Stori am yr ysgolfeistr a bontiodd y bwlch
Os cerddwch chi i lawr y llwybr o borth y fynwent i brif ddrws yr eglwys yng Nghlynnog Fawr, byddwch chi’n mynd heibio bedd y bardd a'r ysgolfeistr Ebeneser Thomas (1802-1863) a addysgodd y “3 R” yng Nghapel Beuno ar ddechrau'r 1800au. Fe addysgodd yr Ysgol Sul anghydffurfiol yn yr un lleoliad hefyd wrth i’r bobl eglwysig fwy cefnog gael eu gwasanaeth yn yr adeilad mwy drws nesaf. Roedd yr amodau yng Nghapel Beuno yn wael ac felly hefyd y cyflog (dim ond £1 y mis!). Ceisiodd Eben Fardd bontio'r bwlch rhwng yr eglwys a'r capel, ond yn y pen draw gorfododd ficer anghymwynasgar iddo adael gan fynd â'i ysgol i fan arall. Roedd ei flynyddoedd olaf yn rhai anodd – gyda'r teulu'n gaeth i dlodi, collodd ei wraig a thri o'i blant i salwch un ar ôl y llall. Ond yn y cyfnod tywyllaf cafodd ei gynnal gan gariad Crist ac ysgrifennodd 'O fy Iesu bendigedig' – emyn hynod deimladwy sy’n boblogaidd hyd heddiw.
Efallai bod ein teulu eglwysig presennol, mewn ffordd, yn dilyn esiampl Eben Fardd – rydym ninnau hefyd yn dyheu am bontio'r bwlch rhwng yr eglwys a’r capel gan ddarganfod ein cartref cyffredin yng Nghrist. Yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf, mae wedi bod yn fraint i ni feithrin cyfeillgarwch gydag aelodau o wahanol enwadau yn ein hardal ni, i ddod i adnabod ein gilydd yn well ac i gydweithio mewn ffyrdd ymarferol yn ein cymuned leol.
Fel Ardal Weinidogaeth, rydym yn ystyried ein hunain yn 'gymuned o gymunedau' – gan ddod at ein gilydd fel cynulleidfa unedig ddydd Sul cyntaf y mis a chan addoli yn ein heglwysi lleol ar Suliau arall. Ddydd Sul diwethaf, roedd yn bleser croesawu aelodau o Gapel Maes y Neuadd, Trefor, ar gyfer dathliad Cymorth Cristnogol ar y cyd. Roeddem eisiau ei wneud mor gynhwysol â phosibl ac, er gwaethaf y ffaith nad yw ein hymdrechion i osod rampiau a thoiledau yng Nghlynnog wedi dwyn ffrwyth, gwnaethom drefnu bod toiled hygyrch yn cael ei leoli, dros dro, y tu allan i Dŷ'r Pererinion a gosodwyd byrddau a chadeiriau yn y brif eglwys. Ar ôl gweithred ysbrydoledig o addoli dan arweiniad ein curad y Parchedig Selwyn Griffith a Llinos Roberts o Cymorth Cristnogol, gwnaethom eistedd i fwynhau cinio blasus gyda'n gilydd.
Nid oedd Eben Fardd yn deall pam fod y fath agendor rhwng eglwys a chapel – yn ei daith bersonol gyda Duw cafodd ei gyfoethogi gan draddodiadau'r ddau. Mae undod eglwys Duw yn flaenoriaeth i’r Efengyl – gweddïodd Iesu ei hun i ni allu bod yn un, hyd yn oed fel ei fod ef a’r Tad hwnnw'n un: ‘myfi ynddynt hwy, a thydi ynof fi, a hwythau felly wedi eu dwyn i undod perffaith, er mwyn i'r byd wybod mai tydi a'm hanfonodd i, ac i ti eu caru hwy fel y ceraist fi.’ (Ioan 17.23 BCND). Nid ydym yn eglwys fawr ac nid yw ein gweithgareddau'n fawr nac yn drawiadol iawn. Ond rydym yn caru ein gilydd, ac rydym yn tyfu mewn undod – ar draws cynulleidfaoedd ein heglwysi ac o ran Cristnogion enwadau eraill hefyd. Mae'n teimlo fel iachau camweddau'r gorffennol ac rwy'n credu ei fod yn gwneud i Dduw wenu.
A story about the schoolmaster who bridged the gap
If you walk down the path from the lychgate to the main door of the church in Clynnog Fawr, you will pass the grave of the poet and schoolmaster Ebeneser Thomas (1802-1863) who taught the 3 R’s in the Beuno Chapel in the early 1800s. He also taught the non-conformist Sunday School in the same location while the more affluent church people had their service in the larger building next door. The conditions in the Beuno Chapel were poor and so was the wage (just £1 a month!). Eben Fardd sought to bridge the gap between church and chapel but an unaccommodating vicar eventually forced him to leave and take his school elsewhere. His later years were difficult ones – with the family trapped in poverty, he lost his wife and three of his children to illness in quick succession. But in the darkest of times he was held in the love of Christ and wrote ‘O fy Iesu bendigedig’ – a deeply moving hymn which remains popular today.
Perhaps there is a sense in which our present-day church family is following the example of Eben Fardd – we too long to bridge the gap between church and chapel and discover our common home in Christ. In recent years it has been our privilege to build friendships with members of the various different denominations in our area, to get to know one another better and to work together in practical ways in our local community.
As a Ministry Area, we regard ourselves as a ‘community of communities’ – coming together as a united congregation on the first Sunday of the month and worshipping in our local churches on other Sundays. This last Sunday it was a joy to welcome members of Maes y Neuadd Chapel from Trefor for a shared Christian Aid celebration. We wanted to make it as inclusive as possible and undeterred by the fact that our attempts to install ramps and toilet facilities at Clynnog still haven’t come to fruition, we organised for an accesible toilet to be located temporarily outside Tŷ’r Pererinion and set out tables and chairs in the main church. After an inspiring act of worship led by our curate Revd Selwyn Griffith and Llinos Roberts of Christian Aid, we sat down to enjoy a delicious lunch together.
Eben Fardd didn’t understand why there was such separation between church and chapel - in his personal walk with God he was enriched by the traditions of both. The unity of the church of God is a Gospel priority – Jesus himself prayed that we might be one, even as he and that Father are one: ‘May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me’ (John 17.23 NLT). We are not a large church and our activities are not very grand and impressive. But we love one another, and we are growing in unity – across our church congregations and in relation to Christians of other denominations as well. It feels like a healing of past wrongs and I think it makes God smile.