General Chat

Thanks Cynthia, I enjoyed that and hadn't come across that arrangement before. A plus for me was that it led me to listen and watch O Perfect love which was one of our wedding hymns. I wasn't keen on the singer but love the hymn.

You're very welcome - all of you.


I love John Rutter's arrangements too LK.


Another of my favourites is his version of the blessing - The Lord bless you and keep you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO17DIeI7Ec



Phew......Isn't it HOT today?????

I love John Rutters arrangements.

Thank you Cynthia. :-D

A real old fashioned lady me....... happiest singing to familiar tunes from childhood days BUT a different tune I feel, makes the words more meaningful, so many thanks Cynthia. Enjoy today!

:-) <3 Thank you again Cynthia.

A beautiful hymn I loved singing.

Emma :-)

edit...John Rutter's version is lovely, first time I've heard it

<3 <3 <3

For Cyns

It' a pleasure ladies.....you're most welcome.


With the beautiful weather we are experiencing at the moment, I thought it would be good to remember this hymn.

Many of us will remember it with the traditional tune but, I have to admit to rather liking the John Rutter setting too....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaMkj4_H8WM



For The Beauty Of The Earth Hymn

For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
Pleasures pure and undefiled,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For each perfect gift of thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of heaven,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For thy Church which evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.


- Folliott S. Pierpoint


Have a lovely day everyone Cx :-)

Me too. Thank you Cynthia for each one. They are all a blessing and a joy to read.

I like that prayer :-)

Happy to be of service John. :-D


Good morning to those who will pop in today......

We seem to have a mixture on here of varying denominations which is good.


I found this lovely prayer by Mother Theresa whilst I was looking for inspiration for today's thoughts.



Mother Teresa's Nazareth Prayer for the Family

Heavenly Father,
you have given us the model of life
in the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Help us, O Loving Father,
to make our family another Nazareth
where love, peace and joy reign.
May it be deeply contemplative,
intensely eucharistic,
revived with joy.

Help us to stay together in joy
and sorrow in family prayer.
Teach us to see Jesus in the members of our families,
especially in their distressing disguise.
May the eucharistic heart of Jesus
make our hearts humble like his
and help us to carry out our family duties
in a holy way.
May we love one another
as God loves each one of us,
more and more each day,
and forgive each other's faults
as you forgive our sins.
Help us, O Loving Father,
to take whatever you give
and give whatever you take with a big smile.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
cause of our joy, pray for us.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

Holy Guardian Angels,
be always with us,
guide and protect us.

Amen.




Cx :-)

:-) :-) @ Cynthia. How often I pray in very strange places. My commute into London used to be just over an hour down M40 about 20 years ago. I would put a service led by Dr Lloyd Jones or similar on cassette deck and by the time I got to Uxbridge I would be on top of the world and singing the chorus of last hymn and praying.

What must the person sitting next to me at traffic lights have thought?

Your comment about care homes/nursing homes struck a chord. I used to regularly lead a service in a home when we lived in Northants. It was only 25-30 minutes long, and "sermon" was always about 5 minutes. And it was well attended and, yes, they always remembered the words (even long Bible passages if they were from the Authorised Version). It was one of highlights of their week and, to be honest, it was one of the highlights of our week also. Often children or grandchildren visit on a Sunday and they would also join in.

Used to pick very simple texts for sermon - love thine enemies as you would like Jesus to love you, for example. Often a few red faces :-) ;-)

As far as I am aware, there are few services like that where I now live in South Wales. Will ask now you have prompted me.

Good morning everyone.......


I've found these words to be so true......



Anywhere is a place of prayer


I have prayed on my knees in the morning,
I have prayed as I walked along,
I have prayed in the silence and darkness
And I've prayed to the tune of a song.

I have prayed in the midst of triumph
And I've prayed when I suffered defeat,
I have prayed on the sands of the seashore
Where the waves of the ocean beat.

I have prayed in a velvet-hushed forest
Where the quietness calmed my fears,
I have prayed through suffering and heartache
When my eyes were blinded with tears.

I have prayed in churches and chapels,
Cathedrals and synagogues, too,
But often I've had the feeling
That my prayers were not getting through.

And I realized then that our Father
Is not really concerned where we pray
Or impressed by our manner of worship,
Or the eloquent words that we say.

He is only concerned with our feelings,
And he looks deep into our heart
And hear the "cry of our soul's deep need"
That words could ever impart.

So it isn't the prayer that's expressive
Or offered in some special spot,
It's the sincere plea of a sinner
And God can tell whether or not -

We honestly seek his forgiveness
And earnestly mean what we say,
And then and then only He answers
The Prayer that we fervently pray.

- Helen Steiner Rice



Cx :-)

Thy creatures bless and grant that we, may feast in Paradise with Thee.


:-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D



A Christian conference centre I am very fond of, tends to always 'sing' grace at meals. It was always funny when, everyone sang the words and then, from the kitchen would come a chorus of Aaaaaaaamen. :-D

at infants/junior school we always sang before lunch - Be present at our table Lord, be here and everywhere adored - can't remember the rest :-D

kandj, personally, I think they WILL remember it in adulthood. I've often heard it said by folk who take Holy Communion to the housebound or those in nursing homes that, although the old folk may not know what day it is, they can say the Lord's Prayer and sing the old hymns without any prompting whatsoever.

The brain is, indeed, an amazing thing. :-)


A few years ago, I was involved in our local theatre group and would, sometimes, be asked to be the 'prompt' at some of the plays which they put on. The one that stands out vividly in my mind, is the time I prompted for The Anne Frank Diaries.

I can remember, even now, sitting hunched up on a stool, shining my torch on the words in front of me, cowering at the thunderous knocking on the door and 'feeling' the deathly silence within the theatre. I can still shiver when I think of it and I sat through it several times.

With that in mind, I thought I would share these words with you........




"I do not think of all the misery, but of the glory that remains. Go outside into the fields, nature and the sun, go out and seek happiness in yourself and in God. Think of the beauty that again and again discharges itself within and without you and be happy."


- Anne Frank.


Wise words from one so young.



Cx :-)

Thank you KittytheLearnerCook. AnninGlos said that she also remembered the simple prayer from her primary schooldays, so I guess this was learned in my school. It is so long ago now but the words are clearly printed in my brain, despite the heat!!

I love the short prayer your little ones say each day at lunchtime. I wonder if they will remember it in adulthood? The brain really is an amazing human computer.

Love them........... :-D

The little ones in the class I supervise at lunchtimes say

For every cup and every plateful
Please God make us truly grateful
Amen

Kandj, your prayer was the one we said at my primary school every day.

xx

lol Cynthia

A favourite of my father's was a Robert Burns one...

Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some would eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.

We always used that grace with our children and grandchildren and, on the odd occasion, it got muddled into thank you for the birds we eat and the food we sing :-)