God is love
What a great title to be given by today’s reflection-writer, Ros Hughes, as she ends our week in the way we started – singing! Her reflection helps us to use the words of a famous hymn as today’s prayer.
We have indeed seen lots of indications of God’s love working through His people in this eighth week of lockdown: Christian Aid Week, and we thank many of our community who have donated generously to the Conwy Christian Aid Appeal.
… and just a few notices …
Congratulations will be in order for these two ladies in the coming week who celebrate their 90th birthdays: Margaret Wicklen (Llanbedr-y-Cennin) on Sunday 17th May and Daphne Jones (Conwy) on Saturday 23rd May.
Sunday Service
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The hope of sunrise photo by Marc Hughes
‘Worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness;
tremble before him all the earth.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures for ever!’
Verses 29,30 and 34 from David’s Song of Thanks in 1 Chronicles 16
‘Ymgrymwch I’r Arglwydd yn ysblander ei sancteiddrwydd.
Crynwch o’I flaen, yr holl ddaear.
Diolchwch I’r Aglwydd, oherwydd da yw,
ac y mae ei gariad hyd byth.’
Adnodou 29, 30 a 34 o Emyn o Fawl yn 1 Cronicl 16
Ros Hughes writes:
Through the wonders of modern technology, we are able to be aware of joining together throughout our world as a ‘fellowship in Christ’ – this is such a blessing. On one of the online services we ‘attended’ last Sunday, was a ‘Podcast Service’ from our son’s Church in Cardiff and we sang a very beautiful and familiar hymn – ‘God is love, let heaven adore him’. This well known hymn (you can hear by clicking here) suddenly took on a whole new meaning within our present situation, so I felt the need to pen some simple thoughts and reflections on this.
God is Love: let earth rejoice;
let creation sing before him,
and exalt him with one voice.
He who laid the earth’s foundation,
he who spread the heavens above,
he who breathes through all creation
he is Love, eternal Love.
all the world in one embrace;
with unfailing grasp he holds us
every child of every race.
And when human hearts are breaking
under sorrow’s iron rod,
then they find that self-same aching
deep within the heart of God.
sin afflicts the souls of all,
God’s eternal loving-kindness
holds and guides us when we fall.
Sin and death and hell shall never
o’er us final triumph gain;
God is Love, so Love for ever
o’er the universe must reign.
And so, incredibly, this hymn, from the beginning to the end, gives us a picture of a God of Love with a focus from heaven – to earth – to the depths of our hearts and souls – then back to the wonder of an Almighty God of the universe. Perhaps it is because the words of this hymn are so encompassing, that they have been so widely used to help us praise our truly powerful God of Love and they can reassure us with hope in our present time.
A Welsh translation of the hymn, that can be sung to the tune LUX EIO:
Duw sydd gariad, moled nef,
boed i’r holl greadigaeth eilio
can o fawl i’w enw ef;
hwn osododd seiliau’r ddaear
ac a daenodd dir a mor,
anadl pob creadur ydyw,
gariad bythol, Duw ein Ior.
wledydd byd yn dirion Dad;
cynnal wna rhwng breichiau diogel
blant pob hil a llwyth a gwlad:
a phan dyr calonnau dynion
o dan feichiau blinder byw
dont o hyd i’r unfath boenau
yn nyfnderoedd calon Duw.
Duw sydd gariad, er bod dynion
a’u calonnau’n gwbwl ddall;
gwared Duw drwy dragwyddoldeb
blant y ffydd rhag pyrth y fall:
arnom ni chaiff angau’r trechaf
na chrafangau pechod fyth:
cariad ydyw Duw , a’i gariad
fo’n teyrnasu yn ddi-lyth.
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