General Chat

Good morning :-)


Thank you for the article Dermot - what a sad state of affairs. I see you have quite a broad spectrum of reading matter :-D


Its lovely to see how folk are supporting kandj and her husband in prayer. Sending love to them both <3


A quiet morning in church yesterday, but a far livelier afternoon as our Boys' Brigade celebrated 100 years. Our FB page has many lovely photos of members both old and new as they paraded and gathered for their centenary service. :-D


After two weeks of remembrance for the brave and the fallen, we give thanks for all our blessings……..

Lord thank you for a new day
Please go before me and clear the way
Thank you for protecting me.
Thank you for guiding me.
Thank you for loving me.
In Jesus name. Amen.


Cx :-)

A Christian man, Nassar Hussain, who has been repeatedly attacked after his conversion from Islam, has been moved from his home in Bradford to a safe-house.

Mr Hussain, aged 50, and his family, were escorted by armed police to a secret location outside Yorkshire on 4 November, after police were warned of a credible threat against his life. On Wednesday of last week, Mr Hussain and his wife, Kubra, returned to the property to collect their belongings, escorted by armed officers.

The family’s departure followed more than 15 years of harassment, which was perpetrated, Mr Hussain said, by individuals from the Pakistani Muslim community. The family car was vandalised several times, and an unoccupied house next to theirs was set on fire. Last November, Mr Hussain was hospitalised for 11 days after two men attacked him with a pickaxe handle. No one has been charged in connection with the attack.

The chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA), Wilson Chowdhry, said last week that the area of Bradford in which Mr Hussain had lived had become “a no-go area for apostates (converts from Islam)”.

Mr Hussain was hospitalised for 11 days following the attack. Speaking last Friday, Mr Hussain, who converted from Islam to Christianity in 1996, said that, when the incidents first occurred, they were recorded as neighbourhood disputes rather than hate crimes, which he described as “political correctness gone mad”. He suggested that the police were reluctant to investigate incidents he reported because they did not want to jeopardise relations with the Muslim community.

A statement from West Yorkshire Police (WYP) this week said: “Police and partners have been working together for some time to try and resolve the situation to the benefit of all parties concerned. All the incidents reported by Mr Hussain have been recorded in line with national guidance.”

In June, after meeting Mr Hussain, Karen Bradley, then a Home Office minister, wrote to the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire, Mark Burns-Williamson, stressing the importance of recording crimes perpetrated because of a victim’s religion as religious hate crimes.

Mr Hussain said that, although he and his family had attended an independent church, he had hoped for support from the Church of England, but had not received any. The family has been supported by Barnabas Fund and Christian Concern, which helped them to relocate.

Asked what support the Church of England offers to converts from Islam, a Church House spokeswoman said: “Each case is quite different and needs to be handled with great pastoral sensitivity.” She highlighted the interfaith work of the Presence and Engagement programme. A spokesman for the diocese of Leeds cited the Faithful Neighbours project, which “promotes interaction between people of different faiths”, including “open, honest dialogues on difficult issues within safe spaces.”

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief called last week, in light of the Hussain family’s relocation, for a Government review into whether young people are being taught about the freedom to convert.

(*Copied from The Church Times.)

Hello all and Amen to your morning prayer Cynthia. Thank you for your postings.

We are praying that we will have a better week, less painful for my hubby and
more restful nights for the two of us.

Very many thanks to you all for your kind words and prayerful support. Such a help. xx

Good morning :-)


Its so nice to see someone popping in now and then.....thank you <3


I do have to smile when Pat mentions the bells..........and have visions of her with her hands over her ears and grimacing. What a pity we can't post images on this site....we could really have some fun. :-D


Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King.


Eternal Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven
that he might rule over all things as Lord and King:
keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit
and in the bond of peace,
and bring the whole created order to worship at his feet;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

The Gospel for today tells of how Jesus was mocked when he was crucified.


Love to all......Cx :-)

Indeed you are not alone Cynthia. I have also been reading your posts with interest. Thank you.

Thoughts for all in need of support at this time, especially Kandj and her husband.

You are not alone on here Cynthia I have enjoyed reading
your posts, thank you x

Thinking of those in need of comfort and support and
holding kandj and her husband in my prayers and thoughts x

Woken up at 5.55 am by the bells :-( An early morning service.

It's fast days for those who are strict Greek Orthodox. It's another 40 days fast, it lasts until Christmas.

Meat will soon be cheaper in the supermarkets. :-)

The rules are here

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_Fast

Many do not observe the fast or go to the early morning services. Today it is Obadiah's Day.

I did notice the local priest wandering around the local supermarket when we were shopping on Thursday. Was he doing his shopping, he didn't have a trolley or basket, or was he checking on his flock? :-S

Thinking of Kandj and OH.


:-)

Good morning :-)


As we end our week of looking at life on the home front during WW2, we look at something that everyone was given but no-one used…….

Gas masks (also called respirators) protected people from poison gas attacks which Britain feared the Germans would carry out.

They were made of black rubber and contained a filter to clean the air which was breathed in. Mustard gas was the most deadly gas available – it couldn't be smelt easily and took 12 hours to take effect.

By the end of September 1939, 38 million gas masks had been handed out by the government. People had to carry them wherever they went in a cardboard box and they would be fined if caught without it. The special children’s gas mask was nicknamed ‘Mickey Mouse’ and in school, they would regularly practice putting them on.

To indicate danger, a gas rattle would sound and the tops of pillar boxes were coated in a special paint that would change colour when poison gas was around. Fortunately however, no poison gas bombs were dropped on Britain during the war.

Lord, as we have looked back at how our ancestors dealt with everyday life during wartime, we thank you for their courage and fortitude. We pray that peace may reign throughout your beautiful world and that people will live in love and harmony for ever. Amen.



I seem to have been on my own this week but never mind. Love to all Cx :-)

Good morning :-)




On the home front, it wasn’t only food that was rationed – clothes were in short supply too.

Clothes were rationed in Britain from 1 June 1941. This limited the amount of new garments people could buy until 1949, four years after the war's end.

Shoppers carefully spent their precious clothing coupons and money on new clothes to make sure their purchases would be suitable across spring, summer and autumn and winter.

Despite the restrictions, the war and civilian austerity did not put an end to creative design, commercial opportunism or fashionable trends on the British home front.

Fabric was essential for war purposes, such as uniforms. By reducing civilian clothing production, factory space and labour could be freed up for war production.

Rationing forced people to be painfully mathematic in how they spent their limited supply of clothing coupons - and to find shrewd ways to avoid doing so. The government-backed 'Make Do and Mend' scheme was introduced to encourage people to revive and repair worn-out clothes.

Handmade and hand-repaired clothing became an essential part of wartime life. People got creative across the country out of necessity, finding ways to make and care for clothes - and forge their own wartime style.

We thank God for the ingenuity given to people during those dark days.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Looking at those left at home during WW2.....Women and the war.

Women weren’t allowed to join the army, but the war still completely changed their lives - in some ways, for the better!

Before the war, a woman’s role was in the home. But with the men away at war, help was needed in the workplace - and so millions of women went to work in offices, factories, shops, transport and on farms.

Many men were horrified by the idea of females working and, even worse, wearing trousers! Even the then Princess Elizabeth served in the WATS and trained as a mechanic and truck driver.

Women proved that they could do the work of men, and do it just as well. Without the women of Britain growing food and making weapons, the war could not have been won.

We thank God for these brave and hardworking women and the legacy they left for future generations.


Love to all Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Continuing our look at those left at home during WW2, today we take a quick look at those in Reserved Occupations.

The job of most men during World War 2 was that of a soldier.

As so many men were called up to serve, Britain depended on women to carry out much of the war work. Some jobs, however, were protected occupations meaning the men doing them were exempt from being called up to join the army (important skilled jobs needed for the survival of the country).

Some men were not fit enough or were too old to join the army so they volunteered as fire fighters (fire workers), ARP wardens or joined the Home Guard.

The list of Reserved occupations was quite extensive and included (though these were subject to review):

* Dock Workers
* Miners
* Farmers
* Scientists
* Merchant Seamen
* Railway Workers
* Utility Workers - Water, Gas, Electricity
* teachers and university lecturers
* Doctors (Unless in the Territorial Army)
* Police officers
* Certain Civil Servants
* Students (Only for the duration of their studies. Undergraduates were deferred, but not fully exempted. They could be conscripted at the end of their studies, unless they had a criminal record or ill health)
* Priests, monks, nuns and anyone in Holy orders
* Journalists (Though they may have been sent to the front, even running the risk of being shot or held by the enemies as spies)
Some artists involved in propaganda work

We thank God for these people who helped to keep our country running as well as possible during wartime.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



This week we continue to remember those who were left at home during WW2........evacuations

The British evacuation began on Friday 1 September 1939. It was called 'Operation Pied Piper'. Between 1939 - 1945 there were three major evacuations in preparation of the German Luftwaffe bombing Britain.

1. The first official evacuations began on September 1 1939, two days before the declaration of war. By January 1940 almost 60% had returned to their homes.

2. A second evacuation effort was started after the Germans had taken over most of France. From June 13 to June 18, 1940, around 100,000 children were evacuated (in many cases re-evacuated).

When the Blitz began on 7 September 1940, children who had re-turned home or had not been evacuated were evacuated.

By the end of 1941, city centres, especially London, became safer.

From June 1944, the Germans attacked again by firing V1 rockets on Britain, followed later by also V2 rockets. 1,000,000 women, children, elderly and disabled people were evacuate from London.

We thank God for the families who opened their hearts and homes both then and now, to care for those fleeing from dangerous situations.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


During the last week we have been remembering those brave men and women who fought and died for our country in warfare.

This week, we will take a look at what was going on at home during WW2. If anyone has any memories or handed on stories you would like to share with us, please do so - it would be lovely to hear them.

Today……..The wartime kitchen

Most kitchens had a gas cooker though some had electric cookers.

As not many folk had a refrigerator, people went shopping to buy fresh food most days but they often had to queue because of shortages. Rationing was introduced in 1940.

The Ministry of Food issued leaflets to help hardworking housewives utilise what little food there was available and they were encouraged to grow as much of their own produce as they could. One pot meals and steamed puddings were often on the menu.

You could only buy fresh fruit grown in Britain, such as apples or pears. Fruits that had to come in ships, like bananas, vanished from the shops. Many ships were being sunk by enemy submarines, and precious ship-space was needed for war materials (such as oil or guns) not bananas.

We thank God for the abundant supply of food which is available to us now and pray that we may use it wisely and well.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


To day is Remembrance Sunday and, across the globe there will be services held to commemorate the fallen.

When you go home, tell them of us and say
'For your tomorrow, we gave our today'.


My husband had a lovely day despite having to go and rest through the afternoon. It was wonderful to have our little family with us with lots of shared memories and laughter.

Dermot, re your article, you may be interested to learn that my husband received the most amazing present from our close friend who is an RC priest. He handed my husband a large envelope which, when opened, we found contained a papal blessing from Pope Francis. This will be a treasured possession and is surely a sign of good ecumenical unity :-)

I now have to decide where to start in putting things right again. My family did what they could to help get things straight again but it still looks a bit of a shambles :-D


The Collect for today:

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.

The gospel for today teaches us about the destruction of the Temple.


Cx :-)

Happy 80th birthday blessings to your husband Cynthia. I hope he has been well
enough to enjoy such a very special day today. xx

'Last week’s photograph of Pope Francis embracing the female leader of the Church of Sweden, Archbishop Antje Jackelén, was a stark reminder not only of how close the Catholic Church has come to other denominations like the Lutherans, but also how far apart they still are.

The same could be said of the Pope’s meeting with Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. In both cases, the issue of women’s ordination to the priesthood stands like a locked gate on the path to further church unity. Is there nothing else that could be done to narrow the gap between the denominations?

This year, when the 500th anniversary of the Reformation is being commemorated with such warmth, there is one other source of division that could be looked at again – the Catholic Church’s rules regarding the admission to Holy Communion of members of other Churches.

The line drawn now looks somewhat arbitrary. Permission may be given as a one-off on uniquely special occasions, including for instance when a Catholic and a non-Catholic are marrying during a nuptial Mass. Such an example raises the obvious question – why only then? Why does the theological iron curtain, lifted just for once, descend on the same couple the next day?

The same applies to funeral Masses, where permission may be granted for the non-Catholic partner of the deceased to receive Communion, but only on that occasion. A similar case arises during, say, an ecumenical conference, where Catholic and non-Catholic Christians have shared in communio but are then told they may not share in Communion.

Regarding Eucharistic teaching, the test applied by the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission in its agreed documents on the subject is surely the only one necessary: “Before the Eucharistic prayer, to the question ‘What is that?’, the believer answers: ‘It is bread.’ After the Eucharistic prayer to the same question he answers: ‘It is truly the body of Christ, the Bread of Life.’” That must be enough. It is understandable that those unable to make such a declaration should not receive Holy Communion on such terms, but nor would they want to.

It is also relevant that the Church no longer regards members of other Churches as formally guilty of the sins of heresy or schism. Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis’ exhortation regarding marriage and family life, declined to repeat the traditional bar to receiving Holy Communion applied to couples in irregular marriages, provided they were in good faith. Why should non-Catholics in good faith deserve less?

The statement of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, One Bread One Body, issued in 1998, is still the standard guidance, but it recognised that norms can be changed. The statement also declared that the Catholic Church needed to repent of its own contributions to Christian disunity. It is fair to ask whether the continued ban on members of other Christian denominations receiving Holy Communion might have become one such contribution'.

(*Copied from the Editorial of this week's ‘The Tablet’ magazine.)

A very happy birthday to your husband. I hope he has a lovely day with family around him.

Happy birthday to your husband Cynthia :-)

I hope he has a wonderful day with you all x

Good morning :-)

Lovely to see my friends on here this morning and I join with the others in praying that some pain relief can be sorted for your husband soon kandj. <3

Today is my husband's 80th birthday. We are not sure how it will go but will make the most of it. His brother and wife are travelling from Cambridge and our little family will gather for a meal tonight. My husband has done so well, despite almost having died when he was 49 and, given his ill-health now, to reach this age - and we give thanks to God for all His blessings. <3


For today:

Many of us remember the ‘Dad’s Army’ programmes with affection…but what are the facts behind the Home Guard?

The Home Guard was set up in May 1940 as Britain's 'last line of defence' against German invasion. Members of this 'Dad's Army' were usually men above or below the age of conscription and those unfit or ineligible for front line military service.

On 14 May 1940, Secretary of State for War Anthony Eden made a broadcast calling for men be-tween the ages of 17 and 65 to enrol in a new force, the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV). By July, nearly 1.5 million men had enrolled and the name of this people's army was changed to the more inspiring Home Guard.

The Home Guard was at first a rag-tag militia, with scarce and often make-do uniforms and weaponry. Yet it evolved into a well-equipped and well-trained army of 1.7 million men.

Men of the Home Guard were not only readied for invasion, but also performed other roles including bomb disposal and manning anti-aircraft and coastal artillery. Over the course of the war 1,206 men of the Home Guard were killed on duty or died of wounds.

With the Allied armies advancing towards Germany and the threat of invasion or raids over, the Home Guard was stood down on 3 December 1944.  We thank God for these brave men.



Cx :-)

I also have loved your postings Cynthia.x

I hope your husband receives the pain relief soon kandj <3

My thoughts and prayers are with you both.