Happy New Year. The start of a New Year holds promise and excitement and we look forward with hope to all 2016 will bring.
As the Christmas period comes to an end I hope you had the opportunity to see at least some of the poems and readings in the Advent Calendar on the St Dyfnog’s Church web page. Congratulations to everyone who took part, it was a great joy to see such varied contributions from members of the congregation. Special thanks to our webmaster Kath Mitchell-Dawson who compiled and edited it all. The Advent Calendar will be available to view until 6th January.
The 6th January also sees the Feast of the Epiphany, the arrival of the wise men. Traditionally the wise men form part of the Nativity scene, but they travelled far and it is likely that arrived well after the event. It was a journey that may well have taken several years. Their journey would have taken them to unknown lands, across deserts and plains; they followed a star without knowing exactly where it was taking them. They were learned men who studied the stars and they knew this very bright star heralded a very important event, the birth of a King. The Bible tells us they were wise men, but Matthew, the Gospel writer, does not tell us that they were kings, nor that there were only three of them. Three gifts, wealthy gifts, gifts that would have been well outside the purchasing power of most of the people. Subsequently down the ages we have given them title of the Three Kings.
The image of the wise men kneeling before the manger is one wonderfully portrayed in many paintings down the ages. They had journeyed far but when they finally reached their destination they knew that here lay the King of kings. After such a long journey you would have expected them to stay a while and have a rest yet we are told having presented their gifts they left for their home country by another road.
Today we ponder the expression ‘wise men still seek him’ as we journey to and with Christ. As a new year begins we do not know where our journey will take us, but as we journey with Jesus we know that it will be an adventure and we look forward with hope and confidence to 2016.
I wish all the blessings the New Year holds.
Val Rowlands
Sunday, 10 January 2016
Monday, 5 October 2015
From the Vicar - October 2015
The sight of the glorious moon in our skies over the last few days has filled us with a sense of awe and wonder at the beauty of God’s creation. Even if you didn’t manage to get up at 3am to see the eclipse, we have been privileged to see some stunning night skies. Driving back from Denbigh last night it felt almost as if I was going to drive into the moon it was so low and so large, yet stunningly beautiful.
Although we won’t see its like again until 2033, it is amazing to think that people down the generations have witnessed this same sight, and experienced the same sense of awe and wonder. The writers of both the Old Testament and the early Church use this very image. “The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon to blood” Acts 2:20. The people of bible times may not have understood the science of a blood moon but they knew it was an awesome event.
The Book of Acts, from which this verse is taken, immediately follows the four gospels. It speaks literally of the Acts (actions) of the Apostles, the life of the early church after Jesus had ascended back to heaven. Scholars believe the Book of Acts was written by the Gospel writer Luke because it exactly matches the style of writing found in Luke’s Gospel.
On the 18th October the Church celebrates the Feast of St Luke the Evangelist. Luke has been identified as "Luke, the beloved physician" described in Paul’s letter to the Colossians. He is the patron saint of Physicians and Surgeons. St Luke is associated with the ministry of healing and often a special healing service is held on his feast day. For all of us healing and wholeness come in many different forms. Healing of a physical ailment is a very visible form of healing but inner healing brings the peace of Christ which is beyond our understanding. Every Eucharist service is a service of healing, but at a Healing Service there is a particular focus on the healing power of Jesus.
For our group of Parishes a Healing Service will take place on the 18th October at 5pm in Llangwyfan Church. This will be a gentle Eucharist service, with prayers and hymns for healing, both for ourselves and for those known to us in need of God’s healing touch at this time. A warm welcome to all.
Although we won’t see its like again until 2033, it is amazing to think that people down the generations have witnessed this same sight, and experienced the same sense of awe and wonder. The writers of both the Old Testament and the early Church use this very image. “The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon to blood” Acts 2:20. The people of bible times may not have understood the science of a blood moon but they knew it was an awesome event.
The Book of Acts, from which this verse is taken, immediately follows the four gospels. It speaks literally of the Acts (actions) of the Apostles, the life of the early church after Jesus had ascended back to heaven. Scholars believe the Book of Acts was written by the Gospel writer Luke because it exactly matches the style of writing found in Luke’s Gospel.
On the 18th October the Church celebrates the Feast of St Luke the Evangelist. Luke has been identified as "Luke, the beloved physician" described in Paul’s letter to the Colossians. He is the patron saint of Physicians and Surgeons. St Luke is associated with the ministry of healing and often a special healing service is held on his feast day. For all of us healing and wholeness come in many different forms. Healing of a physical ailment is a very visible form of healing but inner healing brings the peace of Christ which is beyond our understanding. Every Eucharist service is a service of healing, but at a Healing Service there is a particular focus on the healing power of Jesus.
For our group of Parishes a Healing Service will take place on the 18th October at 5pm in Llangwyfan Church. This will be a gentle Eucharist service, with prayers and hymns for healing, both for ourselves and for those known to us in need of God’s healing touch at this time. A warm welcome to all.
From the Vicar - September 2015
The last few chilly days remind us that autumn is on the way and the nights are drawing in. The month of September means the growing season is drawing to a close and it will soon be time for Harvest Thanksgiving Services in our Churches.
A Harvest Festival is a joyous occasion, a time when we give thanks to God for all the good things he has provided for us. It is an occasion when we love to sing those familiar hymns and to see our Church beautifully decorated for the Harvest season. Many people have fond memories of the Harvest Festival Services of their younger days, and are able tell stories of bringing baskets of Fruit and Vegetables to church, or recount humorous tales of the choirmaster banning some small boy from the choir for juggling with the apples.
As a city girl, born and bred on the outskirts of Liverpool, my memories of harvest will be quite different to those who have always lived in a rural community. For me I’m afraid, eggs, milk, vegetables and bread came from the local shop or supermarket. I have no memories of drinking warm milk from the milking pail or of sitting aloft the hay wagon and I can’t tell you of days of sowing and reaping and bringing home the harvest of our own hands but I know many of you can recall such memories.
Although farming has changed over the decades with the introduction of modern machinery, combine harvesters bring in the crops, milking machines collect the milk, and tankers take it away to be processed, every harvest requires hard work. The land has to be tilled, the seed has to be sown, the soil has to be fed and watered, the weather has to be kind and only then do we start to see the results of that labour.
One thing has not changed, nor ever will, the harvest of the fields and all good gifts are given to us by God. The sun and the rain, are sent by God. The soil, the seed, the animals are all God’s gifts. We can enter the supermarket and feel overwhelmed by the choice and variety of fruit and vegetables available but throughout it all we need to remember that it is God who has provided each one for our daily needs.
So this Harvest time we give thanks for those who toil on land and sea to bring food to our shops and our tables. May we stand with our farmers as they struggle to negotiate a fair price for their produce and play our part by being willing to pay a realistic price that will enable farming to flourish here in Wales.
A Harvest Festival is a joyous occasion, a time when we give thanks to God for all the good things he has provided for us. It is an occasion when we love to sing those familiar hymns and to see our Church beautifully decorated for the Harvest season. Many people have fond memories of the Harvest Festival Services of their younger days, and are able tell stories of bringing baskets of Fruit and Vegetables to church, or recount humorous tales of the choirmaster banning some small boy from the choir for juggling with the apples.
As a city girl, born and bred on the outskirts of Liverpool, my memories of harvest will be quite different to those who have always lived in a rural community. For me I’m afraid, eggs, milk, vegetables and bread came from the local shop or supermarket. I have no memories of drinking warm milk from the milking pail or of sitting aloft the hay wagon and I can’t tell you of days of sowing and reaping and bringing home the harvest of our own hands but I know many of you can recall such memories.
Although farming has changed over the decades with the introduction of modern machinery, combine harvesters bring in the crops, milking machines collect the milk, and tankers take it away to be processed, every harvest requires hard work. The land has to be tilled, the seed has to be sown, the soil has to be fed and watered, the weather has to be kind and only then do we start to see the results of that labour.
One thing has not changed, nor ever will, the harvest of the fields and all good gifts are given to us by God. The sun and the rain, are sent by God. The soil, the seed, the animals are all God’s gifts. We can enter the supermarket and feel overwhelmed by the choice and variety of fruit and vegetables available but throughout it all we need to remember that it is God who has provided each one for our daily needs.
So this Harvest time we give thanks for those who toil on land and sea to bring food to our shops and our tables. May we stand with our farmers as they struggle to negotiate a fair price for their produce and play our part by being willing to pay a realistic price that will enable farming to flourish here in Wales.
Friday, 7 August 2015
Summer Fair
Scroll down for pics!
Something of an experiment, this; but since we’d done so well with the Autumn Fair it seemed worth trying a summer event. Inevitably, we were in competition with a number of other events on the same day, but the weather was kind to us, and we had enthusiastic support from several outside stall-holders who are becoming regulars at St Dyfnog’s fund-raising days: Huw’s Pictures (drawings of scenes around Denbigh), Femme Fatale (bags, scarves and accessories), Jacquie Dutton (hand-made cards), Vintage Mary Dei (vintage clothing), Sheila Dooley (honey, jams, chutneys and beeswax candles) and Little Dragons Face Painters all helped the day to go with a swing, and said it was well worthwhile for them.
Critter Capers provided visitors with something a little different: Andrew Barkley and Alice Naylor take animals, reptiles and insects to schools, birthday parties and youth groups to give people of all ages the chance to meet a variety of exotic animals. St Dyfnog’s was temporarily host to a Royal Python, a Bearded Dragon, an Emperor Scorpion and a Giant African Millipede, amongst others! (Please note your newsletter editor actually handled the millipede!!)
There was also a drawing and painting competition for the local primary school children from Llanraheadr and Prion schools: they were invited to draw their favourite character from the Jesse Window, with prizes of chocolate medals awarded for the best version of each character. The twenty winners’ artistic creations are on display in church until the end of July.
Very many thanks to all who baked cakes, provided plants, helped to set up and take down, or looked after church stalls on the day. We raised over £500 for church funds.
Something of an experiment, this; but since we’d done so well with the Autumn Fair it seemed worth trying a summer event. Inevitably, we were in competition with a number of other events on the same day, but the weather was kind to us, and we had enthusiastic support from several outside stall-holders who are becoming regulars at St Dyfnog’s fund-raising days: Huw’s Pictures (drawings of scenes around Denbigh), Femme Fatale (bags, scarves and accessories), Jacquie Dutton (hand-made cards), Vintage Mary Dei (vintage clothing), Sheila Dooley (honey, jams, chutneys and beeswax candles) and Little Dragons Face Painters all helped the day to go with a swing, and said it was well worthwhile for them.
Critter Capers provided visitors with something a little different: Andrew Barkley and Alice Naylor take animals, reptiles and insects to schools, birthday parties and youth groups to give people of all ages the chance to meet a variety of exotic animals. St Dyfnog’s was temporarily host to a Royal Python, a Bearded Dragon, an Emperor Scorpion and a Giant African Millipede, amongst others! (Please note your newsletter editor actually handled the millipede!!)
There was also a drawing and painting competition for the local primary school children from Llanraheadr and Prion schools: they were invited to draw their favourite character from the Jesse Window, with prizes of chocolate medals awarded for the best version of each character. The twenty winners’ artistic creations are on display in church until the end of July.
Very many thanks to all who baked cakes, provided plants, helped to set up and take down, or looked after church stalls on the day. We raised over £500 for church funds.
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| at Little Dragons Face Painters |
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| entries for the Jesse Window drawing and painting competition |
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| entries for the Jesse Window drawing and painting competition |
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| Andrew with the scorpion! |
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| enjoying the sunshine |
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| outside stalls |
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| meeting Timothy the Rabbit |
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| The winning entries |
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| Adrian meeting a Bearded Dragon |
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| presentation of medals |
Tuesday, 14 April 2015
From the Vicar - Easter 2015
About this time last year I
sat in St Asaph Cathedral listening to a concert by St Asaph Choral Society. As I sat in the main nave of the Cathedral I
glanced to the South Transept, the small Chapel to my right and something made
me pause. On the small altar in the
South Transept there is a cross and as the sun was setting the light was
reflected behind the cross causing a perfect reflection which surrounded the
cross with light. The setting sun was
shining through a cross shaped window at the far end of the Cathedral and the
light had travelled the whole length of the building to make this perfect
shape. It only lit the background of the cross, not the candles, or the altar,
just the cross. It was more than a trick
of the light, it spoke of the light in the darkness, and struck me very
poignantly particularly as come into the Light of Christ after the dark events
of Holy Week.
The Cross lies at the very
heart of the Christian faith, for without the cross there would be no Easter
Morning, no Resurrection. We can
sometimes take the cross for granted, use it for decoration, make it
presentable with candles and flowers, yet the cross is not an easy object to
gaze upon, but an instrument of pain and torture has become for us a symbol of
love and sacrifice. Many people wear a cross as a necklace or pin-badge, they
may carry a cross in your pocket with the lovely poem, for following Easter
Sunday the cross becomes a symbol of light and hope.
The wonderful hymn When I
Survey the Wondrous Cross was written by Isaac Watts but it is said that
Charles Wesley, the writer of hundreds of our favourite hymns, would gladly have
given all the hymns he had written to have written those wonderful words. The words of the hymn convey all the
sentiments that we could ever wish to convey.
Yet they are not sentimental but challenging. ‘Demands my soul my life my all’ can never
just be sweet and sugary words.
‘Love so amazing, so divine’ Easter
is a joyous time, a time of hope and promise. May the joy of Easter morning and the Light of Christ bring you peace
and joy this Eastertide and always.
Friday, 27 February 2015
From the Vicar - March 2015
As we celebrate St David’s Day we are reminded of the early Christian Saints who brought the good news of Jesus to our shores. St Dyfnog Patron Saint of our Church was a follower of St David and he would have been one of the numerous Celtic Saints who established Christian Communities throughout Wales. We now call the early sixth century through to the seventh century the Age of the Saints.
Many of the Celtic Saints were itinerant preachers who walked the countryside setting up Holy Sites wherever they stopped and establishing a Christian Community there. No doubt Dyfnog stopped here because of the situation of the natural well, just above where the Church stands.
The Celtic Saints saw the whole of life as a complete circle, God, humanity and nature. They held a respect for nature that we have largely lost over the years. In recent decades this has changed for the better, as we are challenged to look at the effect of our lifestyle has on the environment.
As we continue in Lent may we ponder the impact our lifestyle has on the world. How we can play our part in protecting the environment, caring for the world God has given us. For David and Dyfnog and all the saints of the early Christian settlements, care of the environment was an integral part of their faith. Just as worshipping God and caring for those in need was central to their lives.
For us the challenge is to follow in their footsteps to care for those in need, to care for the earth and to bring the Good News of the love of Jesus to all people.
The Prayer for St Dyfnog
Almighty and ever-living God, who called your servant Dyfnog to proclaim the gospel to this nation: give us your servants, such faith and power of love, that as we rejoice in his triumph we may profit by his example.
Many of the Celtic Saints were itinerant preachers who walked the countryside setting up Holy Sites wherever they stopped and establishing a Christian Community there. No doubt Dyfnog stopped here because of the situation of the natural well, just above where the Church stands.
The Celtic Saints saw the whole of life as a complete circle, God, humanity and nature. They held a respect for nature that we have largely lost over the years. In recent decades this has changed for the better, as we are challenged to look at the effect of our lifestyle has on the environment.
As we continue in Lent may we ponder the impact our lifestyle has on the world. How we can play our part in protecting the environment, caring for the world God has given us. For David and Dyfnog and all the saints of the early Christian settlements, care of the environment was an integral part of their faith. Just as worshipping God and caring for those in need was central to their lives.
For us the challenge is to follow in their footsteps to care for those in need, to care for the earth and to bring the Good News of the love of Jesus to all people.
The Prayer for St Dyfnog
Almighty and ever-living God, who called your servant Dyfnog to proclaim the gospel to this nation: give us your servants, such faith and power of love, that as we rejoice in his triumph we may profit by his example.
Monday, 12 January 2015
From the Vicar - January 2015
Christmas and New Year have come and gone and it has been a delight to share our first Christmas with you all. The New Year brings with it a new beginning as we give thanks to God for the year that has ended and look forward to 2015. The start of 2015 invites us to examine where we have been, so that we may look with confidence to the future. God has called us to this place at this time and the people with whom we live, work and share our community, are God’s blessing to each one of us.
I wonder did you make a New Year’s resolution and if you did how are you getting on? Often we fail to keep our resolutions because we make them in the comfort of our warm sitting room on a winter’s evening and all too often that is where they stay!
The Christmas period brought with it the first really cold weather and how beautiful the hills looked capped in snow. We are very blessed to live in such a beautiful part of the Vale of Clwyd and as the days will soon begin to lengthen, if only slightly, we can look forward to exploring the countryside around us. Maybe this is one of the New Year resolutions you have made this year, to get out into the fresh air and take up some exercise. But all new things require a period of preparation, it’s no good climbing Snowdon without taking a daily walk to strengthen the muscles in preparation.
We hear very little in the bible about Jesus’ childhood but we know it was a time of preparation for all that will follow. In January our readings in Church look to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry here on earth, beginning with his Baptism. Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist as an adult. Many of us were baptised as a baby but for all of us our baptism represents a new beginning as members of the family of God. God calls us to love our neighbours as ourselves, a wonderful resolution to make as we look to the New Year. The New Year brings fresh opportunities and we look forward to all God has in store for us as individuals, a Parish and a community.
With Every Blessing for 2015,
Rev’d. Val Rowlands
I wonder did you make a New Year’s resolution and if you did how are you getting on? Often we fail to keep our resolutions because we make them in the comfort of our warm sitting room on a winter’s evening and all too often that is where they stay!
The Christmas period brought with it the first really cold weather and how beautiful the hills looked capped in snow. We are very blessed to live in such a beautiful part of the Vale of Clwyd and as the days will soon begin to lengthen, if only slightly, we can look forward to exploring the countryside around us. Maybe this is one of the New Year resolutions you have made this year, to get out into the fresh air and take up some exercise. But all new things require a period of preparation, it’s no good climbing Snowdon without taking a daily walk to strengthen the muscles in preparation.
We hear very little in the bible about Jesus’ childhood but we know it was a time of preparation for all that will follow. In January our readings in Church look to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry here on earth, beginning with his Baptism. Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist as an adult. Many of us were baptised as a baby but for all of us our baptism represents a new beginning as members of the family of God. God calls us to love our neighbours as ourselves, a wonderful resolution to make as we look to the New Year. The New Year brings fresh opportunities and we look forward to all God has in store for us as individuals, a Parish and a community.
With Every Blessing for 2015,
Rev’d. Val Rowlands
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