General Chat

Good morning :-)

Ah......let us worship the God of finance eh Dermot? It's unsettling when finance becomes the be all and end all of church life - I've seen it happen so often. The churches which often fare better financially, are those where money is rarely mentioned, but the ethos, worship and fellowship stimulates people into being grateful for what they have and to show that gratitude in a financial way - if that makes sense.

Churches don't run on fresh air and it can take thousands of pounds to maintain a church even for one year. Planned giving is encouraged - fund raising is an added extra. I think there is an article in a recent Church Times questioning the 'morality' of raffles and such like. Must look it up. :-D

For today:

The world turns,
The sun rises,
The birds sing,
The dawn breaks.
The beauty of creation,
unfolds afresh, bathed in light!
I notice my breath,
I soak up the light of a new day
Full of possibility and joy
and to you O God, I give thanks... Amen.


Cx :-)

Our church's Newsletter for this week includes the following:
*Christmas Quiz Evening - Tickets £10.
*Christmas Raffle - £10 per book of 5 tickets.
*Food bank donations encouraged.
*Christmas hamper(s) - tinned & dried fruits; soups; meat & fish.
*Christmas Cards on sale now. Local designer.
*Advent Day Retreat - cost £25pp, incl light lunch.
*Finally, Church restoration fund raising appeal launch. Estimated cost £212,000, supplemented through Grants leaving £50,000 expected through donations, bequests & other occasional fund raising efforts.

AMEN!

Good morning :-)

Lord in the stillness, move me.
In the silence, speak to me.
In the solitude, accompany me.
In my weakness, strengthen me,
In my emptiness, dwell in me,
In my wretchedness, sanctify me, as this morning
I open myself to you completely.
Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


We have 3 children to be baptised this morning …...the little girl's name is Nevaeh which is heaven spelt backwards...….quite trendy I believe!!

The Collect (special prayer) for today:heaven
Heavenly Father,
whose blessed Son was revealed
to destroy the works of the devil
and to make us the children of God and heirs of eternal life:
grant that we, having this hope,
may purify ourselves even as he is pure;
that when he shall appear in power and great glory
we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom;
where he is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In the Gospel reading, Jesus tells of the destruction of the temple and the end times to come.

Cx :-)

Hello all

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Remembering all who are affected by the floods all around the country right now, and the fire in the students rooms in Bolton. All really really worrying.

Heavenly Father
In the middle of all the difficult challenges thrown our way, help us to know that
You are always with us and that we aren't ever left alone to cope on our own.
Amen

Good morning Cynthia and others <3

The Nebuchadnezzar account is given in Daniel 4 : 1 - 18

Good morning :-)

Good heaven's, where do you get these questions from David? It takes me all my time to get through the day...….. :-D

Thank you Rambling :-D

For today......our last look at peace - metaphorically speaking of course!

God, teach me to be patient,
teach me to go slow.
Teach me how to wait on You
when my way I do not know.
Teach me sweet forbearance,
when things do not go right,
So I remain unruffled
when others grow uptight.
Teach me how to quiet
my racing, rising heart,
and to hear the answer
You are trying to impart.
Teach me to let go, dear God,
and pray undisturbed until
My heart is filled with inner peace
and I learn to know Your will.
- Helen Steiner Rice


Cx :-)

David It was a good stab at chronology given the literal interpretation of the calendar and genealogy chronicled in the bible. But science has shown that the continents have shifted and continue to do so though it was a long walk, it may have been a short walk done many times over many thousands of years.

And don't forget rafts, and 'primitive' boats.... canoes made from trees have been around a long time.

Which inevitably reminds me of my mum's favourite saying "Love many, trust few, and always paddle your own canoe"...to which I'll add, with respect to the thread we're on,

"Dear God, be good to me. The sea is so wide and my boat is so small."

—Breton fishermans’ prayer

If the devout Irish Priest named Usher's chronology is correct concerning

the age / beginning of mankind,

How was Russia and North and South America and Australia populated ?

It's an extremely long walk between these extremities for nomads ?

Good morning :-)

I can't say I am really well connected to Nebuchadnezzar David - bits spring to mind but I would have to re-check. How did he come to mind? :-S

For today :

Loving God ~ Our Gracious Creator
When times are uncertain,
when there is anxiety about the future,
when so many yearn for peace;
open our eyes, Lord, to see your presence & your activity;
open our ears to hear your guidance & your call;
open our hearts to know your love, and our hands to share it.

We recall those mountain top experiences of our lives
when we stood in awe of your creation and your mighty power to save.
We remember when you helped us through all of those
difficult times in our lives and lifted us up when we had fallen away.
So whatever challenges we face today, we know for certain your strong arm will guide us ~ ~ your great love will keep us ever in your care.
We thank and praise you for your gracious love and mercy.
Amen


I agree, Emma - the floods are dreadful and we must keep those poor people in our prayers. <3

Cx :-)

I think in the OT Nebuchadnezzar took all the credit for his victories and wealth.

God humbled him by making him eat grass for seven tears.

Morning Cynthia :-)

So much floods and distress for people at the moment,
also for our friends in Australia who are in the frightening
position of fires.

My prayers and thoughts today for them all that they may be
safe.x

Good morning :-)

Vera, it sounds as though the vicar put a lot of thought into that service which is lovely. It's difficult for clergy to conduct services of people they have never known but he obviously has a gift. It was good to hear how friends gathered round to support the husband - community spirit is a wonderful thing.

Yes David - all forms of brain disease are horrible and we never know the future :-(


I had new carpet yesterday - talk about manic! Phew......I not only met myself coming back but I was like a spinning top too! :-D


We Can't, But God Can

Why things happen as they do
we do not always know,
And we cannot always fathom
why our spirits sink so low.

We flounder in our dark distress,
we are wavering and unstable,
But when we're most inadequate,
the Lord God's always able-

For though we are incapable,
God's powerful and great,
And there's no darkness of the mind
God cannot penetrate...

And while He may not instantly
unravel all the strands
Of the tangled thoughts that trouble us,
He completely understands-

And in HIs time, if we have faith,
he will gradually restore
The brightness to our spirits
that we've been longing for.

So remember there's no cloud too dark
for God's light to penetrate
If we keep on believing
and have faith enough to wait.

- Helen Steiner Rice

Good morning <3 A few years ago I was visiting my MIL in a care hone. The staff were changing her sheets I went into the day room next door. There was an elderly lady sat there alone in the middle of the room in a nightie, no TV on.
She said "It can happen to anyone if you live long enough".

Hello all

Belated Happy Birthday Wishes to your husband Cynthia.

David, Alzheimers is a horrible illness.

Vera, the vicar did a very special service for your friend today, and it was good that your club friends went along to support her husband and family on such a sad day.

Thinking of the all the families whose homes have been flooded recently.

Good evening :-D <3 Some 20 years ago, a friend of mine, a tailor, who could make £600 plus hand made suits for local professionals and directors, his health began to fail. He lost weight, had his drivers licencee taken from him by DVLA, his car sold, he thought it had been stolen, lost customers.The General Practitioners who owned the building he worked from doubled his rent, so he was obliged to vacate the premises.
He was admitted into Dunston Hill Hospital for assessment. A few weeks later he was to Dovecote Nursing Home High Spen, having been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.I visited him when I could. His heath declined rapidly. After one visit as I was leaving the Staff Nurse said to me "The Doctors given Bill three weeks" Bill died three days later.A dreadful ailment when the brain dies before the body.

Amen to your prayer Cynthia.

We have been to a funeral today of a local lady. Most funerals we have been to in recent years have been in crematoriums and some services have been beautiful, but this service was in our local church and the whole atmosphere was somehow different. The vicar, a really lovely man, said that he hadn't known the deceased well but had learnt a lot about her from talking to her husband. He had learnt that she had done a lot of tapestry work until Parkinsons prevented her from doing so and he built a moving address around the tapestry of her life and the different threads woven in. It was really special and left a warm feeling. The deceased and her husband had few relatives and there were only 5 there but the couple at one point had belonged to a club OH and I go to and the members there rallied round and 15 of us swelled the numbers. It pleased and comforted the husband to see so many friends there.

Special thoughts today for all who are grieving the loss of a loved one and wishing them strength and comfort.

Good morning :-)

Thank you for your good wishes to OH - much appreciated.

Prayer for World Peace

Great God, who has told us
“Vengeance is mine,”
save us from ourselves,
save us from the vengeance in our hearts
and the acid in our souls.
Save us from our desire to hurt as we have been hurt,
to punish as we have been punished,
to terrorize as we have been terrorized.
Give us the strength it takes
to listen rather than to judge,
to trust rather than to fear,
to try again and again
to make peace even when peace eludes us. Amen.

Cx :-)

Cyn ............

Happy, happy birthday to OH xxx

Happy birthday to your OH Cynthia.

Thank you for HSR offering.x