Across the Ministry Area we have seen so much take place throughout December, with so many people contributing to the season. It has been a joy to see people growing together, and one example of this was the remarkable joint choir, which sang for our Ministry Area Service at the close of the year. 

Cultural Pillars:

During Advent, you will have heard me talking about our four key cultural pillars: Prayerfulness, Evangelism, Hospitality, and Generosity. You may have seen the interview with me where I say a little bit more about how these will be our special focus in 2025 – if not, take a look at our new YouTube profile. Over the next few months, I will be sharing links to books, podcasts and other resources through the Penybont-Churches Website.

Throughout January, we will be thinking more about what it means to be a prayerful community – but more than just thinking, we will ask the Lord to spur us on to actually pray more! 

St Augustine of Hippo, the ancient North African Bishop and Theologian, tells us that prayer is the voice of love when he says: “Prayer is not the reverberation of sound; it is the articulation of love. It is with the heart rather than the lips that we pray... Therefore, whether we cry to the Lord with the voice of the body - where occasion demands it - or in silence, we must cry from the heart.”

MA Prayer Activities:

We have a number of prayer activities and events taking place across the Ministry Area, each is designed to offer us the chance to make this 'articulation of love' as a community. 

Please mark your diaries, and join us:

- 7.14 Prayer: Join us every Wednesday morning in Term Time, at Nolton Rectory, for an hour of open prayer as we seek God's face.
- Evening Prayer: Starting 6th of March, join us every Thursday in Lent at 6pm, for a simple service of Evening Prayer at St Teilo’s Merthyr Mawr.

- Central Prayer: Making prayer a central part of our life, means having a central prayer meeting! Join us every 'first' Tuesday of the month at Nolton Hall (starting Tuesday 4thFebruary) 7.30pm for refreshments, 8pm for prayer. Come and pray for your church and Ministry Area.

New Ways to Pray:

Finally this week, let me encourage you to explore distinctively Christian approaches to prayer. Try adding to your prayers, words directed to each person of the Trinity. This might be new to you, especially if you are used to simply addressing 'God' in your prayers. Christian prayer is always Trinitarian, but there are times when we may address the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit directly. Here are some example prayers for you to use, drawn from the work of St Augustine:

A Prayer of St Augustine to God the Holy Spirit:

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.

A Prayer of St Augustine to the Lord Jesus:

O, Sweet Jesus,
may every good feeling that is fitted for Your praise,
love You, delight in You, adore You!
God of my heart,
and my Portion, Christ Jesus,
may my heart faint away in spirit,
and may You be my Life within me!
May the live coal of Your Love
grow hot within my spirit
and break forth into a perfect fire;
may it burn incessantly on the altar of my heart;
may it glow in my innermost being;
may it blaze in hidden recesses of my soul;
and in the days of my consummation
may I be found consummated with You! Amen

A Prayer of St Augustine to God the Father:

Almighty Father, come into our hearts, and so fill us with Thy love that forsaking all evil desires, we may embrace Thee, our only good. Show us, O Lord our God, what Thou are to us. Say to our souls, I am your salvation, speak so that we may hear. Our hearts are before Thee; open our ears; let us hasten after Thy voice. Hide not Thy Face from us, we beseech Thee, O Lord. Open our hearts so that Thou may enter in. Repair the ruined mansions, that Thou may dwell therein. Hear us, O Heavenly Father. Amen