All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friend,

It is ironic that just after the British government has issued newer guidelines on safe levels of alcohol consumption, the gospel at Mass on Sunday is the Wedding at Cana at which Jesus provides a huge quantity of very good wine (John 2:1-11). 

This, the third of the ‘epiphanies’ we celebrate in this season  (after the coming of the Magi and the Baptism of Jesus), is the first of the ‘signs’ which in John’s Gospel point to the true nature of Jesus: which reveal his glory.

Jesus, his mother and his disciples are guests at a wedding where the catering arrangements have gone badly wrong. His mother tells Jesus of this, and we hear that rather brusque response in which he seems to distance himself from her: “Woman, what concern is that to you and me? My hour has not yet come.”   That’s no way to talk to your mother, we think.

This is an exchange that catholic-minded Christians devoted to Mary find disturbing. The more protestant think it supports their rejection of Marian piety, which effectively ‘photo-shops’ her out of the holy family photographs.

Jesus’ ‘hour’ in John is his passion. This reluctance suggests Jesus’ awareness, seen in the other gospels too, that his identity is determined primarily by his relationship with God. He must act in obedience to the Father’s will, rather than human expectations. 

Strangely, however, Jesus then does do something about the wine problem. After his mother tells the servants “Do whatever he tells you”, he instructs them to draw from those great stone water jars for ritual washing and take it to the steward of the feast.

‘The Mother of Jesus,’ as John calls her, appears only twice in the fourth gospel: here and at the foot of the cross, where she and the Beloved Disciple represent the embryonic church. Mary’s report of the situation to Jesus has been called the first instance of the Church’s maternal intercession for the world. Surely, too, Christians who take the gospels seriously must recognize her words to the servants: “Do whatever he tells you”, as ones which speak to us all.

When the servants act as instructed, the steward of the wedding feast is surprised, not just by the appearance of the wine but by its quality. It was not considered polite to serve the best wine first and keep the cheap plonk until everyone was beyond noticing, but a worldly-wise steward would know this was often done.  “But you have kept the good wine until now,” he says to the bridegroom, who we assume knew nothing about it.

In our life of faith, our relationship with Jesus, and indeed those with others who are close to us, there is often an initial period of enthusiasm, which feels like drinking champagne. Then excitement can fade.  What this sign points us too is that it is in persevering in our relationship with Jesus, and in other significant relationships like marriage or friendship, that we discover that the best wine is kept until last.

To return to the government’s warning: A church which has a licensed bar and which serves wine on special occasions, has a responsibility to be aware of the dangers of alcohol.  In scripture wine is a symbol of joy and celebration, of the kingdom of heaven represented by the marriage supper of the Lamb.  It is also a symbol of sacrifice: of the ‘hour’ of Jesus, his passion and death: “Drink this, all of you; this is my blood which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it remembrance of me.”

It is, alas, not just something which gladdens the heart and a means of grace, but also the agent of degradation and destruction. Abuse and addiction destroys health and relationships. It may seem to offer an escape from the demands and stresses of life, but it can deaden our capacity to respond to them creatively. So a church like ours has a responsibility to safeguard those for whom alcohol is a menace and to encourage everyone to drink in moderation. I am always impressed by the number of our people who give up alcohol for Lent. I’m sure I will be again this Lent, which is not far away, so we should start planning our Lenten rule.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Alan Moses
Prebendary Alan Moses
Vicar of All Saints Margaret Street
Area Dean of Westminster – St Marylebone

Please pray for those who have asked for our prayers: Asia Bibi, John Bailey, , Fr Allan Buick, James Cary-Elwes, Ian Coull, Dennis Davis, Mark Dougly, Kate Down, David Fettke, Jonty Gordon, Adrian Gunning, Fr Alan Gyle, Ghislain Hamelin, Lewis Harvey, Gwyneth Hopkins, Pat Hunt, David Jewkes, Alice Jullien, Andrew Laird, Tom Leader, Elizabeth Livingstone, Christine Loffty, Fr Frank Marriott, Miriam Nelson, David Pearce, Canon John Rees, Jock Scott, Patricia Searle, Stella and Helen Skinner, Rose Stephens, Judy Stewart, Buzz Stokes, Kate Thomas, Christine van Dyck,  Juliet Windham and Joy Wright.   

For the recently departed: Robin Fletcher (former Administrator of the All Saints Foundation and for whom a High Mass of Requiem will be held at All Saints on Thursday 28 January at 11am), Basil Jones (Priest), Hester Martineau, Peter Burbidge, Edwin Meek, Robert McWatt and Roger Radford.

Remember past priests, benefactors, friends, and all whose year’s mind occurs this week including: Elizabeth King, Albert Sheppard, Arnold Lawson, Kate Gorse, Josephine Whittley, Harris Charlton, William Clark, Hannah Berry, John Snoswell, Gwyneth Bishop, Virginia Smith, Isabella Fotheringham, Frank Whitehill, Amory Hay, Annie Waggett, Maggie Dibley, Derek Allen (Priest), Ernest Swanton, Edith Laing and Kenneth Christie.

For full service information: www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk.

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY 17 JANUARY – Second Sunday of Epiphany 
HIGH MASS, 11am 
Preacher: Fr Daniel Dries, 
Rector of Christ Church St Laurence, Sydney
Missa Brevis – Ives      
Tribus miraculis – Marenzio

There is no Sunday lunch service this week, but it begins again on Sunday 24 January, when Martin Woolley is the chef.

The Mission Committee – meets after Mass in the Parish Office.

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm
Preacher: Fr Barry Orford
Service in B minor – Noble
Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern – Praetorius

WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY 24 JANUARY – Third Sunday of Epiphany
HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: Fr Julian Browning
‘Missa ‘simile est regnum cÓ•lorum’ – Guerrero
Lo, star-led chiefs – Crotch

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm
Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses
St Paul’s Service – Howells
How lovely are the messengers (from ‘St Paul’) – Mendelssohn 

Following Benediction:
ORGAN RECITAL – Sunday 24 January at 7.15pm
CHARLES ANDREWS, Associate Director of Music, All Saints – 
By W. Lloyd Webber (1914-1982): 
Festal March
Minuet
From Das Orgelbüchlein by J. S. Bach (1985-1750):
Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich BWV605
Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ BWV604
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm’ ich her BWV606
In dulci jubilo BWV608
Christum wir sollen loben schon BWV611
In dir ist Freude BWV615
From Miscellaneen op. 174 by J. Rheinberger (1839-1901):
Romanze
Scherzoso
Aufschwung
Improvisation
Finale 
Entry is free, but we invite you to make a retiring donation (suggested £5) to support the Choir & Music at All Saints. The Licensed Club/Bar is open after each recital (new 2016 membership subscription is now payable: £3).

PARISH NOTICES

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

THANK YOU – Rosemary Harris would like to thank the members of the All Saints congregation who kindly joined her in celebrating her 90^th Birthday on 10 January.

SERVICES & EVENTS FOR YOUR 2016 DIARIES – at ALL SAINTS

There is a HIGH MASS OF REQUIEM for ROBIN FLETCHER at 11am, Thursday 28 January 2016. Preacher: Canon David Hutt.

ORGAN RECITALS later in 2016 – all at 7.15pm on Sundays following Benediction: 
20 March – Palm Sunday – Laurence Long 
22 May – Trinity Sunday – David Graham, Organist and Director of Music at The Jesuit Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street Mayfair 
3 July- Timothy Byram-Wigfield
18 September – Charles Andrews 
20 November Christ the King – Charles Andrews

TUESDAY 2 FEBRUARY Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas)
PROCESSION & HIGH MASS at 6.30pm
Preacher: The Venerable John Hawkins, Archdeacon of Hampstead
Missa super Sancta Maria – Händl
When to the temple Mary went – Eccard

SMALL CHOIRS FESTIVAL 2016, Saturday 6 February, 2 – 6pm 
Small Choirs was set up in 2004 to support church choirs with few or no men by organising choral festivals with a repertoire that such choirs could manage in their own churches without further support, and also by providing suitable music for such choirs in downloadable form on the internet. The website now has over 700 pieces of music suitable for such choirs and hundreds of choirs around the globe (from every continent except Antarctica) are using the site and receiving the regular newsletter and updates.

The 2016 festival is being held in All Saints. After an afternoon of rehearsing, a Festival Service will be held at 5pm, with Fr. John Pritchard presiding, at which the festival pieces will be sung within a framework of well-known hymns and readings.

The Small Choirs Festivals are ecumenical in nature and, in previous years, church choirs from all the major denominations have been represented.One of the special features of the festivals is that participation is not restricted to small choirs only. Anyone who supports the ideals of the organisation is welcome to join in, whether from a large choir themselves or just a member of the congregation of the host church. So, if anyone from All Saints would like to be part of the festival, just access the website (www.small-choirs.org.uk/feb2016), see what is being sung, and fill in the online form. Alternatively, ring Philip Norman, on 020 8519 6491.

Even if you are not available to sing, do support the concluding festival from 5 – 6pm.

CONFESSIONS at the beginning of LENT 
Monday 8 February – 12 – 1pm and 5 – 6pm
Tuesday 9 February – 12 – 1pm and 5 – 6pm

ASH WEDNESDAY, 10 February 
Low Mass with Ashing – 8am 
Confessions 12 – 1pm 
Low Mass with Ashing – 1.10pm 
Confessions 5 – 5.45pm 
ASH WEDNESDAY HIGH MASS and Imposition of Ashes, 6.30pm

EVENTS FOR JANUARY 2016 BEYOND ALL SAINTS

CHURCHES TOGETHER IN WESTMINSTER 2016 AGM followed by a Panel Discussion to be held Monday, 18 January 2016 at 6:30pm at St George’s Church, Hanover Square, W1S 1FX. Everyone is invited. Followed by refreshments. Panel discussion:

MASS MIGRATION: CHURCHES’ ROLE – (How do we respond? What do we want? What do we do? What is a migrant?
What is a refugee?) 
Speakers: 
Julian Coman (Assistant Editor, The Observer)
Revd Bob Fyffe (General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain & Ireland)
Ambra Longatti (International development project worker)
Revd Nadim Nassar (Director, Awareness Foundation for Syria)

PANCAKE PARTY AT ST CYPRIAN’S – 
Tuesday 9 February, 7.30pm 
Fr Gerald Beauchamp writes: ‘All being well the new kitchen and toilets at St Cyprian’s should be finished by the end of January. To celebrate and to test them out informally St Cyprian’s is planning to have a pancake party on Tuesday 9 February starting at 7.30pm. I realise that you may already have plans that evening but you are very welcome to come if you are free. We will do something more official by way of thanksgiving on St Cyprian’s Day (Thursday 15 September) but that’s a bit long to wait.’ Please let Fr Gerald Beauchamp know if you can come on 9 February. E: Gerald.beauchamp@btconnect.com. Thank you.

HUGH PRICE HUGHES LECTURES 2016  
All lectures will be held at Hinde St Methodist Church at 7.30pm.  Admission is free & all are welcome! www.hindestreet.org.uk/hph

This series will invite you to reflect on how other ways of knowing and seeing – “faith” commitments for some – relate to their Christian faith. These alternative and complementary ways of knowing and seeing, sometimes portrayed negatively by people of faith, have the potential to deepen our understanding of our faith commitments and enable us to engage more constructively with the wider world.

When science exceeds faith, and vice-versa:
reflections on belief by an evolutionary biologist
9 February – Dr Robert Asher
Curator of Vertebrates in the University of Cambridge & Paleobiologist

Thinking globally, act locally
8 March – Polly March
Head of Campaigns & Policy at Global Justice

12 April – Rev Ric Stott
Artist & Methodist Pioneer minister

Identity, Modernity and Faith 
10 May – Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
Journalist

Living as Christians in Multi-faith Britain and
the Importance of Religious Literacy
14 June – Michael Wakelin
Religion & Media Consultant

ALL SAINTS MISSION ACTIVITIES:-

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. 

Year Round Support – we also support the Marylebone Resettlement Projectwith 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 during the cold weather.  

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 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/virtualtour – 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 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@gmail.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