All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friends,

In Sunday’s Gospel Jesus says, not just to his close friends and followers, but to each of us: ‘Who do you say that I am?’ As we return to the familiar words of the creed at Mass on Sunday, the meaning of them all hangs on this one question from Jesus at this turning point in his life: ‘Who do you say that I am?’

As Sunday’s Gospel goes on to record, Jesus’ immediate instruction to Peter (and those who heard him give the right answer), was ‘not to tell anyone about him’. Yet again he commands silence, and yet again we may wonder what shape the Church would take if it allowed the possibility that those words were not just for the Twelve. To shut up occasionally would certainly be a ‘fresh expression of church’ and, perhaps more importantly, a refreshing one. The question is to be answered by each of us, not foisted on to someone else.

And, as the Gospel tells us, there are consequences to the way in which we answer that question. If we say to Jesus, with Peter, ‘You are the Messiah’, then we must also accept what follows –

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 

If we say we believe that Jesus is Lord – to use Paul’s formulation of the answer – and if we’re not just saying it, we are placing ourselves firmly on that way, but we are reminded that it is not a smooth highway, but the way of the cross.

In this encounter Jesus rebukes Peter for being an obstacle to the Way of the Cross itself, which he knows must be walked in each life that is fully committed to him, under God. He doesn’t suggest that we should invite trouble and suffering. He says that we must subordinate the ultimate control of our lives to God (a sacrificial act in itself) and the meaning of the Kingdom. Likewise, denying ourselves means, if you like (and in modern terms), refusing to act on purely self-centred motives, but rather seeking God’s guidance and final word in how we live, that our life might have the quality of eternity, be more than just finite and material.

‘Who do you say that I am?’ It may be a long time since we thought of answering that question personally. Yet it is the core of the Gospel: recognition of Jesus as Lord, Messiah, Son of God, is the only basis on which the story of our faith is more than just another story. We have the opportunity of a personal renewal of our commitment the next time we say or sing the creed:

‘Who do you say that I am?’

Yours in Christ,

Father Michael Bowie,
Assistant Priest, 
All Saints Margaret Street

Please pray for those who have asked for our prayers: Asia Bibi, Peter Burbidge, James Cary-Elwes, Coretta Quarty, Ian Coull, Paul Curno, Dennis Davis, Elizabeth Day, Mark Dougly, Kate Down,  Helen Everett, Jonty Gordon, Yvonne Harland, Lewis Harvey, Alice Jullien, Andrew Laird, Tom Leader, William Lightening, Christine Loffty, Simon MacGregor, Sister Martha (SMNC Tanzania), Hilary Morgan, David Pearce, Prebendary Tunde Roberts, Nick Russell, Jock Scott, Stella Skinner, Rosemary Stephens, Judy Stewart, Buzz Stokes, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Christine van Dyck, Debbie Wheeler and Joy Wright.

For the recently departed: John Scott, Tore Bergquist, James Hamilton, Graciela Muňoz, Agnes Hagam, Julian Piecha, Brian Cairney, Gabrielle Handley and Martin Goetze.

Remember past priests, benefactors, friends, and all whose year’s mind occurs this week including: William Clements, O.S.B (6^th Vicar of All Saints 1934 – 42), Richard Bickerton, Peggy MacMillan, Thomas Partridge, William Dudley Bernard Clements,  Augusta Kirby, Gwen Duckett, Richard Dinnis (Priest), Evelyn  Hutt, Virginia Ambridge, Flora Subbiah, Arthur Bourchier and Allan Duggan.

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY 13 SEPTEMBER – FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY – HIGH MASS, 11am 

Preacher: Father Michael Bowie
Missa ‘Crux fidelis‘ – Vivanco
Set me as a seal upon thy heart – Walton

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, First Evensong of Holy Cross Day 6pm
Preacher: Father Julian Browning 
Service in G – Sumsion 
O crux splendidior – Philips 

Sunday 13 September, 7.15pm (after Benediction)

ORGAN RECITAL – Charles Andrews, Associate Director of Music.
Programme: Concerto in C after J. E. Prinz von Sachsen-Weimar BWV595 – J. S. Bach
An Wasserflüssen Babylon – J. Pachelbel
Miserere (four parts) – W. Byrd
Minuet – W. Lloyd Webber
From Zwölf Orgelvorträge op. 174 – J. Rheinberger
Scherzoso – Abendruhe – Romanze – Aufschwung – Improvisation – Finale

Retiring collection to support the Choir and Music at All Saints (suggested donation £4). The All Saints Licensed Club/Bar below the Church will be open after this recital.

WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY 20 SEPTEMBER – SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY – HIGH MASS, 11am

Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses 
Missa PapÓ• Marcelli – Palestrina
Sicut cervus – Palestrina

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION 6pm 
Preacher: Father Michael Bowie 
Service in F minor – Gray 
Os justi – Bruckner

PARISH NOTICES

Please see the noticeboard in Church where other events may be advertised as space is limited in the Newsletter.

TICKETS GO ON SALE from this Sunday 13 September for KEATS ANCIENT AND MODERN – an afternoon of entertainment at All Saints – Sunday 15 November at 3pm. Come and see a film featuring one of our own congregation in the role of Fanny Brawne with the poet John Keats and hear the life story of a modern day Dr John Keet. £10 a ticket including a glass of wine – in aid of the All Saints Church Restoration Appeal. Tickets will be available from Sandra Wheen, Christine Levy and Pamela Botsford any Sunday after Mass.

EVENTS AT ALL SAINTS in SEPTEMBER 

Saturday 12 September, 11.30am – Walsingham Devotion – Rosary followed by 12 noon Mass 

Saturday 12 September, 1pm
AGM OF THE CHURCH MUSIC SOCIETY 
followed by a talk and tea for Society Members only. 
3.30pm EVENSONG – to which all are welcome.
Setting: Brewer in D. Anthem: Blessing, glory, wisdom and thanks – Brewer.

Monday 14 September – All Saints Parish Room – Private View (by invitation) for the John Lewis Partnership Exhibition – Sabeema Arts & Crafts Club. 7 – 9pm. Exhibition opening dates: Tuesday 15 – Sunday 27 September 12 – 6pm. Arts and crafts exhibition with most works being available to purchase – including paintings, drawings, jewellery, sewn goods and cards – a good opportunity to select some early Christmas presents.

Saturday 19 September, 4.30pm
DEDICATION & BLESSING of THE MARRIAGE of Valerie and Richard Steward. Please pray for this couple as their marriage is blessed at All Saints. 

Sunday 20 September, after Mass – there will be a Mission Committee meeting.

Monday 21 September, 7pm – Meeting of the All Saints’ Parochial Church Council (following Mass at 6.30pm). Please note: on this occasion, due to the John Lewis Exhibition, the meeting takes place in the dining room.

Wednesday 23 September, 6.45pm and 7.30pm – meetings of the All Saints Choir & Music Trust and the All Saints Foundation in the Vicarage.

EVENTS AT ALL SAINTS in OCTOBER

Sunday 4 October after Mass – there will be an Events Committee meeting.

Sunday 4 October – following Benediction at 7.15pm – ORGAN RECITAL in aid of IRAQI CHRISTIANS IN NEED (ICIN) – Carl Bahoshy performs works by Bach, Boëllman, Messiaen & Vierne. None of us can remain untouched by the plight of Christians and other minority groups in Iraq and Syria. Free admission with retiring collection in aid of this UK charity founded in 2007 to provide direct financial relief to displaced refugee families under the care of the Catholic Chaldean, Syriac and Orthodox churches in Erbil, northern Iraq. Current priorities are medical aid and shelter in the form of family caravans. All aid channelled through Bishops of the churches. Please lend your support and contribute generously.

Sunday 11 October after Mass – there will be a Health & Safety Committee meeting.

EVENTS ELSEWHERE in SEPTEMBER

Tuesday 15 September, 7 – 9pm, St Martin-In-The-Fields TALK – LIVING WITH DEMENTIA: An Evening on Dementia and Faith – this is the second evening in a series exploring the lived experience of dementia, discovering how the church can support those with dementia and their carers, and considering how dementia affects our understanding of what it means to be human. With refreshments and opportunities for sharing and questions. Chaired by Neil Bunker, Mental Health Liaison Priest for Westminster with Sam Wells, Vicar of St Martin’s, Canon David Warbrick, Clive Wright and those working in the field. Suggested donation £5. All welcome. For more information, contact: Revd Katherine Hedderly – Katherine.hedderly@smitf.org. T: 020 7766 1102.

Tuesday 15 September, 7pm, St Cyprian’s, Clarence Gate
FEAST OF TITLE – High Mass
Preacher: The Revd Clare Dowding, Rector of St Paul’s Rossmore Road
Mass Setting: Dove – Missa Brevis
Motet: Bullock – Give us the wings of faith
Director of Music: Julian Collings

Monday 21 September, 7pm, St Matthew’s Westminster
PATRONAL FESTIVAL
Preacher: Bishop Nigel Stock, Bishop at Lambeth
There will be a reception after the Mass to which everybody is welcome. Please feel free to bring along friends and colleagues.

ALL SAINTS RESTORATION PROJECT UPDATE

All five pendant lights are fully illuminated. The fitting of the specially made light fittings for the choir stalls (to be attached to the wrought iron grilles) took place on 18 August. When all fittings are in place we will be able to fine-tune the settings of the overall lighting scheme, although some of this work will have to wait until the darker days of autumn. Funds for the project continue to be raised and the total received at the time of writing is now a splendid £412,541. Any more gifts will allow us a small reserve against the final cost of the works. If there are any surplus funds when all bills are paid, these will go towards future restoration projects at All Saints.

We are indebted to all those donors who have helped us replace the out-dated electrics and relight the church so that all the achievements of earlier phases of restoration work over the last twenty years are now revealed. Thank you! 

HOW YOU CAN HELP………. please make cheques payable to: 

All Saints Church Restoration Appeal and send them to:  
The Parish Administrator, 7 Margaret Street, London W1W 8JG. Please indicate where Gift Aid may be applied or send in a completed Gift Aid envelope from in church, as it increases the value of your contribution by 25% at no cost to yourself.

ONGOING SUPPORT for HOMELESS PEOPLE through: MARYLEBONE PROJECT run by the CHURCH ARMY – A Day Centre, Residential and Transitional accommodation provider, re-settlement project and Educational and Training Unit for women. The Emergency Bed Unit – for which we have for some years helped to provide the funds for one of the 4 beds – offers a safe haven and refuge for women escaping domestic violence, financial crisis, sexual exploitation and mental health issues.

Seasonal Appeals – The grand total collected at All Saints for mission activities in 2014 was £6,463 through the All Saints Festival and Lent Appeals. £3,463 went to the Marylebone Project and a further £3,000 to Us (formerly USPG).

Year Round Support – we also support the Marylebone Resettlement Project with non-perishable food and toiletries or household necessities like cutlery or bed linen/blankets.
Thank you to everyone who contributes food and household essentials via the basket in Church or handed in to the Parish Office Please continue to donate these so we can help more people in need.

Day-to-day Support – we respond to the needs of homeless people who visit the church, providing luncheon vouchers for the West London Day Centre for rough sleepers who apply to the office and allowing a few individuals, who need a place to shelter or sleep during the day, to rest in the back of the church. We have created an information resource for Church Watchers, giving useful advice to homeless and vulnerable people seeking particular support or services. In the face of a rising tide of homelessness in London, please help us fund and support people in need through our Mission activities.

Want to help someone sleeping rough but don’t know how? Call Streetlink on 0300 500 0914 and they will get a visit from the local Street Team who can put them in contact with the services they may need.

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 website www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk, which has a full colour 360 virtual tour for viewing the wonderfully restored interior of the Church – see www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk/history/virtualtour – before a visit or if unable to travel.

* If you know of others who would like to receive this correspondence 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 prayers offered at All Saints, please email the Parish Administrator Mrs Dee Prior at: astsmgtst@aol.com. Or make use of the prayer request facility on the website at: www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk/prayer.

* If you would like any pastoral assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses: alanmoses111@gmail.com. Or Assistant Priest Fr Michael Bowie: mnrbowie@hotmail.com.

DAILY SERVICES AT ALL SAINTS
On major weekday feasts, High Mass is sung at 6.30pm

SUNDAYS in Church
Low Mass 6.30pm (Saturday), 8am and 5.15pm. Morning Prayer 10.20am
HIGH MASS AND SERMON, 11am and   CHORAL EVENSONG, SERMON and BENEDICTION, 6pm.

MONDAY – FRIDAY
Morning Prayer 7.30am
Low Mass – 8am, 1.10pm and 6.30pm
Evening Prayer 6pm
(Except Bank Holidays – 12 noon Mass only)

SATURDAY 
Morning Prayer 7.30am
Low Mass – 12 noon and 6.30pm (First Mass of Sunday) 
Evening Prayer 6pm

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.)

www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk and e-mail: astsmgtst@aol.com