On behalf of our Church, we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the King and other members of the Royal family on the death of Her Majesty the Queen.

We thank God for her life, which was spent in service and duty to the nations of the UK. She was a constant presence in our lives, as the only Monarch that many of us will have known.

We acknowledge with gratitude her Christian faith, which was a cornerstone to a dedicated life of service.

We hold the King and all members of the Royal family in our prayers, in their grief and loss, and we thank God for her trust in Jesus Christ, and her devotion to the church.

The General Assembly

Almighty God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, we bless you for your love and mercy towards us.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Thomas Ken, 1637-1711

We pray especially this week for the General Assembly in Salem, Canton, Cardiff, asking for your blessing on the Moderator, the General Secretary, our guests, the Officers, the Office staff, the lecturers, those who take the services, the church which is welcoming us, and everyone who is part of the Assembly. As we emerge from the shadow of the pandemic, we give thanks for the opportunity to meet face to face once again and at the same time for the technology that enables some of us to continue joining the meetings virtually.

Be with us, good Jesus;

and sanctify our fellowship.

(W. Rhys Nicholas, 1914-96)

We ask for your strength and your light so that all that is discussed and all that is decided will be acceptable in your sight, for the extension of your kingdom, and to the glory of your name.

We give thanks for your Church throughout the world, praying that her mission will succeed and that her work will flourish.

We bring to you the Presbyterian Church of Wales, praying earnestly for your blessing on her, so that her testimony will be effective and her life a reflection of your love.

We pray especially for those who are unwell, for families who have lost loved ones, and for those who are in hospital and care homes. Watch over every household, and through your Holy Spirit reach beyond our limitations to bring comfort and hope, faith and renewal.

We pray these things in the name of and through the merits of

Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

When our chapel buildings were forced to close during the pandemic, like many others, the PCW’s London congregations met and worshiped over Zoom. There are disadvantages, of course, in a virtual meeting, but one of the huge advantages was that geography was no longer an obstacle to worshiping together. Old friends from New York, Canada, Cardiff and Tregaron regularly joined us. London congregations have a strong connection to Tregaron, with many from the area, and still have family there. Members of Caron’s pastorate took part in our services. They also joined us for our Social meetings, and we joined them for ‘The Gang’ social events. When the Eisteddfod was finally held in Tregaron after a wait of 2 years, it only seemed appropriate for us to have a face-to-face reunion with our fellow worshippers. On Thursday afternoon, we met in the Churches Together tent, and enjoyed fellowship there before going together to Soar y Mynydd for a Communion service under the direction of the two Ministers, the Revd Richard Brunt and the Revd Carwyn Arthur, with members of both pastorates taking part.

Father God, we thank you for every opportunity to come together in fellowship with our fellow Christians to worship your Holy Name. We pray for our brothers and sisters worldwide, for no matter the geography and differences in culture, we have You in common. You sent Your one and only Son to live amongst us, to be sacrificed so that we can enjoy the eternal life that you have prepared for us. You sent him for each and every one of us without fear or favour and we thank you that we are part of your church family. A family that is bigger than any building, bigger than any race or country, and despite all our differences, one that has you as the Head.

Amen

Special Day

It’s holiday time, and, following a time of not being able to travel far, especially overseas, there is a great deal of activity, people going on holiday, near and far away.

Do you remember where you were on 24 June 1995? Well, Miriam and I were in a hotel i Aqaba, the outside temperature being 44C. On that very day the Rugby World Cup Final was being held in Johannesburg. But that was not why we went to Jordan. As preparation for leading pilgrims from Wales to Israel and Jordan in 1996 we were driven by Mohammed in a luxuriuous taxi, beginning from Aman with Aqaba being the final port of call.

During the journey we spent a lot of time with Mohammed and had some interesting and revealing conversations. One evening I asked him how many days of holiday he would have annually. He replied 52. Calculating that he got more that seven weeks holiday was no mean surprise. Then he explained that he got one day a week holiday; Friday was his holiday, or really ‘holy day’, which is the root of our ‘holiday’.

Don’t we also get 52 days holidays or holy days every year? Isn’t that what Sunday is? A day of rest from daily duties.

As well as enjoying a break of one or two weeks during the summer, enjouy the other 52 days o holidays you get this year.

Reading. Exodus 20 vv 8-11

Prayer.

We turn to you, O Lord our God, who created everything in six days and rested on the seventh day. You ask us to keep one day special each week, and since when Jesus ros from the grave your people have kept he first day of the weel as that special day. In your wisdom you call upon us to rest, as you did in the beginning. Help us to count our blesssing and give to you our praise and thanks. Thank you Lord. Amen.

Next to the tent was the Bible Society’s contemplative garden based on the 23rd Psalm, a version of which had appeared in the Chelsea flower show. ‘Eisteddfodwyr’ were invited to sit in the garden and contemplate the 23rd Psalm, what it tells us, and how this makes us feel.

Father God.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I will not want. Thank you for this beautiful promise of providing everything possible that is required by those who follow you.

Thank you for being a constant guide in our lives, showing us all the best path, assuring us that if we follow that path, it will give us all the best things.

In the last few years, we really have been through the darkest valley, where we have faced loneliness, despair, fear and threat. We were apart from loved ones, confined in our homes, not being able to meet friends or family. Great losses were faced in isolation, without support of our communities. Thank you for leading us through these dark times.

You prepare a table before us, and we thank you for providing everything that we need. We thank you for all the key workers who put themselves at risk to keep us all safe during this difficult time. We thank you for science, and for providing a vaccine so that the dreadful effects of the virus are not so severe and that we can go back to our lives.

We thank you that, coming out of the pandemic, we are safe in the knowledge that your goodness and love will follow us all the days of our lives.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen

You can learn more about the garden from the Bible Society here: https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/psalm-23/