General Chat

I think a 98 year old man was baptised in one church very recently, kandj. Doesn't matter, does it? Age, sex, class, colour. However different the outside of the "sepulchre" is, all the Lord sees is our inside. Our heart. And he can circumcise the flesh of our heart at 98 exactly the same as at 18, or 8 or 8 weeks :-D :-D

With no pain. Only the most life-changing and wonderful pleasure. :-D

Good morning / afternoon everyone



Thank you for all your good wishes.


The Memorial for my sis-i-l was amazing!

She had organised it all, with the emphasis being on the family .............. from the Bishop being restricted to doing the Opening and Closing prayers, to readings by 4 people (OH and 3 vicars from elsewhere in the Diocese), to happy hymns and clapping songs, to requesting that her grandchildren dance in the aisle to the music!

It was a happy occasion, with a few tears shed here and there.

We thought there might have been as many as 300 people there ............ they were standing 2 and 3 deep along the side aisles, extra chairs placed along side each row down the main aisle, and an overflow in the Hall. Over 200 had signed the guest book that had been set out, and we know that many people had attended but not signed (including the family :-) )

Sitting on one of the extra chairs across the aisle from me was the Roman Catholic minister, and the United Church minister was somewhere else in the congregation. We think the Lutheran minister was also there!

Mind you ................. sis-i-l was well known in the little town of about 5000 people, and had touched many people.

She first went to live there in 1970, taught in the Middle School and then in the High School, she and her husband were heavily involved in the ski hill organisation and in search and rescue, then was minister of the only Anglican Church since 2005.

The Bishop returned to the Parish this past Sunday for a special Eucharist Service with Communion.

I do not know what is happening re a new vicar .................. here there is usually a 6 month interregnum as the parish decides on its "charter", and then interviews. Lay readers and the wardens, along with visiting priests, carry the work load.



We got back very late on Monday from our daughter's


Daughter had had abdominal surgery, but was released from the hospital the day after we arrived, about 6 days after the surgery, still with staples in, under orders not to lift ANYTHING for 2 weeks, then nothing over 5 lbs for another 4 weeks.

It was amazing to see how well she was walking though!


There are also some marital problems that we didn't know about .......... but they are working on those, and we are hoping all will work out for them.



Thank you for all your prayers and good wishes.




s
xx

Dear Sylvia

Hello


I am so pleased that the memorial service went off so well.

Hope your daughter takes things easy and
at her pace for the next few weeks.

I am also pleased you have now returned home and can rest.


Take very gentle care of yourself and your husband.
Love from
Elizabeth,
xx

What a wonderful send-off. A real priviedge for you to be there, Sylvia. Happy for the departed, but all missing her badly I feel sure. Granddaughters dancing in the aisle and clapping and happy memories sounds like my sort of funeral.

Your daughter sounds a very strong person, and I hope she continues to recover well and finds the best road forward in her life.

God bless :-) :-)

Thank you, Elizabeth and John.

it was a happy occasion ......... very strange to say!


followed by a good feast in the church hall!

Good morning all. :-)

I echo the thoughts of both John and Elizabeth in wishing your daughter a speedy recovery Sylvia. I do hope that the future is brighter for the whole family - you have all had quite a traumatic time over the last few weeks and our thoughts and prayers will remain with you.

I thought these words may be helpful to those who may be going through similar hardships...:


Burdens Are Things God Turns Into Wings

“Oh, for the wings of a bird,” we cry,
To carry us off to an untroubled sky,
Where we can dwell untouched by care
And always be free as a bird in the air.

But there is a legend that’s very old,
Not often heard and seldom told,
That once all birds were wingless, too,
Unable to soar through the skies of blue.

For while their plumage was beautifully bright
And their chirping songs were liltingly light,
They, too, were powerless to fly
Until one day when the Lord came by
And laid at the feet of the singing birds
Gossamer wings as He spoke these words:

“Come take these burdens, so heavy now,
But if you bear them you’ll learn somehow
That as you wear them they’ll grow light
And soon you can lift yourself into flight.”

So folding the wings beneath their hearts,
And after endless failures and starts,
They lifted themselves and found with delight
The wings that were heavy had grown so light.

So let us, too, listen to God’s wise words,
For we are much like the “wingless birds,”
And if we would shoulder our daily trials,
And learn to wear them with sunny smiles,
We’d find they were wings that God had sent
To lift us above our heart’s discontent.

For the wings that lift us out of despair
Are made by God from the weight of care;
So whenever you cry for “the wings of a bird,”
Remember this little legend you’ve heard
And let God give you a heart that sings
As He turns your burdens into
"GOLDEN WINGS."

~ Helen Steiner Rice


Cx :-)

Sylvia, what a wonderful event and all arranged by your sister in law. I feel that she would have been very near to all her family and friends at such a joyous gathering.

I hope that your daughter makes a good recovery and is able to improve relationships with her husband. You have had much to think about lately and hope you can relax.

Helen Steiner Rice is a marvel with words! Thank you.

Good morning my friends - I hope you are all well...... :-)



A prayer from the Methodist church today.....


Come Holy Spirit, fill our thoughts that we may see all things through your eyes; awaken our souls that we may love all things with your tenderness; and melt our hearts that we may feel all things with your compassion; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Johann Freylinghausen (1670-1739)




With my love, Cx :-)

Amen to those special prayerful words Cynthia. They are so uplifting on a very cold and wet Yorkshire day. Thank you.

I was surprised at the connection between Freylinghausen and Methodism. Methodism had hardly started when Freylinghausen died in 1739 and he was a mainstream German Lutheran, as far as I know.

I am not sure the early Methodists in UK and America ever knew him, but they were heavily influenced by the Moravian Church, a Protestant movement over in eastern Europe. And the Moravians spoke German and probably would have known Freylinghausen.

So the Protestant links throughout Europe were very interlinked and fragmented, at a time when Roman Catholicism was the dominant European Christian faith.

I doubt Methodism has any more right to claim Freylinghausen than the Church of England. No matter, he seems to have been a great man. Many thanks, Cynthia

Good morning my friends........and, despite all the weather warnings of torrential rain and gale force winds, the morning here is clear and bright. I am beginning to get the feeling that Spring is on it's way.... :-)



Today's Joy


Who said the "darkness of the night"
Would never turn to day.

Who said the "winter's bleakness"
Would never pass away.

Who said the fog would never lift
And let the sunshine through.

Who said the skies now overcast
Would nevermore be blue.

Why should we ever entertain
These thoughts so dark and grim,

And let the brightness of our mind
Grow cynical and dim.

When we know beyond all questioning
That winter turns to spring;

And on the notes of sorrow,
New songs are made to sing.


For no one sheds a teardrop
Or suffers loss in vain;

For God is always there to turn
Our losses into gain.

And every burden born TODAY
And every present sorrow,

Are but God's happy harbingers
Of a joyous, bright TOMORROW!


~ Helen Steiner Rice


Cx :-)

"And (don't) let the brightness of our mind
Grow cynical and dim"

How true that is. When I am in the company of my son and his friends, all they seem to see is better things ahead in this world. And, whilst many of us oldies look ahead now to better things after our life's span here, we also do have wonderful things happen to us still.

And we can so easily forget to thank God for 1. putting us in such a beautiful acre of his world 2. giving us such wonderful partners, children and friends 3. giving us enough (often just enough) to sustain us and keep us well and 4. giving us so many foretastes of the heavenbly banquet and the heavenly mansion even now being prepared for us. :-) :-)

Thank you Cynthia for HSR wonderful words <3

John I agree we are truly blessed.

Emma :-)

Good morning everyone and thank you for all your posts. I read them most days.

Thank you for today's verse Cynthia. I'm not usually a fan of Helen Steiner Rice's poetry - I feel almost wicked saying that; I can hear the howls of rage from here! However I did enjoy today's poem. It's good to be reminded sometimes that, however dark your own particular tunnel may be, there will be a light at the end of it if you can just keep plodding on. Reminds me of the old saying "Today's the tomorrow you worried about yesterday"

Vera

Cynthia it's wet, windy and bitterly cold here in Yorkshire today so I am pleased you are experiencing Spring-like weather today. Maybe we too will have that joy tomorrow.

HSR words as inspirational as always and John sharing such wise words also today. I feel that we often take for granted the very things that need our gratitude.

First of February motivational quote to share with you all written by Oprah Winfrey.

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate".

Dear All

Hello


I found this prayer about unity amongst the differing Christian churches:


"Dear Father, we pray for the church.

Fill it with your truth and keep it in peace.

Where it is corrupt, purge it,

where it is right, strengthen and confirm it,

where it needs help, provide for it;

where it is divided, heal it,

and unite it with your tender love.

Thank you.

Amen.

Take gentle care
best wishes
Elizabeth,
xx

Good morning and what a lovely surprise to see so many friends popping in for a brief word.......and don't worry Vera, whilst I know that HSR is very popular on here, I do try and intersperse with a variety of other types of prayer which I hope you find helpful.

Thank you all for your wise and beautiful words.


Today is the Sunday when we celebrate The Presentation of Christ in the temple - such an interesting event which can be found by reading Luke 2.22-40.


The Collect for today

Almighty and ever-living God, clothed in majesty, whose beloved Son was this day presented in the Temple, in substance of our flesh: grant that we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts, by your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


This morning is my turn to read the New Testament lesson which is as follows

Second Reading Hebrews 2.14-18

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.


Cx :-)

The baptism included in our morning service this morning was a rather boisterous little boy of 3 years old who had "ants in his pants" and was never still bless him. His parents had 3 other children all really well behaved. Rev Jan showed overhead pictures on the screen of Mary and Joseph presenting the 40 day old baby Jesus into the temple and a rather old Simeon and Anna declaring Jesus as "a light for the nations". Jan shared this story and focused on parents bringing children into church to be welcomed as a part of our church family.

The toddler was baptized Ely and Jan struggled to hold the wriggling little boy over the font and so wisely handed the youngster over to his Dad whilst she continued. There were many smiles as Ely protested and yelled loudly when water was poured over his head.

It is quite a rare occasion now to include the baptism during our morning service but this young couple have recently moved into the village and were happy to be invited to have their young son baptized at this time. We all made everyone very welcome and hope to see them back to share our service on a regular basis.

Cynthia. I noticed it was the Sunday where we celebrate the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. I was delighted to see those readings you gave.

We did not seem to follow the Lectionary today. And I was asked to do the Gospel reading and it was John Chapter 2 (the first miracle performed by Jesus - at the wedding in Cana).

And you keep seeing new things in these familiar passages. It was obviously a big marriage. And lots of water and wine available for the guests.

Here is a question for everyone. A bottle of wine is typically 750ml. Jesus turned casks of water into wine. How many bottles of 750ml wine would have subsequently been provided by this miracle?

OH said there was a baptism at his church this morning ............

........ a whole family, from adults down to children.

They were a Chinese family, but no-one seemed to be able to find out whether they were converts, or just not been baptised before.



He was late getting home .............. he'd been ambushed by one of the other parishioners who had been a member of a walking group that his sister belonged to.

............... they had walked together in the Rockies only last August.

Sis-i-l's home town and church are about 800 km north of here .............. yet these 2 ladies had belonged to the same group.

She wanted to know all about the Memorial Service!