REPORTS FROM THE CHURCHES
St David’s, Llanddewi
Writing in mid-May, we are looking forward to a talk by Revd Pete’s friend, Revd Lynne Busfield, about her experiences as hospital and hospice chaplain, especially end of life care.
We are seeking funds for the work needed to prevent future water ingress to the church walls, and are most grateful to the Gower Society for their generous grant towards these repairs. Hopefully, Llanddewi Church will offer welcome, comfort and peace to any who enter it long into the future.
The word ‘grace’ is derived from Latin to mean ‘thanks’; it is widely associated with thanksgiving prayer for food about to be eaten. Grace also describes an attribute of a person, and encompasses several qualities, including being kind, generous, humble, noble, having wisdom and inner strength. The British National anthem expresses the desire that our sovereign, imbued with grace, will be protected and enabled to reign over (and implicitly influence) us for many years. I equate grace with what St Paul described as the fruit of the Spirit, comprising love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Paul also exhorts us to give thanks in all circumstances: to trust in God’s good purposes in both easy and difficult times. Difficult times are often the times when we are re-shaped for the better!
Two popular, short descriptions of grace are: ‘unmerited favour’, and the acronym ‘God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense’. Jesus perfectly expressed grace: he bucked popular trends and cold legalism, where self-interest, conceit and pride over-rode compassion and reality. His way is the way of love, humility, truth, and mercy. He offered, and continues to offer, forgiveness at his expense and access to new beginnings and hope. Jesus teaches us to love our enemies, and to overcome evil with good. He really turned the other cheek and gave away all he had, for the inconceivably great benefit of others. We can’t earn such grace, such love. The Lord’s prayer teaches us to depend on God’s grace for what we most need: it’s for passing on.
Penny Henderson
St Illtyd’s, Oxwich
Grace involves such other subjects as forgiveness, salvation, regeneration, repentance and the love of God. As well as these there are ‘grace words’, such as mercy, kindness, loving kindness and goodness of man, implying steadfast love to another human being or to man. Repentance is the chief point of interest in Prophetic books. The Prophets are often accused of a doctrine of repentance which stresses human willpower.
In the New Testament Grace Is preferred to Mercy because it includes the idea of a divine power which equips man to lead a moral life. In the Synoptic Gospels, the idea of Grace is very prominent. Jesus says he came to seek and save the lost. Many of the Parables teach the doctrine of Grace such as in the Parable of the labourers in the vineyard. God is answerable to no-one for his gift of Grace and the Gospel is an invitation to all. The Prodigal Son was welcomed home by his father in a way he did not deserve. The Pauline Epistles show man as a sinner but one who is justified by Grace. God in his Grace treats him, though guilty, as if he had not sinned. The believer’s position is only changed by the Grace of God.
Grace is God’s voluntary and loving favour given to those he saves. We can’t earn salvation nor do we deserve it. No religious, intellectual or moral effort can gain it, because it comes only from God’s mercy and love. Without God’s grace no-one can be saved. To receive it, you must acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves, only God can save us and the only way to receive this loving favour is through faith in Christ. God’s purpose is to offer salvation to the world. As he planned to do all along, God is Sovereign – He is in charge. When life seems chaotic, rest in the truth – Jesus is Lord and God is in control. God’s purpose to save you cannot be thwarted, no matter what Satan might bring.
‘Gracious God, For your gracious love that all can receive but none deserves, we give you praise. Through Jesus Christ my Lord we give you thanks.’
Rosemary Wigley
St Andrew’s, Penrice
The sum of just under £1,900.00 raised by the Plant and Cake sale was sent to The Missionaries of Charity of Mother Teresa Trust in The Strand, Swansea. They serve hot meals to the homeless and vulnerable of the town. Many thanks to Cathy Dorran and all the others who supplied stock and helped on the day. At mid-morning the hall at Port Eynon was packed making it a very successful social community occasion as well as a successful fundraising event.
We have commenced holding a Morning Service at St Andrew’s and now have three different services in a month which gives an interesting variation. The services are the 1662 Communion Service, the normal Communion Service and Morning Prayer.
Our lectures continued with a talk by Professor Pryce Morgan on the Pre-Raphaelite artist John Brett, who spent a summer in Gower in 1887. Professor Morgan showed a selection of slides depicting Brett’s work, all painted within this area. They displayed his skill as an artist who could paint with great detail and later in life also his skill as a photographer. The evening was well attended and much enjoyed by everyone.
It was sad news to hear that Cynthia Moulson of Horton has died recently. Cynthia was well known locally and regarded with great affection. She will be very much missed by her friends and neighbours in Horton. Love and deepest sympathy to all her family. At this time of year many young people are taking exams or sitting finals, a time of stress and anxiety, so to all those who are in that situation we send good wishes.
Angela Barnett
St Cattwg’s, Port Eynon
The Vestry Meeting for the whole Ministry Area was moved to May 31st, so will be reported next month.
Our sincere condolences to Pat and Helen of Bay View Farm, on the loss of husband and father, John Jefferies.
It seems as if the swallow pair are having another go at establishing a nest in the church porch. Let’s hope they will do well this time.
Grace: Most of us have used the phrase ‘there but for the grace of God’, but probably haven’t considered exactly what that means. An older use of the word ‘grace’ meant ‘pardon’, so in this case perhaps we are thankful for God’s intervention between us and trouble. God promised us his grace, as an unstinting gift that we have not merited but which requires our faith. We sing of Amazing Grace and seek a state of grace. God is gracious, implying he is well-meaning towards us. The Latin word ‘gratias’ can be translated as gratitude, goodwill or favour and has gone on to mean beauty, and elegance, as in describing someone as having ‘graced the occasion’. Our gracious King possibly fits this interpretation rather than it being a description of his personal interest in an individual subject, which is one of God’s attributes. A further meaning of Grace is, of course, the little prayer or rhyme once spoken at table before or after a meal, to express gratitude for the food. Sadly, this charming custom is little used nowadays. This is an example engraved in my memory, in which we acknowledge God’s generosity with his gifts:‘Benedic nos, Domine, et haec tua dona, quae de tua largitate sumpsimus, per Christum Dominum Nostrum’.
Susan Morris
St George’s, Reynoldston
We were very pleased recently to welcome Pamela Dennis from Penclawdd and grateful for her leading a very thoughtful and agreeable Morning Prayer Service. Subsequently she has joined us in our worship on several Sundays and we look forward to her continuing visits and participation.
On the Thursday preceding the recent Election, Revd Peter had invited a candidate representing each of the political parties to meet the Gower constituency voters at a gathering in Reynoldston Hall. In advance of the meeting, members of the public had been asked to submit questions to him, of which six had been selected to pose to the candidates at the event. The Hall was full and everyone in the audience was given a handout of the chosen questions. Revd Peter chaired the meeting (very) firmly timing the candidates’ answers! The questions and the answers ranged over a very wide area and included the following:
– Broken NHS Workforce planning including loss of skilled workers and unemployed graduates,
– The ‘Nation of Sanctuary’ Welsh Government initiative to support refugees and asylum seekers,
– 20mph and speeding on Gower roads,
– Child poverty and inadequate children’s services often leading to crime
– Senedd legislation v. help for rural tourism,
– Environment Protection,
– How to ensure that Senedd decision-making is informed by the climate and environmental crises?
As expected, the responses were very wide-ranging and certainly made the audience think! Rev Peter is warmly thanked for organizing such a thought-provoking evening about our politics and society needs.
Valerie Beynon
St Mary the Virgin, Rhossili
We were honoured to have another visit from Revd Roger to take our Holy Communion service last week, standing in for Revd Peter who took a well-earned break and went to Barcelona with Martine.
A flurry of visitors augmented the congregation, including Tim and Jane now living in Rhossili, a holidaymaker couple whose family had grown up in Rhossili, and a happy couple whose marriage banns were being read for the first time. A short meeting followed to nominate and elect officers to the GMA from our church.
Rhossili’s contribution to the recent Plant and Cake Sale was outstanding, with lots of villagers baking for the day, and Roger and Vicky also helping run the event in Port Eynon village hall. Our thanks to everyone who made such an effort – a special mention for Chris Greening who sent over £70 of cakes and fancies freshly baked and packaged for the event.
A new noticeboard is now in place by the front gate of St Mary’s, thanks to Nigel Clarke for erecting it, after the previous one was blasted to smithereens by a recent storm. And we are grateful to our decorator Mark Nelson for painting in the vestry, working on interior repairs, and for sprucing up the walls to keep the church always looking fresh and cared for. Thanks, as always, for the generosity of the Bowen Richards Trust for funding these works.
Celebrating his 80th birthday this month, Roger Button and Eira jetted away for a well-earned holiday – but he will be back writing for the magazine next month, no worries 😊
Caroline Johnson
Annual SW Gower Churches Plant and Cake Sale
This year’s Plant and Cake Sale took place in Port Eynon Village Hall and was again a very successful event. As well as friends from all parts of Gower we were very pleased to welcome more visitors than ever, many from the local caravan sites, so that the hall was especially crowded. As ever there were numerous tables crowded with a wonderful selection of plants plus an excellent range of cakes and bakes. Again, the result of very hard work on the stalls, plus the raffle, realized £1891 in just over an hour and a half. This was very much appreciated by the Missionaries of Charity who provide meals to the homeless in Swansea. Parish Priest, Fr Browne replied ‘We are deeply thankful for your kindness, generosity and support of our work… please be assured of our prayers’. Many thanks to all those who again gave so much time and effort to make such a successful and happy event possible and to all those from our communities and visitors who supported and responded so generously. Congratulations to everyone involved!
Gower Ministry Area 