Saint David’s Uniting Church
& Castle Square URC
Minister: Rev. Dr Phil Wall
Tel: 01443 300345 Mob: 07855090360
Website: www.stdavidsuniting.org.uk
Admin email: office1.sduc@gmail.com
1st November 2020
This weekend sees us entering the second week of the fire break. – the situation is still serious – We should ALL do everything we can to reduce contact with other people for the firebreak to be effective. The First Minister ‘hopes’ we will have Christmas with the virus ‘under control’. New details will be announced on Monday.
Today is All Saints day, and we are pleased that Iestyn Henson accepted the invitation to prepare our zoom service this morning, which will feature ‘Saints’ we have known.
This evening we will continue our remembrance of those who lit the way for us with an All Saints’ Communion service. Those not online might want to join us at 6pm by praying with the printed liturgy. Those attending online are invited to have a candle and bread & wine (or equivalent) nearby and, if appropriate, some music that reminds them of the person/people they are remembering. The zoom service will be open from 5:50pm and will start at 6.
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88689931182; Meeting ID: 886 8993 1182
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Church Family and Pastoral News
We include this in the news sheet to inform our prayers.
- We continue to keep Bernice, Chris and Sue in our prayers.
- Jayne Bright is still unable to return to work as her knee injury is giving her a lot of pain.
- We are aware that some people have had doctors’ consultations and are waiting for results.
- Colleen has been given a series of 5 exercises to do twice again to repair the damage she did to her back when she fell…..we hope she will feel the benefit of them soon.
- We wish Anne Hill well as she recovers from her very painful dental treatment.
- We think of Elsie’s sister, Sandra in Ty Gwynno, who is not well.
- Some of our refugee friends are struggling as they are missing help that is usually available.
- We welcome Cristian, Denisa, Andrea and Cristina Zuica back to South Wales. The family moved back into the area earlier this month and hope to get settled back in soon.
Birthdays this week ….. These are the people who we know of who will be celebrating their birthdays this week.
Monday 2 November Dave Couchman, Tuesday 3rd Sonia Fletcher and Friday 6th Heather Owen.
Thanks….. Thank you all so much for my birthday card; it was a lovely gesture, very happily received. Seems odd to be 50, time goes so fast! I miss my church family and hope to see you all when this madness finally ends. Toby
I would like to express my thanks and those of all of us at Castle Square to everyone who is working hard to get the news, sermons and zoom calls to us each week. This is no mean feat and we do appreciate it. Many thanks. Jan
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Sharing Good News
Mrs Violet Parfitt, a former member of St David’s Ladies Guild and now a resident at Pontypridd Care Home,
celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday 10th October She had a fabulous day!
Sing-along Sunday
Today at 3.00pm – 4.00pm
Come along, have fun and get singing together.
All ages welcome including, Parents, Grandparents and Carers
Online via ZOOM message or email us for Zoom ID code and password booking@artiscommunity.org.uk
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Wales Climate Week
Next week is Wales Climate Week and there is a wealth of free online seminars and discussions that you might be interested in attending. All the details can be found at: https://waterfront.eventscase.com/EN/walesclimateweek
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Something to make you smile
A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather’s word processor. She told him she was writing a story. “What’s it about?” he asked. “I don’t know,” she replied. “I can’t read.”
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Worth watching!
Earlier this year some of us were very fortunate to be given a live presentation from the pastor of the Evangelical Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem who offered a powerful portrayal of the difficulties of life in the occupied Palestinian territories. He will give the talk again on Tuesday 17 November, 7.00 – 8.00 pm for those unable to make the original one. If you would like to register for a link to attend this event, please contact carole.sired@urc.org.uk
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A note to those who have Leprosy Mission boxes. It is the time of year when Pat asks for the boxes to be handed in. This year there are three options: 1. Deliver to Pat. 2. Open and count the contents and send a cheque to Pat made payable to St David’s Uniting Church – 3. Ring Pat to arrange for collection.
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Midweek Reflection / Challenge
This week’s video featured the starry skies and twinkling lights over Pontypridd. As Phil put it, ‘we can see the beauty of light in the darkness’. Now the clocks have gone back we have more hours of darkness, many people will find that difficult to cope with. Yet the dark can be beautiful, the night sky, the shining moon, the glory of, fireworks. Barbara Brown Taylor says that ‘New life seems to always start in the dark, whether it is a seed in the ground, a baby in the womb or Jesus in the tomb, it all starts in the dark’ So perhaps we might learn to love the darkness.
That brings us to this week’s challenge – send in poems, art work, pictures, jokes anything that says something about darkness, and about where we might find God in it.
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Challenge for Advent!
We’re nearly there…but for our digital advent calendar we need a few more recordings of our much-loved presents to make it to 24! Anyone who is online but is unsure about to how to do a video can be recorded after a Sunday zoom service by the Comms Team. Please let Phil or Bethan know if this is the case.
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Weekend Papers
This week’s newsletter and the accompanying papers have been sponsored by Brian and Marcia to celebrate their Wedding Anniversary. In ‘normal’ times they would have given a donation for flowers!
A Thought for the week.
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” C.S.Lewis
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Weekly Zoom service:
Log in opens at 10.30 for pre service chat. Service will start at 10.45.
Zoom service link – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89461145366?pwd=S3ExNTVjdGVGdXlGVlNQc2k3eldudz09