13 th July 2014 Number 774 A warm welcome to everyone especially those visiting Llangollen Our Congratulations and best wishes to all who are celebrating: Megan Collins celebrates her seventh birthday today Bridget Jackson celebrates her seventeenth birthday on Saturday Mabel Ellson celebrates her second birthday on Saturday Sunday 13 th July 11:00 Morning Worship Rev Neville Pugh Monday 14 th July This n That visit to Rhug Estate meet in the car park at 6:15 Sunday 20 th July 11:00 Morning Worship Carl Squire Sunday 27 th July 11:00 All Age Communion Rev Una McLean This will be Una s final service Romans 8:1 11 Page 149 in the New Testament section of the pew Bible Lectionary Readings Do join us for tea & coffee after the service this morning Matthew 13:24 30,36 43 Page 13 in the New Testament section of the pew Bible
11:00 Morning Worship Rev Neville Pugh Music provided by Ted Blackman. Refreshments provided by Rachel Horne. You were greeted at the door by Sheila Spedding and the books were given out by Rachel Horne. Readings by Rachel Horne and Sheila Spedding Today s steward is Jeanette Robinson Knitting for Africa Rev Una and Colin s farewell party A Garden Cream Scone Tea Action For Children Lent Calendar Information for Riverside Weekly should be sent to the editor, Page 2 Norman Pybus (01978) 861390 Email:-editor@llangollenmethodist.org.uk
TheComingWeeks Monday 14 th July 2:30 House Group at 5 Gerddi y Bache This n That visit to Rhug Estate meet in the car patk at 6:15 Tuesday 15 th July 10:00 Coffee Morning by the Soroptomists Memorial Hall 7:30 Roots & Shoots Ruabon Methodist Church Wednesday 16 th July 10:00 Prayer Group Vestry Friday 18 th July 10:00 Charity Sale Ian s sale for Nightingale house at the Memorial Hall 7:30 Pint and a Chat we meet for discussion over a pint at the Hand Hotel see Norman for details Saturday 19 th July 10:00 Charity Sale Ian s sale for Nightingale house at the Memorial Hall Tuesday 22 nd July 10:00 Coffee Morning by Abbeyfield Memorial Hall 20 th July 27 th July Door Sue Smith Norman Pybus Refreshments John & Gill Newbrook Elisabeth Pybus Books Eileen Lomax Elizabeth Roberts Readers Gill Newbrook Elizabeth Roberts Alan Loveless Steward Margaret Davies Action for Children envelopes do give all that you can to support the necessary work for Action for Children return your envelope in the collection. Page 3 Word for today the August to October edition is now available, please see Norman Norman
Today s Bible Study (from the Methodist Church Website) Matthew 13: 1-9, 18-23 Other seed fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen! (v. 9) Background Today is Action for Children Sunday. On their website, you can find more details about the charity, and worship resources for this Sunday (including further material on this passage). The Parable of the Sower is one of the better known parables. Reading it as an allegory, with the different types of ground on which the seed falls representing the varied responses that people make to the seed of the gospel (ie the good news about Jesus), has been popular since the days of the early Church. There will be insights for us in going down that path, looking at how our own responses to what we understand as the seed of the gospel have been like the seeds falling on various types of ground. It s possible to look at our lives over time and see ourselves behaving like different types of ground at various times in our lives. However, there s another route for our thinking that may be closer to the original telling of the parable. Suppose the parable was told, as others were, with the punchline at the end and in order to illicit a change of mind and heart in the hearer. A clue to reading it like this lies in understanding the normal farming practice in Jesus day. The standard practice was, unlike our gardening, to scatter seeds over the whole area and then plough the seed in as the ground, whatever its complexion, was turned over. What might we then see in the surprise of a harvest, thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold from such a very unlikely field? Also, without the sowing there can, of course, be no harvest. To Ponder What might the broadcast method of sowing with seed going on all sorts of ground indiscriminately say to you about practical Christianity today? Is there a generosity that appears wasteful? The plentiful harvest comes as a wondrous surprise from a field such as this. When were you last surprised by God? What happened? And is there an unpromising sowing that, against the likely odds, should be continued? Bible notes author: The Revd Will Morrey Minister:- Rev Una McLean (01978) 860877 Email:- unamcl@yahoo.co.uk
Flower rota The calendar for the flower rota has a lot of gaps in the rest of the year. If you have an event you would like to dedicate the flowers to or would just like to provide the flowers for a Sunday, please put your name on the calender on the notice board. Some of the religious programmes on TV & Radio in the coming weeks BBC1 17:00 Sunday 13 th July Songs of Praise Commonwealth Games Radio Wales 7:30 & 17:30 Sunday Celebration A weekly act of worship from churches around Wales Radio 2 6:00 Sunday Morning The Sunday Hour Diane Louise Jordan plays spiritually uplifting and inspiring music through hymns, Gospel and choral classics. Radio 2 7:00 Sunday Morning Good Morning Sunday with Clare Balding Clare Balding discussing ethical and religious issues, with guests and spiritual music. Radio 4 8:10 Sunday Morning Sunday Worship A service from a church in the British Isles Page 5
Prayer & Praise Thanks & Praise = = For the answers we have seen to our prayers = = For each one in the church and all their gifts and abilities = = The visitors and competitors who came for the eisteddfod, and all the music and dance enjoyed, and the peace initiative seen. Church = = Those preaching throughout the circuit next Sunday, in particular Rev Una at Wrexham and Overton and Carl Squire at Llangollen = = For Una & Colin and Phil & Lisa as they prepare for moving very soon = = The churches and needs of the visitors we met with during the week = = Preparation for Caregwrle Camp starting on Saturday = = Circuit prayer focus: Overton Methodist Church Health = = Cath Critchley Bernadette Maxwell Jan & Don Ware Raymond Jones Clifford Jones Winnie Jones Norman & Dorothy King Jack Lomax Helen Evans Jane Loveless Mary Humphreys Eileen Lomax = = Those suffering from depressive illness = = All those who have been bereaved and those who have recently received bad news Community = = Those who govern us locally, in Cardiff and in Westminster = = For the Heads, teachers and Governors of our schools with all the issues affecting education = = All the visitors to our town over the summer, that they will have a good time. Wider World = = The families caught up in the areas of conflict, and the refugees seeking safety Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Iraq, Israel and Palestine = = Those taking relief and aid to troubled parts of the world = = Those serving as missionaries around the world = = Those who are persecuted for their Faith = = The work of Action for Children = = The continuing work of CALM
Inaugural address of Vice- President of the Methodist Conference The new Vice-President of the Methodist Conference for 2014-15 laid down four building blocks of faith for 21st century Britain in her inaugural address to the Methodist Conference. Speaking to the Conference gathered at the Birmingham Metropole Hotel Gill Dascombe suggested that scripture, science, culture and community should be the blocks upon which Methodists build their faith. Methodism provides us with four building blocks of faith, derived from the writings of John Wesley, Gill said. These are scripture, reason, tradition and experience. But Wesley too was a man of his time, and Britain is a very different place now from what it was in the 1700s. So I m going to stick my neck out here, and suggest four building blocks of faith for 21st century Britain. Instead of scripture, reason, tradition and experience, I suggest scripture, science, culture and community. Gill went on to say that when Methodists affirm scripture today, they make a claim, not of uniformity, but of the embracing of diversity. She explained that science was important because we no longer live in the age of reason but the age of science. Religion and science have been in conflict for too long, said Gill, a medical pharmacist. It s time to take the blinkers off. Her address also challenged Methodists to think about what is distinctive about Methodism in 2014: How can we shape a spirituality that reflects our time, our place and our world view, within which we can address our fears, doubts and concerns, and, yes, our demons, real or perceived, and seek strength and hope and purpose for the future? Page 7
When You Fall Simon, satan has asked to have you, to sift you like wheat Luke 22:31 Out of all Christ s disciples, Peter was the one who believed that failure couldn t happen to him. But it did, and in a big way. Jesus told him, satan has asked to have you, to sift you like wheat, but I have pleaded in prayer for you that your faith should not completely fail. So when you have repented and turned to Me again, strengthen and build up the faith of your brothers (vv. 31-32 TLB). Notice three important truths: 1) we are all capable of falling. Don t believe the lie that says, If you were really a Christian, you wouldn t have failed like that. When God saves you, your spirit is immediately changed. But until your emotions, appetites and desires come under the control of Christ, you ll always struggle in certain areas. This has nothing to do with your salvation and everything to do with becoming spiritually mature. 2) we must be willing to repent. The trouble with temptation is that it usually starts out as pleasure. You think you can handle it and when you become ensnared, you try to Word for Today overcome it in your own strength. But it doesn t work. The Bible says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6 NKJV). God s grace isn t for the arrogant. It s only given to humble, repentant hearts. 3) once we are free, we stay free by helping others. God takes us out of a bad situation to place us in a good one; otherwise we ll seek out our old connections. So the way to keep what we have is to give it to others. Published by UCB, Stoke on Trent For free daily readings see Elisabeth or Norman