Christian prayer and chat thread Open to all

[Dutchoma]

The old thread was nearly full, so here is a new one. Oldies and newbies, chat or prayer, all welcome.

Praying especially for MHD and JanFeb’s daughter.
Also praying for all who are preparing Holy Week/Easter services.

@coffeecup88

In Christ Alone is going the same way in my head as Shine Jesus shine

That AMA thread is interesting. The reactions were extreme, it seems lots of people really want to talk about religion.

I havent got enough time currently, to get properly involved in it. But from what I read, yes, I was surprised just how many people want to talk about religion. There is another religion thread which I may post on at some point, even if it had finished. But I will have to do so in my own time, which may not be for a month.

Thank you Oma for starting this thread. It's so lovely to see newbies and everyone else here and some interesting topics of conversation. Yes, GK definitely ages us! I liked his songs in the eighties 😂

As most of you know I'm more low church flavour but love a belting hymn (in fact I have a hymns playlist on YouTube and regularly listen). Oma I don't like that line from In Christ Alone either - my dh always closes his mouth for that one! Love the song though. And do love Stuart Townend songs. I mostly like Hillsong/Bethel/Rend Collective.

I haven't read the Christian bashing threads this time. I've been struggling with my health and didn't have the energy even though I'm usually to be found somewhere on those. They always go the same way and usually with the same posters, I've been doing them for years and all the arguments are very repetitive. Sometimes I simply don't have the physical or mental energy to engage. It's ok not to.

I'm looking forward to Easter services back in the building although not singing on Easter day will be really strange. Our band do an amazing job of leading worship but it's hard not to join in.

Thanks for the prayers. A little better in the last day or two.

Lovely to hear from mhd.

Glad to see you back posting MHD. I hope you are on the road to recovery as we get on the road out of lockdown.

An oddly muted holy week I feel. Churches round here trying with zoom and special socially distance Easter events. The lack of singing takes the joy out of the masses.

It's been a quicker easier lent than last year which just seemed to drag!

Trying to find a good religious book to read. Am reading how Jesus became King by NT Wright but am uninspired. Might switch to this apologetics book I found on Amazon. I was put off God on Mute by bring a bit pricey right now and not managing to finish how to pray. I fancy reading about the early church and how ideas about Jesus evolved. Any suggestions?

Hi ZenNudist, i just downloaded a sample of a book called A History of the Bible by John Barton....not sure if that might be anything like what you're looking for. Have only just started it, but it seems promising. :-)

Greybeardy thanks. Will take a look. I've got the badly behaved bible by Nick Page to read but I fancy more explanations about the early church. Goes well with Acts in Eastertide.

Have you read the Kingdom of Fools one by Nick Page? That's a brilliant one about the early church - my favourite.

Books about the early church do tend to be quite dry and dense eg NT Wright, I'd like to find something interesting to read. Phoebe by Paula Gooder is quite a good fictional insight into it.

Know what you mean about easter. Lovely to be in church but will be strangely muted. We have been told we can sing outside though so we're doing that for our all age gathering outside church tomorrow which should be lovely. Not sure if I'll make it as I went out for a walk this morning and got chilled and don't feel so good now, but do want to if I can.

Shielding officially 'paused' again today...was on my local BBC radio this morning talking about it and how it brings up a whole load of mixed feelings.

I have read some stuff from this professor before too when studying theology, he is very thorough so should be good though probably heavy reading!

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0140231994/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glc_fabc_K1HB0GY0K4CSQMDEKWRB?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I really enjoyed kingdom of fools last year throughout Eastertide. That's why I wanted another book on the early church. I just finished the wrong messiah so I've now read all 3 in his trilogy.

That phoebe book looks just up my street thank you. Easter reading sorted! I could always read more fictional /religious books. Good finds so far have been Rumer Godden books and rereading Brideshead Revisited (Brideshead Revisited Revisited if you like).

I went to mass this evening and it was so special and lovely. A really great start to the Easter weekend. I want to go tomorrow but 3pm I will be in the park with the dc. Good Friday mass promises to be less hard work this year (shorter!) But I still feel spending time with the family is a good reason not to go. She says, feeling guilty!

Not posted in a while but thank you for the book suggestions all! Reading more faith based books is on my list of things I need to get better at.

I am really enjoying being in church for Easter this year. Last year ended up being such a non-event for me. Its obviously very different than it would usually be but I feel blessed just to be able to fully participate.

We had the kids making their first holy communion last week and that was so lovely and uplifting. There seemed to be so much potential in them!

Just going to post even though I would describe myself as an open minded agnostic. Reflecting on Easter, it is usually more significant for me than Christmas which I find horribly tacky and commercialised. I usually give something up such as meat or alcohol and find it a useful discipline . Didn’t give anything up this year as I feel Covid made us all give a lot up already. This is turn has slightly distanced me from Easter as a whole. I find Christianity comforting but in a maybe typically English way, I rely on vicarious observance ( I approve of others’ commitment without committing myself). I also worked for a while in quite an over heated evangelical Christian environment which left me with lots of reservations about the more evangelical branch of the c of e. So that’s me! Hello all, I will check in from time to time.

Hi all, despite a long history here I've missed this thread.
I've have a new friend who is a Muslim, and she has really made me question my reaction to my faith. She is not afraid to post her faith on SM, or to offer prayer to those she cares about and finds it peculiar that I do, has really made me think about why I feel like this.
Aside I'm very much looking forward to car park hymns on Easter Sunday. I've recently changed church to where live, (I stayed with my old vicar in my previous parish when I moved but when he moved on I felt I should join my village church)

Thanks @RafaIsTheKingOfClay, good to hear others are feeling the same way about Easter and giving things up.

Welcome whataboutbob an batinhernightdress.This year Lent seems to have passed me by, even though I have been part of all the online stuff we have been doing. Even though I was in church yesterday for a short, reflective service, where I didn’t have to wear a mask and people were so pleased to just see me. It looks like I will be alone for the Easter service, hopefully the technology will hold up.
Today, silent Saturday, is to me maybe the most signigicant of all. I saw something that a very long gone poster shared from Rev Richard Coles: “Jesus is not dead, he is busy”. This is about the ‘harrowing of hell’ which traditionally means that Jesus went into the underworld (He descended into hell) to free the souls of those that were trappd there. To me this is the most beautiful, meaningful thought and puts paid to all those ‘evangelicals’ who believe that you have one chance (in this life) to ‘accept Jesus as your Saviour’ but if you don’t, you’ve had it. Muslims et all, it is a matter of convert or be damned. And THEN Jesus comes along and powerfully says: “Out you come”. To me that is so powerful.
Happy Easter all

Wow @Dutchoma so powerful and so beautiful.

I have so many issues with 'evangelicals' from my brush with an very evangelical CU at uni. I've been reflecting on this recently. After meeting them I gradually decided I couldn't possibly be a 'real' Christian like them, they were very sure their way was the ONLY correct version, like religious elitism, I couldn't handle it al all and eventually drifted away. Individually they were fine and I still have 2 lovely friends (who are still elitist but no one's perfect) but there was something in the culture in that group at the time that I couldn't reconcile.

Then I happy drifted back 10 years later

This is so interesting re evangelicals. I didn’t want to come over too anti evangelical, as I wasn’t sure this wasn’t an evangelical thread! In my former workplace, I had problems with the lead clinician fancying themselves as “ charismatic” and the cult of personality that developed around him, which I think ultimately was damaging to many interpersonal relationships in the workplace. The other problem for me was their fundamental disapproval of homosexuality. I am not gay but have many gay friends and relatives and find them life enhancing. If homosexuality is so sinful why did God create a world where some people simply have attraction to persons of their own sex? Having said all that, many of my former colleagues were of course very kind and sincere. I just couldn’t share their unwavering convictions which seemed at odds with the “ on the ground” realities of life.

Happy Easter everyone. He is risen! I hope you are all celebrating today as best you can.

Hello again atomicsquash. Nice to hear what others are up to for Easter worship.

I tried to find it a blessing to be at Easter vigil mass but I was not in my usual church and they stuck me in the corner at the very back. The last place I would ever sit. I thought maybe God was testing me and making a bit of point about my need to sit up front!!

I got so comfortable sitting in the dark it was a shock when they finally turned the lights on. Despite it meant to be a short service they went on 90mins. Plus I was there early so best part of 2 hours huddled in a corner. Made a mental note to never go to their vigil mass again. It's been 2.5 hours in previous years!

Welcome batinhernightdress it is hard putting your faith "out there". It gets easier the more you do it but i reckon using "I'm praying for you" sparingly is fine. Better to actually pray than tell someone you are praying for them right?! Car park hymns sound great. I missed hymns last night. There was liturgical singing but I find it wearing after a while. Wow I'm being negative. I'd have enjoyed someone singing something joyful. That's all.

Also to whataboutbob hello! This thread is for all, so it's nice to see you. I agree that Lent is a useful discipline. I've only been enthusiastic about sticking to it since I reverted to faith. I have cracked a little on my Lenten promise of early nights since the clocks went forward. Then I felt guilty! Stayed off the treats though. So that's something.

Hi also to coffeecup I think that organised groups at uni can bring out the worst in people. It's a shame if it gives Christians in general or evangelism in particular a bad name. I think evangelical types get a bad rep because some were always going to be more vocal. The ones who are tolerant of other faiths or homosexuality are probably keeping quiet just getting on with their own relationship with God. I'm Catholic but I dont agree with everything the faith espouses. What can you do? You need somewhere to go on a Sunday and some way to say a big Thank you to God. For me mass is the best way.

Enough "me me me". Off to organise an egg hunt! Have a lovely day all.

His risen, indeed!

Alleluia!

Thank you Lord for all your blessings.
A joyous Easter to everyone, new beginnings for us all.

I pray for good health and strength. Please Lord help me to find the core of determination that I know is within me. I am asking for a miracle from the greatest healer of all.

Please sooth all those who bring their troubles to this board.

Watch over and guide our children.

Amen.

God, we thank you that when you are for us, nothing can be against us. We ask you for a miracle, and we know that you will freely give us all things. We thank you, Lord Jesus, that you are at the right hand of the Father, continually interceding for us. We thank you that nothing can separate us from your love.

Amen.

Thank you @ZenNudist. And to all, I’m now feeling a bit guilty re my keynote speech on evangelicals. Many are lovely, it’s the American oriented prosperity gospel style I have difficulties with. Hope you are all having a good Easter.

I've been listening to graham kendricks make way for the cross cd this weekend. I found it and the Christmas one on Amazon for £2. Though my attachement is more nostalgia as we would perform it at school (my music teacher knew Kendrick, we literally performed it the year it was published - not very well I will add).

Anyway I just wanted to pop in to say hi and that I remember you all in my prayers.

Nice to see you Becca