Tuesday 30 December 2014

God so loved the world he gave his only son

Now and again you hear a piece of music that stands out from all others. The following track is such a piece, taking some biblical words and  setting them to an amazing melody is genius in itself. The words offer hope to someone who may be thinking God has abandoned them or let them down in their hour of need...

The interesting fact about this video is that it includes a brief glimpse of the illfated twin towers (mainly toward the end) In its sweeping vistas of the new York skyline...
filmed before the 911 disaster...that makes it quite strange considering the songs theme......The release of the balloon also is symbolic of spirit

"God So Loved"
if the links don't work please copy to browser window or Google song on youtube

http://youtu.be/740HKULDZew

http://youtu.be/hjtJ2Gjugqs

JACI VELASQUEZ LYRICS
this video includes images and lyrics
http://youtu.be/7f6CK62pR2A

And here is the Spanish version
http://youtu.be/R5q-FP9DL5A
[Chorus:]
God so loved the world
That he gave his one and only son
That who so ever believes in him
Will not perish but have everlasting life

I try so hard to find the words to say
To let you know how great is this God to whom I pray
Nothing can, nor ever, will compare
To the peace that flows in your soul
When He is living there
Oh, I know
You've been through so much
It's hard to contemplate
Letting go
And reaching out for his trust
But I know the simple truth
That love is here for you
So take Him at His word
And see what He can do

[Chorus]

The promise is yours and mine
Take hold of His love for the rest of your life

But it's time to take a step of faith
Be prepared for Jesus' love to carry you one way

[Chorus]

(God so loved the world) [4x]

He gave his...
He gave his one and only son...
If you just believe
If you just believe
Love will set you free
He loves you so much
He loves you so much
Just believe
Just believe...


JACI VELASQUEZ lyrics are property and copyright of their owners.
"God So Loved" lyrics provided for educational purposes and personal use only.


Christmas 2014 - Lymington church

The church was decorated for Christmas with flowers provided by special collection thanks to those who created a fitting tribute to the birth of Christ





















The Jesse tree - a Christmas tree for Jesus





At the back of the church in Our Lady and St Joseph's you may have noticed a tree in the window. This was made by the childrens liturgy group over the advent period.

While nearly everyone has a Christmas tree, there has been reluctance in some circles to incorporate Christmas trees into the church sanctuary, arising from suspicions about the pagan origin of the symbol. However, since the Christmas tree has become such a part of Christmas celebration around the world, it seems more important to give it some clearly Christian meaning.




Some churches do this with a service of the Hanging of the Green. Some use a Christmas tree with ornaments representing symbols of the Christian Faith (seeChristian Symbols: Christmas Ornaments).  Others use a tree, either at home or in the sanctuary, as a Jesse Tree. This is a tree, or a large banner with a symbolic tree, that is decorated each week, usually by the children, with ornaments or objects that represent Old Testament events from Creation to the Birth of Jesus. The ornaments are traditionally handmade, and are added one each day of Advent, or a group on each Sunday, with explanations of the symbols and a brief verse of Scripture from the story represented. Some churches choose to decorate the tree with small items of warm clothing as a way to minister to the needy in the community.




Some churches combine the idea of a Jesse Tree with Christian symbol ornaments, making and using the ornaments to correspond to the story of the Jesse Tree.  However, the Jesse Tree is really an Advent Tree anticipating the coming of Christmas. So, it may be more instructive, especially for children, to allow the Jesse Tree to represent anticipation during Advent while letting a tree with the symbol ornaments be the celebration of Christmas itself.



The Story of the Jesse Tree

The Jesse Tree is named from Isaiah 11:1: "A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots."  It is a vehicle to tell the Story of God in the Old Testament, and to connect the Advent Season with the faithfulness of God across 4,000 years of history. The Branch is a biblical sign of newness out of discouragement, which became a way to talk about the expected messiah (for example, Jer 23:5). It is therefore an appropriate symbol of Jesus the Christ, who is the revelation of the grace and faithfulness of God.

For more detail look up link below:-

http://www.crivoice.org/jesse.html


Air Asia plane crashed -40+ dead found

Praying for survivors to the recently lost plane
on its flight to Singapore ended in tragedy as bodies were discovered today. It now looks like none of the 162 passengers survived the crash. Prayers needed for their families on receiving such shocking news.

earlier reports:-

The missing AirAsia Indonesia flight QZ8501 is likely to be at the bottom of the sea, the head of Indonesia's search-and-rescue agency has said.

Bambang Soelistyo said the hypothesis was based on the co-ordinates of the plane when contact with it was lost.

The search for the Airbus A320-200, which disappeared with 162 people on board on Sunday on a flight to Singapore, has ended for a second day.

The search area will be widened on Tuesday.

Indonesia has asked for US help in searching for the plane, the US state department said, adding that it was considering the request.


See here for latest report...
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-30620647

Greek ferry fire - 10 people now confirmed killed

Of 400 passengers on board all have now been rescued apart from 10 people killed in the fire on the ferry as it travelled from Greece to Italy
Thoughts are with their families and friends having lost a loved one in this period of celebration. Tragic circumstances and a terrible loss.

Detailed report here

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/28/world/europe/ferry-fire-italy-greece/

Monday 29 December 2014

The Indian Ocean's 2004 tsunami 10 years ago 26/12/2004

The Indian Ocean's 2004 tsunami killed more than 220,000 people in 14 countries. Indonesia was hit the hardest, with a death count of more than 130,000 people.


could such a thing happen again?

On December 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake sparked a massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean and wiped out large portions of Indonesia. Since that period the effected governments have taken measures to create an early  warning system but some believe it is
still not fully functioning .


The 2004 event acted as a wake up call for the world. There needed to be an early warning system.

A $400 million early warning system is now set up across 28 countries. However, parts of it don't work.

In 2012, an 8.6-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Banda Aceh, the same place as the 2004 earthquake. The warning sirens failed. Panick erupted among the people; instead of using the all purpose-built shelters, they clogged the roads trying to flee.

According to Shamika Sirimanne, who focuses on disaster risk reduction at the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific, "governments need to spend more to avoid a repeat of the 2004 disaster."

We don't have the power to stop earthquakes or tsunamis, but we do have the ability to provide early warnings, allowing people a better chance of survival.

If the needs are not met and warning systems do not properly work, we cannot provide early warnings and the chances of another disastrous tragedy like the one in 2004 remains likely.

---


For more details look up....
http://www.catholic.org/news/international/asia/story.php?id=58172

Sunday 28 December 2014

Christmas 2014

The birth of Christ...

  What is the meaning and purpose of a Christmas nativity?





A Christmas nativity is probably one of the most recognizable symbols of the Christmas season. The word nativity is taken from the Latin nativus, which means "arisen by birth." Nativities are art, models, carvings, or live demonstrations depicting the night of Jesus' birth. These scenes generally contain the same elements: the Christ child in a manger; His mother, Mary; His earthly father, Joseph; shepherds; angels; various barn animals; and sometimes three wise men.

Saint Francis of Assisi created the very first nativity scene in 1223 in an effort to promote the true meaning of Christmas and worship of Jesus Christ. His idea caught on, and soon a new Christmas tradition was born. Today we mark the Christmas season with a nativity scene in front of the church alter.


In spite of the nativity's popularity, there are a few theological errors in many of them. First, most nativity scenes are set in a stable or cave. While this may have been where Jesus was born, it's just as likely that Jesus was born in the lower level of a home, amongst animals who were brought inside for the night (the Greek word for "inn" (kataluma), found in Luke 2:7, can also mean "house"). Though shown at the stable, the angels' part in the Christmas story took place in a field, where they announced Jesus' birth to a group of shepherds (Luke 2:8–14). Finally, although the wise men often appear in a nativity, they did not visit Jesus the night of His birth. The magi visited Jesus some time later, when He was a toddler (Matthew 2:1–11). Hence why the three wise men are shown to the side...


Ignoring  the discrepancies, the most important thing about a nativity is its message to the world: Because our sin requires a perfect sacrifice before a holy and just God, our Heavenly Father sent His own Son to earth as a man so that He could become that sacrifice (John 3:16). The child who was born to Mary and laid in a manger would one day grow up to die on a cross and rise again so each and every person who believes in Him may receive forgiveness for sin and eternity in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-4).


















Sunday 7 December 2014

The Lymington SantaDash was on today - 7 Dec 2014

The annual Oakhaven SantaDash took place today and is one of the world wide events to raise money at Christmas time for charity. The number of Santa's seen around the town before and after the event was a spectacle almost like a Santa flash mob
Well done to all taking part and contributing. Tribute to Oakhaven for organising the event.










St Vincent De Paul society



HomeClasses, Quizzes, Clubs, Talks,

 Friendship Club

The Friendship Club meets on the first Monday of every month in the comfortable parish rooms of Our Lady of Mercy & St Joseph Catholic Church, at the lower end of Lymington High St. We welcome anyone who would enjoy a relaxed, friendly, companiable afternoon. We enjoy a variety of activities including a quiz, poetry corner, raffle, home made afternoon tea and sometimes a short interesting talk. We have jewelry and cards for sale (made by members) and we regularly organise coach trips using the Community bus. These are very popular and we only ask for a donation towards fuel costs. There are books for sale or lend. We can organise transport to and from the Club if needed. We also run a Scrabble Group which meets on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month from 2-4 in the parish rooms - admission free. These groups are run by the St Vincent de Paul society who are a non-denominational organisation which exists to serve the whole community.

Address
Parish rooms of the Catholic Church in Lymington
132 High Street
Lymington
Hampshire
SO41 9AQ

Cost
Free admission with voluntary donation towards the afternoon tea

Located in: Classes, Quizzes, Clubs, Talks, Open Days

Helping others in the parish