St Mary’s Church, Swansea - Happy New Year

The collegiate and Parish Church of St Mary, Swansea

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Isaiah 40:31 : But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

• 60 years since the reconsecration of the church

2019 marks the 60th anniversary of the reconsecration of St Mary’s following the destruction during the Second World War. It’s rebuilding was a massive effort and must have been driven by a vision to see a building in the centre of the city standing as a witness to the glory and power of God. It must also have been inspired by a hope to reach out in love and hospitality to the community being served by the church. 

Today that vision and inspiration must continue to encourage us to move forward as we seek to share the gospel in a city that is very different from even 60 years ago. As we begin a new year we have a good chance to reflect on the past, be thankful for the present and prayerful and hopeful for the future. 

We believe, as Christians, that Jesus is good news for people everywhere. Reflecting him, we must seek to be good news in and for the city.

• 5000 people in the church in December

And we have a really good place to start. Through December, about 5,000 people came into the church. We can be confident that the church remains relevant and attractive and we must be sure to maintain that. There were all kinds of different services and events and the church also provided a welcome place of calm and refuge to people getting away from the busy-ness of the city or just seeking a place to keep warm. 

• Church for everyone : Civic Involvement / Homeless people welcomed and cared for 

Our mission in St Mary’s is and must be varied. As well as hosting Civic events which is a huge privilege, it is right that we also seek to provide care for and help to those who are struggling. Day by day we provide food and drink to people who are homeless, a sad but very necessary part of our mission. We have also provided practical help for some in other ways and have been pleased to be able to support the food bank and also Baby Basics.  

As I have said before, the more we do with those who are struggling, the messier it can sometimes get, but that can’t change our role. So yes, there is a privilege in being part of the Civic life of the city, but we must also see it as a privilege to serve and welcome those who are struggling.

• Prayer and Worship 

It is right also that worship remains a central part of what we do and we must always continue to strive to ensure that worship is the best we can possibly offer and that it offers suitable variety. In the last year we have, in addition to our choral worship, held a regular informal evening service and also a regular healing service. We have also held a monthly Eucharist service conducted in the Welsh language. 

As well as regular worship, it is right that as a church we need to make space for study of the bible and prayer and also offer space for those who have questions to explore faith. This hasn’t in recent times been a strength and we need to make this more of a priority. Our faith will grow with further study of the bible and further discussion in small groups and it is important that our faith is never left to remain static, things that grow are never still. 

• A family

Another hugely important aspect of the church must reflect the fact that we are a family, a family drawing together all kinds of different people, of different ages and backgrounds and ideas, but a family nonetheless. It’s important to continue to build this community and hopefully during the coming year we will have a number of events that will bring people together outside of regular worship. 

Finally it’s right that we turn to numbers and to finance. I’ve heard it said that we need more people so that we will get more money to pay our bills - please never believe that statement. Yes, we do need money (and we rarely have enough!) and I would constantly encourage people to consider what they are able to give to the church as our mission relies on money in so many ways, but our mission is not about raising money to survive. That would not be an attractive vision!

• Growth, spiritually and numerically

Our task is to enjoy our relationship with God, to grow in that relationship, to be a family committed to worship, prayer and serving God and caring for each other. This year we will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the reconsecration of the church, reminded of the vision that saw it rise from ruins. During the year I hope you will join in with whatever celebrations there may be but also that you will pray regularly for growth in our church, both spiritually and numerically and also that we continue to seek out opportunities to reach out in service to the community enjoying the privilege of serving God and sharing his love. 

The Bible verse quoted at the beginning of this message challenges us to be people who hope and trust in the Lord and that means seeking his will for our lives and our church. That means accepting sometimes things that might not be exactly as we want them - the kingdom of God is a lot more important and much bigger than our personal preferences. The verse also assures us of the possibilities before us as we trust God.

Thank you to those who do so much to keep the life of the church active. Your role, whatever it may be, is massively appreciated. It is of course always wonderful to welcome more suitable volunteers.  Serving God in times like this might be tough at times, but it remains a massive privilege and it can be a tremendously exciting adventure which I hope we can enjoy together.

Every blessing for 2019 - as we continue to celebrate the good news of Jesus, may we always seek to be good news and share good news.

Ian Rees