Someone once remarked, "Life is just so daily." Indeed it is. There is nothing so routine as the routine. Yet we are all privileged to have those rare moments when life surprises and delights us. Matthew's gospel records an event which very much surprised Jesus. Jesus had come into the region of Tyre - a gentile (non-Jewish) region, and as such, was abhorrent to many of the religious Jews. There he was approached by a woman who begged him to heal her daughter. Being both a gentile and a woman were double strikes against her. The gentiles were referred to as dogs by the pious and self-righteous Jews of the time and women were even lower in their estimation. Her tenacity of faith caused Jesus to exclaim, "Oh, woman, your faith is great" (Matthew 15: 21f). It's about as surprising as you get in Jesus's day. That He should elevate and publicly commend such a social outcast, such as unlikely person, for her faith would have shaken all conformity. His radical love and acceptance goes across cultural and social divides and gives us all hope. This story also reminds us that God finds faith in unexpected places. We were delighted to welcome Jill and Moira and Dick to our fellowship this week. Moira and Jill talked to us about their work with Farm Crisis Network. In conclusion we prayed for them and for our church secretary, Martyn Williams, who is now the South Wales Baptist Association representative for Farm Crisis Network in this area. NBF meet 6.30 pm Sundays in the chapel at Pant-y-Gorphwys Farmhouse near the Penblewin roundabout.
