General Chat

Good morning :-)


Thoughts and prayers go to April's family...... <3


Today's Lent Course.....

John 1.1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

During Lent, we are encouraged to face the reality that there are many dark places in our lives and in our world. We need God’s light to open our eyes to the world’s needs, to bring hope into the darkness.

Whatever challenges we face, it is important we remember, in the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, that “Good is stronger than evil; love is stronger than hate; light is stronger than darkness; life is stronger than death. Victory is ours, through him who loves us.”


Organizations such as Christian Aid and Tearfund work with communities in great need, including those already affected by climate breakdown. Pray for their work, and support it financially, too, if you can.


Help those bringing hope
Read a webpage for a charity like Christian Aid or Tearfund. How do they help to bring light into dark situations, such as countries badly affected by climate change?


Cx :-)

Thank you all <3

Hello all

Cloudy and chilly here today. Roll on Springtime.

Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu is a real inspiration. A colourful character with the most beautiful smile ever.

"Hope is being able to see that there is light, despite all of the darkness." (Desmond Tutu).

Good morning :-)

A longish read - please bear with me :-D


The Collect (special prayer) for today :

Almighty God, you show to those who are in error the light of your truth,
that they may return to the way of righteousness:
grant to all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s religion,
that they may reject those things that are contrary to their profession,
and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same;
through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever
Amen.

The gospel tells the story of Nicodemus asking Jesus about being born again.

Lent Course:

This week we’ll be reflecting on water’s central place in both life and faith. We’ll explore how we can better use, conserve and share this precious gift of God, strengthened and encouraged by our faith in Jesus who offers “living water”.


Prayer for the week
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
the living water; thirsty one,
stoop down and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in him.
From “I heard the voice of Jesus say”,
by Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)

As we think about the gift of water at this time, we also remember and continue to pray for those whose lives and livelihoods have been devastated by floods in recent weeks.

God of compassion,
you hear the cries of all who are in trouble or distress;
accept our prayers for those whose lives are affected by storms and flooding:
strengthen them in their hour of need,
grant them perseverance and courage to face the future
and be to them a firm foundation on which to build their lives;
this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A prayer for the emergency services and those coping with the flooding
God of compassion,
hear our prayers for those who are affected by storms and flooding:
strengthen them in their hour of need, and
grant them courage to face the future,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Cx :-)

Hello all

Cynthia, ongoing prayers for you and all your family as you walk the lonely bereavement path.

After reading the Lenten thoughts on water today
I am mindful of the many ways that water affects all of our lives.

Praying for all who travel or work at sea or on inland waterways. Remembering also all who have been flooded in recent months.

<3 Cynthia and family <3

I still think of my passed near ones 20 - 30 later Cynthia <3

Good morning :-)

.An interesting morning at church yesterday - hand sanitiser, wipes, no Peace, no wine, no collection plate but we coped - of course we did! ??

Genesis 1.6-8
6 And God said, ‘Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.’ 7 So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. 8 God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.


Water is constantly moving around the Earth from land and sea to air, and then from clouds back to Earth as rain.

God created and continues to create this cycle of water, which is an amazing feature of our world. Although fresh water covers less than 1% of the earth’s surface, we depend on it for our survival. It also provides the habitat for 10% of the world’s known species.

As you notice water today – when you wash, drink, walk by a local pond, canal, river or beach – pause to thank God for this precious gift which sustains the life of our planet.

Give thanks for water
Whenever you see or use water today, thank God for this amazing gift we often take for granted.


Cx :-)

Good afternoon all, the water cycle is indeed something many of us take for granted, as is the food chain Xx

Hello all

Different ways in my church too yesterday, the collection plate didn't go around but it was there when I entered church and my envelope was put on the plate along with other regulars attenders.

No usual walking about passing the Peace but the wine chalice was offered at the altar and it was our choice whether we drank from this or not (I did).

Thoughts and prayers for the family and friends of the 5 people who have sadly died of the virus here.

Also different at the church OH goes to .............. plus it was the first service by their new priest. It's only taken about 2 years to a new person appointed. It seems she was ordained about 25 years ago.

Her induction takes place this evening at 7 pm with the Bishop in attendance, of course.


I had a little laugh the other day when I saw the order of service for a funeral service where the Bishop had officiated ........ the surname was shown as Skeleton.

Autoedit at its best ..............

Rev. Melissa Skelton might not have been too pleased!!!

Or maybe she laughed.

I seldom attend a church service these days so I don’t know what is happening in our local church but many years ago I attended communion at a church where they used tiny individual disposable cups for the wine. Perhaps that is the way to go at the moment, though then, of course, the church would be using more plastic. Sometimes you just can’t win :-D

Sylvia, I did smile at your Rev Skeleton. It reminded me of a very remote relative my brother and I discovered when researching. He was the Rev. Pyne-Coffin!

The water theme this week is interesting. Clean water has got to be one of the most important things in life and the developed world takes it so much for granted. When OH was working he opted into a scheme whereby a very small amount was deducted from his salary each month and donated to Water Aid. That stopped of course when he retired and we carried on with our usual one-off donations to various charities. I am now going to talk to him about setting up a small monthly DD for Water Aid.

Still thinking of you and your family Cynthia as you are grieving <3

Good morning :-)


Revs Skeleton and Pyne-Coffin......hahahahaa I enjoyed the comments this morning....thank you <3

Have a feeling that the non-conformist churches still use individual glasses for communion but not sure.

Thanks for the continued good wishes - I am just taking each day as it comes. Today I need to contact the solicitor and write some letters of praise to the hospital
and maybe NHS re the care given to both OH and my family during that last week. It was superb.

Soon I will look slowly at the cards I have received......it is an enormous pile which is spilling out of the bamboo box I put them in. People are so kind.

For today:

Psalm 65.9-13
9 You visit the earth and water it,
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.

Many people’s happiest holiday memories involve water. Messing about in the pool, relaxing by or even sailing on the sea. As well as being a necessity, water also delights and inspires us.

The demand for water around the world is expected to rise by up to 50% by 2050. By conserving water we acknowledge that water is sacred – a gift from God. Doing this will not only help us survive but protect our landscapes and wildlife.

Find out about the “virtual water” that goes into the things we use, the clothes we wear and the food we eat on the waterfootprint website. What could you cut down on?

Cx :-)

When the time is right for you Cynthia to look at the cards I
hope they bring comfort to help you through your grief. <3

Hello all

A dry, bright but really strong wind here today. I held on to my hat when I went out and about!

Cynthia you are doing so well. My precious husband died 2 years ago in January and I still have a huge memory box filled with letters and sympathy cards which I've yet to pluck up the courage to read.

My Methodist friends always used to receive the wine at their altar in separate small glasses. Sadly, our village Methodist chapel was demolished several years ago and many new houses built on this site.

I hoped that the Rev Skeleton would bring some laughter for the day!

Rev, Pyne-Coffin is also one of those matching names ;-)



OH said the Induction Ceremony went well ...... though the ministry people outnumbered the congregation. It is a small church, with a normal congregation of around 20-25 and 40 being large. It is often surprising that it is not closed or amalgamated, something that has been examined closely several times over the last 45 or so years that OH has been associated with it.

It is an old church (for here), built in 1908 when the area was a small community just beginning. Now the local area is largely 3 and 4 storey apartment blocks with some of the lowest rents in Vancouver, and with lots of seniors and young families living in them. Unfortunately most of them no longer go to church, there is no Sunday School, but the church runs a meal programme with a hot meal one evening a week that is open to any one for a donation, helps with a food bank, has a thrift shop, and therefore seems to be surviving because of its outreach programmes.

Good morning :-)

That little church seems to be doing amazing work Sylvia....good for them. Congregations are funny things at times.......they go up and down a lot. Week by week they can be low but, come a special event, then they go up enormously. Not sure why this is but I do wonder if many people have a basic belief but are not willing to commit to regular church attendance. However, there are times when people feel they simply have to go to church to celebrate or just attend something that means a lot to them. Hope that makes sense. :-S


Lent Course


Mark 1.9-11
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan, the river which the Israelites crossed as they entered the promised land. This place of new life and freedom is the setting for Jesus’ baptism.

When we are baptized, St Paul writes, we become “a new creation” and we follow a new way of life. In Jesus, God seeks to reconcile all things to himself. Through baptism we are called to join in that work by caring for all God has created.

Can you take part in a clean-up of a local waterway – pond, canal, river or beach? Or encourage your church to organize one?

Care for local waterways
Where are the canals, rivers, ponds or beaches in your area? Ask if your school, church or other local groups could organize a cleanup.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Today's bible reading

Exodus 15.22-27
22 Then Moses ordered Israel to set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went for three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. That is why it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’ 25 He cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord made for them a statute and an ordinance and there he put them to the test. 26 He said, ‘If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.’
27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they camped there by the water.


Freshwater ecosystems are in trouble. Since 1970, there has been an 83% decline in UK freshwater species of fish. Pollution kills life in our rivers and lakes and harms plants and animals – including humans.

This is what sin looks like. Our environment destroyed. The lives of the most vulnerable inhabitants of our world endangered. Reversing pollution – so that the waters can again be fresh and sustain life – requires repentance. By governments, businesses, and by us, too.

Look in your kitchen and bathroom – is there one thing from each you could switch to a product that does not contain harmful chemicals?


Cx :-)

Good morning to you all :)

Last Monday I had three upper right back teeth extracted here in this room

Was no problem for days until last night, the adjoin ones giving me pain. :-S <3

Hello all

Dry but bitterly cold with strong winds today.

David I hope your toothache settles down soon.

Cynthia, I find lemon, vinegar and baking soda are good for cleaning.

Second Lent Course session for our church yesterday, the subject was Receive the Light.

Thoughts and prayers for those who are homeless
and sleeping on the streets.
Who will help them if struck by Coronavirus.