From our Sunday School Days (Lift up our hearts)

Morning all, We could live in a world & talk about anything. That isn't the case. Cultures among societies are often dominant, more so than any race issue. There are parts of the world where our forum would not be permitted to function, leave alone a discussion on a subject like religion. Oh how I would love to share the deepest inner feelings & experiences that I have with you, but I can't. Not just because of any state legislation, but out of my respect. Some folk could be watching our forum who, if another member of their family saw them, could be ostracized, or even forced to leave home. I've always enjoyed free conversation, but if filth was being discussed, I would be very uncomfortable. That is why we have these difficult subjects. Most subjects we can have private conversations but that defeats the beauty of an open discussion forum. If nothing else, this forum has taught me so much in human nature, that before I joined I thought that I knew it all. I didn't! So my discipline when I'm in conversation on any subject that is cultural or religious in nature, is to ask myself, in saying what I have, am I pointing or wagging a finger at anyone. If the answer is yes, then I am wrong by my own standards, leave alone the rules of this or any other communication medium. The consequence of any finger wagging is usually the same, folk either switch off or leave. So we are all the losers when that happens. I hope that helps us all as well as me. Love to you all.

Hi all, I've been able to return to visiting my chapel on Sunday mornings, for the very restricted morning service. Masks still required by act of parliament, no congregation singing permitted, only solo or duet performance permitted, but must be facing away from the congregation. It's so odd. Prior to the start of the service, I had my first warm up on our church organ. It was so exhilarating. As though I hadn't been away. I played some very well known gospel pieces, what a delight when looking in my driving mirror to see heads swaying & feet tapping. A lady who I hadn't seen for a while told me afterwards that the organ has just been removed from their church. Sam, our pianist, but self taught, Oh how he has come on, forced into doing everything whilst I've not been able to leave Pam for ages. He played piano, along with Carol, a superb guitar player, accompanying themselves with a duet. I was thrilled to my marrow. Only families can sit together on one pew, with every other pew out of use. It's so odd, me sitting almost out of sight in the organ alcove, but wearing my mask all of the time. Love to you all.

Hi all, JUST SOFT Sunday evening CHAT The first of July, marked the first whole month of living without my Pam. Yet, I'm still here ok & feeling very well. I received a bereavement book from Macmillan, which incidentally, I had to pay the postage on before the PO would deliver it. It listed the common symptoms of bereavement-: Here are some of things you might experience: a hollow feeling in your stomach tightness in your chest or throat oversensitivity to noise difficulty breathing feeling very tired and weak a lack of energy dry mouth an increase or decrease in appetite finding it hard to sleep or fear of sleeping aches and pains. Honestly, I have none of those. Sensitivity to noise when I'm thinking of buying an organ costing thousands!!!! Lack of energy! I've nearly worn out our stairs out tending to Pam, then ten days of hard work sorting her estate affairs. I'm so glad that someone started this topic, not me, but I would love it to be a source of comfort to everyone on our forum. It's not a preaching platform, but somewhere where our experiences can be softly shared. I've already shared that some of my Sunday school past experiences were awful. Just being honest is a good start. My Pam's experiences of her Sunday school days were more to do with being a pretty little girl in her best Sunday school dresses. There she is. Doesn't time fly. That's my theme for sharing with you all. Doesn't time fly. Please don't imagine that I'm free from disappointments. Things happening around me, our city, country & the world make me both angry & very sad, but by His Grace, I'm able at present to live well through it. God bless & love to you all.

Hi all, Faith in God, there has to be for me a reason. Now as always, our forum is not a platform for preaching, or faith rivalry. If I ever do that, that's me finished for being part of our forum. Not just because it's forum rules, as important as they are, they are my rules too. Another very important issue is regards me, particularly when sharing these very close to heart thoughts. I'm not some wise man out of the woods. I'm a human who makes more mistakes & cock-ups than most. I get things wrong sometimes. Reasoning ideas is so rich. From some of the comments made on this topic I've learnt so much. That is not flannel or creeping. I mean it! There's hardly a subject on earth that anyone fully understands. Or that we live under misconceptions. I bought a diesel engine car just over ten years ago with all of the incentives to buy, including a letter from the then prime minister saying how good it was. He gave me an incentive, that meant that I paid £50 per year less tax, for my much bigger engine than my my sister-in-law paid in tax for her little toodlepip petrol car, 500cc, smaller motor car. Motors have been around for a century, so how come the PM got that so wrong! Weather is my hobby, I love it. Weather scientists are good at it. The media are often the issue of error, but not always. A specific event in history marks a second world war outstanding piece of expert weather forecasting. The little fleet exercise where hundreds of boats took advantage of hostile weather conditions, where a short window was forecast. It was spot on!!! Yet, parts of Europe are trying to recover from the most awful loss of life that folks can remember from just this week. I'm hoping & praying for God to spare the UK from today's severe storm risk forecast. How could that in Germany have been so wrong! Actually, I don't believe that the experts got it so wrong, after all, London had a taste of it the previous day. We don't understand it fully, but we act as though we do. That is the bit that we get so wrong. On the positive side (I've mentioned this before), I saw a top surgeon in tears, being interviewed regards surgical equipment being used by his counterparts in Egypt, that dating had shown to be at least three thousand years old. Pam & I were in tears with him as he explained what the surgeon was doing, how he had entered the skull of his patient, the growth of bone demonstrating that the tumour had been successfully removed, the patient had lived for many years afterwards. We've come an awful long way, haven't we? Now I am being sarcastic. This patient wasn't at London Charing Cross last week! He was living at least two thousand years ago. So, even without Scripture, or any other religious books, I'm looking at facts, that were not from a chapel sermon, they were from a weeknight teleshow. I'm learning all of the time. God bless, I mean that too. ps. As I was posting this earlier, I learnt that another member of our chapel flock has passed away to be with her Saviour today. The last person that my Pam asked about, on her last morning in Walsgrave, was this lady. Pam knew how ill that she was.

Hi all, I've always tried to be fair in any assessment, comment or post that I make on our forum, no matter the subject. It's fairly obvious to most folk reading my jottings, that I have a faith, a faith in an all righteous God, who I address as my Father in Heaven. Sadly, I wish that it was as simple as that. The reason that my "faith" is so important to my belief is because from time to time I have doubts. It isn't all 2+2=4. So just as I've given examples in previous posts, of where my pro thoughts come from, it's only reasonable for me to share some of my doubts too. The posts on our forum on every topic from our members worldwide, give huge evidence that sound logic abounds. I cannot give answers to some of my doubts either, because I don't know the answer & I'm certainly not going to try & invent hypothesis. My biggest doubt about the whole scenario of my "Father in Heaven" is this. Since scripture states that He is the creator of all, that's you, me, the trees, the ground, the structure of matter that holds it all together, why did He create a Satanic being called Satan, or allow such a being to exist, who is the destroyer of all mankind. I don't think this can be answered. Yet it smacks against my logic. Why on earth create a misery maker? I've shared this, so that you can see that I'm human, with doubts from time to time. It's the biggest reason, quite apart from politeness! why I will never, ever, point a finger at someone that doesn't have a faith, or a different faith. I couldn't just leave this topic without me being honest, open & truthful. I will give this a rest now, such a sensitive subject. God bless.

Hello Philip... a couple of comments. First, there is no God... separate from yourself. Meaning you and He are not separate entities. He... can never be a separate entity/individual, He is the 'all that is' and to imagine that you can be separate from God is a delusion. Sin is difference and difference is sin. Therein lies a clue. In the scheme of things on an allotment plot, the master gardener throws manure on his plants and seedlings. This as you know is to enable healthy growth. 'God' in a similar way created Satan to be the manure for mankind. Satan is the chastiser and troublemaker who puts difficulties and rocks and boulders on our path. Without these challenges we would leave this Earth in the same condition that we arrived. Would you want that?

We were sent to Sunday school, never a problem, for my entire time it was totally a social experience. Living not far from where, I believe, Phillip grew up, Sewall Highway, my first recollection is a Sunday School, Sunday morning class in one of the rooms at The Devonshire Arms. I always assumed that this was associated with "The Old Church", as we always knew it. A little later, one part of the family, a couple of aunts, were quite religious, one was actually a Missionary. For some reason that I am never likely to know, we were moved to McDonald Road, or Meredith Road, never sure which. Those that went with me, like me, remember the 1d lollies that we use to buy from a house, on our way home. Again for reason unknown, we then moved to Heath Road. Were there for quite a few years. Many of the children that lived around us, attended there too. That was a very sociable and friendly place. We all had many happy days there, won lots of prizes for attendance. Happy days.

Thank you both, for your reply & comment.

Dear Phil, never worry that you believe but sometimes have doubts, the greatest saints had doubts, and look at the track record of the disciple/apostle Thomas who wanted proof and was castigated by our Lord, but not cast out! Because some things may be beyond our understanding we often search for answers, but the fact of Faith, as I am sure you know well and were taught, is a Leap of Faith, but in the hope that we will ultimately understand what now we find difficult to believe. In all sincerity I hope these few words may be of use to you and in fact to me also. I would say fix your eyes on the boarded up war-time west window of Holy Trinity: "It all depends on me and I depend on God." Canon Clitheroe was a true man of Faith.

Hi & thank you all, I'm in awe of the tenderness & sensitivity being shared. Thank you. This kind of open, but sensitive sharing may just be helping members who maybe going through all kinds of hardship or difficult circumstances, but who refrain from speaking out or aloud. Just being honest & caring. We are a caring forum community, with arms stretching around the globe. Who cares. You! Our members.

Well said, Heathite. Contrary to tradition, Constantine did not make Christianity the official state Religion of Rome, in fact it was pagan sun worship. December 25 was the festival of the birth or re-birth of the sun when the days grew longer, and Christianity brought itself into the alignment in 312 AD.

Morning all, I've learnt today of the passing of a dear soul, associated with our forum. I will refrain from detailing, sufficient for us to be reminded that our lives are like a puff of smoke. The slightest breeze & it's gone. I wish to extend my sincere well wishes, along with our forum, I'm sure, for his family & friends. Love Philip

Hi all, A lady, Carol, very dear to both Pam & I. Carol Norman. Pam was asking about Carol on her last morning back in June, Pam knew how poorly she was. I'm so disappointed as I am unable to take my part in her service this afternoon. Love to all of her friends & family.

Very sorry for another loss, Philip. Everyone knows that you would play if you could. Play for her another day, it will mean just as much. Like my little bells, I ring them for the part of my loved ones in my heart and know that they hear me.

Hi all, I'm also very sad to report the loss of another neighbour. Rodney, seen here enjoying a cuppa with us on a sunny spring day. Living in a close company of caring neighbours is a delight. It was this photo that made our minds up to make an easy access seating area during the pandemic year. That can be seen in my topic - The Snug.