Pause for Thought and Prayer (Archive 1)

Pause for Thought and Prayer is a collection of thoughts and prayers from the Church notices.

This is the archive page - it goes back to February 2008

Go to back to main page (from Easter Sunday - April 2010 onwards)

Postings before April 2010 have been moved to this archive as the main page was getting too large to manage.

Collect for Palm Sunday

True and humble king,
hailed by the crowd as Messiah:
grant us the faith to know you and love you,
that we may be found beside you
on the way of the cross,
which is the path of glory.

Posted 27.03.2010

When a man really gives up trying to make something
out of himself - a saint, or a converted sinner, or a
churchman, a righteous or unrighteous man,...when in
the fullness of tasks, questions, success or ill-hap,
experiences and perplexities, a man throws himself
into the arms of God...then he wakes with Christ in
Gethsemane. That is faith, and it is thus that he
becomes a man and Christian.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Posted 27.03.2010

The precious and personal words of St Paul;
are they also precious and personal to you?

"I live by faith in the Son of God (Jesus)
who loved me and gave himself for me."

St Paul - Galatians 2:20

Posted 27.03.2010

Collect for the 5th Sunday of Lent
Passiontide Begins

Gracious Father,
you gave up your Son
out of love for the world:
lead us to ponder the mysteries of his passion,
that we may know eternal peace
through the shedding of our Saviour's blood,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Posted 21.03.2010

Lord, keep us near your cross
and fill your people with Calvary love.
Give courageous leadership to your church, to speak
with it's love and outlove it's enemies.
Anoint your church afresh with the spirit of joyous,
faithful service and let us to seek only your glory.
Amen.

Posted 21.03.2010

Collect for Mothering Sunday

God of love,
passionate and strong,
tender and careful:
watch over us and hold us
all the days of our life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Posted 14.03.2010

The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.

- Unknown

Posted 14.03.2010

"Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of children."

- W M Thackeray

Posted 14.03.2010

"Healthy families are our greatest national resource."

- Dolores Curran

Posted 14.03.2010

Collect for the 3rd Sunday of Lent

Eternal God,
give us insight
to discern your wili for us,
to give up what harms us,
and to seek the perfection we are promised
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Posted 07.03.2010

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Don't starve during Lent - Feed on God's word!

Posted 28.02.2010

Collect for the 2nd Sunday of Lent

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 for ever.

Amen

Posted 28.02.2010

If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Posted 28.02.2010

Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness, or else forgiving another.

Jean P.F Richter

Posted 28.02.2010

Collect for the 1st Sunday of Lent

Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness,
and was tempted as we are, yet without sin:
give us grace to discipline ourselves
in obedience to your Spirit;
and, as you know our weakness,
so may we know your power to save;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 21.02.2010

On Keeping a Holy Lent

Keeping Lent, however, is potentially dangerous, precisely because of this focus on the heart. After all, it is much easier to read a book on prayer than to spend time leisurely speaking with our heavenly Father. It is much easier to fast from certain foods than it is to turn from idols of the heart. It is much easier to write a cheque than to spend time in ministries of mercy. Consequently, Lent is easily trivialized. The point of Lent is not to give up chocolate; it's to give up sin. Even with this warning, however; we need to beware of going from one extreme to the other. Yes, it is possible so completely to externalize your Lenten observance that you end up trivializing it.

Pastor Craig Higgins

Posted 21.02.2010

Collect for the Sunday Next before Lent

Almighty Father,
whose Son was revealed in majesty
before he suffered death upon the cross:
give us grace to perceive his glory,
that we may be strengthened to suffer with him
and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen

Posted 17.02.2010

Happy Valentine's Day
"To love another person is to see the face of God."

Les Miserables

Posted 17.02.2010

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled
faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed
into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which
comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Posted 17.02.2010

"There is more to life than increasing its speed"

Mahatma Ghandi

Posted 17.02.2010

Collect for the 2nd Sunday before Lent

Almighty God,
you have created the heavens and the earth
and made us in your own image:
teach us to discern your hand in all your works
and your likeness in all your children;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who with you and the Holy Spirit
reigns supreme over all things,
now and for ever.
Amen

Posted 07.02.2010

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in
trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth
give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the
sea, though its waters roar and foam and the
mountains quake with their surging.

Psalm 46:1-3

Posted 07.02.2010

Collect for the 4th Sunday of Epiphany

God our creator,
who in the beginning
commanded the light to shine out of darkness:
we pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
may dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief,
shine into the hearts of all your people,
and reveal the knowledge of your glory
in the face of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen

Posted 31.01.2010

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:7

Posted 31.01.2010

Please pray for all those in the parish who are mourning the loss of loved ones

Posted 31.01.2010

Collect for the 3rd Sunday of Epiphany

God of all mercy,
your Son proclaimed good news to the poor,
release to the captives,
and freedom to the oppressed:
anoint us with your Holy Spirit
and set all your people free
to praise you in Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Posted 24.01.2010

Please pray for all those in the parish who have lost loved ones this week.

Posted 24.01.2010

Haiti

We thank God for all those who have been miraculously saved this week.

Posted 24.01.2010

Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti the
government and the relief agencies. Pray that food
and shelter be quickly distributed. Pray also for all those who
have lost loved ones, the injured and sick.

Posted 24.01.2010

Collect for the 2nd Sunday of Epiphany

Eternal Lord,
our beginning and our end:
bring us with the whoie creation
to your glory, hidden through past ages
and made known
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Posted 17.01.2010

Please pray for the people of Haiti that relief would
come swiftly and pray also for all those who have
lost loved ones, their homes and possessions.

Posted 17.01.2010

Collect for the 1st Sunday of Epiphany

Eternal Father,
who at the baptism of Jesus
revealed Him to be Your Son,
anointing Him with the Holy Spirit;
grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit,
that we may be faithful to our calling
as your adopted children;
through Jesus Christ your Son Our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with You,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Posted 10.01.2010

God always provides a light through every one of his tunnels.

Posted 10.01.2010

Contentment with the divine will is the best remedy
we can apply to misfortune.

William Temple

Posted 10.01.2010

2010 - God's way or your way - it's up to you

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,
Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.
And he replied:
Go out into the darkness and put your hand
into the hand of God.
That shall be to you, better than light,
and safer than a known way.

Posted 10.01.2010

Collect for the First Sunday of Christmas

God in Trinity,
eternal unity of perfect love:
gather the nations to be one family,
and draw us into your holy life
through the birth of Emmanuel,
our Lord Jesus Christ.

Posted 27.12.2009

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your
neighbours, and let each New Year find you a better man.

Benjamin Franklin

Posted 27.12.2009

Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past.
Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.

Brooks Atkinson

Posted 27.12.2009

1 Corinthians 13 (The Christmas Version) by Anemone Reeves

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they
are there to be in the way.
Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things. Love never fails.
Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust.
But giving the gift of love will endure.

Merry Christmas.

Posted 20.12.2009

Collect for the 4th Sunday of Advent

Eternal God,
as Mary waited for the birth of your Son,
so we wait for his coming in glory;
bring us through the birth pangs of this present age
to see, with her, our great salvation
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Posted 20.12.2009

Don't forget - If you take the Christ out of Christmas all you are left with is M & S !

Posted 20.12.2009

Good News for all the people - that includes you!

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2.10-11

Posted 20.12.2009

Let us pray that we may truly respond to God's
invitation to seek his face. May we worship him
in the true life of his with lives moved by his love.

Posted 13.12.2009

I AM CALLED TO WORSHIP A GOD I CANNOT SEE
BUT NOT TO SUBMIT TO A GOD I CANNOT KNOW
AND PROVE.

David Shepherd.

Posted 13.12.2009

IF WE WORSHIPPED AS WE SHOULD, WE WOULDN'T
WORRY AS WE SHOULDN'T.

Anon

Posted 13.12.2009

Collect for the 3rd Sunday of Advent

O Lord Jesus Christ,
who at your first coming sent your messenger
to prepare your way before you:
grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries
may likewise so prepare and make ready your way
by turning the hearts of the disobedient
to the wisdom of the just,
that at your second coming to judge the world
we may be found an acceptable people in your sight;
for you are alive and reign with the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 13.12.2009

Collect for the 2nd Sunday of Advent

Almighty God,
purify our hearts and minds,
that when your Son Jesus Christ comes again as
judge and saviour
we may be ready to receive him,
who is our-Lord and our God.

Posted 06.12.2009

Give us, O Lord, a stout heart to bear our own burdens; a tender heart to bear the burden of others; and a believing heart to lay all our burdens on you.
(Leslie Newbigin)

Posted 06.12.2009

Advent
A time to change your mind and believe the Good News!

Still running away from God? Try falling into His loving arms instead. He's waiting to receive you right now!

Posted 06.12.2009

Collect for the Advent Sunday

Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
and to put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen

Posted 29.11.2009

Advent - A time to act and get right with God
before Jesus returns.

9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. He is patient with you,
not wanting anyone to perish,
but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9

Posted 29.11.2009

Collect for the Sunday Next before Advent

Eternal Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven
that he might rule over ail things as Lord and King:
keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit
and in the bond of peace,
and bring the whole created order to worship at his feet;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen

Posted 22.11.2009

Giving

A sound investment in the Kingdom of God

"As base a thing as money often is, yet it can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor. It can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality."

John Wesley (1703-91)

Posted 22.11.2009

An act of Worship

"Remember this—you can't serve God and Money, but you can serve God with money." Billy Graham

Posted 22.11.2009

Collect for the 2nd Sunday before Advent

Heavenly Lord,
you long for the world's salvation:
stir us from apathy,
restrain us from excess
and revive in us new hope
that all creation will one day be healed.
In Christ Jesus our lord.

Posted 15.11.2009

Please pray for fellow Christians who are subjected to persecution.
There are 34 countries listed by the Human Rights Reports where there are known human rights violations because of persecution or severe discrimination against Christians.

Please remember these in prayer regularly and pray intelligently by visiting the web sites of International Christian Concern (www.persecution.org), or Open Doors UK (www.opendoorsuk.org). There are links to these sites on the Links page (under information) on the church web site.

Posted 15.11.2009

The Mark of Spiritual Maturity

One of the marks of spiritual maturity is the quiet confidence that God is in control - without the need to understand why He does what He does.

Posted 15.11.2009

God - The end of fear
God incarnate is the end of fear, and the heart that realizes that He is in the midst will be quiet in the middle of alarm.
-F. B. Meyer-

Posted 15.11.2009

Collect for the 3rd Sunday before Advent
Remembrance Sunday

Almighty Father,
whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of all:
govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,
and bring the families of the nations;
divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,
to be subject to his just and gentle rule;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever,

Amen

Posted 08.11.2009

Love is
laying down our own lives in the service of others

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for
us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers".
1 John 3 : 16

Posted 08.11.2009

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people;
and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring
salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:27-28

Posted 08.11.2009

Collect for the 4th Sunday before Advent

Almighty and eternal God,
you have kindled the flame of love
in the hearts of the saints:
grant to us the same faith and power of love,
that, as we rejoice in their triumphs,
we may be sustained by their example and fellowship;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 01.11.2009

When all appears lost

Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter
people and hallelujah is our song.

Pope John Paul II

Posted 01.11.2009

I lift up my eyes to the hills —
where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

Posted 01.11.2009

Collect for the Last Sunday after Trinity

Blessed Lord,
who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
help us so to hear them,
to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them
that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word,
we may embrace and for ever hold fast
the hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us In our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen

Posted 30.10.2009

God is on hand to listen to our requests and make a real and tangible difference but many never get past the stage of silent worry

Posted 30.10.2009

Jesus asked blind Bartimaeus:
"What do you want me to do for you?"
Bartimaeus said, "Rabbi, I want to see."
"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed Jesus along the road.

Posted 30.10.2009

You do not have, because you do not ask God.
James 4:3

Posted 30.10.2009

Collect for 19th Sunday after Trinity

Faithful Lord,
whose steadfast love never ceases
and whose mercies never come to an end:
grant us the grace to trust you
and to receive the gifts of your love,
new every morning,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Posted 18.10.2009

Life is a marathon not a sprint; and even if
you can't see it, keep an image of the
finishing line in your heart and press on.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have
kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will
award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all
who have longed for his appearing.

(Paul's second letter to Timothy 4:7-8)

Posted 18.10.2009

Collect for Harvest Thanksgiving

Eternal God,
you crown the year with your goodness
and you give us the fruits of the earth in their season:
grant that we may use them to your glory,
for the relief of those in need and for our own well-being;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 11.10.2009

Give thanks to God for spiritual fruit
For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I
follow Apollos," are you not mere men?
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only
servants, through whom you came to believe—as the
Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed,
Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.

1 Corinthians 3:4-6

Posted 11.10.2009

Has God grown some good fruit in your spiritual garden
this past year?
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23

Posted 11.10.2009

Collect for the 17th Sunday after Trinity

Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you:
pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself,
and so bring us at last to your heavenly city
where we shall see you face to face;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 04.10.2009

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time and God none of the time.

Posted 04.10.2009

But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Posted 04.10.2009

Collect: 16th Sunday after Trinity

Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you:
pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself,
and so bring us at last to your heavenly city
where we shall see you face to face;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 27.09.2009

Collect: 14th Sunday after Trinity

Almighty God,
whose only Son has opened for us
a new and living way into your presence:
give us pure hearts and steadfast wills
to worship you in spirit and in truth;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 06.09.2009

Collect: 13th Sunday after Trinity

Almighty God, you search us and know us:
may we rely on you in strength
and rest on you in weakness,
now and in all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Posted 06.09.2009

Collect: 12th Sunday after Trinity

God of constant mercy,
who sent your Son to save us:
remind us of your goodness,
increase your grace within us,
that our thankfulness may grow,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Posted 30.08.2009

Collect: 11th Sunday after Trinity

O God, you declare your almighty power
most chiefly in showing mercy and pity:
mercifully grant to us such a measure of your grace,
that we, running the way of your commandments,
may receive your gracious promises,
and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 23.08.2009

As sons and daughters of God can we just opt out and stop following Jesus?
The disciples faced this dilemma......
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

John 6:66-69

And there lies the problem - only Jesus, the One and Only has the words of eternal life!

Posted 23.08.2009

Collect: 10th Sunday after Trinity

Let your merciful ears, O Lord,
be open to the prayers of your humble servants;
and that they may obtain their petitions
make them to ask such things as shall please you;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with yo'u,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 16.08.2009

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as
wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the
days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand
what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which
leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak
to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always
giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:15-20

Posted 16.08.2009

Collect: 9th Sunday after Trinity

Almighty God,
who sent your Holy Spirit
to be the life and light of your Church:
open our hearts to the riches of your grace,
that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit
in love and joy and peace;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

Posted 09.08.2009

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.

Luke 4:18-19

Posted 09.08.2009

Collect: 6th Sunday after Trinity

Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding:
pour into our hearts such love toward you
that we, loving you in all things and above all things,
may obtain your promises,
which exceed alt that we can desire;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 19.07.2009

6 Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness H will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rearguard.

Isaiah 58:6-8

Posted 19.07.2009

Collect: 5th Sunday after Trinity

Almighty and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church
is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,
that in their vocation and ministry
they may serve you in holiness and truth
to the glory of your name;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 12.07.2009

The Believers Freedom

"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial.
"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive.
Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
(1 Cor 10:23-24)

Posted 12.07.2009

"If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no
longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother
for whom Christ died. "Do not allow what you consider good to be
spoken of as evil. "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of
eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the
Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:15-17)

Posted 12.07.2009

Collect' 4th Sunday after Trinity

Gracious Father,
by the obedience of Jesus
you brought salvation to our wayward world:
draw us into harmony with your will,
that we may find all things restored in him,
our Saviour Jesus Christ,

Amen

Posted 05.07.2009

Bad news you can keep to yourself; good news should be shouted from the rooftops!

Posted 05.07.2009

Then Jesus came to the disciples and said, "All authority
in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I
have commanded you. And sureiy I am with you
always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20

Now what do you not understand about the command GO?

Posted 05.07.2009

Collect: 3rd Sunday after Trinity

Almighty God,
you have broken the tyranny of sin
and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts
whereby we call you Father:
give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service,
that we and all creation may be brought
to the glorious liberty of the children of God;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 30.06.2009

Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - "who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases". (Psalm 103: 2-3)

Posted 30.06.2009

Healing - Responsibilities

When we are unwell it is our responsibility to ask
for healing prayer. It is the Lord's responsibility
to bring healing.

Posted 30.06.2009

"Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the
church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name
of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the
sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned,
he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each
other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

James 5:14-16

Posted 30.06.2009

Please pray for BibleLands

BibleLands is a Christian Agency which supports and resources Christians in the lands of the Bible as they serve the needs of the poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged, through education, health care and community development.

BibleLands works in partnership with local Christians to respond strategically and effectively to the changing needs of the region and its people, regardless of their faith or nationality.

Posted 22.06.2009

Egypt

The Harpur Memorial Hospital in Menouf serves a large sector of the poorest community in the Nile Delta. It treats 50,000 patients each year, including several leprosy patients. The hospital has a government contract to care for leprosy patients from across Egypt who have been refused treatment from other hospitals. Please pray for these patients in particular, as for many this is their first encounter of love and care since having contracted the disease.

Posted 22.06.2009

Feeling Religious?

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

Posted 22.06.2009

Collect: 1st Sunday after Trinity

O God,
the strength of all those who put their trust in you,
mercifully accept our prayers
and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature
we can do no good thing without you,
grant us the help of your grace,
that in the keeping of your commandments
we may please you both in will and deed;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 14.06.2009

Heaven is our true home, but let us always try to please God while we are on our earthly vacation.

Posted 14.06.2009

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7We live by faith, not by sight. "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. "So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5: 6-10)

Posted 14.06.2009

The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centred.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down
by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favour underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

Posted 07.06.2009

Collect: Trinity Sunday

Holy God, faithful and unchanging:
enlarge our minds with the knowledge of your truth,
and draw us more deeply into the mystery of your love,
that we may truly worship you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 07.06.2009

Collect: Day of Pentecost

God, who as at this time
taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
grant us by the same Spirit
to have a right judgement in all things
and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort;
through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 24.05.2009

When you know the truth the truth will set you free.

Jesus said:

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide
you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will
speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is
yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from
what is mine and making it known to you. All that
belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the
Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to
you. (John 16:13-15)

Posted 31.05.2009

Collect: 7th Sunday of Easter

O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ
is gone before,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 24.05.2009

Lord, help us to be the church where we are, for the people among whom we live. Amen

Posted 24.05.2009

Collect: 6th Sunday of Easter

God our redeemer,
who hast delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of thy Son:
giant, that as by his death he hath recalled us to life,
so by his continual presence in us he may raise us to eternal
joy;
through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 17.05.2009

Jesus said "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now
remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my
love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his
love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your
joy may be complete. (John 15:9-11)

Posted 17.05.2009

We are not to think that where we see no possibility, God sees none.
Marcus Dods.

Posted 17.05.2009

If man cannot enjoy the return of spring why should he be happy in a labour saving Utopia?

Posted 17.05.2009

Collect: 5th Sunday of Easter

Almighty God,
who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ
have overcome death and opened to us
the gate of everlasting life:
grant that, as by your grace going before us
you put into our minds good desires,
so by your continual help
we may bring them to good effect;
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 13.05.2009

"l am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains
in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from
me you can do nothing".

John 15:5

Posted 13.05.2009

Stay connected and do great things for God.

Posted 13.05.2009

Do all the good you can
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can.
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
For as long as you can.

John Wesley

Posted 13.05.2009

Collect: 4th Sunday of Easter

Risen Christ,
faithful shepherd of your Father's sheep:
teach us to hear your voice
and to follow your command,
that all your people may be gathered into one flock,
to the glory of God the Father.

Amen

Posted 03.05.2009

Jesus the Good Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep
know me— "just as the Father knows me and I know the
Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other
sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.
They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock
and one shepherd.

Posted 03.05.2009

Q - How well do you know the Shepherd?

Can you recognise His voice when He speaks to
you?

Posted 03.05.2009

Collect: 3rd Sunday of Easter

Almighty Father, who in your great mercy gladdened the disciples
with the sight of the risen Lord:
give us such knowledge of his presence with us,
that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life
and serve you continually in righteousness and truth;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 26.04.2009

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of
our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the
cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God.

Posted 26.04.2009

Collect: Easter Day

God of glory,
by the raising of your Son
you have broken the chains of death and hell:
fill your Church with faith and hope;
for a new day has dawned
and the way to life stands open
in our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen

Posted 12.04.2009

Can you identify with the words below?

If not, then there is no better day to rethink your position in the life God has given you.

And God raised us up with Christ
and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms
in Christ Jesus,
in order that in the coming ages he might show
the incomparable riches of His grace,
expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith - and this not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God - not by works,
so that no-one can boast.

Ephesians 2: 6-9

Posted 12.04.2009

Grace - the unmerited favour of God offered to everyone who will accept it.

Posted 12.04.2009

Posted 08.04.2009

The precious and personal words of St Paul; are they also precious and personal to you?

"I live by faith in the Son of God (Jesus) who loved me and gave himself for me."

St Paul - Galatians 2:20

Posted 08.04.2009

Collect: 4th Sunday of Lent

God of compassion,
whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary,
shared the life of a home in Nazareth,
and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself:
strengthen us in our daily living
that in joy and in sorrow
we may know the power of your presence
to bind together and to heal;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen

Posted 22.03.2009

"Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of children."

W M Thackeray

Posted 22.03.2009

"Healthy families are our greatest national resource."

Dolores Curran

Posted 22.03.2009

Mothering Sunday

But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me,
the Lord has forgotten me."
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?

Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
Isaiah 49:14-16

Posted 22.03.2009

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you;
he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Deuteronomy 31:8

Posted 22.03.2009

Collect: Third Sunday of Lent

Almighty God,
whose most dear Son went not up to joy
but first he suffered pain,
and entered not into glory before he was crucified:
mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross,
may find it none other than the way of life and peace;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 15.03.2009

Lent - A time to get right with God.

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.

Psalm 24:3-4

Posted 15.03.2009

We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in
him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:20,21

Posted 15.03.2009

Collect: Second Sunday of Lent

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 for ever.

Amen

Posted 08.03.2009

Pray for renewed enthusiasm in our common witness:

The will of God will never take you
Where the Grace of God cannot keep you where
the arms of God cannot support you
where the power of God cannot supply your
needs where the power of God cannot endow you.

Posted 08.03.2009

Collect: First Sunday of Lent

Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness,
and was tempted as we are, yet without sin:
give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit;
and, as you know our weakness,
so may we know your power to save;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 01.02.2009

Please pray for the Galea family as they mourn the loss of Stewart who died this week, especially Stewart's sons Jordan (17) and Kristian (14).

Posted 01.02.2009

On Keeping a Holy Lent

Keeping Lent, however, is potentially dangerous, precisely because of this focus on the heart. After all, it is much easier to read a book on prayer than to spend time leisurely speaking with our heavenly Father. It is much easier to fast from certain foods than it is to turn from idols of the heart. It is much easier to write a check than to spend time in ministries of mercy. Consequently, Lent is easily trivialized. The point of Lent is not to give up chocolate; it's to give up sin! Even with this warning, however, we need to beware of going from one extreme to the other. Yes, it is possible so completely to externalize your Lenten observance that you end up trivializing it.

Pastor Craig Higgins

Posted 01.02.2009

Please also pray for Barbara Trickey, Rod and the family as they mourn the loss of Barbara's mother Violet.

Posted 01.02.2009

Please continue to pray for Peter Tomsett and for one another as we mourn the loss of Judith.

Away from us but now at home with the Lord.

Posted 25.01.2009

Collect: Sunday next before Lent

Almighty Father,
whose Son was revealed in majesty
before he suffered death upon the cross:
give us grace to perceive his glory,
that we may be strengthened to suffer with him
and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 22.02.2009

The Transfiguration

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. "And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

Mark 9:2-4,7

Posted 22.02.2009

Listening to God

I always begin my prayer in silence, for it is in the silence of the heart that God speaks. God is the friend of silence—we need to listen to God because it's not what we say but what He says to us and through us that matters.

Mother Teresa (1910-1998)

Posted 22.02.2009

If God had wanted us to talk more than listen, He would have given us two mouths rather than two ears.

Anonymous

Posted 22.02.2009

If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear!

Winnie the Pooh

Posted 22.02.2009

Jesus the Healer

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus
all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town
gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who
had various diseases.

Mark 1:32-34

Posted 08.02.2009

Now what's the problem?

If God made you and knows your mind, body and spirit in
fine detail does it not make perfect sense to go back to your
Creator when a problem arises?

Posted 08.02.2009

All things are possible with God

What may appear too difficult in the eyes of medical science is elementary in God's hands; otherwise He wouldn't be
called God!

Posted 08.02.2009

Collect: 3rd Sunday before Lent

Eternal God,
whose Son went among the crowds
and brought healing with his touch:
help us to show his love,
in your Church as we gather together,
and by our lives as they are transformed
into the image of Christ our Lord.

Amen

Posted 08.02.2009

Collect: Presentation of Christ in the Temple

Almighty and ever-living God,
clothed in majesty,
whose beloved Son was this day presented in the Temple,
in substance of our flesh:
grant that we may be presented to you
with pure and clean hearts,
by your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 01.02.2009

When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him
what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his
arms and praised God, saying:
"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for qlory to your people Israel."

Luke 2:27-32

Open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to
see Jesus.

Posted 01.02.2009

Collect for 3rd Sunday of Epiphany

God of all mercy,
your Son proclaimed good news to the poor,
release to the captives,
and freedom to the oppressed:
anoint us with your Holy Spirit
and set all your people free
to praise you in Christ our Lord.
Amen

Posted 25.01.2009

Paul Called by God

I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel
I preached is not something that man made up. I did
not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it;
rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:11-12

Has Jesus revealed Himself to you?
If not, why not ask Him to?

Posted 25.01.2009

Collect for 2nd Sunday of Epiphany

Almighty God,
in Christ you make all things new:
transform the poverty of our nature
by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives
make known your heavenly glory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever

Posted 18.01.2009

I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to
open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me,
"Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of
David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven
seals." And they sang a new song:

"You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation".

Revelation 5:4,5&9

Posted 18.01.2009

Collect for 1st Sunday of Epiphany

Almighty God,
In Christ you make all things new.
Transform the poverty of our nature
by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives
make known your heavenly glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Posted 12.01.2009

2009 - God's way or your way - It's up to you!

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,
Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.
And he replied:
Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of
God. That shall be to you, better than light, and safer than a known way.

Posted 12.01.2009

ANXIETY NEVER STRENGTHENS YOU FOR TOMORROW, IT ONLY WEAKENS YOU FOR TODAY.

Posted 12.01.2009

Collect for The Epiphany

Creator of the heavens, who led the Magi by a star
to worship the Christ-child:
guide and sustain us,
that we may find our journey's end
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Posted 04.01.2009

2009 - A new start and a new way to live?

Repentance and belief are the gateway into the presence
of God and trusting in his personal love for you
makes for a worry free life.

Posted 04.01.2009

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

"In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength"

Psalm 30:15

Posted 04.01.2009

Prayer request from BibleLands:

Al Ahli Arab Hospital, Gaza - a ministry of the diocese of Jerusalem.
The situation in Gaza continues to result in hundreds dead and over a thousand wounded.
Through its ministry, the Hospital tries to give hope to the hopeless, compassion and comfort to those who mourn and dignity to the oppressed. Condemning violence on all sides, the Hospital staff search for ways to promote peace, reconciliation and justice for those of ali religions and nationalities in its community.
• Please pray for Suheail Terazi (Director) and the staff.
• Pray for medical supplies.
• An end to air raids and rocket launches
• International community (especially America) to work hard for immediate ceasefire
• BibleLands as we seek to support Al Ahli Arab Hospital - Christian ministry during these tragic times
• Just as Christ ministered to the poor and needy so does Ahli Arab Hospital.

Posted 04.01.2009

1 Corinthians 13 (The Christmas Version) by Anemone Reeves

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust.

But giving the gift of love will endure.

Merry Christmas

Posted 21.12.2008

Amen

Posted 21.12.2008

Don't forget - if you take the Christ out of Christmas all you are left with is
M and S - ouch!

Posted 21.12.2008

Posted 14.12.2008

Collect for the 2nd Sunday of Advent

Almighty God,
purify our hearts and minds,
that when your Son Jesus Christ comes again as
judge and saviour
we may be ready to receive him,
who is our Lord and our God.

Amen

Posted 8.12.2008

Give us, O Lord,
a stout heart to bear our own burdens;
a tender heart to bear the burden of others;
and a believing heart to lay all our burdens on you.

(Leslie Newbigin)

Posted 8.12.2008

Advent: A time to repent and believe the Good News!

Still running away from God? Try falling into His loving arms instead. He's waiting to receive you right now!

Posted 8.12.2008

Advent - A time to ask God to shine his light into our dark corners......get busy the King is coming!

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the
truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness.

1 John 1: 8 - 9

Posted 1.12.2008

Collect for the Advent Sunday

Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
and to put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 1.12.2008

It's not so much the big things in life that impress God
but the small everyday things that we do for each other
and for our Lord.

ARK = Acts of Random Kindness

Posted 24.11.2008

Humility and God's Wisdom

A truly humble man is sensible of his natural distance from
God; of his dependence on Him; of the insufficiency of his own
power and wisdom; and that it is by God's power that he is
upheld and provided for, and that he needs God's wisdom to
lead and guide him, and His might to enable him to do
what he ought to do for Him.

- Jonathan Edwards -

Posted 24.11.2008

Collect for the Sunday next before Advent

Eternal Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven
that he might rule over all things as Lord and King:
keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit
and in the bond of peace,
and bring the whole created order to worship at his feet;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 24.11.2008

The Separation of the Sheep and the Goats.

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King (Jesus) will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Matthew 25:37-40

Posted 24.11.2008

Collect for the 2nd Sunday before Advent

Heavenly Father,
whose blessed Son was revealed
to destroy the works of the devil
and to make us the children of God and heirs of eternal life:
grant that we, having this hope,
may purify ourselves even as he is pure;
that when he shall appear in power and great glory
we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious
kingdom;
where he is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 17.11.2008

The Mark of Spiritual Maturity

One of the marks of spiritual maturity is the quiet confidence that God is in control - without the need to understand why He does what He does.

Posted 17.11.2008

God - The end of fear

God incarnate is the end of fear, and the heart that realizes that He is in the midst will be quiet in the middle of alarm.
F. B. Meyer

Posted 17.11.2008

WE SHALL KEEP THE FAITH

Oh! You who sleep in Flanders' fields,
Sleep sweet - to rise anew,
We caught the torch you threw,
And holding high we kept
The faith with those who died.
We cherish too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valour led.

It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders' fields.

And now the torch and poppy red
Wear in honour of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught
We've learned the lesson that ye taught
In Flanders' fields.

Posted 9.11.2008

Collect for the 3rd Sunday before Advent
Remembrance Sunday

Almighty Father,
whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of all:
govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,
and bring the families of the nations,
divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,
to be subject to his just and gentle rule;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 9.11.2008

Posted 27.10.2008

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God!
And that is what we are!

1 John 3: 1

Posted 27.10.2008

Alpha Away Day - Saturday 8 November

Please pray for all those attending the Alpha away day. That
nothing may hinder their attendance and that everyone will
meet with God and be touched by His Holy Spirit.

Remembrance Sunday Service
Please pray for and invite a friend or neighbour to this special service.

Posted 27.10.2008

Collect for the Last Sunday after Trinity

Blessed Lord,
who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning;
help us so to hear them,
to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them
that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word,
we may embrace and for ever hold fast
the hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 27.10.2008

The Bible

Derek Prince: "The Bible comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable".

Abraham Lincoln: "I believe the Bible is the best gift God has
ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is
communicated to us through this book."

W. E. Gladstone: "I have known ninety-five of the world's great
men in my time, and of these eighty-seven were followers of
the Bible. The Bible is stamped with a Specialty of Origin, and
an immeasurable distance separates it from all competitors."

George Washington: "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."

Posted 27.10.2008

Money markets in turmoil, banking system collapsing!!!!
Are you worried?

Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.
He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

Psalm 112:5-7

Posted 19.10.2008

"If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life"

Billy Graham

Posted 19.10.2008

Sowing Generously

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap
generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his
heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God
loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace
abound to you, so that in ail things at all times, having all that
you need, you will abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

Posted 19.10.2008

Collect for the 22nd Sunday after Trinity

Almighty God,
who alone can bring order
to the unruly wills and passions of sinful humanity:
give your people grace
so to love what you command
and to desire what you promise,
that, among the many changes of this world,
our hearts may surely there be fixed
where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 19.10.2008

Collect for the 21st Sunday after Trinity

Grant, we beseech you, merciful Lord,
to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that they may be cleansed from all their sins
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Posted 11.10.2008

Crops left in the field eventually perish.

Posted 11.10.2008

Like A Good Savior

Jesus Is There

Posted 11.10.2008

"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and
to finish his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more and then
the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields!
They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his
wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that
the sower and the reaper may be glad together.

John 4:34-36

Posted 11.10.2008

Collect for the 20th Sunday after Trinity

God, the giver of life,
whose Holy Spirit wells up within your Church:
by the Spirit's gifts equip us to live the gospel of Christ
and make us eager to do your will,
that we may share with the whole creation
the joys of eternal life;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Posted 5.10.2008

Jesus - recognising Him for who He is.

Who believes what we've heard and seen?
Who would have thought God's saving power would look like this?
The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed.

Isaiah 53:1-5 (The Message)

Posted 5.10.2008

Jesus the Bread of Life

My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. By eating my flesh and drinking my blood you enter into me and I into you. In the same way that the fully alive Father sent me here and I live because of him, so the one who makes a meal of me lives because of me. This is the Bread from heaven.
Many among his disciples heard this and said, "This is tough
teaching, too tough to swallow." After this a lot of his disciples left.
They no longer wanted to be associated with him.
Then Jesus gave the Twelve their chance:
"Do you also want to leave?" Peter replied, "Master, to whom would
we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We've already
committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God."

John 6:53-69 (Paraphrased from The Message)

Posted 28.9.2008

"My heart is restless, O God, until it rests in Thee"
St Augustine

Posted 28.9.2008

The Collect for 18th Sunday after Trinity

God, our judge and saviour, teach us to be open with your truth
and to trust in your love, that we may live each day
with confidence in the salvation, which is given
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Posted 21.9.2008

'Live simply'
Jesus said:

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?
Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life.
I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with
me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

(Matthew 11:28-30 - The Message)

Posted 21.9.2008

Please pray for Rod Trickey on his three month secondment to St Michael's and All Angels, Eastbourne and for Rod's wife Barbara.

Posted 7.9.2008

The Collect for 16th Sunday after Trinity

Lord of Creation,
whose glory is around and within us:
open our eyes to your wonders,
that we may serve you with reverence
and know your peace at our lives' end,
through Jesus Christ out Lord.
Amen

Posted 7.9.2008

This roadsign is in Dallas:

On Interstate 35. Watch it change every 2 or 3 seconds:

godsign

(Thanks to Graham Sheldon)

Posted 5.9.2008

The Collect for 15th Sunday after Trinity

God, who in generous mercy sent the Holy Spirit
upon your church in the burning fire of your love;
grant that your people may be fervent
in the fellowship of the gospel
that, always abiding in you,
they may be found steadfast in faith and active in service;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Posted 31.8.2008

Please pray for the next Alpha Course; that all those whom God is calling would respond positively to His invitation.

Posted 24.8.2008

The Collect for 14th Sunday after Trinity

Almighty God, whose only Son has opened for us
a new and living way into your presence:
give us pure hearts and steadfast wills
to worship you in spirit and in truth;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen

Posted 24.8.2008

The Collect for 13th Sunday after Trinity

Almighty God,
who called your Church to bear witness
that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself:
help us to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may be drawn to you;
through him who was lifted up on the cross,
and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen

Posted 17.8.2008

For further thought and prayer:

• We need to worship God in the way that He wants and that pleases Him, otherwise there is no point to any of our services or what we consider to be worship.
Stop and think: How does God want me to worship Him?
• We need to offer back to God the gifts that He has given us, to be developed and used in any way He wishes.
Stop and think: What are my gifts and how does God want me to use them?
• We need to ask God to develop our characters so that we grow into the likeness of Christ.
Stop and think: What do / need to ask Him to change in me so that I become more Christ-like?
• We need to have grateful hearts to God for all that He does for us, and to believe in His faithfulness to us as we are obedient to His commands.
Stop and think: What could be hindering me from having a heart that overflows with gratitude to Him?
• We perhaps need to take time and check and ask ourselves, are we following God, and serving Jesus Christ with undivided hearts?
Stop and think: What is an undivided heart? Is there anything in my life that is causing a separation from God: a less than 100% "sell-out" to God?

Sarah Hill - Evening Praise 27th July

Posted 22.7.2008

The second coming of Jesus.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting
anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

If you don't think you are good enough to be accepted by God then you haven't understood the meaning of grace.
(It's the only ' free lunch' that lasts forever)

Jesus said "For my Father's will is that everyone who
looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life,
and I will raise him up on the last day"

John 6:40

God accepts us on His terms, not ours!

Posted 22.7.2008

The Collect for 9th Sunday after Trinity

Almighty God,
who sent your Holy Spirit
to be the life and light of your Church:
open our hearts to the riches of your grace,
that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit
in love and joy and peace;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 22.7.2008

Over 2000 years has passed since Jesus first came to earth.

His second appearance will be to gather together all those who have believed in Him and accepted Him as their Lord and Saviour.
Time is running out; have you made your choice?
Tomorrow may be too late!

Posted 22.7.2008

The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
Romans 8:6

Posted 13.7.2008

The Collect for 8th Sunday after Trinity

Almighty Lord and everlasting God,
we beseech you to direct, sanctify and govern
both our hearts and bodies
in the ways of your laws
and the works of your commandments;
that through your most mighty protection,
both here and ever,
we may be preserved in body and soul;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen

Posted 13.7.2008

Love your neighbour as yourself.

Posted 6.7.2008

"The Christ in me, meets the Christ in you"
Brother Stuart - Abbot - Burford Priory, Oxford

Posted 6.7.2008

The Collect for 7th Sunday after Trinity

Lord of all power and might,
the author and giver of all good things:
graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and of your great mercy keep us in the same;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen

Posted 6.7.2008

Growing in Christ:

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for
his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know
his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends,
for everything that I learned from my Father
I have made known to you.

John 15: 12-15

Posted 29.6.2008

The Collect for 6th Sunday after Trinity

Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding:
pour into our hearts such love toward you
that we, loving you in all things and above all things,
may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen

Posted 29.6.2008

Moving on >>>>>>>>>

O Lord may you grant me a teachable spirit.

Posted 22.6.2008

Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ
and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of
repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,
instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the
resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God
permitting, we will do so.

Hebrews 6:1-3

Posted 22.6.2008

The doors of wisdom are never shut
Well done is better than well said.

Benjamin Franklin

Posted 22.6.2008

The Collect for 5th Sunday after Trinity

Almighty and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church
is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,
that in their vocation and ministry
they may serve you in holiness and truth
to the glory of your name;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 22.6.2008

Grant us, O Lord, reverence for life, which becomes
those who believe in you; lest we despise it, degrade it,
or come callously to destroy it. According to your
purpose, let us save life, secure it and sanctify it;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Robert Runcie

Posted 15.6.2008

In the hurry and stress of the week, Lord, I shall
probably forget about you.
I am glad you will not forget me.

Posted 15.6.2008

The Collect for 4th Sunday after Trinity

O God, the protector of all that trust in thee,
without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:
increase and multiply upon us thy mercy
that, thou being our ruler and guide,
we may so pass through things temporal
that we lose not our hold on things eternal;
grant this, O heavenly Father,
for Jesus Christ's sake our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 15.6.2008

Dear Lord, forgive our timidity
and grant us by your Holy Spirit
the power to accept one another as we are,
and to love those who, but for you,
we would see only as enemies.

Posted 8.6.2008

God finds pleasure in us when we find pleasure in Him

Augustine

Posted 8.6.2008

The Collect for 3rd Sunday after Trinity

Almighty God,
you have broken the tyranny of sin
and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts
whereby we call you Father:
give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service,
that we and all creation may be brought
to the glorious liberty of the children of God;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 8.6.2008

If my people, who are called by my name,
will humble themselves and pray and seek my face
and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven
and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:2

Posted 1.6.2008

The Collect for 2nd Sunday after Trinity:

Lord, you have taught us
that all our doings without love are nothing worth:
send your Holy Spirit
and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love,
the true bond of peace and of all virtues,
without which whoever lives is counted dead before you.
Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ's sake,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 1.6.2008

No one should negotiate their dreams. Dreams must be free to flee
and fly high. No government, no legislature, has a right to limit your
dreams. You should never agree to surrender your dreams.

Rev. Jesse Jackson

Posted 18.5.2008

Nothing is predestined: The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings.

Ralph Blum

Posted 18.5.2008

The Collect for 1st Sunday after Trinity

O God,
the strength of all those who put their trust in you,
mercifully accept our prayers
and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature
we can do no good thing without you,
grant us the help of your grace,
that in the keeping of your commandments
we may please you both in will and deed;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Posted 18.5.2008

Worried about God's loving nature?
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:16-18

Posted 11.5.2008

The Collect for the Day of Pentecost

God, who as at this time
taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
grant us by the same Spirit
to have a right judgement in all things
and evermore rejoice in his holy comfort;
through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Posted 11.5.2008

Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.

Pope John Paul II

Posted 4.5.2008

A Christian should live so that he would not be afraid to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.

Anon

Posted 4.5.2008

The Collect for the Sunday after Ascension Day

O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
and exalt us to the place where our
Saviour Christ is gone before,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Posted 4.5.2008

If man cannot enjoy the return of Spring why should he be happy in a labour saving utopia ?

Posted 27.4.2008

We are not to think that where we see no possibility, God sees none.

Marcus Dods

Posted 27.4.2008

Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can.
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
For as long as you can.

John Wesley

Posted 20.4.2008

We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking only to learn that it is God shaking them

Charles West

Posted 20.4.2008

Reflect on God's Word

People and situations are not always what they appear to be!
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world
and against the spirtual forces of evil in the heavenly realms

Ephesians 6: 12

Posted 20.4.2008

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by
everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much
greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat...
We must find each other.

Mother Teresa

Posted 13.4.2008

A lighter thought!

I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible
a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me...
they're cramming for their final exam.

George Carlin

Posted 13.4.2008

Stupidity is also a gift of God, but one mustn't misuse it.

Pope John Paul II

Posted 13.4.2008

Lord, let this world, which you have created
with a wonderful variety of race, culture and language,
be a place of laughter and joy, of justice
and reconciliation, of peace and unity,
of compassion and sharing;
in the name of Christ

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Posted 6.4.2008

Easter Day

If you can identify with the words below - Hallelujah!
If not, then you are seriously missing out!
There is no better day to rethink your position
in the life God has given you.
And God raised us up with Christ
and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms
in Christ Jesus,
in order that in the coming ages he might show
the incomparable riches of His grace,
expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith - and this not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God - not by works,
so that no-one can boast.

Ephesians 2: 6-9.

Posted 23.3.2008

Lord, keep us near your cross
and fill your people with Calvary love.
Give courageous leadership to your church, to
speak with it's love and outlove it's enemies.

Anoint your church afresh with the spirit of joyous,
faithful service and let us to seek only your glory.
Amen.

Posted 16.3.2008

The precious and personal words of St Paul; are they also precious and personal to you?
"I live by faith in the Son of God (Jesus) who loved me and gave himself for me."

St Paul- Galatians 2:20

Posted 16.3.2008

Lord, help us to be the church where we are, for the people among whom we live.

Posted 9.3.2008

Wherever we see the word of God purely preached and
heard, there the church of God exists.
Even if it swarms with many faults

John Calvin

Posted 9.3.2008

Today, if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts.

Ps 95:8

Posted 2.3.2008

Just remember this my girl when you look up in the sky; you can see the stars and still not see the light!

Lyrics from 'Already Gone' by the Eagles

Posted 2.3.2008

In the harsh brash world in which we live, the implication is that gentleness will get you nowhere. But the bible teaches that gentleness is one of the signs that God's Spirit is at work in us.

Joyce Huggett

Posted 24.2.2008

Lent - A time to get right with God.
Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.

Psalm 24:3-4

Posted 24.2.2008

We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:20,21

Posted 24.2.2008

Pray for renewed enthusiasm in our common witness:

The will of God will never take you
where the grace of God cannot keep you,
where the arms of God cannot support you
where the power of God cannot supply your needs
where the power of God cannot endow you

Posted 17.2.2008

The answer to the big question: 'The meaning of life is the mystery of love'

Life is only for love. Time is only that we may find God.

St Bernard

Posted 17.2.2008

Grant to me O Lord, a gentle spirit open to you;
a generous mind open to all others
and a loving heart worthy of being your
dwelling place; through Christ our Lord.
Amen

Posted 10.2.2008

Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.

E H Chaplain

Posted 10.2.2008

It is difficult to see Jesus when you are in a hurry.

Joel Home

Posted 10.2.2008

Pray for God's grace to give you the wisdom to tackle the pressures and responsibilities you will face this week.
'God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world'.

(C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain)

Posted 3.2.2008

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