General Chat

That is a simple and understandable way of thinking of the Bible, Cynthia. We believe that was God's plan from the beginning. And you just could not make it up.

Chapter 11 of Hebrews is another interesting precis.

As is Chapter 1 of Matthew (the one we all hate reading with all the names). But each of those people - King Solomon, and Asa and Joram and Amon - were individuals who made Joseph who he was. And Joseph passed on that long tradition to his son.

No, Jesus was not biologically the son of Joseph and was the begotten Son of God, not created like we were, like his brothers and sisters were. He was of the mystical priestly line of Melchisadec. But Joseph was his earthly father in every way possible, and no one could possibly have had a better father.

I like to think that Joseph was one of those Paul would have mentioned in his long list of saints in Chapter 11. Paul concludes:

"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect"

That passage of scripture is so powerful. The idea that these saints who died before Jesus and never saw his resurrection or the exceptional power of the Holy Spirit at the following Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem, are incomplete till we have died.

Our salvation, our sanctification, our perfection one day, will make Joseph and Moses and King David and the harlot Rahab perfect. They actually await you.

New every morning is the love
Our wakening and uprising prove;
Through sleep and darkness safely brought,
Restored to life, and power, and thought.

Old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be,
As more of heaven in each we see;
Some softening gleam of love and prayer
Shall dawn on every cross and care.

(John Keble 1792-1866) :-)

Good morning :-)


A few words for today:


God's Gift

One day when God felt generous,
He looked down at me and smiled,
"Since I feel so magnanimous,
I'd like to give you something, child."

He asked me what I wanted,
I said, "Oh, really nothing more,
You've done so much already."
He said, "That's what God is for."

"You have been pretty good," He said,
I know there's not much that you seek,
I will pick a little something,
Just to make your life complete."

With great anticipation,
I looked forward to my gift;
I wondered what God had in mind,
That would give me such a lift.

This gift," God said, "You realize,
Bears some responsibility;
So, if you accept my present,
You must be willing to agree..."

"To offer unconditionally,
A section or a part,
Of more than half of you,
The larger portion of your heart."

"Okay, God," I answered,
"Since in You, I always trust,
I'll meet your obligation,
In the manner that I must."

To myself, I thought, wow, what a gift,
For so much of me, God's asked,
Now what could be so valuable,
That my share was more than half?

With both hands I sought my gift,
I still did not have a clue,
Then God put your hand in mine,
And said His gift to me was YOU!

~ Virginia Ellis ~


I hope you all have a happy and peaceful day.... :-)

I just love the Virginia Ellis words Cynthia. Thank you.

Good morning everyone.... :-)


Just a reminder that each and everyone of us can make a difference :



IT'S UP TO YOU

One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.

One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.

One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room,
One candle wipes out darkness
One laugh will conquer gloom.

One step must start each journey,
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what’s true,
One life can make the difference,
You see, IT’S UP TO YOU!

Thankyou for those lovely thoughts this morning, Cynthia. I will offer these words of Thomas Ken (1637-1711):

Forgive me, Lord, for thy dear Son,
The ill that I this day have done,
That with the world, myself, and thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow:
Praise him, all creatures here below:
Praise him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

Another version which I think is interesting and worth sharing.

It's up to you-
What you do
Dreams come true
but it's up to you.

God will help
He plants dreams inside,
But you decide.

Work as if
It's up to you
That's the clue.

You get what you earn
You get what you learn
It's up to you.

Enjoy the journey
Success isn't just money
It's up to you.

(Harlan Simantel).

God will help
He plants dreams inside,
But you decide.

Thanks so much kandj

Have started following a programme on Channel 584 DAYSTAR called "The Jewish Jesus" which is shown at 4.30am every Friday morning. It is wonderful. Rabbi Schneider is explaining the Song of Solomon in terms of Jesus. So often we find glimpses of Jesus in teh Old Testament, but it is for many like "looking though a glass darkly" - like my mum once driving through the Mersey Tunnel on a sunny day and saying how very dark it was. Then she took her sunglasses off ;-)

This week Rabbi Schneider was explaining Song of Solomon Chapter 6 and first 3 verses which conclude:
"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine; he feedeth among the lilies."

The church of Christ, he suggests, is the Shulamite bride. And he also suggests we are the lilies in the garden that the Lord is nurturing.

Shalom. Amen. :-)

Good morning, and how appropriate those words were kandj - thank you.


John, you had me singing those words this morning - haven't sung them for ages come to think of it. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.....what a lovely way to start the day. Thank you.

Talking of praise - the following is quite apt :


The most magnificent cathedrals,
That I've been blest to see,
Have filled me with great wonderment,
And deep humility.
These magnificent cathedrals,
Stand tall on hallowed ground,
Structures of great magnitude,
Indestructible and sound.

Built majestically and grand,
By the Master Architect,
Who had a holy place in mind,
When He put His plans into effect.
These magnificent cathedrals,
Have solid rocks for walls,
No stained glass windows or no panes,
But wide open over all.

The colors and the hues displayed,
Not mixed by ordinary man,
So vivid and intense are they,
They're surely from the Master's hand.

God's fresh air, most welcome there,
His favorite kind of incense,
Mixed with the scent of growing things,
All part of the magnificence.
These magnificent cathedrals,
Have spires that touch the sky,
Pure white at their very tops,
Because they rise so high.

Music for the Father's hymns,
From the finest instruments.
Breezes blowing through the trees,
Bird songs, sweet accompaniments,
These magnificent cathedrals,
Greet birds and beasts and men, alike,
To worship in sweet harmony,
At their Creator's pure delight.

These cathedrals are God's mountains,
Whose great magnificence
Reminds naive mankind,
Of men's insignificance.
I can't see a mountain from afar,
Nor climb up to its peak,
Without feeling I have come upon
A sacred place, unique.

I can't inhale fresh mountain air,
That is crisp and clean and clear,
Without thinking it's the perfume,
Of heaven's atmosphere.
I can't appreciate the mountains,
With their tints and tones and shades,
Without praising God and thanking Him
For each cathedral made.

~ Virginia Ellis ~



Enjoy your day......... Cx :-)

Thank you kandj, John and Cynthia,
loved reading all.

Emma :-)

Good morning everyone. It's very misty here this morning and I have a feeling that it isn't a heat mist!! :-)


At this morning's service, we will be giving out Baptism cards to those who were baptised last week. The babies and their parents are invited back to church to receive the cards so that they can be welcomed into the church by the regular congregation. It's lovely to see a group of young couples proudly holding their infants for everyone to see. :-)


A few words for today:



Old Chinese Proverb

"Flowers Leave Their Fragrance
On The Hand That Bestows Them"

This old Chinese proverb,
If practiced each day,
Would change the whole world
In a wonderful way.

Its truth is so simple,
It's so easy to do,
And it works every time
And successfully, too.

For you can't do a kindness
Without a reward,
Not in silver nor gold
But in joy from the Lord.

You can't light a candle
To show others the way
Without feeling the warmth
Of that bright little ray.

And you can't pluck a rose,
All fragrant with dew,
Without part of its fragrance
Remaining with you.

~ Helen Steiner Rice ~



I hope you all have a pleasant day.... Cx :-)

Today is the second anniversary of my lovely husbands death and I miss him more than ever <3

Wendy

Wendy. Today is bound to bring back so many mixed remembrances - happy and sad. Hope you have laughter in the rain, and I am sure we will think of you in our private prayers today.

We usually have a moment in our prayers at church when we are left to pray for what we want to pray for and I shall take a moment to include you.

Once again, Cynthia, you are out with your watering can today :-) ;-) You will get a chance to smile and chat to these babies - perhaps hold one or two. They are so lovely to cuddle (cwtch, we say) - can't wait to get my hands on my first grandchild in May and have a little dandle. Dandle is a lovely old word which I once saw in History of Mr Polly by HG Wells, and only applies to small babies.

I pray that whatever concerns and happinesses, sadness or joy that you start today with, that you are all truly blessed. We have communion (Eucharist) today and, to be honest, make a bit of a fuss. The first meal that we commemorate was just a group of close friends sharing bread and wine. And I am sure the bread was not the frothy and chemical implanted stuff we will be given later. And the wine would have had more of a kick to it. And none of us would have had to wear fancy dress. ;-) But it is a very special remembrance, and a sincere thanks for what the Lord did for his undeserving flock. :-)

Thank you John I appreciate your thoughts

Wendy

Cynthia as always the words of Helen Steiner Rice touch the heart <3

Thank you also John.

Wendy I send my prayers and thoughts to you at this time <3

Emma :-)

as you know, I don't often post on here, although I often read it.

But I thought you might be interested in the interesting possible situation here in Vancouver ..............

the Anglican Bishop retired a couple of months ago.

there are 8 candidates for the position ......... voting to be done by diocese members at a Synod on November 30th

there are 4 women and 4 men .............................



......... and 3 of the women are being tipped as front-runners by several "people in the know"


We do have other women bishops in Canada already, so we won't be leading the way!


Interestingly, only 1 candidate (a man) has apparently stated that he is against blessing of gay couples in church.

and only 2 are from outside Canada ........... a woman form Seattle, and a man from New Zealand

It is often said that candidates from outside the Diocese have a hard time amking it through the first round of voting. I'm not sure whether that is a peculiarity of this Diocese or whether ti occurs elsewhere.

Whatever ........ the 3 candidates being tipped to top the first round of voting are all women, including the one from Seattle.


Take care everyone




sylvia

I have looked in just now and hope it's not too late to offer support in thought and prayer for Wendy. I hope that you will be able to sleep well and find tomorrow is better for you than today has been.

Good morning everyone and I hope you are all well. :-)


We didn't have baptisms yesterday John, we simply welcomed the newly baptised back to give them their baptism certificates. We don't actually have another baptism until January, but we are already having them booked in for February and March. :-)


Our church is a Eucharistic based church which means that we have a service of Holy Communion at least once each Sunday. We normally have two - one at 9am and one at 11am. During these services we are reminded of the great sacrifice which Christ made on our behalf and the words used are poignant and wonderful.


Presumably John, by the words 'fancy dress', you are referring to the vestments worn by the clergy in Anglican and Roman Catholic churches? Many folk from the non-conformist tradition often wonder what the colourful robes are all about and if they are necessary.

The symbolism of the vestments is both significant and interesting. They are not just colourful garments worn to parade around in as each item conveys a certain understanding of the faith. Not only that, but they also add dignity to the worship and stop the possibility of worshippers being distracted by the the latest fashions being worn.

Each of the priest's garments worn at the Eucharist, have a relevance to the crucifixion of Christ.

The long white garment (alb) represents the purple robe put on Christ but it is white to signify his purity.

The long scarf (stole), which is crossed over the chest and held in place by a white girdle, signifies the ropes which held Christ in place as he was whipped.

The colourful garment (chasuble) is large and made of linen or silk. It is oval, seamless and sleeveless and has a hole in the centre to slip over the priest 's head. It signifies the 'seamless garment' which was put on Christ before he was led away to be crucified and is a sign of God's love for us - "above all things, put on love".

The colour of the chasuble depends on the season of the church's year - Lent - Pentecost - Advent - Saint's Days etc. It all helps to bring the faith alive.

All of the items worn by clergy have a meaning and I find it truly fascinating to read about. It helps me to understand that bit more.


Wendy, it was lovely to know that you felt you could share your sorrow with us. I send my love and prayers and a (hug) and hope that the following words are helpful to you. :-)

You can shed tears that he is gone ...
Or you can smile because he has lived.
You can close your eyes ...
And pray that he will come back,
Or you can open your eyes ...
And see all that he has left.

Your heart can be empty ...
Because you can't see him,
Or you can be full of the love ...
That you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow ...
And live in yesterday,
Or you can be happy for tomorrow ...
Because of yesterday.

You can remember him ...
And only that he is gone,
Or you can cherish his memory ...
And let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind ...
Be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do what he would want ...
Smile, open your eyes, love, and go on!

~ Author Unknown ~



Cx :-)

Very interesting post, Sylvia. It seems there is another Bishop (of British Columbia diocese - all male cast there) being elected on 7th December.

As far as diocese of New Westminster is concerned, there are some excellent candidates. I suspect Ellen Clark-King is one of the favourites. She ticks a lot of boxes for me.

Two new Bishops in such a short period should prove a major change for the church in that part of Canada. And a major challenge for all members.

Edit. Cynthia. We posted at same time. I am not against "fancy dress" per se. And my Minister is very much one for dressing up - and so was my last but one Methodist Minister. And my friend who is a Bishop out in the Far East walks round town shopping (in a Midlands town) in full regalia - with his hat on, with his crook and hsi Asda carrier bag:-)

But I believe the best type of Eucharist can be when a simple group of Christians quietly bless each other and pass round the elements. I have experienced more spirituality from that than any of the very well orchestrated Eucharists I have attended in Anglicanism and Roman Catholicism. I am sure we should all try to experience different styles of worship whenever we have the opportunity.

Kandj, thank you so much for thinking of me. I know many others will have experienced the same feelings as I have and my heart goes out to them xx