THANK YOU

 

Thank you for the morning

For the new day dawning

Thank you for the dawn chorus

Refreshing and delighting us

Thank you Lord for another day

And for tomorrow if I may

FORGIVENESS

 

I find it hard to forgive

But we are taught we must

To be a good Christian

We must first forgive others

Before God can forgive us

But I find it hard to forgive

I cannot let go the bitterness

Or it’s associated baggage

The betrayal of those I thought friends

The deceit of family

The put downs and the knocks

The adversities and animosities

I cannot make that commitment to forgive

All I can do is promise to try

Try to climb that ladder of forgiveness

One painful rung at a time

And if I do succeed

In becoming a better person

A more forgiving person

If I manage to slowly climb the ladder

And earn Gods forgiveness

I will only do so with His grace

And not by some sweaty effort on my part

OUT OF THE MOUTH’S OF BABES – THE CHRISTENING

 

After the christening of his baby brother in church,        

All the way home Jamie sat in the car and cries

His father asked him over and over what the matter was

And then still sobbing the boy finally replies

"The Vicar said he wanted us to be brought up

In a Christian home, and I want to stay with you guys."

SING IN PRAISE TO GOD ON HIGH

 

Sing in praise

To God on high

Accept Him

Into your heart

 

Sing in praise

To God our Lord

Accept His

Great gift of love

 

Sing in praise

To God on high

Accept Him

Into your life

 

Sing in praise

To God our Lord

Accept Him

As your saviour

 

ONE MAN AND HIS DOG

 

A man and his dog were walking along a lane.

Both enjoying the scenery and the terrain,

When suddenly a thought pooped into his

And he realized that he was actually dead.

He vaguely remembered his passing away

And that his dog had been dead many a day

He wondered then where the road was leading

In the distance along the way they were proceeding

He viewed a high white wall along the road side

It looked like fine marble and was many miles wide

It followed the lane up to the top of a long hill

He noticed a tall arch with a golden infill

That glowed in the sunlight bright and bold

When he got closer, he could see it was gold 

He thought it must lead to a great estate

Inside the golden arch was a magnificent gate

The gate was covered it the most lavish swirls

Made up of what appeared to mother-of-pearl

And the driveway that led up towards its splendour

Was lavishly paved with solid gold paviours

He and the dog walked quickly toward the gate

As he got closer, he saw a man through the grate

When he got closer, he called out, “Excuse me”

And as he reached the gate he asked, “where are we?” 

The man smiled and answered, “This is Heaven, sir,” 

“Really that’s fantastic could I get a drink of water?”

“Of course, Come in I'll get some iced water for you”

The gate began to open “Can my dog come in, too?”

“I'm sorry but we don't allow pets.” The man said

“I won’t come in then we’ll try elsewhere instead”

He and his dog went back to the road and walked on

The road went up hill and was very very long

They came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate

This looked like it had never been closed of late

There were no fences surrounding the property

He saw a man reading a book leaning against a tree  

“Excuse me!” he called “Do you have any water?” 

“Of course, come on in there's a pump over there,” 

Gesturing to his dog he said, “How about my friend?”

“There should be a bowl by the pump for your friend” 

They went in and there was an old hand pump

With a bowl beside it for his four-legged chum

The traveler filled the water bowl for the dog

And took a long drink himself as he sat on a log

They drank their fill and walked back to the man

Who was standing by the gate where they began

The traveler asked “What do you call this place?”

“This is Heaven,” he answered a smile on his face

“Well, that's confusing,” the traveler said to the man

“Another man down the road said that was Heaven”

“Do you mean the place with the golden street,

The pearly gates and everywhere perfectly neat?”   

“Yes, that’s the very place” replied the traveler

“No that was hell, and the man was not saint peter” 

“Doesn't it make you really angry” the traveler said

When they use your name and people go there instead?”

“No, we're just happy they screen out the dross

Who’d leave their best friends and not feel the loss”  

MALACHI’S WORDS

 

I sat by her bedside

As she lay motionless

Cruelly aware of her incarceration

Trapped inside a broken body

Unable to move

Unable to speak

A mere shadow of what once was

And in my black despair

I prayed for her

And I heard Malachi’s words

So, I prayed for her release

So, she would awake with the Lord

And burst forth from her stall

Like a young calf in springtime

ONE OF THE TWELVE - SIMON PETER

 

One of the twelve

Simon Peter

The son of John

Brother of Andrew

From the village of Bethsaida

On the Sea of Galilee

Originally a fisherman

Turned to a fisher of men

By Jesus of Galilee

Denied Christ three times

After the crucifixion

Witness of the ascension

Who spread the Gospels

Far and wide

And founded the Christian church

Becoming the first bishop

And the first Pope

Before his own crucifixion

In godless Rome

Under Emperor

Nero Augustus Caesar.

 

Main feast 29^th June