The Ministry Area Blog
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Threshold of a New Year
As we stand on the ‘threshold’ of a new year we tend to look both backwards at the one just passing and forwards to the one to come. It is a time of reflection. We are acutely aware that 2024 held worldwide and local events both wonderful and dreadful, as, no doubt, will 2025. The one thing of which we can we certain is that, in 2024, in our Ministry Area of Penybont ar Ogwr we experienced both highs and lows.
Of the Father’s Heart Begotten
One of my favourite Christmas Carols is Of The Father's Heart Begotten. I especially enjoy the 1906 translation of the original poem that comes down to us from the middle of the 4th century.
Blessings Follow Unity
In Psalm 133, God promises that blessing will follow unity. At the last Ministry Area Council meeting, the MAC spent half an hour thinking about what it means for us to be united as a Ministry Area. We were able to identify very quickly what unity does not mean. Unity doesn’t mean doing everything the same. Unity is not the same as uniformity.
It’s Beginning to look a lot like Advent…
Although Advent has only just begun, we have seen a huge outpouring of festive Joy around the Ministry Area. From the Advent Experience Coffee Morning at Brackla, to the Pen-y-fai Young Farmers’ Carol service, we are connecting families and young people into the life of Christ through his body, the Church…
Joy To Bridgend
I imagine that we might all agree to a feeling of utter astonishment that 2024 has passed so rapidly and that we are once again approaching the season of Advent and the preparation for our Christmas events and services. The message being sent out from our Ministry Area is ‘Joy to Bridgend’ and to each of our eight church communities.
Engage
We have been taking more time to engage over the past few weeks; this has looked like putting on the sorts of events and services that reinforce our position at the heart of our communities. Remembrance was an especially good time to engage, as people are searching for meaning, and an eternal context in which to set their hopes and fears. Many of you will have been to visit the brilliant Remembrance Display at Merthyr Mawr over the last week; there are opportunities for all our churches to connect with local people in similar ways.
Invitations & Festivals
November is proving to be a very special month in the life of our Ministry Area. We began on Sunday with All Saints Day – such a joyful celebration in all our churches, but especially at All Saints Penyfai, where they held their patronal festival. In a similar, but more subdued, way it was St Illtyd’s Day today, and we kept the occasion up on Newcastle Hill. This coming Sunday, 10th November, is Remembrance, which means our service times will be a little diNerent in some churches.
Confirmation
Do you remember your confirmation? I remember mine. I was 21 and had just begun my postgraduate studies. For the preparation course, we spent three months…
Celebrating differences
Recently, I was invited by my lovely seven-year-old neighbour, to be present at the service to mark her First Holy Communion. When I arrived, the church was filled with family members, so I slipped into a seat, next to a young man, right at the back of the church. He was considerate and immediately began talking to me asking if I was there to support a grandchild.
Growing
It is now only a month until Confirmation Sunday, when on Sunday 17th November at 10am we will welcome Bishop Mary to St Mary’s Church, Nolton. I cannot wait to see you all there as together we celebrate and support our MA Candidates taking their next step of faith. I am told that our last joint service was the best attended Ministry Area Service so far – and I am excited for the Bishop to see that we are growing as a community.
Generous Hearts
Generous hearts have been on display across the Ministry Area over the last few weeks. Not only in our Season of Giving, which has seen many people sign up to support the Ministry Area in new or increased ways, but also in the support we’ve poured out for others.
Jesus is Enough
‘Jesus is enough’ – such an uplifting message from Archdeacon Rhod at our Michaelmas Joint Service. We saw 126 people from across the Ministry Area gather in Nolton Church, with many staying to enjoy fellowship after the service. I am told that this was the largest Sunday act of worship that has taken place since the founding of the Ministry Area. This is both a great encouragement, and an exhortation to keep going forwards.
Reminiscing
Just recently, and coincidentally, I’ve been reminiscing with several different groups of friends about Covid times and the effects the pandemic had on each and every one of us. I imagine that, in years to come, young people will be learning about these times in their school history lessons, just as we learned about the Black Death which occurred so long ago in Europe between 1346 and 1353 and was one of the most fatal pandemics in human history resulting in as many as 50 million people losing their lives.
Turning of the Seasons
Summer draws to a close around us, and we mark the turning of the seasons in various different ways. First, the feast of Michael and All Angels, which we celebrate together this Sunday 29th of September. Michaelmas, which gave its name to the historic ‘Michaelmas Term’ (now largely replaced by ‘Autumn Term’) was in the medieval period understood to be a ‘Quarter Day’, marking the ending/beginning of one quarter of the year. Next week, Sunday 6th of October, we will be keeping our Harvest Festivals across the Ministry Area in our own church buildings.
Joyful Giving
I always love the slightly obscure passages that come up at Morning and Evening Prayer.
Reading the Bible every day has been such a blessing to me over the past 20 years – I would encourage you to try it, perhaps as part of Daily Prayer. Today’s Old Testament reading struck me. It concerned the preparations for the construction of the temple in Jerusalem. Particularly, the ‘freewill offerings’ made by God’s people towards that work over and above their obligatory tithes.
Invitation
For me, it all began with an invitation.
Just over twenty years ago, I was invited to a church event by a local Christian. From there I was invited to attend worship, to dinner, to a Bible study. I was invited to lead prayers, and in time to preach. I was invited to administer the chalice – and in time, I was invited to take Holy Orders, and serve this diocese as a priest. We never know where an invitation might lead – but if we fail to offer the invitation, we will never find out.
A unique gift, a unique calling, and a unique responsibility
September arrives, and with it a bit of a return to normal life across the Ministry Area. Over the coming months, I am keen to meet with every congregation to talk about what ‘success’ might look like in each of our different contexts. As we begin to discern where the Lord is leading us, we should be open to the diversity of gifting that comes from the one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4).
Inspiration and Hope
During, what should be, the least stressful season of the year for many of us, we have experienced disturbing times. The ongoing conflicts around our fractured world, especially in Ukraine and Gaza, continue to horrify us daily as we pray fervently for an end to such horrors, particularly when we see the images of terrified children and heartbroken adults on our television screens. Closer to home, we shockingly saw the deaths of three totally innocent and adored little girls, Bebe, Elsie and Alice, who died as a result of unfathomable violence, in Southport.