The Grapevine Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8)
Welcome ..………………….…………….....................4 School of Sanctuary………...…………………….......5 Everything Black and White?....……………………..6 Aleppo: The Pleasure of the Eyes....……................8 Persecuted Christians...…………….……...............10 Angel in a Van…………………....……………..........12 Being Curious ………………….……………….........14 Miraculous Medal……..…......……………………….16 Victory in Survival …...………………………...........17 UK Christian Project.……………….........................18 Bible in 4 Minutes……………………………………..19 Faith Hope & Love “I am the vine; you are the branches” (John 15:5)
light on the Church in the 21st Century A picture containing icon Description automatically generated EDITORIAL TEAM: General contact & news stories: grapevinepublication@gmail.com Editor: Phil Burkhard philipburkhard63@gmail.com Christ The King: Justin McCarthy jpmccarthy@btinternet.com St. Brigid’s: vacant St. Paul’s: Madeleine Jeremy mj@madeleinejeremy.com Youth: Tom Hobbs ThomasHuwHobbs26@gmail.com Community: Emelyne Burkhard emelyne@hotmail.co.uk
Everyone Welcome to the 6th issue of The Grapevine! This is produced by the 3 Churches in North Cardiff with contributors and an audience from the wider community – both near and far. The content reflects ‘faith, hope and love’, in the 21st century. Church is more than a building; it’s a community & it’s people. One body in Christ. The world we live in is crying out for peace: e.g. Gaza & Israel; Ukraine & Russia; parts of Africa, and closer to home. This issue calls for greater unity and taps into videos, poems, podcasts, your curiosity and answered prayer. Contact us: grapevinepublication@gmail.com Prior issues are on: www.3churches.org or enjoy reading and sharing via the QR code. Free Church/Ministry Resources A picture containing icon Description automatically generated Through the Roof This is a charity that works to transform lives through Jesus with disabled people and communities globally. It offers international ministries, accessible holidays, disability awareness and UK Church inclusion. Discover more by clicking on the video or on: www.throughtheroof.org
Sanctuary Susan Miles, Headteacher of Christ the We want them to feel part of a nurturing, King RC Primary School, Cardiff, wrote, warm community that includes all and last year, of a special Welcome Mass displays God’s love . This welcome had and that the school had been awarded a an even more special significance ‘School of Sanctuary’ status. Both as the school had been awarded ‘School events are still relevant given our often of Sanctuary’ status (click for info.). This uncaring and divisive world… award works to build a movement of welcome in the UK, standing in solidarity We celebrated our Welcome Mass last with people seeking safety. We want a year which proved to be a fantastic school where people seeking sanctuary occasion. The Mass was made even feel safe and have a sense of belonging. more special as it was celebrated by They are able to thrive and succeed and Archbishop Mark O’Toole assisted their voices are centred and heard. This is by Canon Matthew Jones and Fr Andy aligned with our Catholic Social Teaching Bord . The singing from the children and and the principles of dignity, common the congregation was excellent as were good , solidarity and subsidiarity. all the ministries . Our two new altar servers were led by an ex-pupil, who had come from Corpus Christi. The singing was beautifully accompanied on the piano by Mrs Mary Affley and Year 6 led the way with maturity and grace. Archbishop Mark toured the school. He The Welcome Mass is always a spoke to our young learners about his wonderful time to welcome new vocation, and they asked thoughtful members of the community questions. It was a special visit and time into Christ the King School. that we will all remember.
Ian Shelley of Vineyard Church, Cardiff From my own church tradition, I was writes…Several years ago, my wife and I drawn to reflect on Jesus as the main visited Nazareth in the Galilee region of focus of these icons. What do you think Israel. We arrived on a Sunday when of when you encounter the name almost everything was closed yet in the ‘Jesus’? Some believe he is black, others dimly lit streets, on a quiet winter’s eve, white; for some he has lighter skin and we found something incredible. Before us others darker. Does it matter? was ‘The Basilica of the Annunciation’, a Catholic church celebrating the angel Many of us perceive Jesus through our Gabriel’s message to Mary about her own ‘cultural lenses’. Through these, we virgin birth - Jesus, the Light of God, might imagine Jesus very differently coming into the world (Luke 1; John 1). (carrying with it a mixed blessing)! As we looked around, we saw: an Asian mosaic of ‘Madonna and Child’ from Japan; a South American depiction involving Colombian national clothes; also, a white mother holding her child. We continued to reflect on many more diverse mosaics before arriving at the Ethiopian Entering the church building, we portrait of a black Jesus and Mary. There, discovered mosaics from a diverse I paused to consider how a black multitude of countries offering different Ethiopian Orthodox believer might cultural and artistic impressions of the perceive Jesus and Mary and what same ‘Madonnas’: portrayals of Mother significance could this have for me as Mary and Baby Jesus. a white Western Christian?’
I recalled themes of dignity and heritage Ultimately, I’m sure we agree that when found in further artwork from Ethiopia and Jesus walked the Earth he was a Jewish how these connected with this scene. I man, born in Bethlehem (modern-day also contemplated Jesus’ ancient Palestine), raised in Egypt (Africa), Ethiopian name (translated roughly as growing up in Nazareth (Israel) and so he ‘Lord of tribe and nation’). I imagined how, was from those exact places in time. For through this cultural lens, Jesus was me, this is the most helpful way to imagine perceived as the one who’d led African Christ when I converse with him. tribes and nations with power and authority - while, in contrast, he also came And yet, as verified through the virgin to us as a vulnerable baby (Philippians 2). birth, Jesus is more than a mere human: Considering differing feelings about the He is not created in our image – rather, countries represented here, I also Jesus created us in his image. Therefore, reflected on conflicts and division due to everyone from every tribe and tongue, in ‘tribalism’ today – wondering what Jesus, all their diversity, bears something of the the Prince of Peace, might say or do. image of Christ Jesus. I remembered that Jesus: meets people where they are (Luke 24); is accessible to everyone (Mark 8); engages with them, knowing the language and cultures they’d understand (John 4), honouring and redeeming every believer to be who they When all of God’s children gather together, like pieces of a mosaic, then we will see more of God’s image revealed through his unified Church. were always intended to be (Psalm 139) in the exact times, places and situations in And so, how do YOU love those who look, which they live (Acts 17)! speak or think differently to you?
Syria has been in the news recently with the fall of the Assad regime in December. Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia, located on the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Turkey. Iraq, Jordan, Israel and Lebanon. Ahmed the Armenian Young and handsome Of the 25m population, the major ethnic Lounged against ancient iron-bound groups are: Arabs (90%), Kurds (9%), doors Armenians, Circassians and Turkomans. In the very centre of the souk The main religious groups are: Sunni In Aleppo, in the dim heat that day, Muslims (74%), Alawis (12%), Christinas Waiting for tourists to entrap. (10%), Druze (3%) and small numbers of other Muslim sects, Jews and Yazidis. Snap! He saw us coming! Wandering past vegetables and fresh It was into this melting pot that Linda fruit, herbs and multi-coloured spices, Slater, a relatively new parishioner at Drugged by the moment. Christ the King Church, North Cardiff, Come to my shop,” he said. “I show you and mother of Naomi Goodwin, went to jewels. Good price. No hassle.” Syria, with her husband, in 2009. The Of course, we argued. poem below records a real incident “We’re not buying,” we said, during a perfect day in Aleppo but is also about memory. Civil War followed and during the Battle of Aleppo between 2012 and 2016 much of the old town was destroyed...
“We’re not interested; we don’t need A port city stranded inland. jewellery.” Its account books survive, our “Then come,” he said, “for the pleasure Famous Archive of their civilisation. of the eyes.” A few chairs in the shade serve as a And how could we resist? café for the few tourists. The shop, cell-like, And so, I own a pale moonstone He flung open to display its treasures. memento with a maybe silver tag He gave us his full attention engraved with possibly the oldest And diamonds, emeralds alphabet in the world, from that other To touch and hold, cold in the hand lost civilisation. Pouring through the fingers, I wear it sometimes, vivid, exotic, enticing Beyond our price. Its warm beads And, of course, we bought Caress my neck like a memory. a little necklace of pale moonstone “What a pretty necklace,” they say. beads with a silver tag, “It came from Aleppo,” I say- Engraved, he said, with the Ugarit From a shop now lost alphabet, the oldest in the world. Under a mound of rubble. …Ugarit tugs at my memory now And where is Ahmed now? – a mound, behind a triangular tunnel entrance, Chunky outlines of ancient buildings bedded in turf. A whole Bronze Age city Silted with the sand of millennia. Free image Wallpaperaccess.com
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