Say to this Mountain

Goodbye; Hwyl Fawr; Au revoir!

2009-10-04T17:43:00.003+01:00

The time has come and now I have to say 'farewell' to everyone in Penrhys. I have been here a little over four years now and it has been a real privilige and joy to minister here - not without its challenges of course, but an oyster can't make a pearl without a bit of grit.
I took the picture this morning, as we were getting ready for our harvest service. The banner is new, especially for harvest, comissioned by Paul who insisted that a black sheep be included (if you want to know why, you'll have to ask him). The harvest banner shows a tree with leaves that have written upon them the words of the fruits of the spirit. So, our tables held the fruits of the earth and our banner proclaimed the fruits of the spirit, all of which God wants to produce the best harvest. As I prepare to move on to take up my journey amongst another group of God's people, I will take this symbolizm with me. Penrhys is place that has fertile soil for spiritual growth and the memories and experiences we shared together have helped me learn more about my journey with God. I will always cherish the time I spent here and I thank God for the people I have come to know and love.
I'll never forget you and I will continue to pray and think of you all often. I will visit - I've promised the children... with lots of love, Sian xxx

After-words

2009-08-22T14:27:00.004+01:00

Well, again I apologise for being silent for so long. since I last wrote there have been many changes and there are more to come. We celebrated the end of the school term by attending various concerts, assemblies and Sport's Day and we wish all our ex-year 6s all the best as they prepare to move on to Secondary School in September.
We travelled (with some of our young people) to Snowdonia for our annual holiday in Rydd Ddu. everyone survived and had a good time, so - result! We also held a football tournament which turned out to be a very civilized and sportspersonly event.
I forget the result, but it was fairly close and very well played.
So now we have a short respite before all the fun starts again. We've said our 'goodbyes' to Heritiana, Mampionona and Rema (although we hope to see Rema again soon, when he returns to us after a holiday in Mizoram). It is enormously humbling to meet our overseas volunteers. They bravely offer their services for a whoe year and come thousands of miles to live with,and serve this community. They give us a great deal in terms of work hours, but more than that they give us a great deal in terms of sharing their lives and cultures with us. All of us here gain so much from their offerings and we are extremely lucky to have our lives enriched in this way.
We hope to hear news soon of new volunteers; 2(including Rema) from Mizoram and 2 from Madagascar.

Bible study: Theology 37; John 8:1-11

2009-07-01T11:49:00.001+01:00

Bible study: Theology 37; John 8:1-11

This chapter opens with Jesus going to the Mount of Olives before he begins his day's work. Why do you think he went there and what did he do?
It seems that Jesus was a popular teacher, 'all the people came to him…' why were they so drawn to him?
Perhaps Jesus' popularity was the reason the scribes and pharisees wanted to test him. How do you think they felt when they saw him in theTemple?
Jesus turns from them and begins to write in the sand. Why? What did he write?
Eventually, he responds to their questions and then resumes writing. What's he writing this time?
'When they heard it, they went away one by one…' What might the scribes and pharisees be thinking as they leave?
Jesus tells the women that he does not condemn her – what does this mean for us and the way we think about others who make difficult choices that challenge us?

Our Bible Study Responses Theology 33

2009-06-06T20:16:00.002+01:00

1. "In the beginning...." How can we know what really happened in the beginning?

Well, we had a bit of a go at this one. We talked about the many theories that people have concerning the beginning of the world. We talked about the famous, 'Big bang,' theory, but we all had to admit that in the end, no one really knows what happened in the beginning. It is a mystery. We spoke of the fact that every culture has its own creation story and that some of those stories
are even older than the Genesis account. We concluded that humanity has a deep and abiding interest in knowing where we came from, how we came to be and what that means for our life here and now and in the future.

2. Do you think that this is literal account? Why or why not?

None of the assembled group thought that this was a literal account because, as we had already decided, no one could ever really know what happened in the beginning. We felt that this was an intelligent way of explaining very complicated issues in a simple way. We felt that its main purpose was to underline God's work in creation, rather than to just tell a story of how we began. God's love for and delight in creation is evidenced all through this passage and that, we felt, is the main purpose of telling it like this.

3. Why does the story tell us that God speaks? Who was there to hear it?

This was very interesting! We felt that it was important to acknowledge the power of God's word. God speaks and creation manifests. We also thought about the way in which we communicate – why do we speak to each other? We speak so that what is inside us can be made manifest. We share ideas and what is inside us is communicated to others. This then, gives us a picture of God choosing to share with us, something of what is inside God. We are part of a world that God has imagined and brought into being. Creation is a word that, although first spoken long ago, still speaks to us today.

4. What pattern(s) (if any) do you see in this account?

This is a very organized and systematic approach. There is repetition and rhythm which seems to contain a blessing, 'it is good.'

5. Why do you think that God's actions are divided into 'days' here?

It is part of the order mentioned in previous question. It also points to there being a process involved and that it took time. It wasn't like magic, "hey presto" and suddenly everything exists! Plants bud and grow; animals grow and mature. God is involved in world of progression.

6. What does this account tell us about God? Make a list.

This passage tells us that God is a creator; God cares; God builds; God speaks; God takes time….. we went on and on with this. We actually came up with more than 23 adjectives about God and there are only 23 verses in this week's reading. I've left the majority out because I'd like to see how many you can up with. Please click on the comments button below this post and tell us what you think.

Bible Study for Theology 33 - Genesis 1:1-23

2009-06-03T17:54:00.005+01:00

The photo was taken a couple of Sundays ago when we decided to take Sunday School out into God's creation to soak in the beauty and wonder of it. It seems a good opportunity to use it to illustrate this week's reading which tells of God speaking the world into being.

This evening some of us will be meeting to explore this week's reading from Genesis. We shall be considering the following questions:
1. "In the beginning...." How can we know what really happened in the beginning?

2. Do you think that this is literal account? Why or why not?

3. Why does the story tell us that God speaks? Who was there to hear it?

4. Wha pattern(s) (if any) do you see in this account?

5. Why do you think that God's actions are divided into 'days' here?

6. What does this account tell us about God? Make a list.

If you have any ideas/opinions/comments on any of the above, please feel free to join in by clicking the 'comment' button at the foot of this post.

Festival Time at the Urdd, Cardiff Bay

2009-05-29T11:29:00.003+01:00

Eistedfford time has come around again and because the Urdd (Young people's organization in Wales - we think it may be the largest youth movement in Europe)is currently situated in Cardiff Bay we were able to go down and enjoy being surrounded by Welsh culture. The sun shone brightly down as we made our way around the various stalls and we stopped by various places to see what was on offer. We went into the Millenium Centre to see the young people perform and were very impressed by the high standard of the various perfomances we saw. It was so good to see so many young people taking a pride in their heritage and we came out thinking that the TV talent show, Britain's Got Talent is nothing compared to the talent of our young people.

Visit to Logos Hope, Cardiff Bay

2009-05-29T10:58:00.006+01:00

This week is half term, so we are enjoying a bit of a rest. Some of us have been out and about a bit and yesterday we made our way down to Cardiff Bay. We were joined by our friend, Elyse, who was a volunteer here about 5 or 6 years ago. Elyse is currently working aboard 'Logos Hope,' the enormous vessel in the picture. Logos Hope is part of an initiative set up by Christians in Germany to spread Knowledge, Help and Hope.
Elyse took us aboard to show us around. We had lunch together and then toured the ship. The Galley (where Elyse works) is very like the kitchen you may find in any large hotel. Gleaming stainless steel everywhere and large, computerized ovens! The galley supplies around 450 meals 3 times a day, so a lot of hard work work goes on there. We finished our tour in the Book Fair. The ship carries around 6,000 titles all very reasonably priced - so reasonable that at least one of us gave in to temptation and bought some (no names mind). The ship is staffed by volunteers from all over the world, some of whom join for a few weeks, others for longer. Elyse has been on board for 2 years, we met someone else who's been there for 17 years and has raised his family on board too! Mampionona, in particular was very taken with the visit and is interested in joining the ship later on. If you're in Cardiff Bay sometime between now and the 7th June, do have a look for yourself - it's well worth a visit.

Bible Study on Theology 31

2009-05-20T16:17:00.003+01:00

I apologize for not keeping up with the Bible Study postings but, finally I'm catching up. This week's passage is from St. John 14:15-27, The Promise of the Holy Spirit. Below are the questions we will be considering this evening. If you have any comments, then please feel free to join in - we would welcome your input!

1. Jesus' connection with his disciples is based on love. Thinking of the past two Bible Studies that have considered God as love, do you think that Jesus is offering unconditional or conditional love in this passage?

2. Why is the Advocate sent to be with us 'forever' when Jesus was with us for a comparatively short time? What might this really mean?

3. The world is spoken of as being very different from the disciples. What does that mean for us as disciples who have to live in the world?

4. What does this passage mean for those who do not'love Jesus?'

5. How do you think the Holy Spirit has worked in you to teach you and remind you of what Jesus taught?

6. How does the Holy Spirit work in us today, if indeed you agree that it does?

Rich/Poor Supper

2009-05-18T22:42:00.006+01:00

Our annual Rich/Poor supper took place this evening and I'm pleased to be able to tell you that the event raised £87.30!! For those of you new to this blog, or for those who have never heard of it before the Rich/Poor supper is as follows. Everyone buys a ticket for the event and everyone pays the same price (in this case £3). The evening begins with a brief talk to consider the work of Christian Aid. This year we were lucky enough to have a special guest speaker, Aled from the CA office in Cardiff. Aled visited South Africa earlier this year and showed us pictures that he took when he visited CA's Partners there.
After the talk, the group is each given a raffle ticket and a draw takes place. Six lucky people are chosen to be the 'rich' people. They sit down to a four course meal of melon, roast beef with trimmings, gateaux and cheese and biscuits. The rest of us (the majority) get to be the 'poor' people and we sit down to single bowl of rice.
The object of the excercise is to show the injustice of the current world situation. The majority of people in the world have less resources than the richer parts of the world. As one Iona liturgy puts it, "half the world starves whilst the other half diets.."
However, we do cheat slightly because after everyone's finished eating we auction off the leftovers and all the yummy stuff goes to those who bid for it.
So, all in all it's an awareness raising event as well as a fund-raising one. We had the services of our wonderfully gifted friend Myra to cook for us and she was ably assisted by Deborah. Cilla and Jodie. Thanks to all who worked on this event and to everyone who supported it.
Special thanks are due to Sharon who is the unsung heroine of all our Christian Aid efforts!

Fun Walk

2009-05-15T14:36:00.003+01:00

The dawned bright and sunny.... oh no it didn't! No, sure enough we had the usual cold, damp, overcast day that we usually do for our foray into 'Pandy to collect for Christian Aid. Each year we use this occasion to indulge our eccentricities and dress up in unlikely garb.
As you will see from the picture, this year we had an Egyptian (I know, go figure), a Knight, 2 'unknowns,' and (the star of the show) a sumo wrestler. We also had a nun and a princess, but they were more camera shy. We began with worship at 9am, with prayers with the world church and then made our way to town. After a couple of hours we returned for lunch and the grand count began. We collected the sum of £166.03 so a big 'THANK YOU!' to all who donated and a very big 'THANK YOU AND WELL DONE!' to our wonderful volunteers who weren't afraid to look so strange for Christian Aid.

Congratulations!

2009-05-14T21:01:00.003+01:00

These smiling, happy faces belong to our very talented volunteers, Heritiana, Rema and Mampionona. They are proudly displaying their certificates to show that they have passed the level 2 Food Safety in Catering course.
Way back in February, they attended the course as part of The Winter Skillz (sic) initiative in the Rhondda Fach.
This evening we all attended the celebration event at Canolfan Rhys to see everyone get the recognition they so richly deserve.
The courses covered such diverse areas as catering, childcare, dry-stone walling, carpentry and play work (amongst others) and the participants ranged in age from 14 - 60 or so.
Winter Skillz is an event that has grown from the first Summer Skillz, held two years ago. Local community members are encouraged to participate in order to gain skills and experience that will help build confidence and self-esteem as well helping to show prosepective employers marketable skills.
Our local Assembly Member, Leighton Andrews was there to award the certificates and show his support as were several other local luminaries.
The Penrhys Partnership is the driving force behind the success of this programme and congratulations are due to Wayne, Julie, Debbie and Melissa for all their hard work on this.

So, a very big, WELL DONE to Heritiana, Rema and Mampionona, Rena, Paul and Ray who all took up this challenge and succeded! Our cafe is the better for having well-trained staff to serve our customers.

Christian Aid Events

2009-05-13T14:56:00.002+01:00

Christian Aid Week, (or more accurately, month in Penrhys) is under way. We have already begun the celebrations with a Children's Auction – that is, an auction of toys and things that the children bid for rather than actually auctioning the children which, tempting though that may be, would probably not be allowed. I say celebrations because; really you could be mistaken for thinking that it is some kind of holiday. Every possible spare inch of Llanfair is adorned with bunting, banners and posters and other decorations. I'm sure we've used as much blu-tack as we do at Christmas! As well as the events of previous years, auctions; rich/poor supper; fun walk; pilgrimage etc, this year we have had the privilidge of welcoming some special guests.

Yesterday we were joined at school by Eirian from Christian Aid and Jacob from Malawi (pictured above), who came to school to talk to years 5 and 6 about the work Christian Aid does and to share stories of life in Malawi. Anyone who has met our young friends will realize that they are not short of questions and, sure enough, these flowed fast and free. Some of the questions made more sense than others, (at least to me), but I'm sure this very interactive exchange means that plenty will be remembered from Jacob's visit. I, for one, can now point confidently to Malawi on a map of Africa and, if pressed, can tell you all sorts of things about life there – just ask.

2009-05-13T12:12:00.001+01:00

This article has been written by Sharon for our latest newsletter so I’s thought I’d share it with a wider audience....

Llanfair Café has recently had its annual inspection from Environmental Health and we’re pleased to be able to say that we passed with ‘flying colours’ and we’ve been given a Silver Standards Welsh Food Hygiene Award. In addition, Trading Standards has given us a Bronze Healthy Options Award for our efforts to encourage healthy eating. We really appreciate our wonderful volunteers (local and overseas) who work so hard to make our café such a success. Well done all of you and keep up the good work!!
(We had a lively Community Open Day in March with lots of activities organised at Llanfair and Penrhys Partnership. One highlight was the launch of ‘On Top of the World’, a people’s history of the Penrhys estate, with a foreword by Revd. John Morgans. This special book is full of memories and photographs of past and present residents and events during the last 40 years. There is also a bilingual workbook on the history of Penrhys, full of interesting ideas and stories.)

PENRHYS AND MADAGASCAR

There has been a close relationship between Penrhys and Madagascar for many years. We have been welcoming young people from Madagascar as volunteers in our community since 1995.
These young people have contributed so much in the life of Llanfair and Penrhys, making friends with people of all ages and we’ve learnt so much from them. Many of them still keep in touch long after they’ve gone home - by letter, Christmas card or E-mail.
It was a privilege therefore on Wednesday, April 27th, to be invited to Ty John Penry (the headquarters of the Union of Welsh Independents in Swansea) to name one of their meeting rooms the Madagascar Room. Sian, our two present Malagasy volunteers, Mampionona and Heritiana, and I enjoyed our warm welcome at this special event. We are really pleased that the U.W.I. have decided to re-kindle the connection between Wales and the people of Madagascar. David Jones, Thomas Bevan and David Griffiths from West Wales were the first missionaries to Madagascar……..
It’s a very difficult time for our two volunteers to be so far away from their homes and families. It is so important that we remember them in our prayers and that we encourage them at every opportunity, especially because of all the political problems in the country at present which are causing so much pain and anxiety. They are very brave and their faith strengthens them day by day.
For those of you who may not know, the President of Madagascar, Marc Ravolomanana, was ousted by the opposition earlier this year and the country is in a state of uneasy peace at the moment. Several people have been killed or injured in the unrest during the last few months and we are hoping and praying that things will get better soon.
Mampionona from Akany Avoko, the children’s centre that we’re linked with in the village of Ambohidratrimo and Heritiana, who works at the F.J.K.M. church office in the capital, Antananarivo, arrived in October last year. Our other overseas volunteer, Rema, comes from the Presbyterian Church of North-East India in Mizoram. They help in a variety of activities in our community of Penrhys: Sunday School, Craft Club, Homework Club (both primary and secondary), teenage Discussion Group, Café, Playgroup, Football and take turns in leading worship on Friday mornings when we pray for a different country each week.
It was good therefore for our Malagasy friends to have the morning off to go to the special event in Swansea whilst Rema was ‘holding the fort’ in the café with our dedicated local volunteer, Rena, but we had to make sure that Mampionona and Heritiana were back in time for football practice at 4.30 or there would have been a lot of disappointed children and young people waiting for them!
For the first time ever, we had the opportunity last year to send two young people from Penrhys to Madgascar to be volunteers at Akany Avoko: Michael Caswell and Rebecca Egan.
It was a real eye-opener and a challenge for them in more ways than one, as well as was a unique experience which they’ll never forget. Maybe there’ll be more young people going from Wales to Madgascar to help in the future – we’ll see!

Celebrating Akany Avoko’s birthday
Mampionona, Heritiana and I had a weekend to remember at the beginning of May with a train journey to Lancaster to celebrate Akany Avoko’s 45th birthday. We have had the pleasure of receiving a young person from Akany Avoko to work with us in Penrhys since 2001.
Hanta Kely (or ‘little’ Hanta) was the first to come at the same time as Nicolas from F.J.K.M. They are now married and they have a beautiful two-year old little girl called Kezia. Llanfair contributed towards Hanta’s education after she returned home, and she is now a social worker at Akany Avoko whilst Nicolas works there part-time as an accountant.
The party was held at the Friends’ Meeting House with over 100 people coming together for this special celebration – many of them with personal links with the centre: present and previous staff and volunteers and several people who are sponsoring children and young people at Akany. There were crafts on sale made at the centre, a time-line, an impressive exhibition of photographs (including photographs from Penrhys and a special birthday card made by our children and Sian, our minister, at Llanfair café.) We heard the wonderful Millennium Choir, a local choir of children and adults and we watched the special D.V.D. showing the lives of three young Akany Avoko residents, which was very moving.
One of the day’s highlights was listening to Fabie speaking and seeing her, Mampionona and Heritiana singing and dancing together. Fabie lived and worked with us in Penrhys four years ago and went to university after she went back home to Madagascar. She’s now studying Psychology at Aberystwyth University. Like so many children in Madagascar, Fabie had a difficult, sad childhood before coming to Akany Avoko, so I felt so proud of her and all that she has achieved. She hopes to go return to Madagascar to serve as a social worker. Well done, Fabie!
Akany Avoko is one of the worthwhile projects of the charity ‘Money for Madagascar’, which makes such a difference to the lives of so many people on the island. I was privileged to go on holiday to Madagascar last summer and to visit Akany Avoko myself – a safe and happy home to at least 120 children and young people.
During my stay, I also visited the prison at Tamatave where I was impressed to learn about the valuable project, which helps 1000 prisoners to grow vegetables in order to improve their health and self-esteem and to develop useful skills. That was a truly memorable experience.

Partners' Weekend, Windermere

2009-04-21T10:58:00.005+01:00

This waterfall is one I happened upon during an early morning walk in Windermere. We were there to take part in the annual Partners' Conference at the Windermere Centre. Five of us from Penrhys travelled up on Friday, arriving in plenty of time for the delicious dinner. It was lovely to meet up with old friends to share news and generally catch up on things since the last time we met.

The evening session introduced us to the theme of the weekend which was 'sharing the story.' Led by Kirsty, we used the Vision for Life material on the Bible. On Saturday we 'Entertained Angels;' were 'Welcomed to Corinth;' and worked out a 'Jesus Lifeline.' The discussions were engaging and informative and we were lucky enough to be able to work in one group, rather than having to go into small groups, so everyone got to hear what everyone else contributed.

On Saturday evening we relaxed together for an evening of home-made entertainment which saw Wilmslow's re-enactment of school life; East Manchester's recitations of 'The Lion and Albert' (Parts 1 and 2) and the comic musings of Colin and Maureen. We took power point pictures of Madagascar and India and so Mampionona, Heritiana and Rema were able to share something of their respective lands and cultures with the group.

As ever, the accomodation, welcome and food were all wonderful. If you have never been, I highly recommend the Windermere Centre to you - and if you have, I still recommend it and you'll know why.

The Partners' Conference has been a real delight. I hope that more churches will see the benefit of such partnerships and commit to work together as we have done. Those of us involved find it fulfilling and enriching.

Finally, all of us here would like to thank Kirsty for such good input and for planning such a good programme, and thanks too, to all the centre who worked so hard to look after us so well.

Happy Easter Everyone!

2009-04-13T15:53:00.002+01:00

Easter Celebrations have been very much part of life at Llanfair during this past Holy Week. We met every morning at 9.30am for services of worship and on Thursday evening and for a Good Friday Pilgrimage down to St Mary's Well.
Yesterday morning dawned bright and clear, comfortably warm and, in fact, with perfect weather conditions for our annual pilgrimage to Bristol Tump. We really couldn't have asked for better weather or a clearer view of our beautiful surroundings. We left church at 8am and walked up to the top of the mountain where we stopped to lift our voices in prayer and praise - joining the very loud "Baa-ing" of the neighbouring sheep! We then began a slow descent, stopping to look for tadpoles in the make-shift pond that floods the path just above the forest and then on down to "Black gate" where we recommenced our worship, using our Easter Service book; finally we returned to church where we shared a breakfast of boiled eggs, lovingly cooked by the wonderful Rena, and then we concluded our celebrations with a communion service.

Long time, no see....

2009-03-25T16:34:00.002Z

Firstly, my apologies for not 'blogging' for such a long time! There has been plenty of activity and we haven't stopped bible study, despite the lack of info here.
We have been following a Lent Course for Bible Study, entitled, "Talking About Jesus, " produced by Damaris. The course consists of DVD presentations by such luminaries as Philip Yancey and Canon Andrew White, (famous Christian author and Vicar of Baghdad respectively) who each offer thoughts on various aspects of Jesus' life and teaching. These are interspersed by pauses, during which it is the group's turn to share and consider the various questions that have been raised. Once we have held the final study I will post a summary of the whole course and our findings here.

On a different, and very welcome note, CONGRATULATIONS to all the wonderful people who work in our cafe. Today we had an inspection by Environmental Health who have given us a Silver Award!!!!!!! Alongside this, yesterday we received a Bronze Award for healthy options.
Everyone in Penrhys should be very proud - our little cafe can compete with the best. Well done, our lovely volunteers who work so hard to serve others.

Finally, for today at least... we ask for your prayers for Madagascar. Our volunteers, Mampionona and Heritiana have family and friends who are drectly affected by the recent turmoil. The latest news seems to indicate that things are cooling now, but there may well be more upset before life eventually returns to something like normality. We have heard from our former volunteers, and so far they are all well - we pray that this will ocntinue to be the case.

Bible Study Theology 13

2009-01-14T16:34:00.003Z

This week we move from Jesus' temptation in the wilderness to another temptation that occurs later in his ministry, as recalled in Mark's gospel. As always, we welcome your comments (or questions), so please feel free to join in.

Mark 8:27-9:13

This passage is sometimes referred to as 'the Messianic Secret.' Jesus asks his disciples to tell him who they think he is and then, when they answer he tells them to tell no one. Why do you think Jesus asks the question in the first place?Is Jesus testing them? Is it more likely that he is using this method to help them discover their own thoughts? Is it like a review session to see if the pupils are 'up to speed?'

Why, when they answer, do you think he swears them to secrecy? It may be that they are a talkative bunch! It could be dangerous if the authorities get to hear of it. Temptation again - to become the sought-after Messiah in the way of the world rather than in the 'way of the cross.'

Once Jesus has confirmed that the disciples think of him as the Messiah, he begins to teach about the hard way that lies before him. How do you imagine the disciples feel about the news? Disappointed; sad; upset; worried; afraid; perhaps they didn't understand and found it confusing. Perhaps too, they are wondering, 'what have we got ourselves in to?'
Peter, for one, is not happy to hear these things and is used by Satan to tempt Jesus. How is Peter's response tempting for Jesus?It could be very tempting to deny his true identity. would it not be much easier to become the person everyone else wants him to be, even though this means denying God?
In verse 34, Jesus moves from the tightly-knit group of disciples to include the wider crowd and he issues a challenge for 'any who want to become my followers…' Do you think the crowd understood what Jesus meant, and how do we understand it now?There was a long discussion on this one...This is what, today we might call Christian discipleship -although we may not have to carry a heavy wooden cross we are often faced with the challenge of choosing between the way of the world and the way of the cross (or God's way).
The rest of our passage goes on to tell of the transfiguration. What do you think Peter, James and John saw on the mountain and why?God is helping the disciples see for themselves who Jesus really is. Moses and Elijah are recognised as important figures in the religion that Jesus has come to fulfil. This incident is like a curtain suddenly being drawn back to reveal what is really there - but the curtain cannot remain drawn, it must be put back in place to enable Jesus to reume his work.

Happy New Year and Bible Study Lk 4

2009-01-07T15:05:00.005Z

Happy New Year to you all! I hope you enjoyed the Christmas season and that the new year will be full of peace and joy.
We have resumed our usual pattern of work and this evening we will be meeting for bible study, after several weeks' break.
Our topic this evening is Jesus' temptation and we will be looking at the following questions from Luke 4:1-13.

1. The 1st verse of this passage tells us that Jesus was 'full of the Holy Spirit.' What do you think this means and why does it have such an impact on this passage?
The Spirit enables him to contemplate as well as to equip him for his forthcoming ministry. Jesus was aware of God in him; guiding him giving him strength. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit Jesus was fully armed and ready to face the ordeal ahead of him. It was probably Jesus' being full of the Holy Spirit that made him a target for Satan. Had he been only human, he would probably have been of little interest - being full of God's power drew Satan to Jesus because it would have been a great victory (in Satan's eyes) thereby derailling God's plan for the redemption of the world.

2. Jesus was tempted for 40 days before the temptations listed here. Do you think this means that these temptations are more tempting? If so, why or why not?
We don't know what went on before! These temptations seem to come from someone who has Jesus' best interests at heart, almost as if Satan is showing compassion... 'Don't starve - turn these stones to bread and eat.' There is a sense of power-play in this exchange, Satan's world versus God's Kingdom. The values of each clash and show a special significance in the challenge to Jesus' divinity. Satan seems to be offering an easier way; a way to avoid God's plan and the 'way of the cross.' The main problem for Satan though seems to be that it requires Jesus to break the first commandment, 'you shall have no other gods before me.' There are echoes here too of the first temptation, when the serpent asks Eve, 'Did God really say?.....' Here it is changed to, 'if you are the son of God...' coming straight after Jesus' baptizm in the Jordan when the heaven's opened and God proclaimed, 'This is my beloved Son...'

3. In verse 6 the Devil tells Jesus that the world has been given 'over to him' (The Devil). Why does he say this? Is it true? Why or why not?
It may be true in the sense that the world is apt to give itself over to Satan's power, but as we often declare in worship, 'the earth is the Lord's and everything in it.' Satan's power is often deceptive and this is probably why it is so easy for human beings to succumb to temptation. Satan shows arrogance in seeking to tempt Jesus, it is just as if he is directly competing with God.

4. The Devil takes Jesus to Jerusalem. Why this particular city? What might be so important about Jerusalem?
The city is the very centre of Judaism. God's temple is there, therefore Jerusalem is where God dwells. Is this Satan taunting Jesus? 'God may live here - but I own it!'

5. Why do you think the Devil chose the 'pinnacle of the Temple,' for Jesus?
Highest place in the city? Nearest earthly place to God? The whole city is laid out before him, God's dwelling place beneath his feet. Satan is showing contempt to both Jesus and God.

6. In verse 12 Jesus again quotes scripture - why do you think he uses this method to confront the Devil?
Satan believes in God and Satan knows the scriptures very well. Perhaps Jesus was using this (Rabbinical) method to show that God's word has more power than any earthly word and perhaps this was also to remind Satan that Jesus himself is the word of God.

Study on Theology 5: The Bible

2008-11-21T17:59:00.002Z

This week we are not looking at a limited number of passages. We are looking instead at the whole Bible. The Bible is not so much a book as it is a library; a library containing 66 books (even more if your copy has the Apocrypha) which in turns are divided into two sections, the Old and New Testaments. The books are a varied collection of religious writings and cover many genres; history; biography; poetry; psalms to name but a few. Theology 5 gives an overview of the different types of writing and where and when the books were written down, although many of the books were carried first for centuries through the oral tradition.

After reading through the outline in Theology 5 we looked at the following questions:

What questions do you think the Bible addresses? Make a list.

Who is God? Where is God? What is God like? What are we like? What am I like? How does God move in the world? How do people interact with God? What happens when we die? What is important? How was the world made and who made it? Why are we here? How shall we live? What difference does God make in the life of the world and its people? Is the Bible true? Who is Jesus?

And the list goes on. I'm sure that you can think of other questions. The group only stopped because I asked them to stop as we were running out of time! You can see though that the Bible deals with questions that humanity has always sought to answer. Big, eternal questions, many of which are hotly debated b various people today. The main response to these questions in the Bible is to point it's hearers and readers to God. The Bible tells of humanity's relationship with the One who created all things.

Does the Bible provide answers to every question?

No. If I ask who am I? the Bible cannot tell me. Yes, you can find the answer to everything.

Interesting. The group decided that the answer is both yes and no. We found a story in one of our books about a woman in Africa who completely disagreed with the first statement. The story goes like this: An ordinary woman always carried a big, heavy Bible. Wherever she went, the Bible went. The other villagers made fun of her. "Why do you always carry that big, heavy Bible with you? There are plenty of other books you could read."

The woman ignored them. One day though, she sat down and, with a big smile on her face, held out the Bible to the other villagers. She said, "You are right. There are many other books to read, but this is the only book that reads me."

The Bible holds a mirror up to us. We can see ourselves reflected in its pages by the light of God's love.

Many of the books tell stories of individual people. What difference does it make to know how individuals relate to God?

Shows different views of God. God is not seen the same way by different people. It's helpful. People are different and they react in different ways. It's easier for us to identify with some. The stories show the challenges as well as the blessings. Makes it more authentic. If we study real people we don't get flse ideas about people being perfect.

Why do you think poetry features so strongly?

Can be easier to remember (for some of us maybe, not for others); can be more passionate; could be a cultural development. Poetry, like all the arts is a gift from God, so it's appropriate to use it in scripture. It's part of everyday life, so should be part of scripture; can encourage use of one's imagination.

There is something here about the way poetry engages us. Poetry does not just require the use of our minds, it encourages us to feel as well. It is often a more wholistic way of drawing us into the ideas it's telling us about.

Some of the writing concerns legal matters. Why might these have been included in religious writing?

In the Old Testament there is not much difference between the sacred and the secular. Priests (who uphold the Law) and Kings are appointed by God.

In the Old Testament, the Law is handed down to humanity by God. There is no distinction between God's laws and the rules humanity lives by. Later on though, as Israel encountered the laws of other cultures and, indeed, had to live under the occupation of Roman Law, it was necessary to make distinctions. The famous passage where the Pharisees try to trick Jesus by asking him about taxes was based on the assumption that a person cannot keep God's law and the Roman, civil law at the same time. That is why Jesus wisely tells them to 'give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God's."

Does it matter that there are so many translations and versions of the Bible? Why or why not?

Helpful. People are able to read it for themselves. God word is meant for everyone and having the Bible in one's own language means that everyone has a chance to engage with it. Some of the translations take liberties with the text and some are more interpretive than others. This can be a problem if the text is manipulated to make it say something that is not in the original texts. Having God's word available to everyone is part of God's plan.

Bible Study for Theology 4; Galatians 1:1 and 11-24

2008-11-18T11:25:00.003Z

Paul's Vindication of his Apostleship:
1. Paul opens his letter by telling everyone that he is sent by God. why do you think he might need to begin in this way?
Perhaps the Christian community was suspicious. Paul had previously been persecuting Christians, this may have been why he wanted to contact them. Paul needed them to know that he wasn't bragging about himself -he was in touch with them because God required him to write to them! Paul's apostleship is central to his own identity. He sees himself, first and foremost as an apostle; one who is sent by God to proclaim the Good News. Paul also wants the church to know that his emphasis is on God and God's works - it's not about how wonderful Paul is -Paul is not a false prophet.
Paul is very good at 'cutting to the chase.' He wants to make sure that the church knows why he is writing to them and who he is. He doesn't waste time with flattery or small talk. He sets out the agenda right away. He's writing because God has sent him to tell the Good News and tell it he will!

2. How do you think you would feel if we received a letter just like this one tomorrow?
Afraid. Why us? Worried. Cautious, there are many false prophets today; happy; very special to get a letter from God! There may be problems with the use of the word 'apostle' (Rema gave us an example from India here), people may misunderstand what an apostle is; how would we know the person was really sent from God?
This question brought a mixed reaction as you can see. Without being sceptical, we felt that we would want to be sure that the person was sincere. Some of us have met people who claimed that God was working through them, yet the way they treated other people seemed incompatible with God's words as we understood them. We decided that Paul's approach of focusing on God and what God wanted was a much more convincing introduction than any other.

3. Why do you think St Paul needs to tell people that the Gospel is not a human invention?
So that people will see how important and valuable the gospel is; that the gospel is relevant; a living document; what Paul preaches is reflected in the way he lives.

4. Look at verses 13 and 14. Was Paul a very different person before he followed Jesus?
Yes, very. He was nasty; violent; he persecuted other Christians; he was strong, aggressive; a destroyer.
I beg to differ. Before his conversion, Saul was a zealot. He was passionate; a fighter for a cause (the purity of Judaism); he loved and feared God. After his conversion, his behaviour changed - he no longer persecuted the church BUT he was a zealot - for Christianity; he was passionate; he was a fighter for the cause of Christ; he loved and feared God. In my opinion the most wonderful thing about transformation of Paul's life was that God took Paul as he was, turned him around and used all his skills and talents in more positive way. So, instead of using all that vigour and passion in a negative way, causing harm to others, God showed him how to use everything he was for good, to proclaim the Gospel and set people free. God does not change vigorous people into wimps; God can use anyone.

5. Why do you think that Paul did not seek out other apostles when he came to faith? Why did he take three years before he went to see Peter?
It was important for Paul to spend time alone and adjust to his new way of life. Perhaps it was his own 'wilderness' time. It may have been that he used this time to build up trust so that his former life would not be an impediment to his future work.

6. Paul is proud to be an apostle now. Do you think he feels proud to remember that he was a zealot against Christ? Why or why not?
He is not ashamed to tell people about his past. He is a witness to God's transforming power. Proud is probably the wrong word, but he accepts his past behaviour and is keen to emphasise the transformation e has experienced. If God can do this work in Paul, then God can do this for anyone. Paul is open and honest. Paul does not pretend to be better than he is.

Christmas Comes Early

2008-11-18T11:15:00.003Z

Saturday's dull weather was enlivened by our Christmas Fayre. We opened up the cafe and the Chapel and vestibule to provide tea, coffee and bargains. Laura and Mampionona assisted our younger friends in card making and, as you can see from the pictures, we had a lot of fun.
We raised the sum of £157 which we will be sending to Akany Avoko, the Chidren's Centre in Madagascar.

We will remember them….

2008-11-11T12:14:00.003Z

Today is Remembrance Day and the 90^th Anniversary of the end of the war which was supposed to have ended all wars. Unfortunately, humanity seems unable (as yet) to learn that there are other ways to settle differences. The cost of war is too high. Anyone who is related to or knows someone in the armed forces, of this country or any other, faces the harsh reality that their loved-one might be called upon to die for the sake of the cause they support. War is brutal, harsh, cruel and ultimately tragic.

90 years ago today, Britain's people felt the liberation that peace brings. The Armistice was signed and a whole new world was due to begin. The reality of the huge cost of the war, in lives as well as money, was probably engulfed by the euphoria and relief that the fighting was over. We know now though, that this war did not end all wars. Many thousands of people have died in battle since and we, in the U.K are active in two major war-zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition we are also part of the UN Forces in the DR Congo and other 'trouble spots' in the world.

Today in Llanfair's café, we observed two minutes' silence in respect of all those who gave so much to enable us to have the freedom and prosperity that we enjoy today. So we remembered men and women of all nations, who died or were maimed as a result of war. We also listened to a song by Eric Bogle called No Man's Land, written as a reflection on his visit to the war graves in France. It is a poignant song, very poetic. I am moved by the lines:

"The sun's shining down on these green fields of France, the warm wind blows gently, the red poppies dance. The trenches are buried long under the plough, there's no gas, no barbed wire, no guns firing now. But here in this graveyard it's still no man's land, the countless white crosses in mute witness stand, to man's blind indifference to his fellow man, and a whole generation that was butchered and downed."

We still wait for the time when all will live in peace and people will beat their swords into ploughshares and nations shall study war no more. In the meantime we do well to remember the high price of freedom and how much has already been spent.

Journey of a Lifetime

2008-11-07T14:59:00.003Z

Last evening we had the privilige of holding our very own book signing event. John, (John Morgans) has just published a book which is a compilation of his diary writing since he began to write on January 1st 1952. He claims that he has never missed a day and, considering the fact that he was confronted with editing 5 million words, it's easy to believe! So, the book is now on sale and John and Norah are on the book launch tour. We were stop 3 or 4 and John gave us a presentation which included a showing of the photographs in the book, many of which were taken in Penrhys. He played to a full house (John and Norah can certainly pull a crowd) and everyone was delighted to be reunited for this special occasion.
The book itself not only tells John's story, it is a chronicle of a life lived in a world that has now, for the most part, disappeared. The coal mines and factories that provided work for the valleys have now gone. The black and grey hills have been reclaimed by nature and are presently a myriad of autumnal shades. The Rhondda of 50 years ago is no longer accessible except in memory, so John's generosity in sharing with us, allows us a window onto a vanished world.

Visit from Year 8 Pupils, Llanelli

2008-11-07T14:43:00.002Z

Here are some of year 8 on their recent visit to Llanfair. Five pupils from each of the year 8 classes were chosen to come on this field trip and on their return they were due to write up and present their findings to the rest of their class.

They have been studying Church and Community and had already done some work on Llanfair and the difference that John and Norah Morgans' work had made to the village.

We talked about Penrhys's history and had a tour of the building, explaining the various projects and opportunites that we offer the wider community. The young people were particularly interested in the cafe and its supply of chocolate! Some of them also noted how inexpensive our goods are; we do try and offer good value. After lunch they set off on their own mini pilgrimage from the chapel down to the statue.

It was gratifying to be able to share time and enthusiasm and know that our work is helpful, not just in Penrhys but to a much wider audience.

Great to meet you all - do come again!

Bible Study Exodus 3

2008-11-07T11:37:00.001Z

This is the first Bible Study encounter I've posted since we moved from aol to Blogspot, so I'm hoping the features will support the same format I used before.

For those of you who have never been to one of studies, I should explain… We use the Llanfair 'Theology' lectionary which follows a pattern devised by the Rev'd Dr. John Morgans. Each week we have a scripture passage (or passages) that we look at on Wednesday evening's bible study. We then read the same passage in Friday, Sunday and Wednesday morning worship – Monday is different because we worship with a class from the local primary school and we usually use Godly Play.

The group reads the passage and then considers six questions, designed to aid our thinking and get the discussion going. When we put them on the blog we invite you to join in by clicking on the 'comment' at the bottom of the post and leaving your own thoughts. For clarity the questions are in black, the group's response in Blue and my own cogitations in green.

This week's study looks at the extraordinary story of Moses' encounter with God in the desert, found in Exodus 3.

In the past two weeks, we have looked at some of the things we learn about God in the Psalms. Using Psalm 139 and 140 we see that God is affirmed as creator, sustainer, a God who is involved with the everyday life of creation and, more than that delights in creation. Everything has its source in God and depends upon God for its life. What then, are some of the things we can learn about God in this passage?

God is a God of justice. God sees that the Hebrew people are being oppressed by the Egyptians and so seeks to liberate them. God is God of liberation; of mystery and wonder, caring; an active God; the one true God; reassuring; compassionate; a God who seeks out and provides company; God speaks; is the Foundation Stone of the Hebrew people; God knows everyone – no one escapes God's notice; God is Holy; God is alive; God is eternal, God has been with the people since the beginning and God will be with them at the end; God sends people and God goes with people; God works with people.

Wow, excellent stuff! As you can see this passage gives very clear messages about God's identity. There's no mistaking who God is, even if Moses doesn't get a specific name.

Who is Moses when this passage opens and where has he come from?

He is a shepherd, a hired-hand working for his father-in-law Jethro. He isn't rich now, but he used to live in the Pharaoh's palace. He was brought up by the Pharoah's daughter and so would have had everything such a privileged up-bringing would provide. He also retained some Hebrew influence though as his own birth-mother was employed as his wet nurse. He would probably have had a good grasp of both Egyptian and Hebrew cultures.

At the time of this stoy's opening, Moses has made a new life for himself in Midian. Despite having grown up in the palace in Egypt, he can no longer live there because he killed an overseer who was mistreating a Hebrew slave. He had had to flee from Egypt. He found himself amongst foreigners but soon married into Jethro's family. He is living a life he can scarcely have imagined as a shepherd. Little does he know, he about to trade from shepherding sheep to shepherding a whole nation.

God uses fire to attract Moses' attention – why do think God chose fire in the desert?

To catch his attention; fire is cleansing; is very visible; is a symbol of God's power; fire has significance for the Hebrew people – they use in their burnt offerings; to ward off wild animals; to keep warm. (It was noted that in the New Testament, John the Baptist speaks of Jesus as one who will baptize with fire – but we're concentrating on the Old Testament here folks)!

It may be that because fire is such a strong symbol and is often associated with power, God chose to show Moses that such power need not be destructive. When ancient people fought, they would often use fire as a weapon of war. Whole settlements would be raised to the ground; indeed God used fire to destroy the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah. In this setting though, the fire that engulfs the bush causes it no harm whatsoever. This is an example not only of God's ultimate control over the elements, but also that God's use of power does not result in destruction(unless that what God wants). God can use the power of fire to give light and warmth yet not harm the bush that is engulfed by it.

Why might God have chosen Moses? Is he a likely or unlikely prophet?

After discussion we thought Moses was actually a likely choice. He'd been brought up in the Egyptian Court, he would speak the language of the court and the language of the Hebrew people (given that his mother looked after him when he was small, it is likely she taught him much about Hebrew life). He is also likely to have known how to get into the court and how to address the Pharaoh – we wondered who else in the Hebrew nation might have had such knowledge?

We also considered his present task, leading sheep. The task that God was calling him do would turn out to be very similar in many respects. The skills he had learnt as a shepherd would soon be translated into taking care of people. Sheep and people have a lot in common!

Why do you think Moses asks God for a name?

Moses doesn't know God? Is he worried? Perhaps it's because he now lives in a nation where there are many Gods, each of whom has a name.

Had Moses forgotten the Hebrew God? Maybe that's why God reminds him that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses has lived among foreigners for long enough, it's time for him to return to God and to God's people – to reclaim his true identity.

From verse 16 onwards God's words are very specific. Why do you think there is so much detail?

God is trying to 'hammer it home' to Moses. Moses' mission is very important, so God needs to make sure that Moses understands the task; God is also explaining what will happen when Moses does as he is asked; this is a reassurance. When Moses does as he required, People will see that God is at work in Moses.

Half Term is ending...

2008-11-01T11:38:00.001Z

I found this aerial photo knocking about and thought I'd add it so that you can see our wonderful world for yourselves! I am making the most of the quiet time afforded by its being half term week –although school does restart on Monday. We are planning to resume our normal opening hours next week, having had to shorten them for the past couple of months as we were waiting for our new volunteers to arrive. Now though, we've got Rema, Heritiana and Mampionona with us and they have 'hit the ground running.' I often wonder at the way in which our overseas volunteers manage to fit in with our funny little ways so quickly and effectively. It can't be easy!

Our friends from Manchester arrived last Monday with a van load of goodies to supply our boutique and we will be sorting and putting them on sale over the next couple of weeks. We are also making cards and goods for our Christmas Fayre on 15^th November. This is earlier than last year, but everyone seems to be already in the throes of Christmas shopping (and I'm expecting to see trimmings appear any day now) so we're hoping to have a good response. All proceeds are going to Akany Avoko in the hope that we can help them celebrate and have a very happy Christmas this year.

School Coffee Morning

2008-10-24T14:08:00.001+01:00

Today we began earlier than usual. Worship was at 8.30am with prayers for the world church – this week featuring Germany. We were then able to go to school in time for the start of the charity coffee morning at 9.30. We took some of our fair trade goods and set up an information stall, so that we could help promote fair trade. There were lots of people there already by the time we arrived and the event seemed to 'go with a swing!' A very big 'thank you!' must go to Julie who put so much work into the event and, as always, her enthusiasm and warmth added much to the occasion.

Did I mention everyone was supposed to wear pink? This was something of a challenge to Paul (who has a somewhat irrational dislike of the colour), but the rest of us managed to find something pink. The Hall was a heaving mass of many and various shades of pink, from salmon to cerise with all stops in between.

Mampionona, Rema and Heritiana were introduced to school life via this morning's do and they have been spending this afternoon at Alltwen in the Swansea Valley. We have evening café for the young people tonight and then we have a week of cleaning and catching up, during next week's half term. Our friends from Manchester are arriving with new supplies for the boutique on Monday. We are looking forward to welcoming them and catching up with news of our partners.

I think that's as much 'catch up' as there is for now – see you later!

On the move...

2008-10-09T15:01:00.000+01:00

Congratulations! If you are reading this then you have successfully navigated the waters from the old redundant site to this new one - which I hope will be our home for much longer.
Church life continues to be busy with our many worship services, activities such as homework club, cafe, boutique and launderette. We have had the welcome news that our newest volunteers, Heritiana and Mampiono will arive from Madagascar next Wednesday. All of us are really looking forward to meeting them, perhaps, especially Rema, as he is at present our only overseas volunteer. I know the children are very impatient as they ask at every session, 'when will the new volunteers arrive?'

We are still having regular bible studies on Wednesday evenings at 7pm and I will be posting them on this site once I've got organised. I hope you all enjoy the new layout and that you will join in by leaving comments or emailing to keep in touch.