Wednesday, 6 March 2013
Operation Christmas Child
Operation Christmas Child has now delivered 100 million
shoe boxes. More than 2,700 boxes went
this year from Denbighshire to children in Belarus, Bosnia, Kenya and
Serbia. Our boxes go to a processing
centre in Wrexham before departure.
Organisers of Operation Christmas Child are hoping that, despite the
recession and hardship, people will continue to support
these needy children. Remember, for many
of the children who receive these gifts they will be the first they have ever
received. A simple gift, packed with
love, can communicate hope to children worldwide.
Friday, 15 February 2013
February newsletter
From the Vicar
I seem
to meet an increasing number of people who insist on telling me that they are
as good a person as those who attend public worship week by week, even if they
never set foot inside a church building on a regular basis – I’m
sure they are! They are a growing number who feel they "believe, but do not
belong."
There
is a wonderful story about a couple leaving church after morning worship and
the wife asking her husband if he had noticed a hat worn by a particular person
and an awful hairdo which another parishioner was displaying!
The
husband replied that he had not really noticed either – his wife said, rather
impatiently, "John, I sometimes wonder if you get anything at all out of going
to church!"
Luke,
early on in his Gospel, tells us that Jesus, when he returned to Galilee, went
up to his home town Nazareth and on the Sabbath Day went into the synagogue, as
was his custom.
We are
called, in our time, to live out the Good News, to keep the Good News alive in
the world today, by sharing the life of Christ and so being a living presence
of his love wherever we find ourselves. Regular worship for us all, as a
community, through word and sacrament are central to the Christian experience.
Jesus
grew up in faith attending the synagogue in his home town and the story of the
couple leaving church after morning worship reminds us that different people
will have different experiences of going to church, depending upon what their
expectations are of worship, and of course their participation as members of
the Body of Christ.
Michael
To make mistakes is human, to blame them on
someone else shows management potential!
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
January newsletter
From the Vicar
Epiphany
2013
There are sometimes moments in our lives when
there are opportunities to be part of something good – it might involve risks,
yet it is always worth a positive response. It often means we need to listen to
the messages we are getting and then embrace this new experience.
The Magi,
who saw the star, decided to follow it as their special sign, and at the end of
their journey were rewarded by seeing the newly born King, Jesus Christ. They discovered the new light of the world
and their lives were forever changed by the gift which they had received, the
light of Christ – a gift to be shared with others.
Epiphany reminds us of the showing forth of Jesus
Christ as the Saviour of the world and that his light still shines to-day.
We are called to see signs of his living among us
- called to take risks and follow his signs -
called to discover Christ again through this coming year.
Michael
Christmas Fair
A very successful Christmas
Fair was held on the first Saturday in December. Many thanks to those who helped, the 'strong'
men on the Thursday who moved tables chairs and all the heavy articles. The , mainly, ladies who arranged the stalls
on Friday, and all the people who came to help on Saturday, the 'coffee ladies'
were kept very busy and the produce stall sold out! An excellent parish effort with over £800
raised for church funds.
Thursday, 13 December 2012
December Newsletter
The Bishop's Pastoral Letter, Advent Sunday 2012
"Follow Me, says the Lord"
It must have been a tense moment for Jesus - the moment when he called the disciples to follow him. Parables about people who make excuses not to attend the wedding feast (Luke 14.16-20) and nervous questions at points of crisis (John 6.66,67) indicate that Jesus never took the reality of having followers for granted - and neither should we as a Church. Indeed, the Church in Wales has lost 47% of its members over the last twenty years.
It is hard as a bishop to know how bold to be in saying "Follow me!" On one level, it is not me that you have to follow - it is the Lord; but on another level, one of the tasks of the bishop is to discern where God is leading the Church and to try to lead people into God's way. Too strong or confident, and a bishop might be overbearing; too weak or quiet, and a bishop might be unappealing or ignored. I write this not to bemoan my lot - your affirmation as a diocese has been strong - but because I wish to speak a little about the tone and quality of ministry.
I want to build a diocese which gives ownership of the diocese to the whole people of God. The archbishop recently quoted a theologian in an address. He said: "You can have as high a doctrine of the priesthood as you like, as long as your doctrine of the Church is higher; as high a doctrine of the Church, as long as your doctrine of the Kingdom is higher." This is the reason why the Church exists, to be agents who work to bring about God's reign - submission to God's way of repentance, forgiveness, redemption, peace, justice and fullness of life - and we need to proclaim that way to the world, and to live that way for ourselves. the shape of the Church needs to be the shape of a servant - listening for the Lord, relying on his grace, acting according to his will.
This is an agenda for change - but there's more. Anglicans believe that the life of God's people is ultimately put by God into the hand of all God's people, that only the people of God together can work out where the Lord is leading them. This means that the bishop's job is to listen as much as to lead.
As a diocese, we are trying to listen more. The Diocesan Conference has been moved to a time when there can be space for discussion and debate, for listening to one another. The Deanery Conferences are being empowered as meetings when parish reps can really have their say. The Standing Committee is the forum where we seek to bring together all the lines of our thinking and our praying and our discerning of the future.
Next year will see the start of our year of pilgrimage - a year when we commit ourselves to travelling together as disciples of Jesus. So this Advent I am asking two things of you: first, be active in speaking your mind - talk to your Vicar, talk to your PCC, talk to the deanery, put forward your views to bishop and archdeacon and wardens and standing committee. But secondly, and more importantly, talk to our Lord, and ask him, "Where are you calling us? Where are you calling me? Give me the strength to follow".
"Follow Me, says the Lord"
It must have been a tense moment for Jesus - the moment when he called the disciples to follow him. Parables about people who make excuses not to attend the wedding feast (Luke 14.16-20) and nervous questions at points of crisis (John 6.66,67) indicate that Jesus never took the reality of having followers for granted - and neither should we as a Church. Indeed, the Church in Wales has lost 47% of its members over the last twenty years.
It is hard as a bishop to know how bold to be in saying "Follow me!" On one level, it is not me that you have to follow - it is the Lord; but on another level, one of the tasks of the bishop is to discern where God is leading the Church and to try to lead people into God's way. Too strong or confident, and a bishop might be overbearing; too weak or quiet, and a bishop might be unappealing or ignored. I write this not to bemoan my lot - your affirmation as a diocese has been strong - but because I wish to speak a little about the tone and quality of ministry.
I want to build a diocese which gives ownership of the diocese to the whole people of God. The archbishop recently quoted a theologian in an address. He said: "You can have as high a doctrine of the priesthood as you like, as long as your doctrine of the Church is higher; as high a doctrine of the Church, as long as your doctrine of the Kingdom is higher." This is the reason why the Church exists, to be agents who work to bring about God's reign - submission to God's way of repentance, forgiveness, redemption, peace, justice and fullness of life - and we need to proclaim that way to the world, and to live that way for ourselves. the shape of the Church needs to be the shape of a servant - listening for the Lord, relying on his grace, acting according to his will.
This is an agenda for change - but there's more. Anglicans believe that the life of God's people is ultimately put by God into the hand of all God's people, that only the people of God together can work out where the Lord is leading them. This means that the bishop's job is to listen as much as to lead.
As a diocese, we are trying to listen more. The Diocesan Conference has been moved to a time when there can be space for discussion and debate, for listening to one another. The Deanery Conferences are being empowered as meetings when parish reps can really have their say. The Standing Committee is the forum where we seek to bring together all the lines of our thinking and our praying and our discerning of the future.
Next year will see the start of our year of pilgrimage - a year when we commit ourselves to travelling together as disciples of Jesus. So this Advent I am asking two things of you: first, be active in speaking your mind - talk to your Vicar, talk to your PCC, talk to the deanery, put forward your views to bishop and archdeacon and wardens and standing committee. But secondly, and more importantly, talk to our Lord, and ask him, "Where are you calling us? Where are you calling me? Give me the strength to follow".
Advent Sunday - from the Vicar
Advent - a new Church Year full of challenges and opportunities - Time to Make a Difference
This new Church Year will bring its challenges and so we pause and wait, with Mary, for the coming of the Christ in the child of Bethlehem.
It is a time of year to pause and reflect upon those things which need to grow inside all of us. To ask ourselves what needs to grow in our own lives - family life - friendships - especially, perhaps, a sense of inner peace and quiet calm?
Just like Mary we need to make space in order to reflect quietly and just let God's spirit do with us what it will.
A Quiet Advent and Happy Christmas - after the waiting.
This new Church Year will bring its challenges and so we pause and wait, with Mary, for the coming of the Christ in the child of Bethlehem.
It is a time of year to pause and reflect upon those things which need to grow inside all of us. To ask ourselves what needs to grow in our own lives - family life - friendships - especially, perhaps, a sense of inner peace and quiet calm?
Just like Mary we need to make space in order to reflect quietly and just let God's spirit do with us what it will.
A Quiet Advent and Happy Christmas - after the waiting.
Thursday, 15 November 2012
November Newsletter
All Saints Sunday - from the Vicar
"The saint loves people and uses things. The sinner loves things and uses people."
A wise observation, which serves to remind us that we are to let the light of Christ shine through our own lives, for this flame of faith will help us to see others in the light of God’s love. Those in positions of authority or power have a God given vocation to show to others the power of love, service and humility. Hence the greater our responsibility, the more humbly we should behave. Faith, hope and charity, these three gifts of God, are the three flames which we must encourage to reflect ever more brightly in our own lives and in the lives of others. The flame of hope will make us confident of God’s goodness in our lives, give us support and protection and so ensure that the flame of love for others will be nurtured, and burn brightly with understanding.
This feast of all the saints – past, present and future – those who rest in the peace of Christ, those living out their lives in the here now, and those yet to be born - reminds us of our faith family, that we belong to a vast community of time and space. It tells of a mighty truth – together we can achieve more, than alone.
Michael
"The saint loves people and uses things. The sinner loves things and uses people."
A wise observation, which serves to remind us that we are to let the light of Christ shine through our own lives, for this flame of faith will help us to see others in the light of God’s love. Those in positions of authority or power have a God given vocation to show to others the power of love, service and humility. Hence the greater our responsibility, the more humbly we should behave. Faith, hope and charity, these three gifts of God, are the three flames which we must encourage to reflect ever more brightly in our own lives and in the lives of others. The flame of hope will make us confident of God’s goodness in our lives, give us support and protection and so ensure that the flame of love for others will be nurtured, and burn brightly with understanding.
This feast of all the saints – past, present and future – those who rest in the peace of Christ, those living out their lives in the here now, and those yet to be born - reminds us of our faith family, that we belong to a vast community of time and space. It tells of a mighty truth – together we can achieve more, than alone.
Michael
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