General Chat

Good morning everyone, and it's a beautifully sunny morning where I am. :-)


As John has mentioned, today is traditionally known as Trinity Sunday - the Sunday after Pentecost, where we celebrate the most Holy Trinity - one God in three persons, and one of the most difficult aspects of the Christian faith to understand.

Many people have struggled with the concept of the Holy Trinity over the years, and one of the best explanations I have ever heard, which may be of help to others, is:


Water, ice, steam. All three are the same substance, but function differently from each other. Water is fluid while ice is hard and steam is a vapor, but they're all the same thing.


I'm not sure about clergy avoiding the subject - it is their duty to help others along the Christian path - difficult though that is at times.


A prayer for Trinity Sunday

Father,
You sent your Word to bring us truth
and your Spirit to make us holy.

Through them we come to know the mystery of your life.
Help us to worship you, one God in three persons,

You reveal yourself in the depths of our being,
by proclaiming and living our faith in you.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. Amen



......and off I go to get ready for church....our vicar is away at the moment and so we have a retired priest taking the service. He has been several times before, so we all know him....... :-)


Have a lovely day............ :-)

The young trainee preacher I am mentoring has sent me his service plan for tomorrow. It all looks very good indeed.

His theme is the Trinity. Had not realised till I got his plan that tomorrow is Trinity Sunday.

I absolutely love preaching about the Trinity. Yet I know it is said in many churches that Anglican Vicars, Methodist Ministers and Catholic Priests avoid preaching on that day if they can. Possibly because you really have to search the Scriptures (particularly OT) to find clear indications that God has three distinct personalities - blessed Trinity.

He has picked the traditional Trinitarian hymn - Holy, Holy, Holy - to finish on.

Hi Cynthia
I've sorted the UCB problem thanks.

Thank you Joy.. :-)

Thank you Joy...........beautiful words at the start of a beautiful day. :-)

Many thanks for those thoughts at start of day, Joy.

"Beauty for your eyes to see" reminded me of those beautiful words of Fanny Crosby (Mrs Frances von Alstyne). "Visions of rapture burst on my sight". She was totally blind.

How often we forget to thank God for our senses to hear music and the chatter of children, to smell lovely flowers and to see so much beauty in our world. :-) :-)

I Wish for You…

Comfort on difficult days
Smiles when sadness intrudes,
Rainbows to follow the clouds,
Laughter to kiss your lips,
Sunsets to warm your heart,
Gentle hugs when spirits sag,
Friendships to brighten your being,
Beauty for your eyes to see,
Confidence for when you doubt,
Faith so that you can believe,
Courage to know yourself,
Patience to accept the truth,
And love to complete your life.
God Bless You!

~ Author Unknown ~

Thank you John and Cynthia, John for your kind words
and Cynthia for todays' prayer.

Emma :-)

Cynthia. These are lovely prayers. And so humbling at times. :-) :-)

And so pleased about your relative, Emma. And how important it is to pray for medical people. The right people in the right place at the right time can have a profound effect on our lives. So pleased for your relative and your family. :-) :-)

Good morning........


It's very windy here, but nothing compared to what those poor souls suffered, and are still suffering, in America. We continue to remember them in our prayers.


Prayer for today, in fact, it's a prayer which is relevant to each day .....


Help us, O God, to rid ourselves of all the things which keep us from being good examples of the faith which we profess.


Help us never to demand standards from others which we never attempt to live up to ourselves;
never to contradict with our lives that which we say with our lips;
never to be one thing to people’s faces and another behind their back.


Help us never to make a promise and then to break it because it is difficult to keep;
never to do anything dishonorable, either to avoid trouble or to make gain;
never to be disloyal to a friend or untrue to a loved one.


Help us never to teach or to persuade anyone to do a wrong thing;
never to give an example which will make it easier for someone else to go wrong; never to laugh at anyone else’s beliefs, and never to hide our own.


Help us to live that we shall never bring disgrace to ourselves, heartbreak to others, or grief to you. Amen.


- William Barclay

Afternoon Errol....... :-)


I've just checked and it seems to be fine........the thing is, I don't always go on it myself, it's my vicar who forwards the daily reading via email - they've been coming through okay.

Why.......doesn't the site recognise your new green coat then? :-D

Cynthia have you been having problems with the UCB website over the past few days?

So pleased for her Emma. Thank you for the apt prayer. :-)

My relative now home from her operation and singing
the praises of the doctors and nurses, a prayer for them.

Sanctify, O Lord, those whom you have called to the study
and practice of the arts of healing,and to the prevention of
disease and pain. Strengthen them by your life-giving Spirit,
that by their ministries the health of the community may be
promoted and your creation glorified, through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen

:-) <3

Good morning friends....... :-)


Some thoughts for today....


O God, Our Father, we know our own weaknesses,

Our minds are darkened, and by ourselves we cannot find and know the truth.

Our wills are weak, and by ourselves we cannot resist temptation, or bring to its completion that which we resolved to do.

Our hearts are fickle, and by ourselves we cannot give to you the loyalty which is your due.

Our steps are faltering, and by ourselves we cannot walk in your straight way.

So this day we ask you,

To enlighten us,

To strengthen us,

To guide us,

that we may know you, and love you, and follow you all the days of our life. Amen.


- William Barclay.



Enjoy your day..... :-)

:-D :-D Thankyou Cynthia and William Barclay. My late father used to say that it doesn't matter what job you do, strive to be the best at it. And the prayer this morning says we must think about what we put into a task, not what we get from it :-)

Have not seen a lot of the footage from Moore in Oklahoma last night or this morning. It has been terrible devastation, but the death toll seems to be mercilessly less than was thought and there are many wonderful human stories of survival and resilience. And love.

I am sure we will hold those dear people up in our prayers for some time :-) :-)

Good morning everyone..... :-)


I hope this helps someone along the Christian path today.......



O Lord Jesus Christ, give us in all our life the discipline which will enable us to walk in your footsteps, and which all your true followers should show.

Help us to discipline our passions and desires, that we may never in an unguarded moment do that which we would afterwards regret.

Help us to discipline our appetites, that greed and gluttony and self-indulgence may have no part in our lives.

Help us to discipline our speech, that no false or untrue word, no soiled or impure word, no bitter or angry word may ever pass our lips.

Help us to discipline ourselves in our work, that slackness, idleness, laziness and carelessness may find no place in our lives, that we may not try to find how quickly we can do a thing but how well we can do it, that we may be more concerned with how much we can put into a task than with how much we can get out of it.

Help us to discipline ourselves in our pleasure, that no pleasure may ever so master us that it takes away the will-power to resist it.

Help us to discipline ourselves in our devotion, that we may faithfully share in the public worship of your people, and that no day may ever pass when in the silence we do not speak and listen to you.

Help us to discipline even our thoughts, that they may never move in any forbidden pathways or linger on any forbidden thing, so that we too may be pure in heart and so see you.

This we ask for your love’s sake. Amen.

- William Barclay


With love to you all. Cx

:-) <3

I haven't seen the news yet John - I need to catch up. Thank you for that prayer.


Last night, I watched the programme on the HIllsborough disaster - so many dead - so many grieving - so much blame and guilt.


Maybe today, we should focus on those whose lives have been changed forever by tragedy, both past and present.


Lord of all compassion, we pray for all of those caught up in the midst of tragedy or disaster.

For those who have lost life and those working to save life
For those who are worried for people they love
For those who will see their loved ones no longer
Lord Have Mercy.

For those in need of the peace that passes all understanding
For all who turn to you in the midst of turmoil
For those who cry out to you in fear and in love
Lord Have Mercy.

For those in confusion and those in despair
For those whose tears are yet to dry
For those in need of your unending love
Lord Have Mercy

Amen.