General Chat

Today is traditionally known as Low Sunday within both the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches.

It seems that this first Sunday after Easter is also known as Close Sunday, and Quasimodo Sunday.

"Low" probably comes from the fact that it is a relatively unimportant Sunday after all the festivities of Easter. It is interesting that there is usually a low attendance on this day. We weren't too bad - all things considered.

I found out that the name 'Quasimodo' Sunday comes from the Introit of the mass which is said on this day. In Latin it begins with the phrase Quasi modo geniti infantes...... "As newborn babes...."

The famous character Quasimodo in Victor Hugo's novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is said to have been found abandoned on this day, which marks the close of Easter week.


One learns something everyday!

It was certainly Low Sunday where I was leading today. Five of them and one of me.

Holidays, illness, probably me leading all kept the masses away. But we sang for 100 and I think all felt the presence of the Holy Spirit.

My least congregation was in Northants a decade ago. Two elderly ladies and a dog. And when I asked for a response to my prayers, the dog wagged his tail. One lady was stone deaf and the other was in teh fairly advanced stages of dementia.

It was when I was planned there for about the sixth time in a year that I got very down about a congregation of two and a dog. I had to go, and always spent as much time planning a service there for two as I did for 200 in the big chapel in Bicester. But it was very difficult to motivate myself this particular Sunday, and I did pray for guidance ie should I throw a "sickie", should I feign a puncture?

I dragged myself along and there was a congregation of over 20 waiting for me. I had only met about 6 of them before. Some were visiting relatives, some were passing through the village and saw the doors open.

I still underestimate how much God loves us. And how loving and powerful and merciful He is. :-)

John, you speak so eloquently of 'living' the faith on this thread and yet, on others you are almost denying it.

Look at your last sentence above........."and how loving and powerful and merciful He is".

None of us are perfect and it can be a struggle to follow His example, but I seem to have lost sight of YOUR mercy in your recent comments and have been disappointed. :-(

Re 'judgement' of someone, as per mention on the other thread. The weighing of the soul as it were....

It is no doubt ( understatement!) not doctrinally based, but to to me the 'hell' that people go to is made by them in this world and their 'punishment' will be to actually understand the wrongs they have done, with the emphasis on the "understand" , to feel it, to fully comprehend every action and to feel the hurt of those affected by those actions. After all, here when we hurt someone most of us feel sorry don't we? we can empathise with the hurt to an extent...I imagine to feel it, multiplied by the number of times you have hurt people, done wrong, would be 'hellish'.

But then I don't believe in a 'hell' as such, not as a separate place somewhere 'down' but maybe separation from God ( who I sometimes don't believe in lol I am counting on that if God is there, he will still be believing in me at those times!) .... would those people always be separate? I don't know, I suspect some would be, at their own choosing, because the alternative really would be 'hell'..to know what it was you had done and 'feel' it.

Sorry for the ramble, it is not my intention to offend anyone with different views, I was just pondering on man and God's judgement :-)

No need to apologise Rose......rambling is the nature of your name ;-)

God will always believe in you........it's those who deliberately turn from him who 'distance' themselves.........not Him from them.

In the Christian faith, hell is often described as 'separation from God - the eternal fate of unrepentant sinners'. The important word being 'unrepentant'.


Hope that helps.

Thankyou for your posts, Cynthia and Rose. I do appreciate that I have appeared to judge someone who has recently died. I have no idea what is thought of this person in heaven - that is not the job of any Christian of any denomination. So in no way can I or anybody judge any person spiritually.

But I do feel that I and everybody can judge on whether the worldly achievements were postive or negative, unifying or divisive. Those are worldly things that have affected all our lives, not spiritual things.

Our lives and our spirituality are not separate John.

As Christians, we are supposed to 'rise above' earthly things and live our lives lead by the Spirit.

Before we consider judging anyone on anything, we need to look at our own lives and repent of any sins - none of us is perfect remember.

May I ask if you are 'whiter than white'?

Of course you're not.

Cynthia. If I am supposed to think, speak and do as Jesus did, I sin as I get out of bed and continue to do so. I have a bad thought, I say a bad word at the TV news, and so it goes on.

I take my sins along on a Sunday in a skip to ask for forgiveness. My slate is pretty full before it is wiped clean.

The only way I can see that I am making any progress towards the goal (the prize of our high calling) is to look back at where I was a year ago, ten years ago and so on. I am getting there, I promise. If slower than I and others would like.

Overnight, I have thought of the reason I appear to hate someone famous - whereas of course I don't know the person and certainly don't hate the person.

I was thinking of the money changers in the Temple. Why was Jesus so angry. Why did he hurl their tables over and send their money scattering?

Was it because he hated them as people? Not at all. He loved everybody. He forgave everybody who persecuted him, he forgave all sinners who upset God.

But he detested sin. He detested anything (money, palaces, idols, jewellery) that was worshipped more than God. Caiphas (High Priest and adversary of Jesus) would have had a magnificent funeral - Jesus less so. But which of the two do we remember fondly?

So John its OK to sin all week cause come Sunday
we can confess them and all is forgiven, and start
again Monday.....learning nothing!!

Emma

John. I was rather surprised by your 'IF I am supposed to think, speak and act like Jesus' statement. I thought you would have known for sure, that that is exactly how we ARE supposed to act - 24/7 :-S


Easy it is not, but we need to keep on persevering.


Why do you only take your 'sins along on a Sunday in a skip to ask for forgiveness'? Are you an 'Only on a Sunday' Christian?


I know I once was. Go to church....say the right bits, sing the right hymns....blah blah blah........ come home, forget all about it till next week.


When things changed for me (and I won't go into that), so many things became real and different and wonderful.......and it became a 24/7 faith. But it's hard work and I stumble many times a day.


If you are finding that you are 'tempted' to sin the moment you get up and to make the skip less heavy......why not a quiet prayer before you get out of bed.....why not a daily bible reading with your breakfast? It would at least help to put you onto the right track for the day.


Being angry at something is okay to a point, but it's very draining and can lead us to saying things we don't really mean and alienate us from others......and God.


Jesus condemned the sin - not the sinner.

"Being angry at something is okay to a point, but it's very draining and can lead us to saying things we don't really mean and alienate us from others......and God."

I think that's very true Cynthia, I'm trying hard. "Faint, but pursuing" !

John you must struggle as a person who preaches to others if you need Cynthia to tell you to ask for forgiveness daily not weekly. Some of the things you say on here I would never have heard from any of our ministers when I did attend church.

Where I come from, someone of that ilk would be called, in no uncertain terms, a hypocrite of the first order, not a Christian.

Julia in Derbyshire

Cynthia. I do so enjoy reading your comments on all threads. I had a very strong Christian upbringing, I had a loving family and was taught through love not fear and told not to think going to Church on Sundays makes the Lord love you more. We were encouraged to look on everyone as our equals (My father always said " You are no better than anyone else, and no-one is better than you") we were told it is good to have opinions but told to never make judgments without knowing all the facts. To never say you "Hate" anyone, I find it very difficult when people randomly say they "Hate" someone or something. I no longer attend church on a regular basis, but this does not affect my Christan beliefs.

Paula, you have said what I would have liked to have said. I too had a strong christian upbringing which is why I sometimes struggle with John's posts on the subject versus his posts on other subjects. I would love to hear a 'sermon' by Cynthia.

That is not to say I think John is a hypocrite, I don't, I just think he doesn't always think before he posts.

I agree with you Ann.......... on both counts.

Ann, I'm afraid I'm of the mind that John is very much aware of what he posts!

Hello Rose, Paula and Ann... :-)


I simply speak as I have been taught and as I have experienced for myself.


My public speaking days are mostly over, but I do get lumbe.....er....asked to lead the Mothering Sunday at church each year..... :-D


Maybe I am too traditional but, it is well known that clergy/lay readers etc., from all the mainstream churches have to undergo certain training in the beliefs and doctrines of the church they wish to serve before they are allowed to 'preach'.


That rules me out then.......I can only walk alongside others and share what I have learned.


Rose......do you remember the old hymn.....Fight the Good Fight.... Remember the words.....Faint not nor fear, His arms are near.......... :-)

Cynthia, yes I do remember it, though I've not heard it for a long time. I used to love hymns at school and that was one which seemed to be sung quite often :-)