All Saints Parish Newsletter 11th August 2017
Dear Friends,
“How shall they hear without a preacher?”
Last Sunday, we were in the North East for a gathering of my wife’s extended family but staying with my mother in the village I grew up in. It’s not often that I’m there on a Sunday, so thinking that it was holiday season and the local clergy might be stretched to cover services, I had written to the Vicar and offered to help. The outcome was that I ended up celebrating and preaching in the church where I was baptized and made my first communion. The only time I had preached there before was at my father’s funeral. After the service, I was shown a photograph of my primary school class. The girl sitting next to me on the front row in the photo was in the congregation that morning.
The celebration was, by All Saints’ standards, a simple affair. The hymns were accompanied by a CD machine which played the tunes. They no longer have an organist but the 40 folk there sang strongly. There were no servers, – how ever did I manage?
“How shall they hear without a preacher?”
That is Paul’s question in this Sunday’s epistle (Romans 10.5-15). He was not thinking about how services could be covered in rural parishes in the holiday season. But as he made some rather creative use of texts from Leviticus and Deuteronomy (including omitting the concluding words of the latter) to support his argument, I hope he won’t mind me recycling his words.
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Paul can speak of a salvation open to all because this salvation comes not from human effort but divine gift. No one has to “ascend in” or “descend into the abyss,” to find Christ for us, because Christ has already come to us. His word is near us, on our lips and in our hearts.
Salvation is a gift. Part of our fallen-ness, our alienation from God, shows itself in our reluctance to accept that gift; to acknowledge our dependence on God; much as we dislike being dependent on others.
But we are dependent on God and on others for life and faith. For faith, we depend on those who – having received the gospel gift themselves, – have passed it on to us. That is true of the scriptures too; written and collected under the guidance of God’s Spirit and passed down the generations. Even those converted by reading a Gideon Bible in a hotel room depend on those who put it there, and they in turn depend on generations before them.
When I look back over my life, I recognize that I owe my faith to priests and people who preached and prayed in that little country church and taught me in the parish school; and a long line of others whom God has used down to this day. Each of us will have our own version of this story.
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved,” says Paul in celebration of God’s all-embracing love for his creatures, “But,” he asks, “how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent?”
There was an alarming statistic a few years ago which told us that a large proportion of the members of the Church of England felt no responsibility to pass on their faith to others. But surely, what we have received as a gift, we have a duty and calling to pass on to others. The passage ends with Paul quoting Isaiah: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Those words are an affirmation of those who are called and commissioned to proclaim the gospel in the ministry of word and sacrament. But they also challenge us all to share our faith with those who have not heard and therefore have not been able to believe and call upon the name of the Lord.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Alan Moses
Vicar, All Saints Margaret Street
THIS WEEK’S PRAYER DIARY
Those who have asked for prayers:
Asia Bibi, Pat Hawkins, Joan Cook, Rose Smith, Fr Graham Francis, Hannelore Sibley, Maria Magdalena Gedmanaite, Faddy Hardo, Ken Hales, Gulzari Babber, Ron Capon, Patricia Capon, Nancy Gardner, Katie Marko, Andrew Evans, Sarah Payne, Rodney Bickerstaffe, Ros Tagoe, Beverley Ward, Vivienne Dunne and Catherine Paciullo.
Those known to us recently departed:
Pearl Baker, Shirley Jones, Giles Pilgrim Morris, Richard Finlay, Freda Atkinson, Wesley Carr Pr, Mildred Bellet, Michael Manktelow Bp, John Wraw Bp and Robert Norwood Pr.
Remember past priests, benefactors, friends, and all whose year’s mind occurs this week:
Thomas Straker, Winifred Golelea, Richard Fitzgerald, John Edmonds, Ivy Oram, William Rivington, Mildred Terry, Adriana Grosinski, David Tweed, Veronica Katherine Lee, Alexander John Lee, Michael Hartley, Dorothy Lane and David Russell.
WORSHIP THIS WEEK:
13 August ~ 9th Sunday after Trinity
8am Low Mass
10.20am Morning Prayer
11am HIGH MASS with Choir & Sermon
Preacher: The Vicar, Fr Alan Moses
Lloyd Webber Setting in E minor
Palestrina Exsultate Deo
There is no Sunday Lunch service during the August holiday period. We look forward to welcoming both visitors and regular diners once again in September.
5.15pm Low Mass
6pm EVENSONG & BENEDICTION with Sermon
Preacher: Fr Michael Bowie
Gibbons The Second Service
Stanford When Mary through the garden went
This Week’s Services
Monday 14 to Friday 18 August
7.30am Morning Prayer 8am Low Mass
12.30-1pm Confessions 1.10pm Low Mass
5.30pm Confessions 6pm Evening Prayer
6.30pm Low Mass except Tuesday 15 August:
Tuesday 15 August
FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY – HIGH MASS & OUTDOOR PROCESSION with choir and brass accompaniment 6.30pm
Preacher: Fr Richard Peers, Director of Education, Diocese of Liverpool
Mass Setting: Mozart Missa Brevis in C ‘Orgelsolo’, K.259
Motet before procession: Elgar Ave Maria
Voluntary: Guilmant Grand Choeur in E flat (Op. 40 No 4)
The Feast of the Assumption is our major annual celebration of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. On this day, we thank God for Mary, the first Christian, and ask her prayers for all persecuted Christians. All are welcome to join us.
STEWARDS STILL NEEDED – please contact Cedric Stephens 0207 637 7468.
Saturday, 19 August
12 noon Low Mass
6pm Evening Prayer
6.30pm First Mass of Sunday
NEXT SUNDAY’S SERVICES
20 August ~ 10th Sunday after Trinity
8am Low Mass
10.20am Morning Prayer
11am HIGH MASS with Choir & Sermon
Preacher: Fr Barry Orford
Haydn Missa Brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo
Lloyd Webber Lo! My shepherd is divine
5.15pm Low Mass
6pm EVENSONG & BENEDICTION with Sermon
Preacher: Fr Michael Bowie
Dyson in D
Parry I was glad
For full service information: www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk.
WEEKLY NOTICES and FUTURE EVENTS at ALL SAINTS and ELSEWHERE
Sunday 13 August after Evensong & Benediction
THE ALL SAINTS’ CLUB ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING will take place in the bar. All members welcome and encouraged to attend.
MARYLEBONE PROJECT STUDY PACK APPEAL – The latest Marylebone Project Newsletter – on the Church table – describes a new initiative to support women in gaining qualifications to help them become independent. The appeal is for pens, pencils, pencil cases, pencil sharpeners, rubbers, notebooks, rucksacks, memory sticks and reusable water bottle. If anyone can provide these things, please drop them off at the Parish Office as for household items. Thank you.
Wednesday 13 September, 6.30pm
CTiW Reformation 500 event, St Martin-in-the-Fields – Bread for the World
St Martin-in-the-Fields is hosting a Churches Together in Westminster Reformation 500 event, with
St Anne’s Lutheran Church London and Revd Eliza Zikmane, focusing on Luther’s legacy to Christian Education through the Small Catechism, Bread for the World is a great way to find focus during a busy week. With music led by the Choral Scholars of St Martin’s.
ALL SAINTS MISSION PROJECTS
Our year-round fundraising efforts go to support three charities:
The Church Army hostels and programmes in Marylebone empowering homeless women into independent living.
The USPG-led UMOJA, HIV Project in Zimbabwe, enabling people living with HIV and Aids to have positive lives, and
The Soup Kitchen (American International Church, Tottenham Court Road) feeding up to 80 vulnerable people daily in central London.
Men’s clothing especially is needed by the Jesus Centre in Margaret Street and also by the Soup Kitchen at the American International Church, both of whom provide a daily range of services to homeless people. If you have women’s or men’s clothes to give away, please bring to Church and leave at the Parish Office so we can continue to help support our neighbours’ efforts. The Church Army is now also collecting women’s clothes for their Homeless Hostel so all donations can be found a good new home!
The Soup Kitchen specifically calls for: men’s trousers (sizes 32-36) and men’s sturdy/athletic shoes (sizes 9-12 especially) and say ‘we also need men’s outerwear of all varieties and rucksacks and duffle-bags to help our guests carry their belongings!’
The Soup Kitchen team (only part-time cover) asks: ‘Please drop me a line if you are planning to drop things off here. As always, many thanks for your support.’ Soup Kitchen at the American International Church, 79a Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TD T: 020 7580 2791 www.amchurch.co.uk/soup-kitchen/
Further Communications or Assistance from All Saints Margaret Street:-
* If you would like to encourage others to take an interest in All Saints/keep up with what is happening here, please forward this email on to them, or to people you would like to invite to services or tell them about our websitewww.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk, which has a full colour 360 virtual tour for viewing the wonderfully restored interior of the Church – seewww.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk/history/virtual tour – before a visit or if unable to travel.
* If you know of others (near or far) who would like to receive this regular update on what’s happening at All Saints please encourage them to sign up for the email on the All Saints website – see the tab News & Events> Weekly Newsletter.
* If you would like any pastoral assistance, please do not hesitate to contact:
The Parish Church of All Saints Margaret Street, London W1 W 8JG
Vicar: The Revd Prebendary Alan Moses
T: 07973 878040 E: alanmoses111@gmail.com (Day off: Saturday)
Assistant Priest: The Revd Dr Michael Bowie
T: 07581 180963 E: mnrbowie@gmail.com (Day off: Wednesday)
Confessions
A priest is available for confessions/counsel Monday – Friday from 12.30-1pm and at 5.30pm Monday – Saturday, or by appointment. (Special arrangements apply in Lent and for Holy Week.)
If you would like prayers offered, or amendments to the prayer list please contact:
Dee Prior, Parish Administrator (020 7636 1788). E: astsmgtst@aol.com
Or make use of the prayer request facility on the website at: www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk/prayer.
Safeguarding Officers: Chris Self (Vulnerable Adults) and: Janet Drake (Children)
allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk www.facebook.com/AllSaintsMargaretStreet