Sharing some thoughts

This week much of the news has centred around the murder of the French Priest. Rightly so, people have been horrified about this, but it’s one of a frighteningly high number of horrible incidents that have happened in recent times.  It seems that every time we turn on the news we need to be prepared to be shocked again at something that has happened. Many people seem filled with hatred, many now live in fear, but as Christians I think we have to continually preach and show hope and love…  In the greatest injustice of all time it seemed that Jesus had been murdered, and he had, but in his resurrection God’s power was revealed as being stronger than anything the world and its forces can do…  Today’s New Testament readings (Col.3:1-11 & Luke 12:13-21) both help to speak into the situation in the world today because both readings challenge us to see what is really important in our lives.  B ack in 1888, Alfred Nobel was quite surprised, as you would be, to r...

From Helen I recently read about a series of mistakes  and misunderstandings  in an advert in a newspaper. The advert was for a TV set for sale. The series of adverts were:  Monday: "The Rev. A.J. Jones has one colo u r TV set for sale. Telephone  626131  after 7 p.m. and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who lives with him, cheap."  Tuesday: "We regret any embarrassment caused to Rev. Jones by a typographical error in yesterday's paper. The ad should have read: 'The Rev. A.J. Jones has one colo u r TV set for sale, cheap...Telephone  626131  and ask for Mrs. Donnelley, who lives with him after 7 p.m.'"  Wednesday: "The Rev. A.J. Jones informs us that he has received several annoying telephone calls because of an incorrect ad in yesterday's paper. It should have read: 'The Rev. A.J. Jones has one colo u r TV set for sale, cheap. Telephone  626131  after 7 p.m. and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who loves with him.'"  Thursday: "Please ...

Today in the gospel reading that we have just heard we have Luke’s account (11: 1-13) of Jesus teaching his disciples what we know as the Lords Prayer.  Prayer is a great gift of God but as Jesus teaches us, it’s not all about us and what we want and need. It’s also about praising God, and recognising the gifts he provides abundantly for us…  We are assured that prayer is always answered but we are not always told how or when. But one of the main things that strikes me about the Lords Prayer is its relevance here and now. It doesn’t matter that the words were spoken by Jesus 2000 years ago, they apply to a vision which we must hold now.  Some years back now  there was a huge headline on the back page of the South Wales Echo announcing that ‘God is now a City star.’ It seem ed that God   had  arrived in  Cardiff. Of course the God th at was referred to in the Echo wa s  the footballer Robbie Fowler who had  signed for  Cardiff City f...

From Helen You will not have failed to notice that there has been a lot of buzz about football recently.  Well, I want to buck the trend this morning and start by telling you a story about rugby!  In one match the great Welsh player Gareth Edwards was playing for Cardiff, and one of his Welsh team-mates Ray  Gravell  was playing for the Llanelli  Scarlets . The one problem that they encount ered on the pitch was of course  that having played together for Wales they knew each others insecurities. Gareth Edwards worked out that there was one way to distract Ray  Gravell  so that he would have a dreadful game, thereby ensuring a better result for Cardiff.  So, he picked on  Gravells ’ physical condition.  He began the game, by saying, “You look out of shape, you’ve put on a lot of weight.” This of course bothered Ray  Gravell , and so he kept asking other players during the game, if he had indeed put on weight. This of cours...

The beginning of the month  was, as we all know, the 100th anniversary of  the start of the Battle of the Somme  which by its end had cost the lives of more than a 300,000 men from the European nations and the British Commonwealth with 100's of 1000's seriously injured .  It seems perhaps a strange irony that this commemoration has come so soon after the European referendum because that referendum has opened up enormous differences. Just taking a look at  facebook  and twitter it’s easy to see that this decision is still very much on the agenda for people on both sides of the debate. Even the wonderful success of the Welsh football team has provided only a short diversion from the comments about the consequences of  Brexit  being played out in the political, economic and social life of our country.  So what now?  This week  in our gospel (Luke 10:25-37) we have looked  at the parable of the Good Samaritan. It raises ...

from Helen  Have you ever had that moment when a child trounces you… that moment when you feel really in control and then a child reasons with you. My nephew Jack did just this to me when he was 9 years old. He was out playing with his friends and clearly decided that it was time for him to have lunch. I was at my Mum in laws house and she had said that when Jack came back in I was to make him wait while she finished what she was doing and then she would make him lunch. Now to be honest at this stage Ian and I hadn’t been married long and I wanted to get everything right. So, when Jack came in I explained that he needed to wait because  Gramma  was on her way to feed him. Jack looked and informed me that he was busy playing, I said well it won’t be a long wait. He looked at me patiently and then very nicely said that the problem was his friends were eating at their houses right now and if he wasn’t quick he would miss the game. I said well, just wait… then Jack expla...