There are also many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down I do not suppose the world could hold the number of books needed to record them.  John 21: 25

Dear Friends,

At Easter, perhaps more than any other season of the Christian year, we notice the differences between the four gospels. It’s not surprising. The writers each have distinctive priorities, and the communities to whom they are writing are different, too. But have you ever compared the endings of the four gospels?

Mark’s gospel finishes abruptly at the tomb. Matthew and Luke end theirs with an overt Commission. John, as we might have come to expect, leaves the loose ends untied and offers instead this cheeky nod to the many untold stories of Jesus. John could say more but is choosing not to. This not-so-subtle hint dangles in front of us like the proverbial carrot even two thousand years after the fact. Intriguing. Frustrating. Just beyond reach.

Like children attempting to avoid the inevitable bedtime we might cry out for just one more page – one more story – only to find John telling us gently but firmly that we’ve heard enough. This gospel was never intended as an account of Jesus’ life and ministry but an essay on discipleship. That essay has now concluded.

‘Listen,’ says John. ‘There’s so much more to Jesus than you can read here. More than you could ever understand – enough to cover the whole world and then some! But you’ve heard everything you need to fulfil God’s mission. Go and discover the rest for yourself.’

John reminds his readers that the Jesus Story extends beyond the gospels and beyond the time and places in which Jesus lived and preached. Perhaps the ‘much more’ is still unfolding even today. Perhaps the endless books to which John refers are for us to write, not on paper but on the world around us.

What do you think?

Love and blessings,

Laura

Dear Friends,

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures and said to them, ‘Thus it was written that the Christ was to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day. Repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things…’ Luke 24: 43-48

The disciples are now primed and ready to take on the world, or so they think. Surely this is all building to a massive crescendo – a spectacular sending out. But Jesus has one more surprise in store:  ‘You must remain in the city,’ says Jesus. ‘Something’s coming, but you have to wait.’ The balloon of excitement deflates somewhat.

I wonder how they took this news. Did James and John, nicknamed ‘Sons of Thunder’ by their friend and Saviour, endlessly speculate or make plans for a future they could not foresee?  Did Martha cook endless pots of stew and clean the fireplace until it sparkled in an effort to keep busy? Did Peter consider how to ‘shepherd the sheep’ from a city whose leaders must have suspected him? Imagine Philip and Andrew, always on the lookout for people who needed Jesus most, having to sit and wait. How would you have passed the time?

The story is in motion but the Eternal Hand is slow to turn the page revealing the next chapter. Perhaps you can empathise. Are there areas of your personal, church or community life where you sense God is moving? Perhaps an individual, project or situation has been in your prayers for a long time and progress is slow.

The temptation, of course, is to hurry things along a bit – not meaning to second-guess God, just wanting to see the Kingdom come quicker and in the manner we expect. Without Jesus’ warning to stay in Jerusalem the disciples might have separated, dashing off to their various homes and jobs. Worse, they could have gone blundering on, attempting to minister alone. They do have form for that. Remember their inability to cast out the demon in Matthew 17: 14-20?

None of us, however capable, are called to serve God in our own strength. That can mean taking God’s time, not our own.

Love and blessings,

Laura.                                                                                                                            

Dear Friends,

Writers in the Celtic Tradition have a lot to say about ‘thin places’. I’ve written about them before. Places where the gap between heaven and earth becomes fuzzy and we catch a glimpse of the other side. Today I find myself sitting by the window on the fourth floor of Central Library.

And, unlikely as it may seem, this for me is a ‘thin place.’

The street below is, of course, what many of us would know as ‘The Hayes’. Funny. In my head it’s not that long ago that all this, including the building in which I’m sitting, wasn’t there at all. My grandparents, big fans of David Morgans, wouldn’t recognise the place, but I remember happily swinging off my nan’s hand as she picked out anything from a sofa to a frying pan. Today, The big St. David’s shopping centre takes up most of the skyline although, if I crane my neck a bit I can just about see John Lewis. I remember returning to Cardiff one summer to find we’d acquired a John Lewis – it was the talk of the church coffee morning!

These days this particular table is one of my favourite spots on a study day. It’s pretty much the ideal spot for writing and thinking. A bit out of the way, quiet, and with a really good view down onto the street – useful for people-watching purposes. A reminder of just how many people wander through central Cardiff on any given day. Each of them with a story to tell. Each of them known and loved by God.

I will probably sit here all day. If I’m going to finish my current essay I might have to!

It’s an unlikely ‘thin place’ but for me it links present with past and future, with God woven through the tapestry in strange by powerful ways.

Jesus spent much of his time in the days leading up to the crucifixion in a small town a couple of miles from Jerusalem, called Bethany. He and the disciples probably stayed with – or at least spent time with, Mary, Martha and Lazarus – long-time friends with whom Jesus could relax, to whose home he could retreat and prepare himself for the storm that was brewing in Jerusalem. Bethany was familiar and full of memories, some happy, some bittersweet. I don’t know but maybe, as he faced the cross, it was somewhere Jesus felt he could hear more clearly from his Father in Heaven.

You may not share my fondness for The Hayes or the library, but I hope this Lent you can make time to retreat to your ‘thin place’ to connect with God and with the work of God in God’s people.

Love and blessings,                

Laura                                                  

Dear Friends,

The number 40 is of special significance in the Jewish-Christian Scriptures: Genesis tells of a 40 day flood; the Hebrews spent 40 years wandering the wilderness before reaching the Promised Land; Moses fasted for 40 days before receiving the 10 Commandments; Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness in preparation for his ministry. I could go on.

I wonder if you have already been asked ‘What are you giving up for Lent?’ For some this time may present a useful opportunity to give up habits that are life-draining rather than life-giving. Others take it as a time for reflection – a sort of ‘Spiritual Spring Clean’. True, we can do this at any time – much the same way as we might enjoy pancakes for twelve months of the year – but Lent provides us with a special opportunity to pause and prepare ourselves for whatever lies ahead in our own lives.

To many people the practice of fasting is bound up with Lent. Throughout history there have been many foods from which Christians have abstained at this time. Meat and fish, for example, have been avoided in order to help unify people who could afford these expensive foods with those who couldn’t. Then there are foods such as fats, eggs and milk. So that no food was wasted during the coming weeks of Lent families would have a feast the day before – mixing up the ingredients and adding flour in order to create the pancakes that have become, for many, almost synonymous with Shrove Tuesday or ‘Pancake Day’.

It is estimated that the average British family throws away approximately £60 worth of food every month. This country throws away 7 million tonnes of food and drink every year.

I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that there is something very wrong here.

I’m not suggesting we should all fast in a conventional way, but are there ways in which we can be more mindful of what we eat and the ways in which our habits affect the wider world?

How can we speak up for those whose voices are not heard?

How can we use our resources well? Not just our food but our time, talents and all the things that make us ‘us’.

How can we help others to do the same?

As stewards of God’s creation we have a responsibility to use the resources we are given wisely and for the benefit of others and of God’s Kingdom. Perhaps as part of your reflections, your ‘Spiritual Spring Clean’, this Lent you might consider ways in which we can show solidarity with the world around us.

Every blessing, 

Laura

Like many of you, I’ve been waiting with bated breath to hear the results of the ‘Conway Road’s Favourite Carol’ competition. Thank you for making it so much easier to choose for the Carol Services, as well as for the services in Advent!

Like most of the best of its kind, ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ was originally a poem. Written by Christina Rossetti, it first appeared in 1872 but wasn’t set to its now familiar tune until the early 1900s. Rossetti is officially our favourite writer of Christmas Carols as she’s got two ‘hits’ in our top 4. The simplicity of ‘Love came down at Christmas’ is what makes it special. Both carols drip with theological and biblical references, and manage to weave the singer into the Nativity story itself, and beg the question, “What can I give…?”

‘O Holy Night’ was the Nations Favourite Carol in 2024. Did you know that the original m version was banned in France for many years because it openly criticised the practice of slavery? It’s also…. not in our hymn book, so we’ll be finding creative ways to use it on a Sunday!

 ‘You might have noticed that ‘Joy to the World’ isn’t in the Advent or Christmas sections of Singing the Faith. That’s because Isaac Watts wrote it about the Second Coming. Nevertheless I for one am really pleased it made it into our top 4!

We set out to find our top 5 favourite carols and ended up with eight! Silent Night, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Once in Royal David’s City and Come and Join the Celebration all tied in 5th place. Apparently 28 different carols received votes. It only goes to show how many there are and how diverse we are in what we love to sing.

Hopefully, you’ll sing one of your favourites this Christmas – especially if you voted! Either way, I wish you a very happy Christmas and every blessing for 2026.

Love,

Laura

Dear Friends,
When the garden centres shun patio sets in favour of
Christmas decorations, and the raincoat becomes a ‘go
to’ rather than a ‘let’s see’ – that’s when we know the
cold season is rapid approaching. It might even be time,
dare I say it, to start thinking about Christmas.
If you’ve been at church in the past couple of weeks you
will know that plans are already afoot for Christmas at
Conway Road. It’s become our tradition to spend the autumn creating gifts for
our neighbours before delivering them, together with an invitation to our Advent
activities, a few days before Carols on the Steps with the Barry Brass Band. I’ve
spoken before about the friendliness and interest with which we are received,
and the pleasure taken in our simple (often very simple) gifts.
For the last two years we’ve taken stars as a theme, but this year it’s time to do
something different. The image of an angel – a messenger of God – bringing news
and comfort to Mary, clarity and instructions to Joseph and joy and delight to the
shepherds. While messengers of God come in all shapes and sizes the Christmas
Card image of an angel is a familiar one and provides a way into a deeper
discussion on what it means to celebrate the Good News of Christmas.
On Monday’s 3rd, 10th and 24th November and 1st December, between 2 and
3.30pm the New Room will be open for tea, coffee, biscuits and creating. Whether
you’re a committed crafter or just a good sport who doesn’t mind having a go it
would be brilliant to see you. All mediums are welcome – knitting, painting,
woodworking, the noble art of cutting and sticking… the list is endless. What
matters is that we produce as many angels (no bigger than 6inches tall) as we can – the more we have the more we can deliver.
And don’t forget to add your favourite Advent and Christmas Carols to the post
box, masterfully decorated by Junior Church. I wonder what we’ll be announcing
as ‘Conway Road’s Favourite Carol’ on Sunday 30th November?
Love and blessings,
Laura

I’m writing this on Monday morning, following a fabulously chaotic and fun Harvest Festival weekend. If you haven’t been around then you’ve missed out on a rare treat!

 The last few Monday afternoons have seen some of us gathering together in the New Room to make butterflies out of card and old sweet wrappers and, although fewer people got involved than I’d hoped, we still managed to create almost one hundred of these. Once transformed into invitations to our Harvest weekend events they were delivered to local houses.

It might sound scary, knocking on doors and telling people what goes on in the ‘big church on the corner,’ but we were met with curiosity, smiles and promises of Foodbank donations which were fulfilled on Saturday when, after a shaken start, a small stream of new friends popped in with bags and boxes of food. People wanted to hear about what we were doing as a church in the community – it was a privilege to have those conversations. All in all, between the Saturday and Sunday donations, we collected enough food to feed 7 families for 3 days. That’s huge. Make no mistake.

And then there was Sunday and a service that will live long in my memory at least. With the enthusiastic help of the junior church, the encouragement of the adults, and rather a lot of artistic license we managed to produce a unique but certainly recognisable Harvest Loaf! This loaf serves as a symbol of our thankfulness for all that God has given us, a reminder that we are bound together by God, and are connected to Christians past, present and future, and a challenge to share what we have with others who have less.

As to the lunch, what else is there to say but a resounding ‘thank you’ to all those who contributed to the buffet and to the company. It was an extraordinary spread made holy by the friends who gathered around the table.

All round, this weekend has certainly offered a glimpse, I think, of the Kingdom.

Please let me, or one of the Stewards, know if you would like to be involved in planning the Christmas events!

Love and blessings,

Laura

“If I were a butterfly 
I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings 
If I were a robin in a tree 
I’d thank you Lord that I could sing 
If I were a fish in the sea 
I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee 
But I just thank you Father for making me, me.”

Brian M. Howard

I’m sure those off you who were at ‘The Butterfly Day’ on 20^th August – or indeed ‘The Bird Day’ on 6^th – can attest to how much fun we had. Who would have thought there were over 2500 species of moth in the UK but only 59 types of butterfly? I wonder how many different varieties we’ll see around now that we’ve got several butterfly, bee and insect ‘hotels’ nestled among the trees in the garden? They’ve been carefully placed so that the children (and adults) who helped with their construction can see them from the road, remember the fun they had and hopefully join us again.

September is a time for new beginnings. For birds, September brings the start of migration season and a search for warmer climes. For children and young people, as well as many adults, it marks the new school year with all that brings. For us as Methodists it’s also a time of change as, in many places, new ministers and congregations get used to one another. I would ask you, please, to include them in your prayers, especially probationer ministers who have recently come out of college, the congregations they are called to serve alongside, and those who support them on the journey.

For us at Conway Road the change is much more subtle. Last month I accepted an offer from The Queen’s Foundation in Birmingham for a year of study which will hopefully lead to beginning a PhD this time next year. Naturally this is all very exciting – and mildly terrifying – but it does mean that from 1^st September I will go back to being half-time and, in time, settle into a ‘one week on, one week off’ pattern. Of course, real life is bound to get in the way occasionally!

It’s fine to continue calling and emailing me as usual, and I will continue to lead worship, turn up regularly to activities and generally be around.

Happy new year!

Love and blessings,

Laura

When I look at the sky, which you have made,
    at the moon and the stars, which you set in their places—
what are human beings, that you think of them;
    mere mortals, that you care for them?

Yet you made them inferior only to yourself;
    you crowned them with glory and honour.
You appointed them rulers over everything you made;
    you placed them over all creation:
sheep and cattle, and the wild animals too;
the birds and the fish
    and the creatures in the seas.

Psalm 8: 3-8 (The Good News Bible)

Surely I can’t be the only one who was glued to ‘Springwatch’ recently?! The knowledge I gained – back in the mists of time – as a junior member of the RSPB has all but disappeared. However, in 2014 we visited the Rutland Osprey Project and had the privilege of watching through binoculars as one of these fabulous birds returned to her British nest after a flight of thousands of miles. That year she laid four eggs which all hatched and all four chicks fledged. Since then, from about the middle of March onwards I keep an eye on the live stream* to see how that little family are getting on. This year it’s 4/4 again!

According to this version of the Bible, the Psalmist writes that God has made us ‘rulers’ over creation. It’s a strange choice of words and, throughout most of human history, has been interpreted as meaning that we can do anything we like. The natural world is there is be used and to serve us. Yet, we’ve recently begun to see the dangers of this sort of thinking. We cannot have power without responsibility, and it is not enough to say ‘It’s ours to do with as we see fit’. One hundred years ago the prevalence of egg collectors led to ospreys being declared extinct in the UK. In 1967 two breeding pairs were known to have returned to the north of Scotland, but it took careful and respectful intervention to grow the number to the 300 pairs known to be around today. That and the passing of a law banning egg collecting.

Our actions and behaviours have implications beyond ourselves, not just now but in the future. This is why the Methodist Church is so committed to reducing its carbon footprint, why the coffee in the kitchen now comes in large tubs rather than jars, and why we’re being even more careful about putting items in the correct bins.

Have you seen the wildflower patch by the Romilly Road entrance?! If you were at the General Church Meeting you will know that plans are afoot for some activity mornings in August, focussing on the theme of ‘butterflies’ and hopefully based in the garden as much as possible.

Why not come and join in? There will be activities for everyone.

Love and blessings,

Laura

When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

Acts 1: 9-11

After the trauma and confusion of the crucifixion and resurrection, the disciples have spent forty days walking with Jesus as he reaffirms his teachings and prepares them for the day when he will no long be a physical presence among them. Now, with one final promise of the coming Holy Spirit, he vanishes from their sight.

Can we really blame the disciples if their eyes followed him as he went? True, they’re no strangers to miracles, but there is something final about this one and Jesus is their friend. Of course their eyes stray to the place where Jesus was.

if you ever fancy causing some harmless chaos try standing in the middle of the pavement staring at the sky for a while. Eventually others will join you, straining to see what you’re looking at. Those who are trying to go about their business will eventually get annoyed and ask you to move. Oh, and you’ll get neck-ache.

The disciples watched Jesus ascend to heaven. Naturally they stared after him, hoping to catch another glimpse, but then they did that bravest of all things – they stopped staring at the place where Jesus was and went to where he would be next. God was already moving and if they’d remained, eyes glued to the sky, they would have missed it. More than that, they would have got in the way of those going about the business of the gospel.

We, like every generation of Christians since, are tasked with using the teachings of the past to bring about God’s Kingdom in the present. God is moving among us – of that I am absolutely certain. Our task then is to figure out what God is already doing – where God is already working – and to join in. Oh and try our best not to get in the way!

Love and blessings,

Laura