WELCOME TO THE PARISH OF SKETTY
HOLY TRINITY’S NEWS
As Christians, we ought to know our Bibles well and to reflect the teachings of Jesus in every aspect of our lives until we become
personifications of them. This is so important because sometimes we are the only Bibles other people read!
Recycling is a major issue today. The Government expects us to recycle items made of paper and cardboard, glass and
tins, plastic and mobile phones. When I see how full my bags are when ready to be collected I wonder where everything
used to go before and think about all that waste.
So what about our Christian faith; how good are we at recycling that? How much do we use our faith to benefit others?
Do we just keep it to ourselves or do we share it with others and pass it on? Do we waste any of it? How can we
re-
gained from Scripture study, people welcomed into church and staying because of the love and acceptance we give them;
others becoming leaders because we have helped and encouraged them; relationship saved through humility and
forgiveness. These things we can do repeatedly!
Our faith may have helped us to cope by trusting Jesus in a crisis. Have we learnt from that and can we build upon it
and perhaps share it with others so that they too can come to know the loving care of Jesus: pass the experience on,
recycle it?
Another thing to think about is do we need to go back to basics. Is our faith like those plastic bags? They are
manmade. They last a long time and are very difficult to get rid of, often causing harm to animals and the environment and
being of little use to anyone else. They weaken and tear and although the material
lasts a long time, they are no longer fit for purpose. The original material from
which our faith is made is the Holy Spirit inspired Scriptures of our faith, which
teach us the will of God and the way to live in imitation of the life and teachings
of His son, our Lord Jesus. Trying to manufacture our beliefs according to
manmade ideas, doesn’t work. It can become weakened and destructive and
cause lasting damage to the church in general.
When we next put out our recycling bags and see how much we have in
them why don’t we take time to sit quietly and think about what we would put in
our recycling bags of our faith?
LAST WORD MONTHLY PAGE 1
SUNDAY 22nd. AUGUST 2010 PENTECOST 13
A summer of fun, crafts and faith
I walked into the church last Thursday and was confronted with a quite awesome sight. There was a major hustle and bustle of about 25 children, along with
parents and a brave band of helpers enjoying a variety of activities. Some were painting, others sticking things to paper, while others were sewing bags and
there were drinks and biscuits in one corner.
This was “Crafty Church” (a very appropriate name not just describing the crafts taking place, but also that it was a ‘crafty’ way of getting people into
church!), and a fine sight it was too. For many of the children this was their first experience of being inside a church. I hope that their experience over the
summer helps them to see that being in church and listening to the stories, so familiar to us but often new to young listeners, can prove to be fun and
interesting.
I was also asked this week if the church is routinely open during the day. I explained that this has not been possible due to both safety and staffing concerns,
that unfortunately we cannot leave the church open without people there at all times and that people do not always feel safe on their own in the church. This
is very sad because it is a great venue of local interest and more than that a place of Christian prayer. It is important then that it is used as it has this summer,
open for its intended use of celebrating our faith and passing this on to the next generation. Without the work that is being done in Crafty Church
and other such events, then our churches will stand forever as monuments to what was once a vibrant worshipping community.
A great deal of thanks must go to those who answered the call and have given their time to help over the summer and to Sian for the work that she has
put into planning and running the activities. It is great to hear the church filled with the vibrant sounds of children enjoying themselves, please pray that this
may continue for many generations to come.
Geraint Wathan
SUNDAY 29th.. AUGUST 2010 PENTECOST 14
THE LAST WORD MEDITATIONS FROM LIFE
Recycling is a major issue today. The Government expects us to recycle items made of paper and cardboard, glass and tins, plastic and mobile phones.
When I see how full my bags are when ready to be collected I wonder where everything used to go before and think about all that waste.
So what about our Christian faith; how good are we at recycling that? How much do we use our faith to benefit others? Do we just keep it to
ourselves or do we share it with others and pass it on? Do we waste any of it?
How can we re-
By this I mean inspirations gained from prayer; knowledge gained from Scripture study, people welcomed into church and staying because of the love
and acceptance we give them; others becoming leaders because we have helped and encouraged them; relationship saved through humility and
forgiveness. These things we can do repeatedly!
Our faith may have helped us to cope by trusting Jesus in a crisis. Have we learnt from that and can we build upon it and perhaps share it with
others so that they too can come to know the loving care of Jesus: pass the experience on, recycle it?
Another thing to think about is do we need to go back to basics. Is our faith like those plastic bags? They are manmade. They last a long time and
are very difficult to get rid of, often causing harm to animals and the environment and being of little use to anyone else. They weaken and tear and
although the material lasts a long time, they are no longer fit for purpose. The original material from which our faith is made is the Holy Spirit inspired
Scriptures of our faith, which teach us the will of God and the way to live in imitation of the life and teachings of His son, our Lord Jesus. Trying to
manufacture our beliefs according to manmade ideas, doesn’t work. It can become weakened and destructive and cause lasting
damage to the church in general.
When we next put out our recycling bags and see how much we have in them why don’t we take time to sit quietly and think about what we
would put in our recycling bags of our faith?
Sister Marian