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
12th July 2020
So last week we were able to finally meet with one other household indoors, and we were able to travel further afield. This week we can get our hair cut! We can plan ahead…but we still have to socially distance and that will be difficult. Those who have been shielding are still be very nervous about going out, especially with the reports we have seen on the TV. It will still be some time before we will be able join together for worship in our churches.
So we will continue to keep in touch with everyone and we ask that you contact your elder if you have any concerns.
Next week, we will be looking at the ‘parable of the weeds and the wheat’ – Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 and will include some words from Oscar Romero. Any suggestions for hymns are always gladly welcomed.
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Church Family and Pastoral News
We include this in the news sheet to inform our prayers.
- We pray for those who are in poor health. We especially pray for Rob and for Claire as she she keeps vigil at his bedside.
- As it is not possible to have a face to face consultation with the doctor, we think of all those who have had telephone consultations and give thanks when our worries have been dealt with.
- We remember those of our fellowship who are receiving daily care and those who are providing it.
- As restrictions are gradually being lifted we pray for those in care homes where, because a member of staff has tested positive for the virus, families are still unable to visit.
- We continue to keep all who work in care homes and hospitals in our prayers as they work long hours in exceptional conditions. We cannot comprehend what it must be like to wear protective masks all day!
- We are sorry to learn that our Syrian friend Sobhi, has injured his back in the farm and is in a lot of pain and having to walk with crutches.
Birthdays this week…..
Valerie Henson and Mary Howells on Monday 13th July and Ron Howells on 15th July. We hope you are able to celebrate with family!
Thanks from….
Hettie ” “A big thank you to friends at St. David’s for all the cards, messages and phone calls I received for my birthday. Very much appreciated. Thank you everyone. Love Hettie”
Pontypridd Care Home:
We would like to thank you for the kind donation of gifts. The chocolates and hand cream were very much appreciated and well received in this unprecedented and challenging time.
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Sharing Good News
Malarchi Trust
At Castle Square we have been sponsoring children in India for twenty years. The Malarchi Trust was set up by Carol and Gareth Evans, a couple from Barry, who have devoted their lives to the children, all of whom needed looking after because of traumas in their families.
Two weeks ago, Carol emailed me to give me some good news which is great to have in the present situation. A very kind and generous lady who has been sponsoring the children for many years died and left the Trust a large amount of money. With that and some money they raised from selling a building that belonged to the Trust, they have enough funds for the foreseeable future and no longer need sponsorship.
We will certainly miss helping the children and getting news from them on a regular basis.
Carol sends her love and grateful thanks to all of us for our care and support over the years. Thank you to all our members who have given so generously to this worthy cause.
……And news of our Syrian friends: Omar Al N and Idres have passed their level 1 Rail Engineering course and have been selected for the L 2 in September. Hamza has been successful in applying for a place at USW for the higher certificate in Football and Sports management.
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Discussion Group
This week, some of us began Week 2 of Layla Saad’s ‘Me and White Supremacy’ workbook and reflected on issues such as white silence and colour blindness. We read that ‘When you say “I don’t see colour’ to a BIPOC, you are saying, “Who you are does not matter, and I do not see you for who you are’. The book continues to be challenging and all are welcome to participate in our reading and to join in future online discussion.
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Midweek Challenge
In the Midweek Reflection Phil reminded us that while some restrictions are being lifted and in some ways life is returning to some semblance of normality people are still suffering in all sorts of ways. We have to acknowledge those difficulties, those challenges, those shadowlands that some are going through and on spite of them or perhaps because of them we are reminded that each day is a gift, each day really is a blessing, a gift from God and it’s up to us to use them well and one response to that is to be thankful.
We have two challenges this week, both suggested by church members, (all are welcome to send suggestions in) the first will run over a couple of weeks! On Monday hairdressers in Wales will open much to the relief of many – we are challenged to send in before and after photos. The second challenge/invitation is to share one thing that has made you smile during lock-down. It might be a story, an encounter with someone, a photo, or a video, how someone has supported you or getting to know a neighbour. If you share a photo or video please make sure you have permission.
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Quiz question – The Answer!
If it is apple in Iran, orange in Denmark, bread in Morocco, omelette in Sweden, eggplant in China and cabbage in Bulgaria, then which foodstuff is it in the UK? The answer is cheese. They are words people are asked to say in those named countries (in their own language) when having their photograph taken. We’ll have a Brain Teaser next week!
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Christian Aid is calling on us to campaign on an issue of justice –
In the global South the pandemic could and push half a billion more people into poverty. Countries like the Central African Republic have just three ventilators for almost 5 million people. And Malawi has only a quarter of the nurses needed to provide healthcare for all its citizens. Yet, instead of investing every pound they have into healthcare systems and social protection to defend against the virus, the poorest countries have to spend that money paying off debt. 64 countries spend more on debt repayments than on public healthcare. Will you write to the UK chancellor to support cancellation of debt repayments for the poorest countries in 2020-21?
Those online can click on the following link whilst others are encouraged to write a letter to Rishi Sunak MP,
11 Downing Street, London SW1A2AA https://www.christianaid.org.uk/campaigns/debt-jubilee-petition?utm_source=christianaid&utm_medium=email&utm_content=txt-body-Petition&utm_campaign=20200706-CA-CAM-Petition-Non
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Thought for the Week
“Two little words that can make all the difference – START NOW” Mary C Crowley