Christian Coffee House - Prayer/Chat thread. No rubbish church coffee allowed.

[Madhairday]

With the latest prayer thread coming to an end, we thought we would create a new thread for prayer and general chat too - we had chat threads running for years alongside prayer threads, and we thought it would be great to combine them. I try and collate some of the prayer requests from the last thread in the next few days. In the meantime, dive in! Lurkers/newbies - you are welcome to post. Feel free to start any chat subject about Christianity, church, worship etc, and do share any prayer needs.
Would love to hear from those who were on previous threads and haven't been around for a while, too. Come and let us know how you are.

TUO or earlier TotallyUnheardof is an earlier posters who would post the loveliest prayers, for instance for Advent and Lent. Real life has now taken over and I was part of that for a few days.

Your ds sounds lovely, bribery and corruption to get them to church may not sound right, but needs must.

Hello. I have just found your thread and would love to say hello. I used to be on the prayer thread many years ago ; have popped by occasionally since, but usually mid thread. Nice to be here at the beginning of a thread!

Coffee or tea? Always tea but my church now serves it before the service and we can take it in with us! Very, very civilised for those of us who find it hard to wake up, or are chilly. First hymn or song usually sung, whilst hugging a cup of tea, which can be finished off during the introduction/notices.
Hymns or worship songs? Either/both. I love How Great Thou Art too.
Band or organ? Mostly band but sometimes an organ is needed.
Flavour/denomination? C of E but seem to have lots of baptist friends.
What sort of after church snack? Bacon butties if possible!

NVGU Your ears must have been burning as I met with PandaG and we were trying to remember who was there at that first meeting in 2007.
Reading through your preferences I give thanks for the variety in modes of worship as our experience in Wakefield Cathedral on Sunday could not have been more different, so it is good that both exist side by side.

2007 was it? Long time ago! Did Panda make it, or was she the person who broke down en route? (Sorry, PandaG if I have forgotten that detail!) Are you still in touch with Sooz too? Was just thinking about her recently.

Oh bless your ds2 Zen. How lovely! I grew up in a very boring church, and yet still remember wanting to go - as long as my mum let me fidget. Apparently I fidgeted a lot, but old fashioned pews are uncomfy, aren't they? (There's another question for your preferences. Pews or chairs?)

Have you read 'Getting Your Kid through Church without them Ending Up Hating God' Zen?

Well, Panda had certainly made it home by the time I caught up with her this time, not sure whether she broke down in 2007 . I am in touch with Suzie on Facebook, her son is at work and the twins are doing GCSEs.
I am also in touch with Dippy. Her youngest, whom she was breastfeeding is now in year 8, as is my grandson. Time ticking on.

Thanks for the book recommendations NVGU. I have added it to my long list of samples on kindle. I have already decided that when my kids get to the questioning God stage Im going to be really honest about my own experience of atheism. I do think that everyone comes to their own accomodation with God in their own time. Of course I hope and pray my kids will keep a life long faith but I dont see breaks as the worst thing. Its difficult when youre young and people seem to pick up faith again later in life. Id like to set a good example. Which is so hard, to live your faith.

Ds walked through the middle of a drugs deal tonight. Happening in front of primary and secondary kids. I think he was oblivious.

That sounds alarming. How are you all?

Ds not bothered, as did not see anything. DD wasn't there.

I was Whhhhaaatttt????

Goodness BES! That's awful that it's in plain sight like that :(

How is everyone?

Praying about Coronavirus, watching the news about Italy tonight was sobering, those poor people. I must admit I am feeling a little vulnerable with it all so would appreciate prayer. I know numbers are still low but looking to get much worse. I just don't know when to start limiting going out - as I feel fairly well at the moment I'm out and about a fair bit and enjoying it, makes a change to being housebound! But do want to be sensible about it all and look after myself. Little bit worried about it for my mum who has all sorts of issues and for DD who is immuno compromised as well as for me.

Praying MHD. It is such a worrying time for so many people. My parents are elderly and I worry for them too.

Praying MHD

Prayers mhd

It's so worrying.
My mental health has plummeted recently, and I'm feeling really quite depressed. (Nothing to do with coronavirus), but just the thought of potentially having to isolate/lockdown is making it worse. I'm not sure how I'd cope.
I'm managing to admit to people that I'm struggling, but there's not much people can do about it.

Today and tomorrow's job: working out how we are going to keep music going for church, now we've been told we can't use shared hymn books.

Can’t use shared hymn books? I’d not heard that one. I have set myself up with at least a fortnight’s food (thanks dd for taking me to the shops) and will go to bed and stay there until I am better if I get any kind of temperature.
Morrison was heaving, but Aldi and Lidl were quite empty.

Yep. No shared books, no holy water, no communion from chalice, no sign of peace.

I haven't managed to shop, which is worrying me. Cupboards are a bit low, which is not a good place to start from.

leaflet/booklet with the words on maybe? That’s going to depend on how big your congregation is though.

We're going with single-use leaflets with the words on.
Small congregation.
But some aren't happy with the eco implications.

I wish we had a projector screen, but it's a large church and it would be complicated and expensive.

Our parish (RC) has requested that parishioners take communion by hand not mouth and a few people aren't complying which is so selfish I think.

Is anyone else looking at putting services online, wondering what software you use? My boss wants to broadcast for those who cannot or choose not to attend. The only positive is that due to already falling numbers (due to lack of young people and the older members gradually dying) and others staying away, we get a whole row of chairs to ourselves so can stay the requisite 2m away!

Hi everyone - I posted here quite regularly a few years ago under a different name when I was having issues with dh and his severe depression. I have lurked and prayed over the years but am delurking briefly as I live in Italy, am under lockdown as is the entire country and I wanted to say to MHD in particular to stay in. From everything we are experiencing here I feel confident in saying I believe your government is playing with fire. MHD I would seriously stay in, keep to the 1 metre rule with everyone around you, limit physical contact and reduce contact with as many people as possible at least for a few weeks. I never thought I’d live in a country where 60 million people were ordered to stay indoors, where police patrolled the streets to check your documentation is in order re your reason for being out and where all our beautiful churches were shut and mass cancelled. I am really worried that the British ‘keep calm’ attitude is going to result in this being so much worse than it needs to be. I hope you don’t think I am scaremongering and although I don’t post here now I think of MHD, Oma, Tuo etc with real gratitude for the support they provided when I needed it. God bless all of you and stay safe. Don’t worry about overreacting - overreacting is needed!

Yes, thank you MulinoBianco. I hope that it all clears up quickly in Italy and everywhere else and that people likeMHD will stay safe.
I’m afraid that I cannot recall what the problem with your son was, but I am glad that we could give some help in a difficult situation.

I was called question of faith (and an abbreviated version) before Oma. My DH suffered from severe depression and our relationship was pretty much over at that stage. This thread was a lifeline plus a massive part in growing my faith.

That was a very emotional time MulinoBianco. I hope things are better for you now..

Hello @Mulinobianco - I remember you. Thank you so much for thinking of me. Having prayed about it I've decided to stay in from tomorrow, and so I won't be going to church (large congregation) as it feels too risky. I'm popping for coffee with friends this morning but it seems to me I need to start limiting that kind of thing too. So you think I should stay a metre away from family too... I guess that makes sense with DD home from uni and Ds at school, not to mention DHs work and what he could pick up. Hate to think I can't give them a hug.
I'm so sorry you're in such a badly affected area. How has it been living through the lockdown? How have you coped?

I think we are not doing enough too. I am getting more worried by the day.

Think that’s the right move MHD. Yes I would be careful with family etc as well as long as they are going out. It’s very hard -apart from the main issue which is obviously the human aspect, I dread to think what Italy will be like when this has passed economically - there will be so much hardship for so many people. Re DH, Oma- a lot better although being stuck in a small flat under lockdown 24-7 may prove challenging