Swansea St Barnabas Church

10/06/2026

The Wave of Prayer ministry enables local and international friends of Sabeel to pray over regional concerns on a weekly basis. Sent to Sabeel’s network of supporters, the prayer is used in services around the world and during Sabeel’s Thursday Communion service; as each community in its respective time zone lifts these concerns in prayer at noon every Thursday, this 'wave of prayer' washes over the world.

Sabeel Wave of Prayer - Thursday 11th June, 2026

Confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah continue despite the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement, with Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon killing so far 3,613 people, including UNIFIL peacekeepers, and injuring 11,072 others. The violence has expanded regionally, with Iran and Yemen launching missiles toward Israel and Israel responding with strikes on Iran.

God of the poor, we hold onto the Psalmist’s words that “God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day.” (Psalm 7:11-12). Help us to not become immune to death and suffering, but to channel our righteous anger towards dismantling structural sin. Lord, deliver the people from their oppression and sober up the powerful who are drunk on power.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

The Israeli army has detained four female Birzeit University students following a series of overnight raids across the Ramallah area as part of a growing pattern of targeting students and academic institutions in the occupied West Bank. The detainees were identified as Jolan Abu Awwad, who was seized after Israeli soldiers stormed student housing in Birzeit, north of Ramallah; Sama Safi, taken from her family home in Ramallah; Leila Na’el Khalil, forcibly taken from her home in Beitunia, west of the city; and Natalie Abu Diah, who was seized from her family residence in Birzeit. On the same night as the student arrests, at least 31 Palestinians were detained across the occupied West Bank in a series of raids, including several former prisoners.

Divine Creator, the full extent of our suffering cannot be fully articulated to the world. We know you see all evil deeds, whether they are committed in the day or in the dark of prison cells. Protect those who have been kidnapped and detained and bring them freedom and justice.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Wednesday a major expansion by more than 2,000 homes of three Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. The plans include 1,006 units near Jerusalem, 922 near ⁠Nablus and 234 near Hebron.

Holy God, we identify with the story of Naboth’s vineyard. As our land which is the source of our dignity and life is slowly being stolen from us, we cry out for you to intervene. Lord, be with the communities of the West Bank, and help us steward your good creation by resisting the expansion of illegal settlements.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

The Interfaith Action for Palestine is organizing an interfaith coalition of organizations to counter Christians United for Israel’s (CUFI) Annual Lobby Summit next month, July 5-7, 2025 in Washington DC. CUFI is the largest “pro-Israel” organization in the United States that promotes hawkish, Christian supremacist, and genocidal policies. FOSNA and other faith organizations joined together last year to mobilize hundreds in Washington, DC to disrupt CUFI’s supremacist agenda. To sign up this year, please visit interfaithforpalestine.com

God of Justice, we thank you for the Holy Spirit who is working creatively to confront theologies of violence with messages of love, solidarity, and justice. We know you see the hard work of those who creatively resist. May you reward them with a stronger commitment towards justice and embolden them as they work to dismantle structures of oppression, bearing true witness to the incarnated Christ who humbles rulers and lifts up the oppressed.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

The Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism hosts an ongoing podcast series called “Bad Theology Busted.” In the podcast, ISCZ speaks with theologians and others on Christian Zionism and ways to combat it. The podcast can be accessed on studychristianzionism.org.

God of Peace, we are thankful for the work of the Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism for the creative ways in which they contribute to the struggle for liberation, justice, and peace in Palestine. We lift them up as they continue to fight the good fight. Lord, help us spread the work of ISCZ and Sabeel, promoting their vision of just peace and working for that just peace in our world.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

We join the World Council of Churches in their prayers for Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Eswatini.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers

08/06/2026

04/06/2026

The Wave of Prayer ministry enables local and international friends of Sabeel to pray over regional concerns on a weekly basis. Sent to Sabeel’s network of supporters, the prayer is used in services around the world and during Sabeel’s Thursday Communion service; as each community in its respective time zone lifts these concerns in prayer at noon every Thursday, this 'wave of prayer' washes over the world.

Sabeel Wave of Prayer - Thursday 4th June, 2026

Sabeel is launching a new project honoring the ministry of its co-founder, Rev. Naim Ateek. By the end of the year, we plan to publish a collection of over 150 homilies from Rev. Naim, Palestinian Christians, and Sabeel friends, organized by the three-year lectionary cycle. These homilies come from virtual Thursday Bible studies hosted since 2020 and will be made accessible globally. This project is the first to offer a complete reading of the Revised Common Lectionary through Palestinian Liberation Theology. It serves as a living, prophetic witness proclaiming God’s liberating love and justice. For more than 40 years, Rev. Naim and Sabeel co-founders have guided the path to liberation, and this resource aims to inspire and guide believers in hope and justice.

Holy God, we thank you for Rev. Naim, the co-founders of Sabeel, and the many friends who have participated in the weekly Bible studies, helping to bring this project to life. We pray that this new resource will equip the church to resist theologies of exclusion and domination and embrace the way of Jesus, which is the way of justice, mercy, and life. Help us to listen attentively that we may be become people of courageous hope who demand for justice and only justice for the people of Palestine until that day comes.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers.

Last week was Eid Al Adha for Muslims around the world. During the first day of Eid, Israel struck a residential building in al-Rimal neighborhood west of Gaza City killed at least 10 people and wounded 20 others. Four children are among the dead. According to reports, Israel has violated the U.S.-backed ceasefire 3,000 times since agreeing to the deal last October, killing more than 900 civilians since then.

God of the oppressed, like the Psalmist, our tears have been our food day and night. Help us bear witness to the children of Gaza and work to end their hunger, thirst, and oppression. Lord, deliver the oppressed with your liberating justice and love.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

Last week, Israel approved a plan to turn the headquarters of UNRWA in East Jerusalem into a settlement that contains a museum, recruitment office, and headquarters for the Israeli Army. This plan is against international law and comes after years of attacks on UNRWA and the dismantling of UNRWA in East Jerusalem.

Holy God, we pray for the over 800,000 refugees in East Jerusalem and the West Bank who live in insecurity and worsening oppression. Help us to tear down the false idols of violence and to seek instead the paths of justice, mercy, and peace.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

Over the last two weeks, as students graduate from university in the United States and around the world, many used their graduation speeches and ceremonies to continue to draw attention to their institutions’ complicity in genocide and the fact there no more universities in Gaza. many schools attempted to silence pro-Palestine speech at the commemorations, including canceling speakers and eliminating live speeches by students altogether, the students found creative ways to protest including interrupting their own graduations.

Holy God, we are thankful of the courage of your Holy Spirit working through those who resist and speak truth to power. We pray for those who risk their livelihoods and careers for the sake of advocating for the living and the suffering. Through their example, guide us to be better advocates and witnesses to injustice. May we be agents of your liberating love in a world in dire need of it.

Lord in your mercy hear our prayer

This past Sunday was Trinity Sunday. Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity. Trinity Sunday celebrates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the three Persons of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are one in love and diverse in communion. In a divided world, teach us that unity does not require sameness and that diversity is a sacred gift. Draw us into solidarity without domination, justice with compassion, and peace rooted in dignity for all people. Help guide us through your transforming love to seek freedom and the flourishing of every human being.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

We join the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the people of Angola and Mozambique.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers

02/06/2026

Corpus Christi 7th June 2026
The Mass in Slow Motion: Procession to Confession
Corpus Christi is a fortuitous day on which to begin our preaching series. We start by considering the opening rites, from procession to confession. The entrance into church is not just a means of
getting from “A” to “B”. It is a pilgrimage. The altar party are those called out from the congregation to play a particular role in the liturgy, but their movement is representative of the journey undertaken spiritually by the whole congregation. We come from without the church: from our homes, our work, our daily struggles and banalities. We enter the church, using the holy water stoops to recall that we are by adoption children of God. We spend time in silence to ‘reacclimatise’ and prepare for the sacred work ahead. We then begin our pilgrimage to the Altar of God, the most sacred site in the building; both an image of Christ, and the place where His sacrifice for us is remembered. As the Church processes, it sings a hymn – for God has put a new song in our mouths! The first spoken words of the service are an invocation of the Most Holy
Trinity, as we clothe ourselves anew in God’s love. The confession is then a chance to publicly reconcile ourselves with God. Truly none of us is without sin, but God is always more eager to forgive than we are to ask for His forgiveness. And so, freed from sin, and with our hearts “set on the things that are above” we continue our pilgrimage of faith.

Fr Sam

Church Diary
Sunday 7th June. Corpus Christi
9.30am Eucharist (St Barnabas)
11.00am Solemn High Mass & Benediction
6.00pm Evensong & Benediction

Monday 8th June. Feria
10.00am Holy Rosary
6.30pm Mass

Tuesday 9th June. Feria
10.30am Eucharist (St Barnabas)

Wednesday 10th June. Feria
10.00am Mass

Saturday 13th June. Immaculate Heart of Mary
9.00am Mass

Sunday 14th June. St Barnabas / Trinity II
9.30am Patronal Eucharist (St Barnabas)
11.00am Solemn Mass
6.00pm Festal Evensong (St Barnabas)

Preaching series: “The Mass in Slow Motion”. In the Sunday sermon slots for June and July we will
be reflecting on why our service takes the form it does. Why process? Why vestments? Why music? Why
Scripture, Creed, and intercessions? Why elevation, genuflection, and adoration? The hope is that this will
lead us deeper into the mystery of the God who deigns to dwell among His people in Word and
Sacrament.
St Alban’s Treboeth patronal festival. Fr Jimmy Page invites us all to join for St Alban’s patronal on
Saturday 20th June. Mass it at 11am, with the excellent Canon Mark Clavier preaching. A picnic lunch
follows (BYO food and drink). The day concludes with a Eucharistic procession and Benediction at 2.30pm.
St Alban’s are always very supportive of our services, so it would be nice to return the favour.
Save the dates:
 Saturday 27th June: 2pm Ordinations at Brecon Cathedral. All welcome. Share cars where possible.
 Wednesday 1st July: 6pm Evensong and Talk on “Catholic Mission” for visiting ordinands from St
Padarn’s Theological College.
 Saturday 5th September: Annual Pilgrimage to Glastonbury. Details to follow.
 Sunday 6th September: 2pm Confirmations at Swansea Minster.
 Thursday 10th September: 6.30pm. Award winning journalist and author Quentin Letts will talk on his
new novel “Nunc!” at St Gabriel’s, following Evensong.

01/06/2026

For this year's patronal festival concert we are delighted to welcome back Old Strafford (Phil Andrew, Davey Jones, and Robert Strafford)

31/05/2026

In case you missed it, this is the video that Father Sam told us about in his sermon this morning:

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

28/05/2026

Sabeel Wave of Prayer - Thursday 28th May 2026

Dear faithful prayer supporters,

May God's peace be with you as you pray for our brothers and sisters in Palestine.

For 1 week our staff are on annual leave, and therefore we are not able to send you the Wave of Prayer as an email. However, you can still access it by clicking on the the link that takes you to Sabeel Jerusalem where you will be able to read and/or download a PDF version. Wave of Prayers - Sabeel Center

27/05/2026

May's singalong.

Songs we didn't sing but should have:

Heat Wave
Too Hot
Too Hot to Move, Too Hot to Think
Too Darn Hot
The Sun Has Got His Hat On
Steam Heat
Sunny Afternoon
the Heat Is On
Here Comes The Sun
I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire

Feel free to add some more in the comments

27/05/2026

The Holy and Undivided Trinity 31st May 2026

Holy, Holy, Holy!

Trinity Sunday marks the culmination of the first half of the Christian year, which began on Advent Sunday some six months ago. Today we contemplate the full revelation of God in three persons. The Trinity is not a puzzle to be solved or a formula to be applied – it is a mystery to be entered into. Today we sing one of the great hymns to the Trinity: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty”. When we sing of God’s threefold holiness we are sharing the song of the angels in Heaven, who sing this hymn continually around God’s throne of power. Here’s what the preacher and
pastor Brian Zhand says. The creatures who sing this hymn “are not automatons on infinite repeat, but angels granted an infinite series of glimpses into the ever-unfolding glory of God.” May we be likewise granted continual glimpses into God’s infinite glory, and so sing His praises anew every day. Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Fr Sam

Church Diary
Sunday 31st May. The Holy & Undivided Trinity
9.30am Eucharist (St Barnabas)
11.00am Solemn High Mass

Monday 1st June. S. Justin Martyr
6.30pm Mass

Tuesday 2nd June. Feria
10.30am Eucharist (St Barnabas)

Wednesday 3rd June. S. Charles Lwanga
10.00am Mass

Saturday 6th June. S. Norbert
9.00am Mass

Sunday 7th June. Corpus Christi
9.30am Eucharist (St Barnabas)
11.00am Solemn High Mass
6.00pm Evensong & Benediction

Preaching series: “The Mass in Slow Motion”. In the Sunday sermon slots for June and July we will be reflecting on why our service takes the form it does. Why process? Why vestments? Why music? Why Scripture, Creed, and intercessions? Why elevation, genuflection, and adoration? The hope is that this will lead us deeper into the mystery of the God who deigns to dwell among His people in Word and Sacrament.

Confirmation sessions. Bishop John will administer the sacrament of Confirmation in Swansea Minster on Sunday 6th September. I will be holding preparation sessions on Monday evenings after the 6.30pm mass for any who wish to be confirmed from our two churches. The first session will be held on Monday 1st June as we ask the Big Question: “Who is Jesus Christ?”

Fr Sam