Rev. Alf's Easter 2004 Letter

Dear Friends,

The thoughts that tumble through the mind do not always fall on the lips or the page in an ordered
form. I suppose that may sometimes arise from what the editors of Contact have understood as
"the pressures of work". Few of us can avoid those pressures, or even expect to, but I am sure that
we are especially appreciative of those who help us to absorb the pressure or even relieve us of
some of it. In life we often have to take the rough with the smooth but occasionally we just have to
take the rough with the rough! Sydney Carter's popular hymn says,

"Give me courage when the world is rough,
Keep me loving when the world is tough;
Leap and sing in all I do,
Keep me travelling along with you".

Many may remember the older chorus, "When the road is rough and steep, Fix your eyes upon
Jesus".

At the roughest and toughest time of his life Jesus kept faith with his Father's loving purpose and
with his last breaths spoke words of forgiveness, compassion, tenderness, hope and trust. I hope
that our contemplation of the events of Holy Week and Good Friday and our celebration of Easter
will enable us to re-discover and be confirmed in our faith that in Jesus we see the undying love that
expresses the heart and mind and purpose of God. What makes this truth so marvelous is that we
experience it not just in obviously "religious" events described in "religious" language but in down-to-
earth, everyday encounters with ordinary people.

Whenever I visit members and friends in hospital I invariably enter into conversations with other
patients sharing the same room. "Hello. How are you?" is usually followed by the enquiry, "Where
are you from?" A lady I met recently, after assuring me that she was comfortable and her health
improving, expressed her good wishes for my own well-being. Then she told me she was from a
country in the Far East (I shall not be more specific for the sake of confidentiality). It transpired that
she had been settled happily in our city for many years and was bringing up her family here though
her background was a religion, culture and way of life differing in many ways from mine. But we
wished each other's families and friends, near and far, everything good and asked God's blessing
on them. Just polite conversation? Just a passing and shallow acquaintance? Well I'm sure
neither of us believed that.

Sincere expressions of care and good wishes can only be signs of hope and evidence of our
experiences of that love of God by which we were created and are sustained. When love fills the
depths of our being and rises to the surface in words and deeds of forgiveness, compassion,
tenderness, hope and trust, the life and purpose of the crucified and risen Christ is made plain
through us.

May God grant you joy and peace in this holy season and always.

Alfred

Rev. Alf's Autumn Letter

September 2003

Dear Friends

Summer has lingered longer this year and most are glad at the later onset of Autumn. In our Gower chapels we have been pleased to welcome many visitors, some of them “regulars”, and some of us have had the chance to be visitors to other churches and received the same warm welcome that extends here.

However, it was sad that in such an exceptional summer we were denied the privilege of welcoming the Aldridge parish church youth group to Pitton. The group has shared in our service for many years but this time a heavy storm flooded their annual camp and they had to return home early.

In our Reynoldston chapel we had another splendid Holiday Club Week, part of our continuing and flourishing mission to children and young people and their families.

At Horton we were glad to have another very special Songs of Praise evening which was an inspiration and blessing to all.

On the hottest Saturday of our summer the Rev. Richard Hall, our circuit superintendent, completed his “Cycle of Sermons”. He cycled to every chapel in the circuit and preached a short sermon, beginning in Murton at 8a.m. and finishing at Sketty in the evening.

A good congregation welcomed him at Murton and sent him on his way with cheering and prayers. This was a very remarkable achievement and was part of our celebration of the 300th anniversary of the birth of John Wesley. Sponsorship meant that over £1,700 (to date) has been raised for the NCH Swansea Bay Disability Appeal. This reminds us of John Wesley’s zeal to share the good news of God’s love for all in Jesus and his deep concern for ‘”social holiness”.

The influence of John Wesley and the Methodist movement spread far and wide so this was a very good year for Murton to welcome a young people’s choir from Portugal.

Bishop Sifredo founded the choir when he was minister of the Valdozende church. They thoroughly enjoyed their ”home base” at Murton and were grateful for their warm reception in South Wales. It was a great delight to enjoy and be blessed by both their formal and their spontaneous contribution to our morning service at Murton. I was richly blessed, as I’m sure all were, by sharing in the communion service with Bishop Sifredo. This was a remarkable group of young Methodists and those of us most deeply involved in their visit were inspired and enriched by a wonderful experience of fellowship and love and the grace of God.

Good things can and do happen amongst us. It is a great privilege to be part of the family of God in the Church of Jesus Christ. We must press forward in faith, hope and love and God will shower his blessings on us and keep us in His way.

God bless you all,

Alfred.