Llythyr oddi wrth yr Esgob
22 Mai 2021 | Noswyl y Sulgwyn
Annwyl gyfeillion
Pob gras a thangnefedd i chi.
Yg ngrym yr Ysbryd Glân
Nawr ein bod yn gallu cynnull mewn niferoedd eto i addoli ar y cyd, rwyf wedi dwyn fy myfyrdodau wythnosol i ben. Mae wedi bod yn fraint cynnig y myfyrdodau hyn yn ystod y pandemig, ac rwy’n ddiolchgar i bawb sydd wedi ein gwneud defnydd ohonynt, wedi cynnig eu hadborth ac wedi mynegi eu gwerthfawrogiad.
Bydd "Wrth y bwrdd" hefyd yn dod i ben yr wythnos hon - cyn i'n deunydd aldoli i blant a theuluoedd ail-ymddangos ar ei newydd wedd ym mid Medi. Ceir "Wrth y bwrdd" ar gyfer Dydd y Pentecost yma.
Fodd bynnag, bydd Llythyrau'r Esgob mynych yn parhau. Fe ddechreuon nhw fel ffordd o'n diweddaru ni am effaith y pandemig, ond maen nhw wedi eu meithrin yn fodd i rannu newyddion am ein bywyd ar y cyd fel esgobaeth.
O'r wythnos nesaf ymlaen, bydd pob Llythyr yr Esgob wythnosol yn dechrau gyda galwad i weddïo dros Ardal Weinidogaeth benodol neu weithgaredd yn yr esgobaeth. Fy ngobaith yw y bydd y gweddïau hyn hefyd yn rhan o ymbiliau ledled eglwysi'r esgobaeth y Sul canlynol. Rwy'n ddiolchgar i gydweithwyr o bob cwr o'r esgobaeth am ddarparu cynnwys ar gyfer y gweddïau hyn.
Mae gŵyl y Pentecost yn amser da i ddechrau, ac felly awn ati â'n cyfres o weddïau dros yr esgobaeth gyda gweddi gyffredinol i'w gweddïo yng ngrym yr Ysbryd yr wythnos a ddaw.
Holl gofleidiol Dduw, anfonaist dy Ysbryd Glân ar y disgyblion, fflamau o dân, sŵn y gwynt yn rhuo draw, eto mor addfwyn â phluen ar golomen.
Boed i’th Ysbryd gael ei deimlo a’i adnabod yn dy ddisgyblion sy’n dy wasanaethau di mewn ffydd heddiw:
Ysbryd Doethineb i ddatod ein meddyliau a’n pryderon mewnol - [efallai yr hoffech oedi ac ychwanegu yn hymbil eich hun]
Ysbryd Ysbrydoliaeth i ddatgelu’r llwyr i genhadu yn yr esgobaeth hon -
Ysbryd Cyfeillgarwch i gefnogi’n gilydd -
Ysbryd Trugaredd i gadw’r pryderus a’r ofnus yn agos -
Ysbryd Cariad i ymestyn allan at bawb mewn angen ac i ofalu am ein hanghenion ein hunain -
Ysbryd Dewrder i weddïo, i addoli, i fyfyrio trwy barhad y pandemig -
Holl gofleidiol Dduw, gweddïwn a gofynnwn hyn yn enw Iesu Grist ac yng ngrym yr Ysbryd Glân. Amen.
Gweinidogaeth ochr yn ochr â'n hysgolion
Rwyf am achub ar y cyfle hwn i ddiolch i aelodau ac arweinwyr ein Hardaloedd Gweinidogaeth am eu gwaith amyneddgar a pharhaus gydag ysgolion - gwaith sydd, fel cymaint arall, wedi gorfod cael ei addasu a'i ail-ddychmygu yn ystod y pandemig.
Mae rhannu adnoddau da yn ffordd wych o ymateb i'r angen hwn ac mewn nifer o leoedd mae rhai adnoddau gweddi ac addoli ysgolion creadigol ac o ansawdd uchel wedi'u cynhyrchu.
Hoffai Tîm Deiniol ddatblygu'r rhain a pharhau i gynhyrchu deunydd digidol cyfredol sy'n cefnogi addoliad ysgol ar y cyd. Os byddai gennych ddiddordeb mewn bod yn rhan o hyn, cysylltwch â'n Swyddog Ysgolion, Tracy Richardson Jones. Mae Anest a Tracy yn gweithio’n galed i gynnal ein presenoldeb cryf mewn ysgolion ac i gefnogi a chadarnhau ein plant a’n pobl ifanc - cofiwch fod mewn cysylltiad â’r tîm os hoffech gael cyngor, help neu anogaeth gyda gwaith ysgolion.
Ffrindiau'r Byd
Mae gan ysgolion lawer i'w gyfrannu at ein gweddi a'n hymgysylltiad hefyd. Mae llawer o'n hysgolion wedi bod yn datblygu prosiectau amgylcheddol ac ecolegol gwych dros nifer o flynyddoedd. Fel esgobaeth ac ar draws yr Eglwys yng Nghymru mae awydd cryf i gefnogi ac ymgysylltu â'r gwaith hwn.
Mae prosiect o'r enw “Ffrindiau'r byd” yn canolbwyntio hyn ar y cyfnod cyn cynhadledd newid yn yr hinsawdd y Cenhedloedd Unedig, COP26, ac mae'n alinio hyn â'n gweddïau dros y Cread wrth inni agosáu at dymor y Creu a dathliadau Diolchgarwch. Mae'r Eglwys yng Nghymru yn cyfeirio ein heglwysi, ysgolion Sul, Ardaloedd Gweinidogaeth, ysgolion a grwpiau cymunedol at adnoddau a gynhyrchir gan Gymorth Cristnogol sy'n ymwneud â'r gwaith hwn. Fe'u hamlygir ar y wefan genedlaethol.
Mae cystadleuaeth genedlaethol ynghlwm wrth y syniadau a eglurir ar y wefan.
Bydd y gwaith plant a gynhyrchir yn cael ei arddangos ym mhob eglwys gadeiriol ledled Cymru ac ar wefan Eglwys yng Nghymru.
Rhowch gyhoeddusrwydd i hyn yn ysgolion eich Hardal Weinidogaeth, ac yn eich eglwysi a'ch cymunedau.
Undeb y Mamau
Mae Undeb y Mamau yn rhan werthfawr o fywyd ein hesgobaeth ar sawl lefel. Mae ein cangen esgobaethol yn rhan o fudiad aelodaeth Gristnogol rhyngwladol sy'n cefnogi teuluoedd a chymunedau sydd angen help, ac yn gweithio gyda phob teulu waeth beth fo'u ffydd neu gefndir.
Mae angen trysorydd newydd ar Undeb y Mamau Esgobaeth Bangor. Mae’r rôl yn cynnwys trin tanysgrifiadau a rhoddion o ganghennau a chysylltu â phencadlys Undeb y Mamau a’r Comisiwn Elusennau. Cedwir y cyfrifon ar daenlen Excel.
Telir lwfans o £ 10 yr awr ar ddiwedd y flwyddyn am waith y trysorydd, hyd at uchafswm o £ 400. Mae disgrifiad swydd llawn ar gael oddi wrth Peter Lane, y trysorydd cyfredol sy'n ymddeol, a fydd yn falch iawn o glywed gan unrhyw un sydd â diddordeb yn y rôl bwysig a gwerth chweil hon.
Hysbysfwrdd esgobaethol
- Caiff Sunday Worship bore fory, ar Radio 4 am 8.10am, ei arwain gan yr Esgob ac Archddiacon Bangor. Fe'i geir arlein fan hyn maes o law.
- Mae cynhadledd flynyddol Canolfan Efrydiau Susanna Wesley o dan y teitl "Embodied Faith" - i gyd ar-lein - yn cael ei chynnal ym mis Mehefin. Darllenwch fwy a chofrestrwch yma.
- Daw Deled dy Deyrnas eleni i ben fory. Ceir cyfoeth o adnoddau ar wefan Deled dy Deyrnas. Mae'r dyddiadur gweddi yn y Gymraeg ar gael fan hyn.
- Ceir gwybodaeth am adroddiad newydd y Comisiwn Athrawiaethol ar weinidogaeth, gan gynnwys cyfres barhaus o fideos a thrafodaethau, fan hyn.
- Os hoffech rannu hysbys, newydd am ddigwyddiadau neu adnoddau yma, cysylltwch â Robert Jones.
Cofiwch y gweddïir drosoch bob dydd yn Nhŷ'r Esgob: chi, eich teuluoedd a'ch Ardaloedd Gweinidogaeth. Gras a thangnefedd i chwi oll.
Y Gwir Barchg Andy John
Esgob Bangor
Tanysgrifiwch i dderbyn hysbys ar e-bost am Lythyr yr Esgob a chyhoeddiadau esgobaethol
A letter from the Bishop
22 May 2021 | Whitsun Eve
Dear colleagues and friends
All grace and peace to you.
In the power of the Holy Spirit
Now that we are able to gather in numbers again to worship together, I have drawn my weekly meditations to an end. It has been a privilege to offer these meditations during the pandemic, and I am grateful to all who have made use of them, offered their feedback and expressed their appreciation.
"At the table" will also end this week - before our new children's and family worship material reappears in its refreshed form in September. "At the table" for the Day of Pentecost can be found here.
These frequent Bishop’s Letters will, however, continue. They began as a means of updating us about the impact of the pandemic, but have grown to be a means of sharing news about our common life as a diocese.
From next week, each weekly Bishop’s Letter will begin with a call to prayer for a particular Ministry Area or activity within the diocese. My hope is that these prayers will also form part of intercessions across the diocese the following Sunday. I am grateful to colleagues across the diocese for providing content for these prayers.
The feast of Pentecost is a good time to start, and so we begin our series of prayers for the diocese with a general prayer to pray in the Spirit's power this coming week.
All embracing God, you sent out your Holy Spirit upon the disciples, fire of flame, sound of the wind rushing forth, yet gentle as a feather on a dove.
May your Spirit be felt and known in your disciples serving you in faith today:
the Spirit of Wisdom to untangle our inner thoughts and concerns - [you may wish to pause and add in your own particular prayer of intercession]
the Spirit of Inspiration to reveal the pathway for mission in this diocese -
the Spirit of Friendship to support one another -
the Spirit of Compassion to hold close the anxious and fearful -
the Spirit of Love to reach out to all in need and care for our own needs -
the Spirit of Courage to pray, to worship, to reflect through the ongoing pandemic -
All embracing God, we pray and ask this in the name of Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ministry alongside our schools
I want to take this opportunity to thank the members and leaders of Ministry Areas for their patient and continued engagement with schools work, which like so much else has had to adapt and re-imagine itself in the pandemic.
Sharing good resources is a great way to respond to this need and in a number of places some creative and high-quality prayer and school worship resources have been produced.
Tîm Deiniol would very much like to develop these and to keep on producing current and well-made digital offerings that support school worship. If you would be interested in being part of this, please contact our Schools Officer, Tracy Richardson Jones. Anest and Tracy are are working hard to maintain our strong presence in schools and to support and affirm our children and young people - do please be in touch with the team if you would like advice, help or encouragement with schools’ work.
Ffrindiau’r Byd
Schools also have much to contribute to our prayer and engagement. Many of our schools have been developing wonderful environmental and ecological projects over a number of years. As a diocese and across the Church in Wales there is a strong desire to support and engage with this work.
A project called “Ffrindiau’r byd” focuses this upon the lead up to the UN climate change conference COP26 and aligns this with our prayers for creation approaching the season of Creation-tide and harvest. The Church in Wales is signposting our churches, Sunday schools, Ministry Areas, schools and community groups to resources produced by Christian Aid relating to this work. They are highlighted on the national website.
There is a national competition attached to the ideas explained on the website.
The children's work produced will be displayed in every cathedral throughout Wales and on the Church in Wales website.
Please do publicize this in your Ministry Area schools, and in your churches and communities.
Mothers’ Union
The Mothers’ Union is a valued part of our diocesan life at many levels. Our diocesan branch is part of an international Christian membership movement supporting families and communities in need of help, and working with all families regardless of faith or background.
The Mothers Union of the Diocese of Bangor needs a new treasurer. The role includes handling subscriptions and donations from branches and liaison with the Mothers’ Union headquarters and the Charity Commission. The accounts are kept on an Excel spreadsheet.
An allowance of £10 per hour will be paid at the end of the year for the treasurer’s work, up to a maximum of £400. A full job description is available from Peter Lane, the retiring treasurer, who will be delighted to hear from any with an interest in this important and rewarding role.
Diocesan noticeboard
- Tomorrow's Sunday Worship at 8.10am on Radio 4 is led by the Bishop and the Archdeacon of Bangor. It will be available online here.
- The Susanna Wesley Foundation's annual conference under the title of "Embodied Faith" - all online - takes place in June. Read more and register here.
- This year's Thy Kingdom Come reaches its conclusion tomorrow. There's a wealth of resources on the Thy Kingdom Come website. The Welsh-language version of the prayer diary is available here.
- Information about the Doctrinal Commission's new report on ministry, including an ongoing series of videos and discussions, is available here.
- If you would like to share updates, news about events or resources here, please send details to Robert Jones.
Please remember you are prayed for each day in Ty’r Esgob: you, your families and Ministry Areas. Grace and peace to you all.
The Rt Revd Andy John
Bishop of Bangor