General Chat

kandj ...........

thinking of you and your OH at this time. xxxxx

I look in most days too, and enjoy reading your posts, but never post.

Cynthia, hope that the specialist will be able to do something for your son, and that he will soon get better.

Kandj, so sorry to hear about your OH, hope that he feel a lot better soon.

Thinking about you all and sending lots of positive thoughts to everyone.

Love, Sallie,xx

Good morning........and thank you for the kind messages. They are most appreciated and I am sure that kandj will know that we are all thinking about her and her husband.

Hopefully, my son is to have an operation to fuse two discs in his back, the drawback is......there is a waiting list. Meanwhile, we press on. He even has a photo of his spine on his phone and you can see the troublesome area quite clearly. I often wonder what our grandparents would think of technology these days. :-)

I drove him to the appointment and his sister came with us as the school where she works is on half-term. His consultant was running late and so, leaving son sitting in the waiting room, daughter and I trolled off in search of coffee and for a browse of the shops within the hospital. We landed back to the waiting room - daughter with a new bag and myself with a new T-shirt :-D


Our prayer for today:

Holy God, too great to be trifled with and too wise to be deceived by insincerity; compose our thoughts as we enter your presence, order our minds as we bring our petitions, and grant us grace to offer you the loving sacrifice of hearts both steadfast and obedient; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Susanna Wesley (1669-1742)


Susanna was the mother of 10 children, including John and Charles - two men who grew up to bring millions of souls to Christ. What an example she must have set them!

Take care....Cx :-)

Good morning..... :-)


I haven't heard from kandj but I'm sure we are still thinking of her and her husband and sending lots of love. <3


As we approach the end of the season of Lent and with Palm Sunday and Holy Week almost upon us, I offer this short prayer for today:


Blessed be God the Father for his gift of this sacrifice of praise.

Lord,
your commandment of love is so simple
and so challenging.
Help me to let go of my pride,
to be humble in my penance.
I want only to live the way you ask me to love,
to love the way you ask me to live.
I ask this through your son, Jesus,
who stands at my side
today and always.

Amen.



Cx :-)

Good morning all.... :-)


So Lent is nearly over and we face the final few days before the glory of the Resurrection.

Today is Palm Sunday - the day when Christians celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, the week before his death and resurrection - the beginning of Holy Week.

The Bible reveals that when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds greeted him by waving palm branches and covering his path with palm branches. Immediately following this great time of celebration in the ministry of Jesus, he begins his journey to the cross.

Many churches will, I am sure, be singing this hymn today:

Ride on! ride on in majesty!
Hark! all the tribes hosanna cry;
O Savior meek, pursue thy road
with palms and scattered garments strowed.

Ride on! ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
O Christ, thy triumphs now begin
o'er captive death and conquered sin.

Ride on! ride on in majesty!
The angel-squadrons of the sky
look down with sad and wondering eyes
to see the approaching sacrifice.

Ride on! ride on in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh;
the Father on his sapphire throne
expects his own anointed Son.

Ride on! ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
bow thy meek head to mortal pain,
then take, O God, thy power, and reign.

- Henry Hart Milman (1791-1868)


The 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 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.


We continue to pray for kandj and all those who watch and wait beside a suffering loved one.

Cx

My thoughts and prayers for kandj and all in need of comfort.

Emma x

Amen to that

Sign of the times ?

http://www.oregonlive.com/comics-kingdom/index.ssf?feature_id=Family_Circus&feature_date=2014-04-12

Good morning :-)

A busy morning yesterday but a happy morning too. Everyone received a palm cross with their service book and the crosses were held aloft as a prayer of blessing was said. There was no sermon but, in it's place, three of our members read the Passion Narrative - taken from St. Matthew's gospel. There was absolute silence as we listened to the familiar story.

I can't say there was silence after the service as we had four baptisms...... :-)


Although it was Palm Sunday yesterday, I thought the following gave a different perspective....


It is Passover time,
A busy time,
people jostling,
riding donkeys.

Near a gate of Jerusalem
A smallish,
almost non-descript
donkey stood tethered.

None seemed to want him
until two men approached.
They looked and then nodded.
He will do nicely.

A fellow nearby shouted,
“What are you doing?”
For our Master’s need
to ride this donkey.

Jesus patted this smallish beast,
Climbed on his back
To the donkey’s delight.
“Where am I going?” he thought?.

To his astonishment shouts
clamoured about his ears
palm branches tickled his side.
Who is on my back?

My feet took my rider
Over cobblestones to the temple
He patted me on my back
A job well done!

Sometime later
A passer-by said, “Look!”
A cross this donkey has
marked clearly on his back.

I had my triumphal hour,
A honour no other had.
Carrying the Saviour of the world
To cleanse his Father’s temple.


Praying for kandj and all those who wait and watch. Cx :-)

Good morning my friends.... :-)


Tuesday of Holy Week...........


Today, we think about Jesus and his disciples returning to Jerusalem where, at the Temple, he chided the religious leaders for their hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Later, Jesus and the disciples went to the Mount of Olives which overlooks Jerusalem and he spoke to them for a long time........what he spoke about is known as The Olivet Discourse - warning them about God's future plans for Israel - the end times - his Second Coming. So much for the disciples and us, to take in.

Biblical scholars have indicated that it was on the Tuesday of Holy Week that Judas negotiated with the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus.


A prayer for today:


Please, Lord, guide my mind with your truth.
Strengthen my life by the example of Jesus.
Help me to be with Jesus in this week
as he demonstrates again his total love for me.
He died so that I would no longer
be separated from you.
Help me to feel how close you are
and to live in union with you.

Amen.



With continuing prayers for kandj and her husband and for all who wait and watch and weep. Cx :-)

Good morning..... :-)


Wednesday of Holy Week......


It is thought that today is the day when Jesus rested after the events of Palm Sunday and in anticipation of the forthcoming Passover.

I managed to get to church last night and was pleasantly surprised at how many folk turned up. There is a small service of Holy Communion each night up until Good Friday and it is good to be reminded of the events of this week again.

Sometimes, we get so used to a bible story that we are in danger of becoming complacent and forgetful. These services help to keep us on track and I am a great believer in thinking that I can't celebrate Easter fully - unless I have walked the way of the Cross. We used to have a banner in another church which read....."No Cross - No Crown".


My Saviour,
do you invite me to share
in the glory of the resurrection?
Please stay with me
as I struggle to see
how accepting the crosses of my life
will free me from the power
of the one who wants only
to destroy my love and trust in you.
Help me to be humble and accepting
like your son, Jesus.
I want to turn to you
with the same trust he had in your love.
Save me, Lord. Only you can save me.


Each of us has a cross of some sort to bear.......and we continue to think of kandj and all who suffer, in whatever way.

Cx :-)

Good morning........ :-)


Maundy Thursday.


The name 'Maundy' is derived from the Latin word “mandatum”, meaning a commandment. Jesus Christ, at the Last Supper commanded, as he washed the disciples' feet.....'And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.' John 13:34. This is the night where he was betrayed.

Many Christian churches will re-enact the foot washing ceremony as part of the service to commemorate The Last Supper. I have been to several of this type of service and always found it very moving.

In many Anglican churches, during this service, the altar will be stripped of all cloths and silverware - right down to the plain table. Everything will be put out of sight during Good Friday and Holy Saturday until Easter Day when, it will all have been replaced in beauty. Very humbling to watch this take place.

Today, The Queen will be at Blackburn cathedral today to hand out the Maundy Money - the Monarch giving money to the poor - a tradition dating from the 13th century.

I was once invited to this service as a guest when it took place in Liverpool cathedral, a building I know extremely well. The pageantry engendered an atmosphere which I can't describe, and the sight of the tiny figure of the Queen entering the immense West doors was amazing.

A prayer for today:



Lord, grant us simplicity of faith
and a generosity of service
that gives without counting cost.
A life overflowing with Grace
poured out from the One
who gave everything,
that we might show
the power of love
to a broken world,
and share the truth
from a living Word.
Lord, grant us simplicity of faith,
and a yearning to share it



Continuing to pray for kandj and all those in distress. Cx :-)

Dear All

Hello

A couple of prayers I have across:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Even if my old familiar ways of praying are taken away from me,
I am never taken away from you, Lord,

for you are here now, reaching out to me,
loving me now.


Even when I am denied space to be quiet with you,
there is still space within me, Lord,

an inner room where you are waiting for me,
and which I can enter any moment.


Even though at times, I may feel miserable and worthless,
I am still precious in your eyes,

because I am your child,
and you are waiting to open your arms and embrace me.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Take gentle care
Best wishes
Elizabeth,
xx

Dear All

Hello

The second of the prayers:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Lord, we pray for all who are lonely,
children who are being bullied, abused and feel unable to tell anyone,

shy people who find it hard to make friends,
those who feel rejected and isolated;

those who have suffered loss,
and elderly people who miss their families and old friends.

Lord, please be with them all and let them know they are not alone".

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Take gentle care
Best wishes
Elizabeth,
xx

Good morning and thank you for those moving prayers Elizabeth :-)


A solemn day for the Christian faith. A day when we recall the hideous and painful death of Jesus Christ at Calvary. A day of fasting, prayer and repentance. A day to remember just how much we are loved.


Christian churches will be holding a service of some sort today. Many will be held between 2pm - 3pm which is known as 'The final hour'.


Thousands of people will be singing the following hymn which I will use as the prayer for today :


There is a green hill far away,
Outside a city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified,
Who died to save us all.

O dearly, dearly, has He loved,
And we must love Him, too,
And trust in His redeeming blood,
And try His works to do.

We may not know, we cannot tell,
What pains He had to bear;
But we believe it was for us
He hung and suffered there.

He died that we might be forgiven,
He died to make us good,
That we might go at last to Heav’n,
Saved by His precious blood.

There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven and let us in.

O dearly, dearly has He loved,
And we must love Him, too,
And trust in His redeeming blood,
And try His works to do.

Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander (1818-1895)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epZe1NXyhUo



Cx

Sending all my best wishes to the regulars that post on this thread I know this is a very special time for you all <3

Still thinking of Kandji and hoping her faith is giving her strength.

Thinking also of Sharron as she grieves for Fred

My thoughts also with kandji at this time,
and also Sharron.

Emma

Dear All

Hello

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"FOR THE FORGOTTEN"


"Dear Lord, to the forgotten,
the people who were born in countries an situations

where resources are not rich,
where the TV cameras do not journey,

I pray you can send such blessing that it would be beyond compare.


Strike joy into the hearts of the poor,
and bring healing to the sick,

And, as for me, make me someone who remembers them,

In prayer and action, and all for your sake,
you who knows each of them by name.

Thank you".

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"DEAR JESUS"


"Dear Jesus,


I was unable to go to church to be with you today.


I thought of you throughout the day, of your pain and suffering
as you gave your life to save the world.


You were only a young man,

Just as you are with me in times of need, so as your humble servant,
I am with you."

I am comforted that you will return again.

Bless you Jesus",

Amen.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Take gentle care
Best wishes
Elizabeth,
xx

Hello everyone and thank you for the good wishes and lovely words. We continue to hold kandj and Sharron in our thoughts and prayers at this very special time of the year.

Yesterday was an hour of Silence. Prayer. Readings. Silence. Prayer. Readings. Silence.......as we recalled the events of Calvary. Very moving. Very necessary if we are to feel the joy the Resurrection brings.


A prayer for Holy Saturday

Before the dawn of Easter
There came Gethsemane...
Before the Resurrection
There were hours of agony...
For there can be no crown of stars
Without a cross to bear,
And there is no salvation
Without faith and love and prayer,
And when we take our needs to God
Let us pray as did His Son
That dark night in Gethsemane-
"Thy will, not mine, be done."


Cx