Saint David’s Uniting Church 
Minister
Rev. Dr. Phil Wall/Rev Dan Spragg
(ministerdan.sduc@gmail.com)
Tel: 01443 300345 Mob: 07855090360
Website: www.stdavidsuniting.org.uk
14th October 2018
We offer a welcome to everyone who joins us for worship today. If you are a visitor or worshipping with us for the first time, we hope that you will feel the reality of friendship, and be ‘at home’ amongst us.
As Dan leads us we pray that we may all know the reality of God’s blessing and hear his word to each one of us.
The Copper Pot is, as usual, on the table; so don’t take your ‘small change’ home with you, put it in the pot, where it will be used for local charities.
Fair-trade tea and coffee will be served after this morning’s service, we invite you to enjoy some light refreshments in the company of friends and browse the handmade cards which will be on sale.
Our service at 6pm this Evening will be an Iona Style service led by Margaret with help from Chris!
§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§
Morning Worship
Hymns: 17 All people that on earth do dwell
93 Come, Holy Spirit, come!
174 God of grace and God of glory
142 Forth in the peace of Christ we go;
Readings John 10:11-18 Matt 25:14-30
Diary for the Week
Monday 15th Language Class 9.30-13.00
Karate Clubs 16.30-19.30
Tuesday 16th Service at Maesycoed Care Home 3pm (see This Week…)
Coffee Afternoon for Mothers Union at 2pm
Kids Club at Church House
RCT Aspergers Support group 19.00
Wednesday 17th Ladies Guild 14.00 (see This Week…)
Guides 18.30-20.00
Thursday 18th Sing for Life Choir 18.30-20.00
Saturday 20th Glam Youth Choir 10am-12.30pm
Cantorion 10.30-11.30
Sunday 21st Our Family Worship, including communion, at 10.45 will be led by Rev Dan Spragg and at 4pm we have our monthly Film & Chat (see This Week)
§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§
Church Family and Pastoral News
People to hold in your thoughts and prayers today and during this week:
- Sue Skym whose husband, David passed away on Saturday evening, after a long illness and Val Stone whose cousin, Megan has died.
- Members of our fellowship who are coping with broken bones!!
- All we know who are coping with people who have memory issues
- Those who are unable to leave their homes and all who care for them.
- People known to us who are having operations this week.
- Members of our fellowship who are leading worship elsewhere.
§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§
This Week and in the Future……
On Tuesday 16th at 3pm Dan and a few others are visiting Maesycoed Care home to sing some golden oldie hymns and songs to the residents. Music and singing is something they enjoy and can share in – If you would like to join in this time of fellowship please meet outside the home at 2.55pm.
Ladies Guild had an entertaining and informative afternoon last week when we learnt what happens to the items we put in our recycling bags. This week we will learn about the work of the Rowan Tree Charity. We meet at 2pm in the Church.
A critically acclaimed New Zealand Film is on the cards for ‘Film and Chat’ this month –4pm, Sunday 21st October – as we have a contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph, as a young Maori girl fights to fulfil a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.
In two weeks’ time British Summer time ends and Dan and the family will be preparing to return to New Zealand – following the morning service on 28th October we will have a ‘Bring and Share’ Buffet Lunch as we gather to say farewell. Sign up sheets on the back table.
Our Church and Cardiff Reform Synagogue have arranged an event to take place on Monday 29th October at 7pm – Jews, Christians and people of all faiths are invited to ‘INVEST IN PEACE’ a free interfaith event, when we will hear the stories of two peace activists: one Israeli and one Palestinian.
This free event will be held in a Central Cardiff location – we’ve heard that 100 people have registered already! If you are interested in attending please put your name on the list and we will register you!
A travelling theatre troupe of two actors and an opera singer arrive by camel in the ancient town of Cardiff to masterfully enact the greatest story ever told. Starring Hugh Dennis, John Marquez, and Lesley Garrett, in a hilarious Christmas comedy that conjures up the sublime, the ridiculous and the truly angelic. The Messiah promises to be the funniest and most magical Nativity you will ever see. It is at the New Theatre from October 29th – November 3rd.
If you are interested in this theatre trip possibly on November 3rd speak to Michael for more details.
§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§
Notices
Donations to the FoodBank in September were
Food 12.7kg Cash £30
Thanks to those who donated – Lets keep it up
The amount donated to our Harvest Appeal for The Tent of Nations near Bethlehem has reached a fantastic £618. Envelopes are still available if you wish to donate.
Don’t forget another way to support ‘The Tent of Nation’s’ is by purchasing a Harvest Mug designed by members of our Junior Church; there are six designs to choose from! They cost £10 – to order a mug add your name to the list stating which design you want.
Denominational Meetings both the PCW Presbytery and URC Wales Synod will meet on Saturday October 20th
Lynda is attending Presbytery and Dan will be traveling to Llandrindod Wells.
If anyone would like to join them please make it known!
There is also a parallel event for 11-25s being organised for the Synod Meeting. If anyone is interested booking forms are available from Marcia.
§●§●§● §●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§
Lament for Syria
Last Saturday Beverley had the privilege of being involved in the final concert of the Swansea Festival at the Brangwyn Hall. It was an all Karl Jenkins programme conducted by Sir Karl himself. Alongside his Mass for Peace was the world premiere of Lament for Syria – his setting of a poem written by 13 year old Amineh Abou Kerech.
Beverley said “It was one of the most moving occasions I have experienced – probably because of our close involvement with and love for our Syrian refugee friends here in Pontypridd.”
From a suburb of Damascus, Amineh’s parents, Tammam and Basmeh, fled war-torn Syria with their children when Amineh was eight. They eventually escaped to Egypt where they stayed for four years and where Amineh began writing poetry. They arrived in the UK in 2016 with a new language to learn. Her prizewinning poem, Lament for Syria, was written half in English, half in Arabic, and translated fully into English with some assistance from her sister and teacher.
The poem is haunting, memorable and in parts portrays how normal everyday life was there before the horrors of this conflict.
Lament for Syria by Amineh Abou Kerech
Syrian doves croon above my head
their call cries in my eyes.
I’m trying to design a country
that will go with my poetry
and not get in the way when I’m thinking,
where soldiers don’t walk over my face.
I’m trying to design a country
which will be worthy of me if I’m ever a poet
and make allowances if I burst into tears.
I’m trying to design a City
of Love, Peace, Concord and Virtue,
free of mess, war, wreckage and misery.
*
Oh Syria, my love
I hear your moaning
in the cries of the doves.
I hear your screaming cry.
I left your land and merciful soil
And your fragrance of jasmine
My wing is broken like your wing.
*
I am from Syria
From a land where people pick up a discarded piece of bread
So that it does not get trampled on
From a place where a mother teaches her son not to step on an ant at the end of the day.
From a place where a teenager hides his cigarette from his older brother out of respect.
From a place where old ladies would water jasmine trees at dawn.
From the neighbours’ coffee in the morning
From: after you, aunt; as you wish, uncle; with pleasure, sister…
From a place which endured, which waited, which is still waiting for relief.
*
Syria.
I will not write poetry for anyone else.
*
Can anyone teach me
how to make a homeland?
Heartfelt thanks if you can,
heartiest thanks,
from the house-sparrows,
the apple-trees of Syria,
and yours very sincerely.
Amineh
§●§●§● §●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§
Pulpit Supplies
Oct 28th am Rev Dan Spragg 6pm Discussion
Nov 4th am Rev Ray Vincent 6pm
§●§●§● §●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§
Flowers for October are being donated by
David & Doreen Marshman, Sharon Burgess,
Marlene McCloy, Gordon Thompson, Val Stone,
Brian & Marcia Hurley, Anita Instrell, Margaret Morris.
§●§●§● §●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§●§
Thought for the Week
“Be prepared. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” From Life’s Little Instruction Book H Jackson Brown Jnr