General Chat

Good morning :-)


So it’s Halloween tomorrow night…….what do we make of it? We’re probably all aware that we are ‘stuck’ with it, like it or not. We will see little wizards, witches and skeletons running around, happily knocking on the doors of total strangers in order to be given sweets, and oblivious of the meaning of this special night.

All Hallows Eve, or Halloween, was originally a festival of fire, the dead, and the powers of darkness. It is the night before the Christian festival of All Hallows Day (All Saints Day) which commemorates the saints and martyrs, and was first introduced in the seventh century. It is marked by prayers for the souls of the dead.

The Bible has a lot to say about witchcraft. Witchcraft and its many cousins, such as fortune-telling and communication with the dead, are Satan’s counterfeits to holy spirituality. The Bible expressly condemns all forms of witchcraft.

Dear God, this Halloween, many people will be living in fear. Whether they are afraid of the spread of Coronavirus, of taking their children trick or treating, of the costumes and masks, of the dark elements of Halloween, or of the physical darkness at night, Halloween can highlight many of our fears. Be with everyone who is afraid this Halloween. Bring them comfort, peace and joy. Remind them that you are victorious, that you have already defeated the devil. Amen.



Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

After worship the new vicar was shaking hands with parishioners, when one woman turned bright red and looked at her shoes as she shook his hand.

“‘I hope you didn’t take it personally, Vicar”, she said, ‘when my husband walked out during your sermon.”

“‘I did wonder,’ the Vicar replied. “I hope and pray he’s not ill.”

“Oh, no!” said the woman. “My husband’s been walking in his sleep ever since he was a child.”

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Good news about your husband Vera and sending love and prayers as you deal with the other anxieties in your life. <3


Bent over and obviously in pain, the old man with a cane hobbled laboriously through the sanctuary and into the pastor’s office while the choir was practicing.

Ten minutes later he came out, walking upright and moving with grace and speed.

“Good gracious,” the choir director exclaimed. “Did the pastor heal you by faith?”

“No,” the old man said with a smile. “He just gave me a cane that wasn’t six inches too short!”


Cx :-)

Thank you Cynthia for last week's "colours" posts and this week's lovely stories.

I hope everyone is well and contented. We had some good news in that OH's latest health scare just needs to be monitored for the time being so further scans in 6 months but no treatment at the moment. We do have another problem, not health related, which is causing some anxiety so I am focusing on our blessings and all the things we have that make us thankful.

Good morning :-)


Little Philip was walking home in the rain with his mother following Sunday worship. It finally stopped raining as they rounded the corner, where to their surprise and delight appeared a vivid double rainbow in the sky.

“Doesn’t it look like an artist painted this rainbow?” his mother exclaimed. “I bet God painted this just for you!”

“Yes,” replied Philip, “God did it, and he did it left handed.”

Confused, his mother asked him, “What makes you say God did this with his left hand?”

“Well,” said Philip, “we learned in Sunday School that Jesus sits on God’s right hand.”


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


A devout old shepherd lost his favourite Bible while he was out looking for a wayward lamb. Three weeks later, a sheep walked up to him carrying the Bible in its mouth. The shepherd couldn’t believe his eyes. He took the precious book out of the sheep’s mouth, raised his eyes heavenward and exclaimed, “It’s a miracle!”

“Not really,” said the sheep. “Your name is written inside the cover.”

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Timmy didn’t want to put his money in the offering plate Sunday morning, so his mother decided to use some hurried creative reasoning with him.

“You don’t want that money, Timmy” she whispered in his ear. “Quick! Drop it in the plate. It’s tainted!”

Horrified, the little boy obeyed.

After a few seconds he whispered, “But, mummy, why was the money tainted? Was it dirty?

“Oh, no dear,” she replied. “It’s not really dirty. It just ‘taint yours, and it ‘taint mine,” she replied. “It’s God’s.”


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Collect (special prayer) for today :

Almighty God,
who alone can bring order to the unruly
wills and passions of sinful humanity:
give your people grace so to love what you command
and to desire what you promise, that,
among the many changes of this world,
our hearts may surely there be fixed where
true joys are to be found; 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 forever. Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


This week we have been looking at the colours of the seasons in the church’s year.

Colour. Colour is everywhere. Colour is God's way of filling his world with beauty and giving pleasure to those who live in this colourful world. Christians, for centuries, have used colour in divine worship to emphasize how God sent his Son to die for us.

Colour, like music, plays an important role in the life of God's worshiping people. The various colours complement the message of the seasons and occasions during the church year. When we sit in church, our eyes are often drawn to the colour of the altar frontal, of the flowers, of the windows. Liturgical colours help to create an atmosphere in which we are open to hearing the word of God.


Colour, like light, stimulates our senses. Colour allows us to see the Light of Life, Jesus Christ. It communicates the message of salvation especially when it reinforces a specific “colourful” chapter in the life of our Lord and his church, retold annually by the church calendar.


God of love,
whose patience humbles us,
and touch can heal us,
we praise your holy name.
God of peace,
who breaks down barriers,
and walls that divide us,
we praise your holy name.
God of eternity,
who has always loved us,
and by grace has saved us,
we praise your holy name


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Lovely, lovely seasonal colours ……...in church.

WHITE
White represents light, innocence, purity, joy, triumph, glory and, as such, is used at church festivals. Christmas, Easter, Festivals of Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary, All Saints’ Day and the Festivals of those saints who did not die as martyrs. The list goes on. It is used for Marriages, and is suitable for Baptism, Confirmation and Ordination and may be used in preference to purple or black for Funerals, and should be used at the Funeral of a child.

Toward the end of the 4th century, references are made to shining white garments worn by celebrants at the Eucharist – imagine how heavenly that must have looked.

God of life,
whose love enfolds us,
and spirit fills us,
we praise your holy name.

God of joy,
whose sunrise wakes us,
and sunset amazes us,
we praise your holy name.

God of hope,
whose promise sustains us,
and power upholds us,
we praise your holy name.
Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



Lovely, lovely seasonal colours – in church

Red
This colour symbolises both blood and fire and we are reminded of the gift of the Holy Spirit which appeared as flames. Red is used on Palm Sunday, Pentecost and has traditionally been associated with martyrs – those who have shed their blood for their faith.

It is appropriate for any services which focus on the gift of the Holy Spirit, and is therefore suitable for Baptism, Confirmation and Ordination.
Something I had not really picked up on, is the fact that the Pope occasionally wears red shoes, for all the above reasons.

Prayer for Christian Martyrs
Lord, so great is our love for you
That even though we walk in a world
where speaking your name can mean certain death
Your faithful still speak it
And speak it all the louder.

Help us work for a world where all may speak their creeds
And pray their prayers
Without fear of violence.

Hear the prayers of those who abide with you
in dangerous times
and in dark valleys,
And who die with your name on their lips.
Draw them quickly to your side
Where they might know eternal peace.

AMEN


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Lovely, lovely, seasonal colours – in church.

PURPLE is a penitential colour, a time of remembering our sins, in contrast to celebrating. It is used during Advent and Lent which are both penitential seasons. The forty days of Lent, use this deep, rich colour which has come to represent solemnity, penitence, and prayer.

Violet or purple was a very cherished and expensive colour in the world Jesus lived. The dye used to make the colour was painstakingly acquired from a Mediterranean shellfish. It was therefore, only the rich who could afford it and was worn most exclusively by the royalty.

Jesus, the king of the Jews, wore a purple robe only once. Just before they crucified him, it is said that the soldiers put a ‘purple garment’ on him in order to ridicule him. Purple is used during Lent to remind us of the way Jesus was mocked and ill-treated and of the sacrifice that he made for our salvation.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father: We have sinned against you, through our own fault, in thought, and word, and deed, and in what we have left undone. For the sake of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us all our offences; and grant that we may serve you in newness of life, to the glory of your Name. Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

As soon as I read your name Pat, I thought 'the bells', 'the bells' :-D :-D

At the moment, the church is in the season of 'Ordinary time'.

So, what is ‘ordinary time’? The Church year is divided into several seasons.

Advent - which looks forward to Christmas.
Epiphany - the visit of the Wise Men.
Ordinary Time
Lent - preparing for Easter
Easter - celebrating the Resurrection
Ascension - when Christ rose into heaven
Pentecost - the coming of the Holy Spirit
Ordinary Time

So the term “ordinary” does not mean “usual or average.” Ordinary here means “not seasonal.”

Each church season has its own colour which we see in the altar frontals and vestments of the clergy. These colours not only remind us of where we are up to in the church’s year, but they bring beauty and colour to our buildings. For Ordinary Time the colour is green symbolising a sign of triumph over death, like regrowth in springtime. The readings during Ordinary Time show us how to live out our Christian faith in our daily lives.

Lord of creation,
whose glory is around and within us:
open our eyes to your wonders,
that we may serve you with reverence
and know your peace at our lives' end,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.


Cx :-)

It's St Luke's Day today. I hadn't thought about it until 7am - you're correct Cynthia - the bells started clanging.

St Luke is the patron saint of the village. There maybe some sort of a fair and food stalls today, none last year. We'll know this evening as they'll be cars parked up here even though we are a distance from the activities.

We avoid it, went for 3 years but so much the same and aimed at children. Nice to go a few times though. :-D

Good morning :-)

It was our Harvest Festival yesterday and, although it went very well, it was not what we were used to. We actually sang a hymn - We plough the fields and scatter!!!

I started off at 6.30am. yesterday and ended at 11.30pm. Back and forth to church - harvest, baptisms, cleaning the church loo. You mention it, I did it :-D :-D

Most people will agree that the changing colours of autumn are really fantastic.

We know that the leaves are falling and soon we will be left with just bare branches of the trees and the only sign of life will be the evergreens, but let’s not think about the gloomy side. Autumn is the time when nature shows off it’s full display of colour and we marvel at its beauty.

It’s also the time to be grateful for life and all the beauty it brings with its differences in colours. What would it be like if life had only one colour? It would certainly be boring. The various colours in nature, people, events and even our churches, make our lives worth living.

At the moment, the church’s year is in what is called ‘ordinary time’ and the colour is…………green.

Lord,
As we welcome the autumn months,
may the earlier setting of the sun
remind us to take time to rest.
May the brilliant colours of the leaves
remind us of the wonder of your creation.
May the steam of our breath in the cool air
remind us that it is you who give us the breath of life.
Amen.

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,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


I'm glad that things are fairly stable for you at the moment Vera.....life is so full of ups and downs, I hope that things improve gently. <3

Dreadful news about the murdered MP Sir David Amess. We pray for the repose of his soul and for his family, that they may be given strength at this sad time.


HARVEST – EAT, REST, HAVE, SHARE

Harvest is a time of commitment.

Jesus told his disciples… “There’s a great harvest out there waiting to be reaped but a shortage of workers! (As farmers in Britain are finding today!)

Some of us are great spectators but less good at being actively involved (including prayer, encouragement and finance). Others of us will be involved in a work for a period of time but lose heart and motivation and fade from the scene.

Harvest reminds us that commitment to Christ is forever, not just in the early days or when it’s convenient for us. If the good seed of God’s word becomes embedded and rooted in the soil of our lives, we must make sure that we plough our life field through regular bible reading, prayer, fellowship and expressing our trust in God.

St. Paul writes to Timothy: "I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith "

May we be as committed and as faithful as St. Paul.


Cx :-)

Another interesting week Cynthia, thank you. The Betjeman poem is well worth a read. I don't know why it is but some of the traditional Harvest Festival hymns are among my least favourites.

At times it is a sad world we live in. I join kandj in sending condolences to the family of Sir David Amess, a well liked and well respected man.

Thank you kandj for your concern for myself and OH. I am fine but we have had some concerns about OH's health. He has had good news regarding one of his problems and not quite so good regarding other worries and we are awaiting news from the hospital as to what the next step will be. However he is not in much pain now and remains calm and cheerful. I hope all the positive Covid cases in your circle are not too poorly and other worries in your life have eased.

Sending a hug to anyone who needs one and wishing you all a peaceful and happy weekend <3

Hello all

Love the traditional Harvest hymns but sadly none of them were included in our service this year.

Praying for everyone connected to Air Cadets, Boys/Girs' Brigade, Brownies, Guides, the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts and other sports and recreational groups for children and young people in all areas.

edit..... just read the news of the death of the Conservative MP Sir David Amess who has died after being stabbed in a constituencey surgery held in a church in Essex. How shocking and so sad.

Condolences to his family. RIP Sir David Amess.

Good morning :-)


Harvest is an opportunity for us to be generous...

In the ancient world some people believed that your possessions should be buried with you, so you could take them into the next world! I wonder what each of us would choose?

There is a story of a wealthy man who died… The relatives asked the solicitor: “So, tell us, how much did he leave?” The solicitor replied: “He left everything!”

Harvest reminds us of the need to be generous because God is generous… Our generosity is not only with our money but also with our time, patience, loving kindness and serving one another.

Lord, teach us to be kind in heart, so that love, grace, and charity flow forth like a river. Give us a generosity that reflects your own, through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Cx :-)