiness,
To allow a smile to linger on my lips,
To dwell within a wonderful memory,
To walk back through sunlit places.

Please help me to awake with hope,
To engage with life in all its variety,
To take in the beauty of others joys,
To touch the souls of those I meet with thankfulness.

Please help me to sing with faith,
To carry the truth close in my heart always,
To rejoice at new life and
To have peace as I age.

Please help me to indulge in love
To breathe in the sweetness of intimacy,
To taste the kindness of friendship,
To feel the warmth of embrace.

Please help me not to miss
A single drop of heaven,
To catch each moment
And drink in the great joy of life.

Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Collect (special prayer) for today
Almighty God,
who sent your Holy Spirit
to be the life and light of your Church:
open our hearts to the riches of your grace,
that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit
in love and joy and peace;
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


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Olympic re-boot....

For 1,500 years, there were no Olympic Games — until another Christian rebooted them, complete with religious underpinnings.

Pierre de Coubertin, a French aristocrat educated by Jesuits, was raised in 19th-century France, which was torn by war. He was inspired by the history of the ancient Greeks and the Olympiad. In 1889, as a means of promoting peace between nations de Coubertin got the idea to revive the games.

On a trip to England, he encountered the work of Thomas Arnold, a Church of England deacon and a promoter of “muscular Christianity” — the idea that the pairing of physical strength with religious piety creates well-rounded, moral and ethical men.

That belief undergirds the International Olympic Committee, which de Coubertin founded in 1894. The first modern international games were held two years later, in Athens, and included many of the religious trappings of the ancient games, including olive-leaf crowns and sacred fire in the form of the Olympic flame.

Civic religion is primarily on display in the opening ceremonies and their rituals audiences have come to expect — the ceremonial raising of the Olympic flag, the playing of the Olympic anthem (originally titled “The Olympic Hymn”) and the reverential lighting of the Olympic torch.

Lord, we give you thanks for such people as de Coubertin and Arnold and for their inspiration and dedication to encouraging people in the Christian faith. Amen

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Vera, it sounds as though you had a wonderful time and I am so pleased for you. You are truly blessed with a lovely family. Doesn't it make you feel old when you see how much the young ones have grown though? :-D Very, very, pleased for you <3


Olympics - Roots of the past

The original Olympics began in the fifth century B.C. and were, of course, Greek. And like most things the ancient Greeks did, they were connected to their worship of the gods.

For the ancient Greeks, the sport of the Olympic Games was quite literally a religious exercise — a display of religious devotion and worship. Athletes paraded into the stadium past a line of religious officials and often dedicated their performances to a patron god. Even the prizes were religious — crowns of olive leaves made from trees in a sacred grove dedicated to Zeus.
Winners, were revered in a religious way, as “having been touched by divinity, as being raised above the station of a mere mortal.” When they were crowned, a procession headed to the temple of Zeus, where so many animals were sacrificed their ashes, blood and fat formed the altar.

The ancient Olympics carried on until the fourth century A.D. Even its disappearance had religious roots. In 393, the Emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, cancelled the games when he banned all pagan rituals. Then there was a ‘Religious reboot’.

Cx :-)