General Chat

Good morning :-)

I do hope everyone has stayed safe in the ferocious heat - kandj has the right idea!

As the sun stays in our thoughts at the moment.......

Despite the sun’s distance, we have trouble looking directly at it and there are special glasses that help us to deal with this problem. That’s how bright the sun is. Blindingly bright.

Several times in the Bible, people avert their eyes in the presence of the almighty creator. That’s how awesome God is. I wonder if anyone is working on God-glasses?

Cx :-)

Hello all

I'm trying to be sensible and cope safely with such high temperatures during the last two days.

The Archdeacon lead our Sunday morning worship for the first time. A very interesting gentleman.

Stay safe and well in this hot weather everyone.

Good morning :-)


All thoughts are centred on the sun at the moment. The fact is, that although it is millions of miles away, it can still burn us if we don’t apply sunscreen. It is powerful enough to cause sunstroke and dehydration.

However, it also provides energy for plants and solar power for our use.
God can seem far away, too. Despite any apparent distance, he has a direct impact on our lives. He can touch us over any distance and influence us each and every day.

Like the sun, God has the power to both destroy and create. It is not in our realm of understanding to determine why He does either.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Heat alert! We all know that today and tomorrow are going to be mega hot.
The sun has incredible symbolism and meaning in the Bible. It’s seen at the start of creation as the greater light, with the moon being the lesser light. God uses the sun to covey images of power and leadership and many times demonstrated He was and still is in charge of the sun.

Here’s a reminder of how to stay cool – if you can.
• look out for others, especially older people, young children and babies and
those with underlying health conditions
• drink plenty of fluids and avoid excess alcohol
• never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle, especially infants, young
children or animals
• try to keep out of the sun between 11am to 3pm.
• If you have to go out, apply sunscreen, wear a hat and stay in the shade if
possible..
• Avoid physical exertion in the hottest parts of the day
• close curtains on rooms that face the sun to keep indoor spaces cooler and
remember it may be cooler outdoors than indoors
• Do not go into deep water to cool down
• wear light, loose-fitting cotton clothes
• if you are travelling, make sure you take water with you, check weather
forecasts and traffic news
• plan ahead to make sure you have enough supplies, such as water, food and
any medications you need
• people are urged not to go to A&E or call 999 unless it’s an emergency. If you
are in any doubt, NHS111 can help you get the right treatment.
Keep your pets in the shade with plenty of water to drink.

Stay safe friends.

Cx :-)

Some inspiring “Good Samaritan” stories this week. Thank you Cynthia.

Sending a hug to anyone in need <3

Good morning :-)



The Collect (special prayer) for today:

Almighty God,
send down upon your Church
the riches of your Spirit,
and kindle in all who minister the gospel
your countless gifts of grace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The gospel reading tells the wonderful story of Mary and Martha

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Good Samaritans.......and finally.


The civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. famously said:

“On the parable of the Good Samaritan: “I imagine that the first question the priest and Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But by the very nature of his concern, the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Good Samaritans.....

David Witherspoon was leaving his job at a food pantry in Phoenix, Arizona when he suddenly saw a man crawling on all fours on the blazing pavement. He immediately ran to the man and asked him what was wrong.

The man explained that he had become homeless and didn't have any shoes to protect his feet from the searing ground.

David knew he had a spare pair of shoes in his car, so he quickly grabbed them and a water bottle and then bent down to carefully wash the man's feet before slipping on his new pair of shoes.

While many are quick to call him a hero, he says what he did was simple.

"A lot of people give up on people now and that's the biggest problem, I mean, you don't have to… empty your wallet or anything like that; just a simple, kind act”.

Jesus said………..”Go and do likewise”.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Good Samaritans....That terrifying moment!

You can imagine how panicked Emma Garner was when her 3-year-old son Leon disappeared in Liverpool’s town centre. What she didn’t expect was quite how many people would help her look for her little boy.

Hundreds of people in the street started searching for Leon and, before long, he was found safe and sound.

She took to Facebook to express her gratitude to all of the people who had literally run around to find her son: "My heart was broken as he ran off and out of sight and didn't come back. But the people of Liverpool – strangers who know nothing of me or my family – stopped in their tracks to help me find him…”

Jesus said................

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Twilight Reverie
Poet: Unknown

At evening when the sun has set,
I want to know no vain regret
Because some selfish thought or deed
Has caused another's heart to bleed.

Let me so live each passing day,
That when the sun has slipped away
I may know I've shared the road,
And helped to carry another's load.

Let me bring some ray of light
To help another win his fight;
To help the burdened stand erect -
Let me remedy some small defect.

Lord, make me strong for this I've planned,
Help me to lend that helping hand;
For I have learned that he who does not give
Exists perhaps, but does not live.

Cx :-)

Hello all

It's good to be reminded that we are meant to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. Maybe pass a smile on to a stranger today. They might need it more than you think.

Good morning :-)

The Good Samaritans
Lenie Ford was in the worst pain of her life when she arrived at her local pharmacy but was unable to purchase her prescribed medication. “I was in literally the worst pain. I could not form a thought, even having a baby hurt less.”

It was then that she realised that she didn’t have the necessary form from the emergency room telling her she was temporarily covered for the medication to treat her tooth infection. "I only had about 4 bucks on me. I simply broke down and cried.”

“This incredibly warm pharmacist saw my agony just engulfing me. That’s when I heard her say, softly, with much kindness, ‘l’ll cover it.’

Pharmacy technician Verena Harris then reached over the counter and swiped her own personal credit card and paid in full for the antibiotics.

Lenie was beyond grateful: “I can say with great humble thanks how much I truly appreciated the kind, very generous offer from this perfect stranger.”

Ms. Harris, who’s worked at the pharmacy for 12 years, was asked whether she had done this sort of thing before. She looked around the room with a wise, knowing look, and nodded her head. “Yes, some people just need help,” she said. “I can’t watch someone in pain like that”.

Jesus said, “Go and do likewise”.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)



Yesterday we heard the familiar story of the Good Samaritan….. the story of how a man from one religion cared for a man from another religion. This still happens today……….


When Elyazid Benferhat heard about a deadly attack on Notre Dame Basilica in Nice at the end of October 2020 he was sickened and horrified. Three people had died. He started thinking about what he could do to help.

He talked to a Muslim friend, “and we had this idea, we needed to do something beyond paying homage to the victims. We said we will protect churches ourselves.”

He and his pal gathered together other young Muslims from their friend group and the soccer club he coached.

On All Saints’ holiday weekend—in coordination with local police—the group guarded their local church in Lodève on the Saturday night and again for the Sunday Mass.

The parish priest, Luis Iniguez, said their symbolic gesture gave him hope in a difficult time.

Jesus said......"Go and do likewise".

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


The Collect (special prayer) for today:

O God, you have prepared for those who love you good things no eye has seen: pour into our hearts such love of you, that, by loving you in all things and above all things, we may be worthy of your promises, which surpass all we can desire; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen

The Gospel reading tells the age-old story of The Good Samaritan. Luke 10 25-37

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Another interesting statue - worth a look.

“ The 'Heart of Jesus' look-out is a work of art in the form of a statue depicting Jesus Christ, located on the outskirts of Farkaslaka (Lupeni) a village in Harghita County, Transylvania.

The stainless steel 22-meter-high statue can be found on top of Gordon Hill (some 953 meters above sea level), it is the highest statue in Eastern Europe, representing Jesus Christ. The statue was designed by the sculptor Walter Zawaczky, and erected in December 2011.

Within the sculpture's body, a central spiral staircase leads to the statue's head, from where you can look out on beautiful landscape vistas.

The work has received numerous criticisms, mainly because of its enormous size and appearance, dividing the opinions of locals and press alike.

According to some opponents, the metal sculpture is completely alien to the surrounding landscape and Szeklers* tradition; perhaps in keeping with local materials, stone or wood would have been a more appropriate choice of materials.

Some have named the statue 'The Tin of Christ', which is perhaps a more negative evaluation; although many feel the creation emanates a truly religious experience. Many supporters of the statue think it will make for a great tourist attraction, and in time it will be considered a landmark synonymous with the area.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


The Google picture of this is interesting.

The Broken Christ – Mexico
Height 25 meters (82 feet)

This very unusual take on the giant Christ statue comes from San Jose de Gracia, Aguascalientes in Mexico. El Cristo Roto attracts many thousands of pilgrims each year and as a result, the infrastructure of the municipality is increasing in order to handle the high demand for this tourist-target. Perhaps the reason for the statue’s broken state is best summed up with the words at its base.


"Leave me broken… I’d like that when you look at me broken like this, you’d remember many of your brothers and sisters who are broken, poor, indigent, oppressed, sick, mutilated… without arms: because they are incapacitated, left without any means to work; without feet: because they are impeded to walk their way; without face: because they have been robbed of their honor and prestige. They are forgotten… those who see them turn away since they are like me – a broken Christ!"


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Gentle hugs for kandj <3


Another famous and rather stunning Christian statue.....Pieta by Michelangelo

Date Created: 1498–1499
Medium: Marble
Location:St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

At only 25 years old, Michaelangelo was commissioned by Cardinal Jean Bilhères de Lagraulas to create a sculpture of Mary holding the dead Jesus across her lap for his tomb.

Mary is notably depicted as a young woman, not as a mother of a 33 year old man. But Michaelangelo defended his decision to depict her in this way siting the church’s teaching on her sinlessness.

It is the only work of Michelangelo's that he signed: Legend has it that he overheard pilgrims attribute the work to another sculptor, so he carved his signature in the sash across Mary's chest.


Cx :-)

Hello all

I've just read back and seen the lovely hymn from my school days. Beautiful words long forgotten.

Life continues to be "challenging" to say the least.

"Quietly endure, silenty suffer and patiently wait"
are the very wise words from Martin Luther King.

Sending hugs for those who need them.

Good morning :-)

Underwater Jesus - Christ of the Abyss Statues

The first “Christ of the Abyss” statue is submerged in the seas of San Fruttuoso in Italy, close to Portofino, one of the world’s most famous hamlets.

The bronze statue, which is more than 15 meters deep, was erected on the bed of the sea on the 22nd of August, 1954, at the suggestion of famed Italian diver Duilio Marcante, who wished to install a monument of Jesus following the passing of his colleague Dario Gonzatti during a descent a few years earlier at that site.

Guido Galletti sculpted the statue, which has its arms lifted in an invoking gesture. The monument stands 2.5 meters tall and weighs 260 kilograms without the base.

“The Christ of the Abyss” statue has become a popular tourist attraction for scuba divers from all over the world. There are several diving centres in San Fruttuoso, Italy that offer dives for visitors who want to see the monument.

There are replica statues located in Grenada and in Key Largo.


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Looking at Christian religious statues around the world…and today.......

Christ of Christ of Vung Tau in Vietnam

This large statue of Jesus Christ was built on the densely forested Mount Nho in Vung Tàu, Vietnam, by the Vietnam Catholic Association, over a period of 20 years from 1974 – 1993. It is 36 meters (118 feet high), including the pedestal, which one can climb using an internal staircase to reach the top of the granite and concrete monument, and see some spectacular views. The metallic halo rays near the head are not just for decoration, but they also act as lightning rods.

The statue is the largest Christian statue across Asia since 2012, and since its restoration of 1993, it has been a major pilgrim destination for Christians across Vietnam as well as Christian tourists.

Christianity was first introduced to Vietnam in the 16th century. Catholics and Protestants today are reported to constitute 7% and 2% of the country's population respectively;[2] however, the true number might be higher.

Christian foreign missionaries are not allowed to proselytize or perform religious activities without government approval.

Cx :-)