“Go therefore … make disciples … teaching them … I am with you always”

May newsletter - from the Vicar. Ascension 2013.

Spring is now evident wherever we look - the countryside is suddenly awake and full of new starts and beginnings.  Those wonderful lambs in our fields - we want to cuddle them all - they are living parables and wonderful examples of new life, along with the spring flowers and budding hedgerows.

Easter continues to touch us all, in many different ways, through darkness, pain and death on Good Friday - still there for some - yet onwards to the glory of new life and hope which Easter has opened up for all.

The feast of the Ascension falls on 9^th May and should be a reminder that, just like those first disciples, we have the task in our time and situation to “ Go, Make, Teach, “ confident that Jesus will be close.

This is our Year of Pilgrimage which is being launched as part of Evensong at the Cathedral on Sunday 5^th May at 3.30 pm. It would be really good if as many as possible could be at this service, to emphasis our faith journey together, and our travelling with Christ. As the year moves on there will be events throughout the diocese which will be advertised and which can be located on the diocesan website. Further information locally is available via our Diocesan Conference Representative, Mrs. Meg Mullock.

Sunday 12^th May is Ministry and Calling Sunday, when we are asked to give special consideration to the question of Vocation – “Go – Make – Teach”.

Please remember in your prayers all who serve God in his Church.                                                                                                                                                   

Michael

April newsletter

From the Vicar                                                                                              Eastertide

Who will roll back the stone?

We can easily fall into the trap of thinking that Easter is already past, and behind us, and if we’re not careful, just let it become a sort of “spiritual day trip”. However, we need to be clear that the resurrection of Jesus is not only about Jesus but also about new life for all.

Joseph Krempa, in his book “Captured Fire”, reminds us of a familiar story of a family who had reserved a room in a resort motel. The room they had booked was large and with many amenities, but when they arrived it was a small room without a view, small and stuffy. The next morning they complained to the manager who asked if they had opened the door inside the room – they admitted they hadn’t. Upon returning to their suite they opened the door, which they had assumed to be a cupboard, and to their surprise discovered a very spacious room, with a wonderful view, beautiful décor and so light and airy. They had missed it – it was a door away – a door they didn’t bother to open.

If we’re not careful we can live like that. Our life here is a small room compared to the magnificent life God has for us – but sadly so many don’t bother to open the door. God rolled back the stone, but we have to open the door!

This whole Easter season and throughout our lives, may we be people of faith, love, and hope, and so show by the way we live, that we believe in the Risen Christ.

                                                                                                                        Michael

March newsletter

From the Vicar                                                                                            

Lent 2013

This week we have celebrated the life and work of our own St David and his role, with those other Welsh Saints of the sixth century, including our own Dyfnog.

 Whilst there aren’t many  facts about Dewi Sant, here are some:

• He really existed
• He was at the heart of the Welsh church in the 6^th century
• He came from an aristocratic family in West Wales
• His mother was Saint Non
• His teacher was Saint Paulinus
• He founded a large monastery in west Wales
• He was one of the early saints who helped to spread Christianity among the pagan Celtic tribes of Western Britain
• He became Archbishop of Wales, but remained in his community at Menevia
• His shrine became a great place of pilgrimage; four visits to the shrine at St David’s were considered the equivalent of two to Rome, and one to Jerusalem!

We can all be very proud of being part of an ever developing nation here in Wales and yet

also be  ready to play our own distinctive part as Christian people in our world.

We move through Lent towards the events of Holy Week at the end of the month, pausing next week for Mothering Sunday.

When Easter Day arrives we will need to find some special words to try and describe what happened on that day – words like astonished and astounded, awestruck and amazed as it was all so dazzling and incredible.  

Michael

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.                                                                    

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!

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.