General Chat

I hope Mrs Vicar gave him a small piece of Christmas pudding ;-)

Cold churches (or cold houses) are something I hate. I will never forget my best friend getting married in Wrexham RC Cathedral. Must have been 40 years ago and it was freezing cold outside.

Inside, it seemed even colder. And the marriage service took about one and a half hours and most of it was in Latin. I was not a Christian in those days, and became an even more committed atheist after that chilling experience.

So glad the services today were so well attended and so enjoyable. Next week (usually first Sunday in January) we have our Covenant Service, which is a sort of New Year resolution for Christians. We re-commit ourselves to God. It was an Anglican tradition started in 17th century by Rev Alleyn but has been adopted as "best practice" by a few non-conformist churches. :-) :-)

Wonder if it takes place in any C of E or RC churches also :-S

Hope you were well wrapped up Dermot....... :-D


John, I quite agree about the Queen's speech. I only caught it this evening because we've been to our son's. She came over really well and her spirituality shone through. :-D


Considering we had 2 ordinary services on Sunday plus the the crowded Carol Service, I didn't really think we would get that many to the midnight mass and then this morning. However, I was told there were over 160 at the midnight - a lot of new faces too - and around 50 this morning. Really delighted with that.


On Christmas morning, our vicar asks the children to come to the front to show him what Father Christmas has brought them. They queued up this morning and he sat on the chancel steps in an effort to get down to the children's height.


One little girl, who has recently had surgery for a brain tumour presented him with a Furby - the latest model apparently. He was fascinated as she chattered non-stop about what this toy could do. When she told him that it 'talked' endlessly, he nodded sagely and said...."Ah....it's a female then"! When he asked how to stop it 'talking', she replied wisely "You have to put it into a dark room and leave it alone". He mused for a moment and then said "hmm......I wonder if that would work with Mrs Vicar". The place fell apart with laughter.


All in all, a very blessed Christmas indeed....... :-D

Could have done with just a little bit of heat in our church this morning. Otherwise an uplifting Mass.

Christmas Day nearly over already. Hope everyone enjoyed it and got some nice surprises. Daughter and son-in-law popped in on their way back from Germany and Paris and off to Australia after New Year to spend a fortnight on the "whitest beach in the world". Someone will know where that is - Queensland, I think. Great that they are doing so much with their young lives, but rest of us just left realising how the other half lives.:-D ;-)

I was delighted with the Queen's Speech. What she said at the end really showed what a deep personal faith she has. She has always taken her responsibilty of Defender of the Faith so seriously over all her 60 years of monarchy. :-D

Wishing everyone a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas.


<3 <3 <3 <3

So glad you made it there kandj - it's a very special time of year isn't it?



ooops...forgot to say hello to George who popped in earlier. Thank you for your greetings George :-D


We can't make it to the midnight service anymore because of my OH's health probs but, hopefully, we will be there at 10am tomorrow - even if it means we have to get up at 5.45am. Maybe we will bump into Father Christmas :-D

I also managed to go along and join in my village church Carols by Candle light with large tree all tiny white lights twinkling in the corner.... so pretty and magical. Our village brass band was there to play for the carols which is so special, I really felt uplifted and the black night sky was filled with twinkly stars....... awesome!

Taken my breath away too, Cynthia. :-D 300 people!!! Wow!!

Awesome text from John Chapter 1. And picked up again in 1 John Chapter 1.

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled....."

As Charles Wesley wrote: "God contracted to a span, incomprehensibly made man" :-D

Wow! What else can I say?

Darkened church - candles - glittering Christmas trees and people, SO many people........packed to the rafters .....well over 300 ....all ages.....from babes in arms to Dolly who is over 90. Readings and carols and ending with that wonderful Christmas lesson "In the beginning was the Word......."



Am now shattered...........but happy. :-D :-D

:-D Just going off to the Carol Service.......... later ~~~~~~

Lovely afternoon service. We decided at end to light fifth candle as we have no service on Tuesday.

And my bit? Completely by chance, someone thrust a Bible at me and asked me to do a reading. Reading about wise men. And I introduced it by saying a bit about them. These magic magi. One lady said afterwards "how did you know all that about the wise men?". I nearly said "from my friends on Genes chat...." :-D :-D

Hope everyone will enjoy the Yule holiday.

George :-) :-)

God bless indeed.... :-)

Cynthia. Hope the next time we have a Mayan prediction or similar that there is not a huge rush to Market Harborough. I always head for the hills myself - somewhere high up like Dowlais Top (1200 ft above sea level).

We have got no preacher today at my chapel, but everyone (about 20-25 of us) is asked to do a couple of minutes about what Christmas means. So we light the fourth candle, pick our favourite carol, read a small Bible passage, or a poem, ar a passage from a book with a Christian theme. And we finish by saying the Grace holding hands in a circle.

Works very well as long as we only do it a few times a year. And a cup of tea and piece of Christmas cake afterwards.

I hope, whatever everyone is planning on this fourth and last Sunday of Advent, that it is a good day. And if you are attending a place of worship or watching a service on TV or listening on radio, I do hope that God speaks to your personally today.

God bless :-) :-)

Market Harborough............? Different! Can't say that crossed my mind :-D


You're right about each Sunday being an 'Easter' day John - and it's something we can often forget.


Today we will be lighting the last of our Advent candles and then it's the carol service tonight. :-D

Unfortunately, Dermot, I do not believe that the prophets were talking of a physical Jerusalem. New spiritual Jerusalem is anywhere you find new spiritual Israelites, I believe.

So events could centre round Jerusalem as of old. But probably not. My guess is Market Harborough. The last battle could start anywhere, if I understand things correctly.

And the time. Well, the "second" coming (or advent) of Christ appears to have been predicted for 38 years after his death. And there is evidence he appeared to his followers in AD70. THta is why the destruction of the Temple is described as a foretaste of what is to come

But I am pretty sure that the final coming (the official Second Coming of Christ) will be clear to his followers, and the final battle could start anywhere at any time. I personally believe it will follow a short period of relative world peace - hence few will be expecting it. :-)

But just as momentous as the First Advent that we celebrate in 2 days time. :-D

And as momentous as the first Easter Sunday that we celebrate today and every Sunday. When the Paschal Lamb that had been slaughtered for you defeated the last great enemy, death. :-D :-D

"If you follow just one major news trend, make sure it is what is unfolding in the pivotal city of Jerusalem.

World events to the end of this age are going to revolve around Jerusalem. This city is going to be the very epicentre of all major events in the future".

(Taken from 'The Philadelphia Trumpet' - August 2012).

End of the world before midnight? Lot of speculation on other threads about that.

I remember in one chapel a Deacon used to hand me a copy of a little quarterly booklet called "Watching and Waiting". Cannot remember much about it, but I do remember that no one will know the last day - it will creep up like a thief in the night.

But there are signs and foretastes. The most significant foretaste was when Herod's Temple and Jerusalem was sacked by the Roman army in AD70.

And does it not say that the final destruction will come from the east? China, India, Pakistan, Japan, Iran? Nuclear weapons? Meteorites?

Happy Christmas :-( :-( At least we know that will be the start, not the end. Whether alive then, or long long dead. :-D

There is the one about the Vicar talking to the Sunday School before they leave the congregation.

Today I am told you will be learning about Isaac in Junior Church. Tell me, who was his famous father?

One little boy's hand shot up. "Jesus Christ, sir"

What an interesting answer? Why do you say the father of Isaac was Jesus Christ?

Because, when you do this talk, the answer is always Jesus Christ, sir :-)

Maybe in those days Dermot, people weren't used to laughing in church....it was probably considered the wrong thing to do. All so strait laced :-D

It's so different now.......if our vicar doesn't make us laugh somewhere in the service than he's not well........ ;-)


There are actually websites for church jokes which are quite good. A lot of folk seem to think that we never laugh or are just sooooo deadly serious all the time. hahahahahaa.......as if!


ps. I had heard that joke before but didn't want to spoil your punchline :-D