General Chat

Good morning :-)

Our emotions


Father,
Please help me to rest in your happiness,
To allow a smile to linger on my lips,
To dwell within a wonderful memory,
To walk back through sunlit places.

Please help me to awake with hope,
To engage with life in all its variety,
To take in the beauty of others joys,
To touch the souls of those I meet with thankfulness.

Please help me to sing with faith,
To carry the truth close in my heart always,
To rejoice at new life and
To have peace as I age.

Please help me to indulge in love
To breathe in the sweetness of intimacy,
To taste the kindness of friendship,
To feel the warmth of embrace.

Please help me not to miss
A single drop of heaven, T
To catch each moment
And drink in the great joy of life. Amen.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Collect (special prayer) for today:

Almighty God,
you have broken the tyranny of sin
and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts
whereby we call you Father:
give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service,
that we and all creation may be brought
to the glorious liberty of the children of God;
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 :-)

So many tragic deaths recently - the Titan Sub and the boat which capsized with so many lives lost. :-(


When it comes to Christian motivation, nothing is more fundamental than love.

Love is what gets us started and keeps us going. At all times and in all ways love is our foremost and guiding principle. It is the basis of our existence. For the love of God we live and breathe. Without love for God, everything we do is meaningless, like clanging a cymbal.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, chapter three, he states:
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

What an example to follow.

Cx :-)

Hello all

Another thought provoking week of postings, thank you Cynthia.

Vera, I hope you're feeling a little better today.

Such dreadful news about the Titan sub. I'm so very sorry for the loss of lives, my thoughts and my prayers go out to the family and friends of all who have tragically died.

Good morning :-)

The Motivation of Paul the Apostle

Paul was one motivated man and there is so much we can learn from him. It’s hard to imagine anyone more motivated than this super-apostle.

He travelled farther than even the most battle-hardened CEO. His network of connections was immense, stretching across the entire Mediterranean and beyond.

He was more published than William Shakespeare, Agatha Christie and JK Rowling combined.

He spent his entire life building up the business he cherished.
Statesmen sought his guidance, mega-church leaders clamoured for his advice, and kings feared his disapproval.

He was so dedicated to his job he paid the ultimate price to see his business succeed. And he did it all for the sake of love.

If only we could be as motivated as Paul.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Motivation – how can we be motivated for Christ?

A good way of feeling motivated is by being with other believers – in church services, groups or meetings. We are given a sense of belonging and being part of the Body of Christ. If we are given a role, no matter how humble, we feel we belong. Other members may have ideas which motivate us into action, or we may have ideas to motivate others.

Fellowship and working together keep us active and useful. As within our own families, everyone needs a job within the family of the church – we need to be equipped to be motivated to share the good news of Jesus.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Motivation – sometimes the effort seems too much. Take it slowly.

Learn A Little Every Day
Poet: Unknown

Little rills make wider streamlets;
Streamlets swell the river's flow;
Rivers join the ocean billows,
Onward, onward as they go!
Life is made of smallest fragments-
Shade and sunshine, work and play;
So may we, with greatest profit,
Learn a little every day.

Tiny seeds make boundless harvests;
Drops of rain compose the showers;
Seconds make the flying minutes,
And the minutes make the hours.
Let us hasten, then, and catch them,
As they pass us on our way;
And with honest, true endeavor,
Learn a little every day.

Let us read some striking passage,
Cull a verse from every page,
Here a line and there a sentence,
'Gainst the lonely time of age.
At our work or by the wayside,
While the sunshine's making hay;
Thus we may, by help of Heaven,
Learn a little every day.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Mr Motivator………some may remember him….. “Help you quit smoking. Improve your mental health and mood leading to increased happiness. Increase your self-esteem and confidence. Helps keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age.”

OK so that’s our physical well-being sorted, but what about our spiritual well-being?

Many of us need some motivation to keep ourselves spiritually fit. The Bible has a great deal to say about motivation and the motivation of Christians is different from that of unbelievers. For one thing, our sense of motivation or inspiration comes from God, not from the things of the world.

Staying close to God keeps us motivated as He is the source of all energy and power. He created the universe with a word. The more we pray, read and listen to His word, the closer we get. He will motivate us as we speak and listen to Him. Let’s get motivated!


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Sending much love as you navigate through troubled waters Vera <3

Two things:

“The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few” and, ‘Motivation - enthusiasm for doing something’.

The harvest quote from Jesus yesterday, is as pertinent today as it was all those years ago. So much work to be done but who is going to do it?

William Tyndale was a Bible scholar who saw the beauty of God’s word up close, and he just wanted to share it with everybody in their own language. It’s hard to imagine a time when owning an English translation of the Bible was a serious crime punishable by death. But it was because it threatened the power of those in control of the Church.

Faced with opposition in England, Tyndale travelled to Germany where he was able to write freely. And it was there he completed the first New Testament translation in 1525. Copies were smuggled and circulated around England provoking outrage among royal and clerical circles. But he resolutely continued with other English translations, all printed and distributed by whatever means possible.

Finally in an act of betrayal by a companion, Tyndale was captured and put on trial. The final charge was heresy and he was later executed. A few years after his death, Henry VIII, (now estranged from Rome) allowed the first ‘Authorised’ translation of the Bible into English. This Tyndale-based translation became the foundation for later translations, including the famous King James version. Tyndale’s scholarly devotion, his motivation, his love of scripture and his nation meant English culture would never be the same.

Be motivated - for Jesus.

Cx :-)

Thank you for another interesting week Cynthia. I’ve learnt one or two things about organs. As someone who can’t even manage to co-ordinate two hands I am full of admiration for those who use both hands and both feet while reading music and keeping an eye on the priest and congregation at the same time.

I am going through a rather trying time at the moment but I know there are people on the boards whose lives are much more difficult so I am trying to learn patience and acceptance. I hope everyone who looks in on this thread is well and happy and wish you all a blessed Sunday.

Good morning :-)

Collect (special prayer) for today:

Lord, you have taught us
that all our doings without love are nothing worth:
send your Holy Spirit
and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love,
the true bond of peace and of all virtues,
without which whoever lives is counted dead before you.
Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In the Gospel reading for today (Matthew 9. 35 – 10.8) Jesus teaches about how much work is to be done.

Cx :-)

Good afternoon :-)

“If you are called upon to play a church service, it is a greater honour than if you were to play a concert on the finest organ in the world. Thank God each time when you are privileged to sit before the organ console and assist in the worship of the Almighty.” – Albert Schweitzer

What does organ music symbolize? “It's often in a church, so for people it represents moments of joy, of pain, and of prayer; the music of the organ accompanies all these moments.”

“To my eyes and ears the organ will ever be the King of Instruments.” – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Organists use hands AND feet.
Organists have to be pretty flexible, in more ways than one. On the floor, there is a pedalboard that resembles a stretched-out piano and balancing on the organ bench while playing the pedals is, apparently, no easy feat (pardon the pun!)

Their feet obviously need to reach the pedal board and it’s rather like using the feet as a ‘third hand’. These pedals usually produce the low-pitched notes.

Some organists wear special shoes designed for playing the organ - The bottom of the shoe is thin and usually made of suede. The suede is smooth creating very little friction between shoe and pedal. This allows for the organist to glide their feet across the pedals. They can also feel the pedals through the thin sole. Using hands and feet independently must be so difficult. Due respect to all organists.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Over the years, many churches have experienced a pipe organ but, when they go wrong, attention turns to the electronic variety.

Pipe organs and electronic organs make sounds in different ways. Electronic organs are mass-produced in factories to generate generic sounds. In contrast, every pipe organ is a unique, custom-designed instrument made to order for a particular sanctuary or other listening space.
Who knew there was so much to these amazing instruments?

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Not only are pipe organs one of the most complex and powerful of musical instruments, but they are also the largest instrument in the world, and the largest to be played by a single person.

The largest church organ in France is the famous Grand Organ at Notre Dame Cathedral. Whilst the organ was not damaged in the horrendous fire a few years ago, it has been dismantled to be repaired and cleaned of all the lead dust which settled on it. It is due to be reassembled by April 2024.

Cx :-)

Good afternoon :-)


The traditional purpose of most organs is to play in Christian church services
.In most churches, the main role of the organ could be split into the following categories:

1. Leading the singing of the whole church community
The pipe organs’ sustained tone supports choral and congregational singing beautifully and the use of multiple stops means that a wide range of tones can be achieved to help make sense of the hymn text and to add drama.

2. Choral and liturgy accompaniment
English church music has a long choral history with the pipe organ playing a major part in accompaniment of plainchants, responses, hymns, and service music etc.

3. Ceremonial
The organ is often used for state occasions in cathedrals and for weddings, civic services, and major services in the liturgical calendar such as Christmas and Easter. The organ provides a grand sound for these occasions.

4. Solemn sound
Dignified for funerals and Remembrance Day etc. – a praise band really can’t do Nimrod justice!


Cx :-)

Hello all

Cynthia, I agree that's very sad news. Our village church is very fortunate to still have the lovely old organ in place. This was overhauled and cleaned about 5 years ago and we organised years of fundraising events to help cover the high cost involved.

Good morning :-)


It’s a sad time……..our church organ has finally given up the ghost………aww……it had a lifespan of 20 years and that time is now up.

So, it’s decision time as to what to do next. Meanwhile, the history of church organs is quite fascinating.

Pipe organs can, apparently, be traced back to about 3rd century, but in England, the first organ of which any detailed record exists was built in Winchester Cathedral in the 10th century. It was a huge machine with 400 pipes, which needed two men to play it and 70 men to blow it, and its sound could be heard throughout the city.
Now, that is some church organ!!

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


The Collect (special prayer) for today:

O God, the strength of all those who put their trust in you, mercifully accept our prayers and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without you, grant us the help of your grace, that in the keeping of your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; 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.

Today’s Gospel is based on “Love one another, as I have loved you”.

Cx :-)

Hello all

Another really interesting/thought provoking week's postings. Thank you Cynthia.

Heavenly Father
Thank you for today. You have provided all that we have needed and so much more.
We ask your blessing on us all as we sleep.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit. Amen.