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
15th November 2020
At the end of this interfaith week, it is our great pleasure to welcome back friend to the church and Chief Executive of Cytun – Churches Together in Wales – Revd Aled Edwards OBE. We look forward to what God will share with us through Aled’s reflections today.
We were given some hope this week through the news that we are one step closer to receiving a vaccine for Covid-19. Whilst a return to normality is still a long way off, we can be thankful that scientists have made this breakthrough and that the notion of physically gathering for worship on Easter Day might be a realistic possibility. In the meantime, we pray for all those working in the healing and caring services as they continue to sacrifice so much in their care of others.
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Church Family and Pastoral News
We include this in the news sheet to inform our prayers.
- As we see on the news that the pandemic is causing more new cases and, sadly, more deaths we pray for those in government, both Local and National who are trying to bring everything under control.
- We continue to keep Elsie’s sister, Sandra and the family in our prayers.
- Those in hospital: Bernice is still in the Royal and has been unwell, Sue Salmon has now joined Chris in Ysbyty Cwm Rhondda, but on a different ward. We continue to hold them and their families in our prayers.
- Jane J has recently had a scan and has a follow-up appointment in December.
- Those known to us who have had surgery recently and are recovering.
- We think of those who live with pain….. some are trying new medication.
- We pray for Phil and Simon who will be representing the Synod of Wales at the online URC Mission Council meeting this Friday and Saturday.
Birthdays this week …..
Margaret Major will be celebrating her birthday this month, a card will be sent to her. There may be other birthdays or anniversaries, some of them sad,
Thanks…
Chris and Margaret, & Brian and Marcia have been overwhelmed by the messages and support they have received as Chris and Brian had Day surgery last week. Chris now waits for a further operation and Brian continues his treatment. THANK YOU EVERYONE!
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Sharing Good News
Ray has at last been to view his new accommodation and will receive the keys on Wednesday. He will be spending this week packing and arranging all the necessary communication changes. His new address will be available soon!
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Something to make you smile
A grandfather was delivering his grandchildren to their home one day when a fire truck zoomed past.
Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog’s duties.
“They use him to keep crowds back,” said one child.
“No,” said another. “He’s just for good luck.”
A third child brought the argument to a close. “They use the dogs,” she said firmly, “to find the fire hydrants.”
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Midweek Reflection on Armistice Day / Challenge
Phil recorded the midweek reflection after conducting a funeral. When conducting a funeral One of the things he tries to think about is how to, in a unique way honour the person being remembered and how to offer thanks for their life, for the love of God that might have seen within their life, for the hope of life to come. Which is what we were doing at 11am on Wednesday! Remembering! with thanks and hope, vowing to try to bring peace into our relationships and communities and across the world. Many will have worn a poppy, a visible tangible symbol, helping us to remember.
Jesus knew this – which is why on the night before he died when he was at a meal with his friends, he took tangible, physical, visible things and said this will help you remember me. The Bread and the wine. When you share these, you will remember my life, my love for you, my teachings. To this day we remember his death and his rising too.
Sometimes those visible things are deliberate markers to help us remember, and at other times we remember subconsciously, involuntarily. Marcel Proust, the great French novelist wrote about this. His book ‘In search of Lost Time’ talks about involuntary memories, how you can be doing something innocuous, and that action, that taste, that smell, that sound takes you back to a certain place. Phil shared how the taste of ‘Tixylix’ took him back to when he was 6 – he drank whole bottle because he liked the taste, or the smell of bacon frying, takes him to his Nan & Granddads house and knowing that dinner was on the way, the song ‘Agadoo’ reminds him of holidays on the Isle of Wight.
So, this week’s challenge is – What taste, smell or sound takes you back to your childhood? It could be a meal you remember eating as a child, a perfume your Nan wore, or a song your mother sang to you or you sand at school.
Send your memories in the usual way, Church Chat, Phone, Facebook or email to office1.sduc@gmail.com
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Don’t Quit ~
Idris Elba read this poem out on BBC over a montage showing NHS staff at work during the pandemic crisis.
It was written back in the 1920s. A good message-we may come out of this bruised and battered but not beaten.
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is strange with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns
And many a failure comes about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow—
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell just how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
John Greenleaf Whittier
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A Thought for the week.
What does it matter to the dead, the orphans and the homeless whether the mad destruction is wrought in the name of totalitarianism,
or in the holy name of liberty and democracy? – Gandhi.
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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