Politicians owe it to people to take Convention advice - Archbishop

Welsh political leaders should now commit themselves to making the recommendations of the all-Wales Convention a reality, said the Archbishop of Wales following the publication of its report this week.

The Convention, chaired by Sir Emyr Jones-Parry, recommends holding a referendum on full law-making powers for Wales.

Praising the thoroughness of the report, which examined evidence from people all over Wales, Dr Barry Morgan said, “Following exhaustive study and consultation, the All-Wales Convention has found that the case for making the National Assembly into a proper parliament by granting it primary law-making powers is overwhelming. The example of the Scottish parliament since 1997 has shown the enormous advantage of a having a clear set of powers with the responsibilities at the Westminster and Scottish levels precisely defined.

"Granting primary law-making powers to the Assembly would strengthen Welsh democracy and give us a stable and effective system of government. We could then get on with addressing the needs of the people and communities of Wales by developing practical and distinctively Welsh policies and deliver them effectively, free from the constraints of a complex and frustrating process of transferring powers.

"I believe that Wales's sense of national identity, nationhood and heritage are gifts from God in which we should rejoice and which for Wales would be enhanced with further self-determination. At the same time these gifts that we have been given, the distinctiveness with which we have been marked, are not for ourselves alone but for the enrichment of humanity."

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Rhodri to speak on international Wales

The First Minister of the Welsh Assembly Government Rhodri Morgan will deliver the 36th anniversary lecture of the Welsh Centre for International Affairs next week.

He will be welcomed by the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, who is President of the Centre, and thanked by Sir Emyr Jones Parry, chair of the all-Wales Convention.

The lecture, titled, An Outward Looking Nation, will take place at the Temple of Peace, Cathays Park, Cardiff, on Tuesday, November 17, at 7.30pm.

Mr Morgan said, "In the 10 years of devolution Wales has developed into a more self-assured country with increased confidence in its own capacity to take the right decisions on our own behalf on the domestic agenda. That is why we are now comfortable in our own skins and in turn we are now more confident of the part that we can play in the world. We are now part of a two-way street, in which Wales is increasingly known, recognised and respected throughout the world, and in which Wales is a place to which the world is increasingly welcomed."

Dr Morgan said, "Rhodri Morgan has been an outstanding First Minister who has fought hard on behalf of Wales, whatever the issue. We are delighted to welcome him to the Centre and hear his vision of what Wales can achieve in the international arena."

The Centre’s Director, Stephen Thomas, said, "Rhodri Morgan, during his tenure as First Minister, has ensured that the Welsh Assembly is active on matters beyond a merely domestic agenda – climate change, fair trade, and international development. His legacy in these fields will be a strong one."

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Does religion hate women asks conference

Christians and Muslims will explore their own and each other’s attitudes towards women and children at a joint conference next week.

Two women – one the most senior female cleric in the Church in Wales and the other a Muslim counsellor and academic – will speak about their experiences of faith in today’s world. The Archdeacon of Llandaff, the Ven Peggy Jackson (pictured), and Ameira Bahadur, will ask: does religion hate women?

Meanwhile, attitudes towards young people will be highlighted by Dr Howard Williamson, Professor of European Youth Policy at the University of Glamorgan. He will ask, “Young people – who is excluding whom?”

Following the speakers, the issues will be opened up to round table discussions. The conference is the seventh in a series of special consultations organised by the Church in Wales in partnership with the Muslim Council of Wales, the Welsh Centre for International Affairs and St Deiniol’s Library.

The series is called, Challenges for the Future – Finding a Common Voice. The Revd Canon Robin Morrison, Bishops’ advisor on Church and Society, said it was important the conferences asked awkward questions and tackled controversial issues.

He said, “Attitudes towards women differ not just between faiths but within faiths – from how women dress to what work they can do. This series continues to discuss the difference between central religious beliefs and cultural expressions of those beliefs, some of which can offend. We hope we can help each other cross our own internal divisions on how we treat women by looking at the basic difference between what beliefs are at the heart of faith and what are cultural.”

Saleem Kidwai, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Wales, said, 'Women and children are the backbone of every community and from an Islamic perspective there are more misconceptions about women in Islam than there are about any other issue. Hence it will be interesting for all of us to hear the views and experiences of women themselves.”

The conference takes place at the Futures Inn, Cardiff Bay, on Monday, November 16, 10am-4pm.

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Services to remember Road victims

RoadPeace services will be held in two churches in the diocese of St Asaph on Sunday 15 November.


Services of Remembrance for Road Victims will be held at

• at St Ffraid's Church, Llansantffraid yn Mechain at 3 p.m.
• at St Ffraid's Church, Llansanffraid Glan Conwy at 5 p.m., where the preacher will be the Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Revd Dr Gregory Cameron.

The Revd Christine Owen said, "Here in the Conwy valley there are too many tragic accidents on our roads. This service of music, readings and prayer is a time for those bereaved families and friends to come together to remember their loved ones. During the service, the names of those to be remembered will be read out ad a candle lit for each person remembered. These candles. provided by RoadPeace, are then given to the families."

Further details of the services from the Revd Pam Powell (Powys) 01691 828244 or the Revd Christine Owen (Conwy) 01492 583099

RoadPeace is a national charity established to represent and support bereaved and injured road traffic victims: see www.roadpeace.org.uk

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Church hopes to keep all members says Archbishop

Responding to Pope Benedict XV1’s announcement of an apostolic constitution to create personal ordinariates for Anglicans who convert to Roman Catholicism, the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said:

"This announcement came as a surprise to the Church in Wales and it is unfortunate that it has happened at a time when great efforts are being made by the Archbishop of Canterbury to keep the worldwide Anglican Communion united.

"Within the Church in Wales, as in all churches, there are tensions and disagreements on a range of issues. I recognise that in some cases, these may be so insurmountable that people feel they would be better placed in a different church where they would be able to accept all its doctrines.

"My hope, however, is that, with mutual love and respect and God’s grace, we will all stay together and work through our differences, recognising that what we have in common is far greater than that which would drive us apart.

"In the Church in Wales, the bishops remain committed to maintaining a continuing place for all its members regardless of their position on this or any other issue."

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Historic places of worship conference – November 12

The upkeep and care of historic churches and chapels for now and future generations will be the focus of a conference organised by the Church in Wales this week.

From archaeology and architecture to grants and fund-raising, the conference will explore a variety of issues relevant to historic places of worship. The first of its kind in Wales, it will bring together congregations, architects, government agencies, funding bodies as well as various religious denominations.

The speakers include Professor John Harvey of Aberystwyth University, who will look at the history of Welsh chapels, architectural historian Julian Orbach, who will talk about Victorian churches and Trefor Thorpe, chief architect with Cadw, who will address building maintenance.

The conference will be held on Thursday, November 12, at St Mary’s Priory Centre, Abergavenny. This ancient building is itself a Grade 1 Listed building and has a newly opened Tithe Barn restaurant and exhibition centre.

Alex Glanville, head of property services for the Church in Wales, hopes the conference will become an annual event to allow all those charged with caring for historic places of worship a chance to meet and share experience and information.

He said, “As well as being places of worship churches are vital heritage buildings, often hosting unique collections of art and local history. Two-thirds of those owned by the Church in Wales, for example, are listed buildings. They are managed by local volunteer members of the church congregation who are responsible for maintaining and repairing them. We are custodians of these buildings and need to protect them for future generations to enjoy.The cost, however, is huge and funding is a continual challenge. This conference aims to inspire and inform all those involved in their upkeep.”

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On the move

Revd Canon Dorrien Davies, Vicar, St Dogmaels, Moylegrove & Monnington since 1999 and Canon to St Davids Cathedral, has been appointed Canon Residentiary of St Davids Cathedral & Vicar in the Rectorial Benefice of Dewisland.

He will continue to occupy the Prebendal Stall of Llangan. He will take up his new posts in April 2010.

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MOBI gets a makeover

People get ready. There’s a new bus a-coming. And, if you’re aged 11-25, you don’t need a ticket to get on board.

Plant Dewi, the community development arm in the St Davids Diocese of the Church in Wales, received a grant from Carmarthenshire County Council to fund a new mobile drop-in unit, which was unveiled at Newcastle Emlyn Secondary School (Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn) last Friday ( 6 November).

The ceremony was conducted jointly by the Chairman of Carmarthenshire County Council, Cllr. Tyssul Evans, the Director of Education & Children’s Services, Vernon Morgan, and Rev. Philip Johnes on behalf of Plant Dewi.

Pupils from Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn and from Ysgol Pantycelyn, Llandovery - two of the schools visited by the project - were also present to lend their support.

‘Mobi’, as it’s known, aims to provide young people between the ages of 11-25 years living in isolated, rural communities throughout West Wales with access to youth information, advice and activities. Activities have included self-defence classes, go-karting trips, cooking competitions, DJ workshops, wall climbing and much more.

The new vehicle replaces an older one – a converted horse-box – which has been serving remote villages throughout West Wales since 2002. It is equipped with a host of technological gizmos offering young people a wide range of services and opportunities for learning, or simply having fun.

The new facility will be staffed jointly by Plant Dewi staff and council youth workers. By day, it will visit local schools followed each evening by community-based activities*.

Project Manager Sue Fletcher said: “Mobi acts as a catalyst for community activity and development through a partnership between Plant Dewi and Carmarthenshire County Council’s youth service. The project works with individuals, community groups and organisations to develop sustainable youth projects in rural areas. This work involves training opportunities, fundraising, project promotion and ongoing community support for isolated, remote or vulnerable groups.”

Carys Davies, Plant Dewi Project Worker, said: “The idea for ‘Mobi’ came from the young people themselves. They conducted a research project into what was needed most and this is what they came up with.”

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Church music awards

The contribution of musicians to the life of the church will be recognised by the Archbishop of Wales in an award ceremony this weekend.

Dr Barry Morgan will present the Archbishop of Wales' Awards and Certificates for Church Music at a service at St Woolos' Cathedral, Newport, on Saturday, November 7, at 2pm. The preacher will be the Very Revd Jonathan Lean, Dean of St Davids.

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Three new members of the Order of St Woolos

The Bishop of Monmouth, Rt Revd Dominic Walker OGS, has announced that he is to admit three new members to the Order of St Woolos at a service in Newport Cathedral (which is dedicated to St Woolos) on 7th February 2010 at 6.30pm.

The new members are: Mr John Collier, Dr John Herbert OBE, Miss Jennifer Sollis.

The Order of St Woolos was founded in January 2006 by the Bishop of Monmouth as a way of honouring lay people who have served the diocese with distinction and generosity for many years and have held positions of responsibility within the diocese.

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New Priest-in-charge for St Julian's

The Bishop of Monmouth, Rt Revd Dominic Walker, has announced the appointment of Father Rex Matthias, from the Diocese of St Asaph to be Priest-in-charge of St Julian’s, Newport.

Father Rex is aged 47 and is married to Alison, a Deputy Head Teacher. They have a daughter, Sarah, who is at Cardiff University and a son, David, who will be doing ‘A’ levels next year. Father Rex was ordained in 1994 having previously worked for the Department of Employment dealing with unemployed people and in staff training. For the past eleven years Father Rex has been Rector of Petryal and Betws yn Rhos. He has been Chairman of the Diocesan Liturgical Group and plays the organ. He is currently also a member of the St Asaph College of Spiritual Directors and Warden of Readers.

Welcoming the appointment, Bishop Dominic said: “I am looking forward to welcoming Father Rex Matthias as priest-in-charge of St Julian’s. He has had an outstanding ministry in North Wales where his congregations have grown. I am sure he will enjoy being in Newport and continue the excellent tradition of worship and ministry of spiritual care at St Julian’s.”

Fr Rex says: "I am very much looking forward to becoming part of the Church family at St. Julian's and in the Diocese of Monmouth. It will be a huge change from ministry in rural North Wales but both I and my family are excited by this new challenge".

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Operation Christmas Child

Want to make a child in need dance for joy? It's simple. Wrap, pack and send a shoebox overseas with Operation Christmas Child.

Last year, through Operation Christmas Child, over 1.2 million shoeboxes packed full of gifts and goodies were wrapped, packed and sent to children in disadvantaged situations by children and adults in the UK.

Your family, neighbourhood, school, church or community group can be part of this Christmas miracle in 2009 - discovering the power of a simple gift and reminding a child in need that God loves them and they have not been forgotten.

Ted Bird, area co-ordinator of Operation Christmas Child in Pembrokeshire, said: “The shoeboxes are going to be even more important this year because of the impact of the global recession.

“We are very aware of the effect of the downturn on families here at home, but there are many vulnerable children and orphans we are seeking to support in countries where difficult situations have been made even worse by the recession.

“A family here — or a group of friends or work colleagues — can share the joy of choosing gifts to send to boys or girls who will receive their shoeboxes. It really means something to these children.”

Operation Christmas Child — one of the UK’s largest annual children charity projects — will be accepting shoeboxes up until November 18th before starting transportation and then distribution, for which a £2.50 contribution is requested to help cover costs.

Visit the website www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk, click on ‘Where to take your boxes’ and enter your postcode; this will give the nearest drop-off point where people can take their shoeboxes.

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Concert pianist supports appeal for UK's largest new organ

A talented young concert pianist is helping to raise £1.5m for the largest new cathedral organ to be built in the UK for 40 years.

Daniel Martyn Lewis will perform at a concert on Hallowe'en at Llandaff Cathedral with the City of Cardiff Symphony Orchestra in aid of the cathedral's £1.5m organ appeal. He will play Brahms' monumental Piano Concert no 2 in B-Flat Major.

The new organ, says Daniel, a native Australian who tutors at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Llandaff Cathedral School, will be a "major musical asset to the city of Cardiff".

He said, "The new organ will be magnificent and will establish Llandaff Cathedral as a premiere concert venue, not just in Wales but in the UK. It will be a major musical asset to the city of Cardiff.

"For this concert, though, I shall be playing the Steinway grand in the cathedral. It has a particularly rich and sonorous bass, and a brilliant top end as well. This is utterly perfect for Brahms. The resonant acoustic also suits the spaciousness and grandeur of the music. The work is a titanic romantic masterpiece, being one of the rare concertos to contain four movements instead of the customary three. The slow movement is particularly beautiful, opening with a long romantic cello solo."

Also being performed at the concert, under the direction of conductor Martin McHale, are Beethoven's Overture Leonore No 3 and Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances. And those attending will get to see the historic new organ taking shape in the Cathedral as its 4,870 pipes are carefully put into position. It is expected to be in place and ready by next Spring.

A spokesperson for Llandaff Cathedral said, "We are delighted that Daniel and the City of Cardiff Symphony Orchestra are performing here for our organ appeal. Daniel has already donated proceeds to the appeal when he performed a solo Chopin recital in January, for which he received a standing ovation. I'm sure everyone who comes will enjoy a truly memorable concert."

Donations to the Llandaff Cathedral Organ Appeal can be made online at www.llandaffcathedral.org.uk or sent to: Cathedral Office, Prebendal House, Llandaff, Cardiff, CF5 2LA

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Bishop welcomes WAG to West Wales

The Bishop of St. Davids has welcomed the opening of the new Welsh Assembly Government offices in Aberystwyth.

“It’s vital that the Assembly relates directly to people all over Wales and that they can identify with it,” Bishop Wyn Evans said. “The new complex – in the heart of rural Wales - will make that much easier for people in West and Mid Wales.”

The Bishop said he was particularly pleased that the main focus of the new regional HQ would be rural and countryside affairs.

“The issues facing Welsh farming and society in rural areas are especially acute in West Wales,” he said. “Let us hope that their presence here leads to an even greater understanding on both sides.”

The move was also welcomed Rural Life Adviser, Rev. Eileen Davies, who said:

“This is great news for Ceredigion, the heart of rural Wales. Decentralising from the Welsh Assembly Government in Cardiff ensures that those involved in the field are at first hand, closer to the farmer. Personnel are not only names but faces, communication is personified and better relationships can be formed between all involved in our rural areas.”

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New Monastic Wales Website Launched

On Thursday 15 October 2009, a new website with information about medieval monasteries and nunneries founded in Wales between the coming of the Normans and the Dissolution of 1530s was launched at the University of Wales Lampeter.

The Monastic Wales website went public this week; it is a work in progress and already contains detailed information about individual monastic sites. It is user-friendly and partly interactive, comprising searchable information on more than 50 medieval monastic sites across Wales. For each site, the monastic order, dedications, affiliations, ownership, public access, maps, main events, and important people are detailed, along with a bibliography, images, and links to other websites of relevance. The website is designed to be of use to both academic researchers and the members of the public interested in visiting these important historic sites.

The website has been developed as part of the Monastic Wales Project, a collaboration between Professor Janet Burton of the Research Institute of Archaeology, History & Anthropology at the University of Wales Lampeter and Dr Karen Stöber of the Department of History & Welsh History at Aberystwyth University.

The launch was attended by academics from across the UK and took place in the Roderic Bowen Library where select items from the University’s unique collection of medieval manuscripts, including a bible dating from 1279, and items relevant to both medieval Wales were displayed.

Dr Medwin Hughes, Vice Chancellor of the University of Wales Lampeter, said during the launch that “The Monastic Wales Project is an example of the University’s best scholarship and the potential of this research is immense.”

The Monastic Wales Project has been funded by the Research Infrastructure Fund at the University of Wales Lampeter and the Marc Fitch Fund. The website was designed by Martin Crampin of the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies, the database developed by Nigel Callaghan of Technoleg Taliesin Cyf. and research undertaken by Dr Julie Kerr, University of St Andrews.

It is hoped that in the near future the website will also be available in a Welsh language version. The site is designed to allow continual updates as further material becomes available, and users are encouraged to contribute relevant information and to use it as a record of work in progress. Scholars will be invited to contribute essays, articles and short surveys on various aspects of Wales’s monastic history. An educational version for use by schools is also being considered.

The launch was accompanied by an introduction to the Strata Florida Project website, a detailed exploration of the history, archaeology, and artistic development of this iconic medieval site.

The Monastic Wales website can be accessed at www.monasticwales.org and the Strata Florida website at www.strataflorida.org.

Photograph: Dr Karen Stöber and Prof Janey Burton, Dorectors of the Monastic Wales Project.

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Rhiannon comes home to run Plant Dewi shop

There’s a new face behind the counter of one of Carmarthen’s best-known charity shops.

But Rhiannon Mitchell, who has been appointed Manager of the Plant Dewi shop in King Street, is no stranger to the town.

Born in Carmarthen and educated at Ysgol Bro Myrddin, she has spent the last few years living and working in Suffolk, where she helped run a chain of charity shops for the Ipswich-based St Elizabeth’s Hospice.

“Rhiannon brings with her a wealth of experience in charity retail,” Plant Dewi Project Manager, Sue Fletcher, said: "And we are delighted to welcome her as the new manager of our shop. We hope that the local community will continue to support us as they have done so magnificently in the past."

Rhiannon’s impact is already being felt. The shop window has been brightened with new lighting and a hessian floor and inside displays show off the goods to their best effect. The shop sells a wide variety of donated items including men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, bric-a-brac, toys, DVDs and books.

The shop raises vital funds while also increasing awareness of the services Plant Dewi offers to children, young people and their families in the area.

Shop manager Rhiannon said: “We are very lucky to have a good customer base and so many people who support us. We have a core of twenty volunteers and I’m really excited about working with them and we are hoping to recruit new volunteers to strengthen our team.”

Archdeacon Alun Evans, Chair of the St Davids Diocesan Council for Social Responsibility, commented: “We are very pleased with Rhiannon’s appointment as shop manager which is in such a good location at the heart of a lively and supportive community. Building on hard work done over the years, we look forward to the shop going from strength to strength.”

The shop is open from 9.30 am until 4 pm Monday to Saturday and more volunteers are welcome with no experience necessary. To volunteer in the shop for whatever amount of time you are able to give or to donate goods please pop in and speak to Rhiannon or telephone her on 01267 238408.

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Give a candle for Advent

That's the advice from the Christian Mission Society.

CMS has produced a free resource pack, Share The Light, which invites churches and congregations to reach out to their communities through the gift of candles, and by inviting friends to attend a special Advent service.

The pack includes free worship resources - including readings, prayers, carols and candles - which can be downloaded here.

For more information, email Phil Evans at CMS or call 01865.787515.

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Archbishop attends the Porvoo Communion in Finland

The challenge of keeping the Anglican church united was outlined by the Archbishop of Wales at an international meeting of church leaders in Finland this week.

Dr Barry Morgan talked about the complexities of finding consensus over issues such as human sexuality at the meeting of primates and presiding bishops of the Porvoo Communion.

Members of the Porvoo Communion meet every other year to discuss matters of common interest. This year the meeting was held in the historic city of Porvoo, which gives its name to this communion of Anglican and Lutheran churches in several European Countries.

Also on the agenda were other Common challenges in the Porvoo churches, including the impact of climate change, the current economic crises, and the question of the responsibilities and privileges of being in communion.

The Norwegian presiding bishop, the Rt. Revd Olav Skjevesland gave a presentation on climate change and its impact on the world’s economy, especially its detrimental effects in many of the developing countries. He also shared the resolution of the Church of Norway to enter into a process of ecological reform on all levels of church life.

The bishops welcomed a presentation from a Lutheran and an Anglican from Finland on how communion can work in practical ways. Rev. Dr. Tomi Karttunen gave an overview of how the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland has worked for many years with immigrant churches and how the Anglican Diocese in Europe has contributed to the enrichment of the life and worship of the Lutheran Church. Rev. Rupert Moreton, local Anglican chaplain of the Diocese in Europe, gave a moving description of worship in an Anglican Sudanese congregation in northern Finland and challenged the bishops to look at diaspora congregations in the light of diverse patterns of migration. The bishops called for a consultation on diaspora communities in the Porvoo context.

The bishops recommended that further work needed to be done on how the Porvoo churches, as churches in communion, should consult with one another about decisions that would have communion wide consequences.

The Porvoo Communion is a communion of churches, mostly in Northern Europe, that have signed a declaration to “share a common life in mission and service”. The churches that signed the agreement are The Evangelical-Lutheran Churches of Estonia, Lithuania, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland and the Anglican churches of Wales, Ireland, Scotland and England. Two churches from Southern Europe also belong to the Porvoo Communion. They are the Lusitanian Church in Portugal and the Reformed Episcopal Church of Spain. The Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Denmark and Latvia have observer status.

Dr Morgan said, “The Porvoo Communion brings together people from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds to celebrate what we all have in common. It is a chance to address important areas of common concern and be inspired by new and imaginative ways forward."

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Pigs, cows and waterpumps - Harvest collections go global

Standfirst: It’s Harvest time of year but you can leave your box of carrots and tinned peas at home. Today’s congregations are more likely to be donating pigs, sponsoring cows and paying for water pumps in developing countries as part of their thanksgiving, writes the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, Rt Rev John Davies.

Whether set in rolling countryside, in the suburbs or in towns and cities, many places of Christian worship will, at this time of year observe Harvest Thanksgiving. Buildings will be filled with evocative smells of flowers, fruit and vegetables and many a specially baked harvest loaf will be take pride of place.

It’s the time of year when Christians celebrate the fruits of the natural world around us and give thanks to God for the wonders, the fruitfulness and the potential of creation. Tied into the agricultural calendar it falls during these weeks of late summer, early autumn, when farmers have just reaped the rewards of their hard work during the year to provide food for us all. It reminds us of our rural roots and the rhythm of the year’s seasons.

Despite the hold which Harvest has on the minds and hearts of many, it is, in fact, of comparatively recent origin. Harvest Thanksgiving in any formal sense only came into existence as recently as the mid 19th century. Sadly a deal of romanticism surrounds a number of the hymns associated with it, not least in ‘We plough the fields and scatter’, a hymn which, if missing from a traditional harvest service, leaves, for many an unfilled void!

While it is fundamentally important to recognise good things around us and give thanks for them, we need, however, always to do so in a grown-up and meaningful way. For many churches these days that means looking beyond the cosy image of an unflustered, plentiful, rural British idyll to the reality of a painful, troubled environment in which many people in the world struggle to survive.

The words of the famous Harvest hymn are worryingly innocent and present an image of God which causes me a problem. They suggest that he seems to choose to feed and water the seed, to send snow in winter, warmth in spring and soft, refreshing rain. This is, the words continue, the same God whom the winds and waves obey and who gives, to his children, their daily bread. It’s a familiar image, comforting even, but, I suspect, a bit alien and confusing to those whose parched lands yield no harvest, whose skies rain down no refreshment but instead constantly produce a scorching, killing heat. Look at Ethiopia again. It’s a damaging image too for those whose livelihoods, homes and loved ones may have been swept away by the waters of a storm-driven flood. Look at the Phillipines this last week. What do the words say to those who have no daily bread? That they are not God’s children? Surely not. This odd image is not true to the God revealed by and personified in Jesus of Nazareth.

So what are to make of Harvest observance? One of the prayers associated with it gives a clear steer. It encourages us to recognise God’s hand in the created order, but goes on to ask that our thanksgiving is characterised and worked out by a determination to use the goodness which we enjoy for the relief of the needs of others.

This is why more and more churches are celebrating Harvest by sharing their wealth with those of our global neighbours who most urgently need it. They are asking their congregations not to bring boxes of fresh food and tins to the altar but envelopes with money for charities working in developing countries where people face starvation if their harvest fails. They are being asked, for example, to donate a pig to the USPG: Anglicans in World Mission pig farming project in Ghana, or pay for taps and pumps to help WaterAid bring clean water supplies to villages, or help Christian Aid transform barren land in drought-hit India into fertile pasture.

As the world around us more starkly and alarmingly reflects its own fragility and as we move restlessly closer to the tipping point beyond which damage to the environment cannot be repaired, a state of affairs looms which could genuinely render Harvest a thing of the past in many parts of the world. A frightening scenario such as this must be at the forefront of the minds of world leaders at the forthcoming Copenhagen conference on climate change.

So, perhaps, we are being called to repackage Harvest, to sing our familiar hymns with wide open eyes and wide open minds which recognise the huge amount of goodness around us and which hear the call to work for its fairer sharing. Surely we are also being called to see and understand the fragility of the planet from which that goodness springs and the damage which we continue to do to it.

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Canterbury Choirboys Tour the Rhondda

More than 500 people packed into St Anne's Church, Ynyshir, on a Tuesday night for a unique musical experience showcasing young talent at its best from two very different worlds.

Canterbury choirboys swapped the grandeur of their famous cathedral for the evening to join the choir of Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llwyncelyn in the more modest setting of the village church. Both choirs delighted the audience with a range of songs, sacred and secular, ancient and modern. There were also individual performances by the youngsters, who, despite their youth, showed no nerves singing solos and playing instruments in front of such a large crowd, which included the Rhondda Mayor and Mayoress, Robert and Margaret Smith, and the deputy Lord Lieutenant of Mid Glamorgan, Roy Noble.

The concert was a ‘Music in the Community’ initiative, organised by the vicar of Ynyshir, Fr Paul Bigmore. It followed a concert last September when Fr Paul took the choir of Ysgol Llwyncelyn - along with other singers, an orchestra and an Archbishop - to Canterbury Cathedral to celebrate the 10th birthday of Music in the Community.

Fr Paul said, "The concert on Tuesday night can only be described as Heaven on Earth - everyone who attended was transfixed by the talent of all the youngsters. A great band of friendship has been formed between Canterbury and the Rhondda now which we are determined to nurture. That's the wonderful thing about music - it transforms communities, builds bridges to bring people together and opens the doors to friendships. I am very grateful to everyone who made the evening so brilliant."

The following morning, the 18 choir boys, all aged 8-13, visited Ysgol Llwyncelyn for a short service. They sang an anthem and the school choir sang The Lord's Prayer in Welsh. Then both choirs went off to the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, for a tour of Wales' "cathedral of sport".

Dr David Flood, Master of Music at Canterbury Cathedral and choirmaster said, “Visiting the Rhondda Valley with the choristers for the very first time was a real joy. The boys were able to make many new friends and to share some of their music with other music-loving people. It was a real joy to hear the children from the Ysgol Llwyncelyn and to renew our contact with their so-dedicated staff. The more we can make music alive in any community, the better life is for everyone. The spirit of celebration and cooperation at the concert was really wonderful. Our congratulations to Father Paul Bigmore for his energy and determination which made this occasion possible. We look forward to future occasions when we can celebrate and enlarge the links with “our” Archbishop’s homeland.”

Gavin Ashcroft, music teacher at Ysgol Llwyncelyn, said it was an experience his pupils would never forget. He said, “It was a very memorable occasion which our pupils will have with them for the rest of their lives. The two choirs were worlds apart as the Canterbury choristers sing constantly and are technically perfect, like professionals, whereas we sing for fun. But it was lovely to see them getting on together and having fun.”

Guy Steed, 13, who has been a Canterbury chorister for five years, said the trip had been great fun. "We were excited about coming here because our Archbishop is Welsh. Although St Anne's is a much smaller church than the one we're used to, it's very pretty and the acoustics are really good."

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