View online (wherever you are) using this QR code. Current and previous issues are available. Magazine for the Irfon and Wye Valley Churches Issue No 164 July and August 2014 S S u u m m m m e e r r o o f f S S p p o o r r t t by Fr Philip Morris As many of you know I am a sports fanatic, in my younger days taking part, now as a spectator. What a summer 2014 has been for sports fans. In July and August alone, we have the British Grand Prix at Silverstone; Cycling: Tour de France; Cricket: England v India, Test Series; Football: World Cup; Golf: The Open, Royal Liverpool; Commonwealth Games, Glasgow; Athletics: European Championships, Zurich; Rugby League: Challenge Cup final, Wembley. These just being the major events. I can assure that my wife Ann is not a “happy bunny”, I probably haven’t help by saying, “well look on the bright side even synchronised swimming is better than ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ Now the Bible doesn’t specifically address participation in sporting events. As Christians, we have to work (and play) daily with those who do not share our faith or believe in a Divine Being. But Christians whatever part (or position) they play in life, are to be required to be witnesses for Christ (1 Peter 3:15). We are to be examples of Christ for all to see (Matthew 5:14-16). We should take every opportunity to show others just what Christianity is all about. We should always keep our conduct above reproach. Some professional sports heroes today are a far cry from being positive role models, but there are many sports men and women who are wonderful examples for us all. If a Christian athlete is really praying and seeking a way to share Christ with others, God will provide ample opportunities. For a Christian whatever you do, whatever sport you play; we should do it for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). The only caution to be given to a believer who is playing sports—or is a fan of sports—is to not allow sports to become an idol (1 John 5:21). Never allow sports to become more important to you than your relationship with God. It is fine to be interested in sports, to be knowledgeable about sports, to be a fan of a certain team. The problem is that there are far too many people who can name all of the World Cup teams or the Welsh Rugby Team, but cannot name the books of the New Testament. Far too many people who will spend hours playing and/or watching sports each day, but do not spend more than a few minutes a day praying or reading the Bible. Clearly, this is not pleasing to God. Our priorities in life should be ordered in such a way that they honour and glorify Him. There are a number of sports bible verses that tell us about how to be good athletes, and the Christian traits that sport can instill in each of us. (Continued on page 4)
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View online (wherever
you are) using this QR code. Current
and previous issues are available.
Magazine for the Irfon and Wye Valley Churches
Issue No 164 July and August 2014
SSSSSSSSuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr ooooooooffffffff SSSSSSSSppppppppoooooooorrrrrrrrtttttttt by Fr Philip Morris
As many of you know I am a sports fanatic, in my
younger days taking part, now as a spectator.
What a summer 2014 has been for sports fans. In
July and August alone, we have the British Grand
Prix at Silverstone; Cycling: Tour de France;
Cricket: England v India, Test Series; Football:
World Cup; Golf: The Open, Royal Liverpool;
Commonwealth Games, Glasgow; Athletics:
European Championships, Zurich; Rugby
League: Challenge Cup final, Wembley. These
just being the major events.
I can assure that my wife Ann is not a “happy
bunny”, I probably haven’t help by saying, “well
look on the bright side even synchronised
swimming is better than ‘Strictly Come Dancing’
Now the Bible doesn’t specifically address
participation in sporting events. As Christians, we
have to work (and play) daily with those who do
not share our faith or believe in a Divine Being.
But Christians whatever part (or position) they
play in life, are to be required to be witnesses for
Christ (1 Peter 3:15). We are to be examples of
Christ for all to see (Matthew 5:14-16). We
should take every opportunity to show others just
what Christianity is all about. We should always
keep our conduct above reproach.
Some professional sports heroes today are a far
cry from being positive role models, but there are
many sports men and women who are wonderful
examples for us all. If a Christian athlete is really
praying and seeking a way to share Christ with
others, God will provide ample opportunities. For
a Christian whatever you do, whatever sport you
play; we should do it for the glory of God (1
Corinthians 10:31).
The only caution to be given to a believer who is
playing sports—or is a fan of sports—is to not
allow sports to become an idol (1 John 5:21).
Never allow sports to become more important to
you than your relationship with God.
It is fine to be interested in sports, to be
knowledgeable about sports, to be a fan of a
certain team. The problem is that there are far too
many people who can name all of the World Cup
teams or the Welsh Rugby Team, but cannot
name the books of the New Testament.
Far too many people who will spend hours
playing and/or watching sports each day, but do
not spend more than a few minutes a day praying
or reading the Bible. Clearly, this is not pleasing
to God. Our priorities in life should be ordered in
such a way that they honour and glorify Him.
There are a number of sports bible verses that tell
us about how to be good athletes, and the
Christian traits that sport can instill in each of us.
(Continued on page 4)
2
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Revd Richard Kirlew, The Rectory, Llanelwedd LD2 3TY, Tel: 01982 551288, Email: [email protected]
The Colwyn Group of ParishesDear FriendsDear FriendsDear FriendsDear Friends “The still, small voice of God…”“The still, small voice of God…”“The still, small voice of God…”“The still, small voice of God…” At this time of the year in my letter to
, I would be talking about us having
a holiday, a break from the routine, a chance to
refresh our bodies, a chance to chill out.
Hopefully, we might be fortunate enough to laze
for a couple of weeks on some Mediterranean
beach, sunning ourselves, followed by wining and
dining in the hotel restaurant. Or maybe a cruise
is more in your line! If this is the case, then
wonderful – ‘enjoy’ as the Americans would say!
I, too, will be heading away in our caravan to
explore pastures new and one or two places we
hope to know slightly better!
So all this talk of refreshing ourselves and
pastures new reminds me of the Church in Wales
document, “2020 Vision – Annual Review:
Change is Happening”. Yes, I know, it’s that ‘C’
word again. A word I’ve been carping on about
for ages now, Change! But actually it comes at a
very opportune moment in our year, with us
thinking about refreshing ourselves.
Part of refreshment of our body is refreshment of
the mind. If we are not careful we become stale, dry
and pretty soon our mind begins to die spiritually.
The document I mentioned is now en route to
your church. You will be receiving it very
shortly. It is a large blue booklet, so keep an eye
open for it. It explains where the Church in Wales
is with the Review and importantly, the fact that
Change is already happening! Far from this
change being negative, a lot of what is happening
is hugely exciting and relevant to the Church
today and spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to
those who at present do not know it.
Those of us who have read the excellent front
page article in the June issue of ,
written by James and Lucyann Ashdown, will
appreciate that Christianity may be changing, as it
has over the last 2000 years. But the exciting, if
not scary part of all of this is, as James and
Lucyann put it, “…discovering what shape
Christ’s body will take in the coming years is an
invitation to life and liberation, an exciting
journey, ever reminding us of Jesus’ call to
‘follow me’’.
We must take time out to refresh our ideas and
minds as well as our bodies. Whatever else we
may do we must listen to that still, small voice of
God, calling us by name, leading us, moulding us
to the new life he wants us to be a part of! Let us
not forget that another exciting part of all of this
is that we have the privilege of following and
acting on that call.
Happy holidays!!
Vicar RichardVicar RichardVicar RichardVicar Richard
Services for Services for Services for Services for JulyJulyJulyJuly and Augustand Augustand Augustand August 2014 2014 2014 2014
6th
July Trinity 3
Llansantffraed 10.00 Eucharist RK
Hundred House Hall
Glascwm 6.00 Village Service RK/LK
13th
July Trinity 4
Llanelwedd 10.30 Bishop John Davies
Confirmation & Eucharist
20th
July Trinity 5
Llanfaredd 9.30 Eucharist RK
Llansantffraed 10.00 Morning Prayer LK
Glascwm 11.15 Eucharist RK
Rhulen 11.15 Eucharist JO
27th
July Trinity 6
Cregrina 9.30 Village Service MJ
Bettws 9.30 Eucharist RK
Llanelwedd 10.45 Worship4All ET/LK/RK
3rd
August Trinity 7
Llansantffraed 10.00 Eucharist JO
Hundred House Hall
Glascwm 6.00 Village Service ET
10th
August Trinity 8
Cregrina 9.30 Eucharist JO
Llanelwedd 11.15 Eucharist RK
17th
August Trinity 9 Llanfaredd 9.30 RK Eucharist
Llansantffraed 10.00 Morning Prayer DD
Glascwm 11.15 Eucharist JO
Rhulen 11.15 Eucharist RK
24th
August St Bartholomew Cregrina 9.30 Village Service LK
Bettws 9.30 Eucharist RK/SH
Llanelwedd 10.45 Worship4All ET/SH/RK/LK
7
Llanelwedd with Llanfaredd, Llansantffraed-in-Elwell, Bettws, Cregrina, Glascwm and Rhulen
Revd Richard Kirlew, The Rectory, Llanelwedd LD2 3TY, Tel: 01982 551288, Email: [email protected]
Word processing; virtual assistant (via the internet); audio-
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For information during the interregnum please contact the Acting Area Dean: Revd Ben Griffith, The Rectory, Aberedw, Builth Wells LD2 3UH, Tel: 01982 560615, Email: [email protected]
13
The Upper Wye Group of Parishes Services for July and August
Sun 29th
June - SS Peter & Paul (Trinity II)
10.00am Benefice Eucharist Llanafan Fawr
(Rev Ben Griffith’s last service as Vicar)
Sun July 6th
- Trinity III/Pentecost IV
9.30am Holy Eucharist Llanyre
11.00am Morning Praise Newbridge-on-Wye
11.00am Holy Eucharist
Llanfihangel Brynpabuan
3.30pm Mel Gould’s Licensing, Brecon Cathedral
(NO Service at Llanfihangel Helygen today)
Wed July 9th
2.30pm Songs of Praise Caerwnon Park
Social Club
Sun July 13th
- Trinity IV/Pentecost V Sea Sunday
9.30am Holy Eucharist Cwmbach Llechrhyd
9.30am Morning Praise Llanyre
11.00am Holy Eucharist Newbridge-on-Wye
3.00pm Holy Eucharist Llanfihangel Helygen
Sun 20th
July - Trinity V/Pentecost IV
9.30am Family Eucharist Llanyre
11.00am Holy Eucharist Newbridge-on-Wye
3.00pm Holy Eucharist Llanafan Fawr
Wed 23rd
& Thu 24th
July
NO MIDWEEK COMMUNION
at Newbridge or Llanyre this week!
Sun 27th
July - Trinity VI/Pentecost V
9.30am Holy Eucharist Newbridge-on-Wye
9.30am Morning Prayer Cwmbach Llechrhyd
11.00am Holy Eucharist Llanyre
Tue 29th
July
7.30pm PCC Meeting Llanyre *
Sun 3rd
August - Trinity VII/Pentecost VI
9.30am Holy Eucharist Llanyre
11.00am Holy Eucharist
Llanfihangel Brynpabuan
11.00am Morning Praise Newbridge-on-Wye
3.00pm Holy Eucharist Llanfihangel Helygen
Sun 10th
August - Trinity VIII/Pentecost VII
9.30am Holy Eucharist Cwmbach Llechrhyd
9.30am Morning Praise Llanyre
11.00am Holy Eucharist Newbridge-on-Wye
Wed 13th
August
2.30pm Songs of Praise Caerwnon Park
Social Club
� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ��
Sun 17th
August - Trinity IX/Pentecost VIII
9.30am Family Eucharist Llanyre
11.00am Holy Eucharist Newbridge-on-Wye
3.00pm Holy Eucharist Llanafan Fawr
Sun 24th
August - St. Bartholomew/Trinity X
9.30am Holy Eucharist Newbridge-on-Wye
9.30am Morning Prayer Cwmbach Llechrhyd
11.00am Holy Eucharist Llanyre
Sun 31st August - Trinity XI/Pentecost XII
10.00am Benefice Eucharist
Llanfihangel Brynpabuan *
*Please note these are provisional at the time of going to press
Mel Gould’s Licensing Brecon Cathedral Sunday July 6
th at 3.30pm
It would be lovely, if as many of us as possible were
For information during the interregnum please contact the Acting Area Dean: Revd Ben Griffith, The Rectory, Aberedw, Builth Wells LD2 3UH, Tel: 01982 560615, Email: [email protected]
14
The Parishes of the Irfon Valley & Blaenau Irfon
Lucyann writes… ‘Will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join
the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you
join the dance?’
Extract from Lobster-quadrille in
Lewis Caroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’
On the day of Pentecost the frightened, hapless friends
of Jesus found themselves transformed from the depths
of despair to the heights of celebrity status. Empowered
by the Holy Spirit, they not only address a crowd
worthy of the Millennium Stadium, but they do so in
multiple languages, simultaneously without the aid of
21st century technology and the results were amazing:
people from all over the word, heard the emerging
Gospel, that Jesus Christ who was crucified, died and
was buried; then rose again, showed himself to his
disciples and then ascended into Heaven.
Well you might not be alone in thinking that was
dramatic enough and be ready for a little mundane
normality. Indeed as we move into Trinity season (also
called Pentecost or Proper), we are faced the challenge
of living out our faith in the day to day routines and
rhythms of our lives.
We do so, trying to make sense of the things Jesus said
about his Father and the helper he would leave us and
we are to some extent, aided in this task by our
ancestors in faith through the inheritance the doctrine
of the Triune God. The Three in One and One in Three
as the Celtic prayers have it. However, I don’t think it’s
helpful to get too anxious about one’s intellectual
ability to unpack this theological conundrum, important
though it is; it is perhaps one of the most mystical
symbols of our faith. Perhaps it is best understood as
dance of love which we are invited to join.
Jesus sets the scene and like a caller he outlines the
basic steps, but after that, the choice is ours. We will or
won’t we join the dance?
The Trinity is an invitation to the dance of love which
invites us to dosey doe with people, places, nations and
creeds previously unknown to us, that the love at the
heart of the Divine might be revealed. The invitation to
love is also an invitation from love, so that our very
participation becomes the means by which we know
and are known by that mysterious love of God.
So whatever your capability, however unworthy you
might feel, whether you can whirl like a dervish or
simply twitch to the beat; will you answer loves call?
Will you join the dance?
Worship and EventsWorship and EventsWorship and EventsWorship and Events
From July 14th until August 20
th we will be
celebrating the poetry of the priest poet
George HerbertGeorge HerbertGeorge HerbertGeorge Herbert during Evening Prayer on
Mondays and Wednesday at 6pm in St. Cadmarch’s
Church, Llangammarch.
It is always good to have people joining us for prayer.
July 6th
Pentecost 4 09.30am Eglwys Oen Duw (EOD)
11.00am St. James (MP)
11.15am Llanganten (MP)
11.15am Llanlleonfel
6.00pm Evening Prayer at EOD
� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��
Saturday 12th July at 2.30pm
LlangammarchLlangammarchLlangammarchLlangammarch
ChurchChurchChurchChurch Fete Fete Fete Fete in Alexandra Hall, Llangammarch
� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��
July 13th
Pentecost 5 09.30am Eglwys Oen Duw (Congregation)
09.30am St. Cadmarch
11.00am St. James followed by Annual lunch in Victoria Hall
July 13th 3.30-5.30pm in Cilmery Hall
Fun, Food and Worship
July 20th
Pentecost 6
09.30am Eglwys Oen Duw
11.00am St. James
11.15am Llanganten
Cream Tea and Walk at Tynllwyni, Cefn Gorwydd
c/o Dee & Giles Marshall
Walk starts from
Tynllwyni at 2.30pm
Price £5 adults and £2.50 children primary age
St Cadmarch’s, Llangammarch Wells; The Parish Church, Llanlleonfel, Garth; St Afan’s, Llanfechan; St Cannen’s,
Llanganten, Cilmery; St. James’, Llanwrtyd Wells; St. David’s, Llanwrtyd; St David’s Tirabad; Eglwys Oen Duw, Beulah;
All contributions (news items and ideas for future issues) are very welcome and should be sent to: Abigail Hook, The Vicarage, 1 North Road, Builth Wells LD2 3BT