THE GRAPEVINE

The Weekly Newsletter of St Teilos Church Bishopston

April 20th 2014 Easter Day

The greatest testimony of the truth of the Christian claims a&out ,esus comes from the changed attitude of the disciples. The men $ho slun' a$ay in despondency and denial $hen ,esus $as arrested, tried, tortured and e ecuted $ere the same men $ho &oldly and fearlessly proclaimed their faith in the risen Christ just a fe$ $ee's after his death. Such $as their conviction that they had met $ith the resurrected ,esus that many of them $ere prepared to die for that &elief. %hy $ould any choose to thro$ their life a$ay if it $as all a &are-faced lie. St /atthe$ descri&es the resurrection in 0uite dramatic, almost cinematic Cecil 1 2e/ille terms" here was a great earth!ua"e; for an angel of the #ord, des$ending fro% hea&en, $a%e and rolled ba$" the stone and sat on it. 'is appearan$e was li"e lightning, and his $lothing white as snow. 3/atthe$ 45.4-67 1ut the veracity of the #esurrection rests not upon Holy$ood-style $hi8-&angs and pyrotechnics. That9s $hat 1ishop 2avid ,en'ins really meant &y his muchmisunderstood assertion that Christ9s #esurrection $as more than just a $on(uring tri$" with bones. The truth of the #esurrection is sho$n in lives that have &een changed &y the po$er of the Spirit that the #isen Christ &e0ueathed to his Church. And far from diminishing over time, the po$er of the #esurrection actually gro$s from one generation to the ne t, as more and more lives are changed and transformed through personal encounter $ith the #isen :ord. So to those $ho thin' that $e live in a sceptical age, ; say this" :oo' around, and see $ith the eyes of faith < and listen $ith the ears of hope to the hundreds of millions of people on this planet $ho today are raising their voices, in a myriad tongues, to proclaim in their o$n particular $ay, that truth encapsulated &y

Message from the Rector

We are an Easter people: And Alleluia is our song! St Augustine of Hippo

or all the many joys and delights of the Christmas season, Easter is the Queen of Festivals for Christians. The Crucifi ion is the ultimate e pression of the love of !od" and the #esurrection is the ultimate e pression of his po$er. %ithout the Cross of Christ and the Empty Tom&, there is no Christian hope for the $orld, or for ourselves. This $as something of $hich the first follo$ers of Christ $ere 'eenly a$are. As St (aul $rites in ) Corinthians )*.)+, If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

St Augustine" We are an Easter people: And Alleluia is our song! )r Andrew

This Week at St Teilos

April 20th (Easter Day) =.>>am 2a$n Communion on Cefn 1ryn, followed by* +.)*am Easter 1rea'fast, Church Hall +with than"s to ,ishopston -others .nion/. 5.6>am Holy Communion, St Teilo9s. ?.6>am Children9s Easter Egg Hunt in Church followed by* )>.>>am (arish Eucharist @ Holy 1aptism, St Teilo9s. 'y%ns: 012, 323, 415, +544/, 465 Anthe%: his 7oyful Eastertide +arr. Charles Wood/ 8oluntary: 'allelu(ah Chorus +'andel/ A.>>pm Easter Cele&ration at Campion !ardens. April 23rd (Easter Wednesday) ?.6>am Holy Communion, St Teilo9s. April 24th (Easter Thursday) 9o #a%plighter Co%%union this wee". April 25th (Easter Friday) +.6>pm (#;S/, %illo$ Court. April 27th (Easter 2: !" #unday) 5.6>am Holy Communion, St Teilo9s. )>.>>am (arish Eucharist @ 2isciples, St Teilo9s. A.>>pm Evening Service at Campion !ardens.

advertised. (lease also help yourself to the Annual #eport 3at the &ac' of Church7.

PCC Elections
The nomination form for those $ishing to stand as mem&ers of the (CC is as the &ac' of church.

Easter Thanks
Than' you to everyone $ho has helped to ma'e our o&servance of Holy %ee' so special once again at St Teilo9s. (articular than's go to the Choir and to Alun our 2irector of /usicB to all the readers and participants in the liturgical drama of Holy %ee'B to the /others9 Cnion for this morning9s Easter 1rea'fast 3much appreciated &y those returning from the 1rynD7B and to those $ho have &eautified our Church $ith splendid floral decorations for this Queen of Festivals. )r Andrew

Electoral Roll
Electoral #oll Forms are availa&le at the &ac' of church for those $ho $ish to join the (arish Electoral #oll. (lease chec' the current Electoral #oll if you are uncertain as to $hether or not you are currently on the #oll.

Lamplighter Stall
The :amplighter stall last Sunday too' E5).=>, and all the Easter eggs held on the stall $ere sold. Fur than's to those mem&ers of the congregation $ho supported the stall < some of you $ere very generous indeed. ,etty 'ughes

Church Noticeboard
Easter Vestry & Annual Report
(lease note this $ill &e held on April 45th at +.6>pm in the Church Hall. (lease note that this is an hour later than previously

Murder Mystery
%e are ta'ing names for our latest Triple F Event, the /urder /ystery Any :ther ,usiness 3or he ;oisoned Chali$e7. Tic'ets are E)> 3this includes a T$o Course /eal7. There will two evening showings, on Friday )=th /ay and

Saturday )+th /ay. Spea' to /i'e %hiffin if you $ant tic'ets.

Smartie Tubes
Fur #$artie %hallen&e 2014 is no$ openD (lease pic' up a Smartie Tu&e from the &ac' of church" eat the smartiesB fill the tu&e $ith 4>p or E) coinsB and return at Harvest-tide in Fcto&er.

Mothers !nion "e#s

The '!"er Deanery Festi(al $ill &e held at St Teilo9s Church on %ednesday 4*th ,une at 4.>>pm. The monthly Eu)harist at St /ary9s S$ansea on Friday Ath ,uly $ill &e the responsi&ility of the !o$er 2eanery. Cynthia

as they $ent do$n the path, and seemingly o&livious to the fact that the final stage of the funeral rites 3i.e. the committal of Ted9s mortal remains at the graveside7 $as ta'ing place just yards a$ay. ;9m also told that at the Church Hall refreshments immediately after the funeral, some people decided to start tuc'ing in &efore the family had arrivedD ; appreciate that many of those attending the funeral $ere from the $ider community, and that church mem&ers themselves may have &een entirely &lameless. Hevertheless, ; hope you $ould agree $ith me that the &ehavior ;9ve descri&ed falls some$hat short of reasona&le e pectation. /uch more positively, can ; say that ;9ve visited !lenys during the past $ee', and she is over$helmed &y the many 'ind messages of support and sympathy she has received, the $onderful turnout at the funeral, and the sensitive $ay in $hich the #ed Gaughan :a'e conducted Ted9s funeral. Altogether, the service $as clearly a fitting tri&ute to a much-loved and much-missed mem&er of our community. )r Andrew

$ates %or $iaries

April 2*th: Easter Gestry, +.6>pm, Church Hall. April 2+th: Community Cinema presents ;hilo%ena, starring ,udi 2ench and Steve Coogan, +.6>pm, Church Hall. ,ay 1st: 1ishopston (CC, +.6>pm, :amplighter 3note" not Church Hall7. ,ay -th: :amplighter Committee, *.6>pm.

&ook o% the 'ospels

The 1oo' of !ospels 3$hich is used most Sundays at our )>.>> (arish Eucharist7 has gone missing. As this $as given in memory of the late ,ohn %atson, $e are very an ious to recover it. ;f you can help us find it, $e $ould &e grateful.

Prayer Corner
*ur Prayers This +eek
Di!)esan %y)le !. /rayer The 2eanery of 1recon. %!$$unity %y)le !. /rayer That all those $ho d$ell $ithin our community, our families @ our friends, may e perience the joy of Fur :ord9s #esurrection. #i)0 1 2eedy !. !ur /arish #hys 2avies, 1ar&ara Steele, 1ert Colderic', Audrey /a$son, Hancy, Hiah, 2enise ,e$ell, /ary /ort, :u'e Everson, Fiona Thomas @ all in need at Campion !ardens.

(uneral Eti)uette
There $as a very impressive attendance for the funeral of the late Ted Coode < no surprise, given Ted9s long involvement in so many aspects of parish and community life. Ho$ever, ;9ve received a num&er of comments 3from $ardens, the funeral director, and others7 a&out the rather e cessive level of inappropriate conversation amongst people leaving the Church, chattering at the church door and

The Departed All those recently departed.

Todays Collect & Readings

lleluia, alleluia. ; am the first and the last, says the :ord, and the living one" ; $as dead, and &ehold ; am alive for evermore. Alleluia3 :isten to the !ospel of Christ according to Saint /atthe$" 'l!ry t! y!u6 7 !rd3

%!lle)t

ord of all life and po$er, $ho through the mighty resurrection of your Son overcame the old order of sin and death to ma'e all things ne$ in him" grant that $e, &eing dead to sin and alive to you in ,esus Christ, may reign $ith him in gloryB to $hom $ith you and the Holy Spirit &e praise and honour, glory and might, no$ and in all eternity. A$en3

First 4eadin&
A reading from the letter of St (aul to the Colossians.

f you have &een raised $ith Christ, see' the things that are a&ove, $here Christ is, seated at the right hand of !od. Set your minds on things that are a&ove, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden $ith Christ in !od. %hen Christ $ho is your life is revealed, then you also $ill &e revealed $ith him in glory. +Colossians 5.<=3/ This is the $ord of the :ord" Than0s 5e t! '!d3

fter the sa&&ath, as the first day of the $ee' $as da$ning, /ary /agdalene and the other /ary $ent to see the tom&. And suddenly there $as a great earth0ua'eB for an angel of the :ord, descending from heaven, came and rolled &ac' the stone and sat on it. His appearance $as li'e lightning, and his clothing $hite as sno$. For fear of him the guards shoo' and &ecame li'e dead men. 1ut the angel said to the $omen, I2o not &e afraidB ; 'no$ that you are loo'ing for ,esus $ho $as crucified. He is not hereB for he has &een raised, as he said. Come, see the place $here he lay. Then go 0uic'ly and tell his disciples, JHe has &een raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to !alileeB there you $ill see him.K This is my message for you.9 So they left the tom& 0uic'ly $ith fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly ,esus met them and said, I!reetingsD9 And they came to him, too' hold of his feet, and $orshipped him. Then ,esus said to them, I2o not &e afraidB go and tell my &rothers to go to !alileeB there they $ill see me.9 +-atthew 0>.<=<6/ This is the !ospel of the :ord" /raise t! y!u6 7 %hrist3

The '!spel
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