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THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY 12TH JULY 2020
LATEST NEWS FROM FRIDAY: The First Minister announced today that churches which can meet strict hygiene measures can reopen for worship from Sunday 19 July. The updated guidance and safety criteria for re-opening for public worship will be published on the Church in Wales website by Monday. The Church in Wales has worked with the Welsh Government on safety measures churches have to implement in order to re-open for public worship. These include maintaining a two-metre distance between people and ensuring sufficient hygiene and cleaning protocols. Churches also have to complete a COVID risk assessment before re-opening. The First Minister announced today that churches which can meet strict hygiene measures can reopen for worship from Sunday 19 July. The updated guidance and safety criteria for re-opening for public worship will be published on the Church in Wales website by Monday. The Church in Wales has worked with the Welsh Government on safety measures churches have to implement in order to re-open for public worship. These include maintaining a two-metre distance between people and ensuring sufficient hygiene and cleaning protocols. Churches also have to complete a COVID risk assessment before re-opening. (see final paragraph- this news came in after I had written my letter) One of the things I have missed spiritually, besides the obvious, is celebrating the Saints days in the week and sometimes when a major Saint falls on a Sunday. Remembering the Saints and giving thanks for their lives reminds us that we are the present part of a very long procession of faith stretching right back to the life of Christ. In celebrating their ‘day’ we are not just keeping the memory of all they achieved alive, we are also rejoicing that we are indebted to their faithfulness and believe that they are still part of us. Saturday was St Benedict’s day. It seems amazing to me that his teaching for monks, and for such a very different age, should still speak to us across the centuries living such very different lives; but that is what numerous Christians have discovered when they have read his writings. There is a wonderful down to earth practicality about his rule that has not only influenced all monastics but also, when we pay attention to it, ‘ordinary Christians.’ Benedict writes with compassion and understanding - he always builds on the frailty and brokenness of the human condition. As Esther de Waal in her book on Benedict’s wisdom for everyday living writes: Benedict points a way to God which nurtures as well as challenges, which believes in our potential and yet makes sure that no more is asked of us than we can actually bear. St Benedict’s starting point is that Christ accepts me, just as I am now, with all my weakness and confusion. The first step for transforming that pain is to look at it with honesty, and then open myself up to God’s healing and transforming love. I must not forget the pain that went into shaping a living tree into a cross…but it is in the certainty of that love, that total unconditional love that makes all things possible, that we dare to move forward on the path of healing and new life (Esther de Waal - Living with Contradiction) GRAND PRIZE DRAW Because we have been unable to do any of our normal fund raising events - Summer Fair, Strawberry Tea, Coffee Mornings, bookstall sales etc - we have decided to hold an extra special Prize Draw with fewer but high quality prizes. £200 has already been offered for the first prize. Before we order the tickets we would like to purchase some of the new major prizes and to cover the cost of printing the tickets. If you are able to help with money towards these please send a cheque to Yvonne, or leave a marked envelope when you come to church. We hope to start the selling of tickets by the end of the month and hold the Draw the first Saturday in October. We hope that by that date we will be able to have some kind of social. ART COMPETITION This is being run by the Cardiff organization that helps us and others with our litter picks and does a lot to educate people on not spoiling our environment: Here at Love Where You Live, we all love trees. We know that trees and plants play a key role in making our neighbourhoods attractive and safe places to live. Unfortunately, there are some people that don’t love trees as much as us. Trees on our streets can become a hotspot for litter and fly-tipping. The seagulls love this - but we don’t. We need to change behaviour, and show people that this action is not acceptable. We are asking budding artists, young and old, to create a poster. The message is ‘I’m a tree - not a bin’ / “Coeden ydw i – nid bin.” Your poster will need to be A4 size and in portrait. Please scan/photograph your design and send it to lovewhereyoulive@cardiff.gov.uk / carwcheichcaerdydd@caerdydd.gov.uk by Monday 27th July. We will choose some designs to print, and place in our problem areas. GOOD NEWS ABOUT REOPENING We will be able to celebrate a non communicating EUCHARIST in church, or if very good weather, in the Community Garden. The chairs are set up ready; we are just waiting for the form to fill in - that seems to have taken the church by surprise so we won’t have it ‘till Monday! I hope to be celebrating by SUNDAY 19th July - the earliest allowed date. AT LONG LAST! We lead the way to the journey to what people are calling the ‘new normal’ and a celebration of the Eucharist - the Great Thanksgiving - is surely a good way to mark our thankfulness to God for being outwardly united in listening to God’s word and being in the presence of Christ’s Sacramental appearance in our midst. We will know it is the Lord in the breaking open of his word and the Bread of life. ALLELUIA! Father Colin |
Featured Photo
"What has landed in the Community Garden? Not moths from Mars?"
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An appeal from Father Colin
Can anyone out there tell me how to or offer to upload on our Facebook and/or Twitter pages. They are both full of good material uploaded by our former administrator Suzie, but they stop at the point she left! Take a look at what is there by clicking at the bottom of the homepage on the Church web site. HELP HELP HELP!
I can give you the material on a weekly basis....……...
Can anyone out there tell me how to or offer to upload on our Facebook and/or Twitter pages. They are both full of good material uploaded by our former administrator Suzie, but they stop at the point she left! Take a look at what is there by clicking at the bottom of the homepage on the Church web site. HELP HELP HELP!
I can give you the material on a weekly basis....……...
New reflections and prayers for this Sunday can be found on the Worship page.
For those with children, some prayers can be found on the For Children - Prayers page.
There is also a new Spritual Communion page, which can be found under Worship.
There are also new items on the News and Photo pages.
Please have a look at the "Campaign for Living Wage" article on the News page.
You may also wish to sign up to Llandaff Matters - a weekly round up of news, events and faith stories from around the Diocese.
For those with children, some prayers can be found on the For Children - Prayers page.
There is also a new Spritual Communion page, which can be found under Worship.
There are also new items on the News and Photo pages.
Please have a look at the "Campaign for Living Wage" article on the News page.
You may also wish to sign up to Llandaff Matters - a weekly round up of news, events and faith stories from around the Diocese.
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For all Parish Matters contact -
Incumbent: Fr Colin Sutton Address: St Peter's Vicarage, 211 St Fagans Road, Fairwater, CARDIFF, CF5 3DW Phone: 029 2056 2551 Email: frcolinsutton@gmail.com |
Find us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StPetersComm
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