All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friends,

“Preach the word, in season and out of season.”

An early deadline this week means I’m writing this on my way by train to preach at a funeral. Sermons at funerals or weddings, addressed to congregations in which the majority may not be regular church-goers, on occasions of either joy or sorrow, pose particular challenges.

That does not mean it is an occasion for dumbing down, for avoiding the serious, just that connections have to be made with people unfamiliar with “church-speak” and perhaps ill-at-ease in a church.
  
The kind of preaching the author of 2 Timothy has in mind is different:  the regular, Sunday-by-Sunday preaching in a Christian congregation. Here at All Saints, that preaching is the responsibility of the regular clergy team; those who know the congregation well and who are able to establish an on-going dialogue with them.

For most people this is their principal source of teaching and spiritual guidance. Visiting a parishioner who had not been able to come to church for a couple of Sundays because of illness, I was struck by her saying that one of the things she missed most was hearing the sermon.

As the epistle makes clear, this is an awesome responsibility for a preacher. But the willingness to spend long hours in preparation; to read, to think, to pray, to burrow down into the text, to search for the right words and examples, to write and rewrite,  does have its reward. Not only is the preacher taking their own vocation from God seriously but their hearers feel they too are being taken seriously. Even if they are being challenged as well as encouraged.

We all, preachers included, have a responsibility as hearers of the Word: to be attentive and prayerful in our listening. In that sense, preaching is sacramental: the gift is to be received in faith and expectancy.

Yours in that faith,

Fr. Alan Moses

PRAYER DIARY
Please pray for those who have asked for our prayers: Harry Allan, Damon Brash, Peter Burbidge, Margaret Campbell, Rachel Clayton, Sheena Cruse, Rosie Davis, Arthur Fearns, Charles Forker, Denise Inge, Mason Jacobsen, Jill, Katherine Lee, Joshua Levy, Marimar Perez Fabo, Celia Shore, Stephen Short, Kate Thomas, Andrew Tillyard, Melanie Toogood, David and Jo Vincent, Heather Walker, Wendy Wall, Fr Stephen Williams.  

For the recently departed, RIP: Adolf Dvorak, Stephen Willis, Richard Tann (whose funeral took place at Wymondham Abbey on Tuesday 15 October), Eva Wiggins, Nicholas Oresko, Patrick Cullinan Brown, Frances Caldecourt, priest, Vicar of St Joseph the Worker, Northolt.

At the anniversary of their death (during the coming week): Dora Bull, Roy Prince, Eva Dean, Ron Keating, Peter Laister (priest and former confessor of the All Saints Choir School), Reginald Thompson, Gwendoline Freeman, Joseph Harding.

NOTICES AND NEWS

FUTURE EVENTS AT ALL SAINTS, THE ANNUNCIATION
AND ST CYPRIAN’S

Sunday 20 October –TEACHING THE FAITH AT ALL SAINTS – Ten-to-One Talk Series: WHY DO YOU DO THAT? – Vestments. This is the third of twelve talks given by the Vicar. The bell is rung to announce the start.

Tues 22 – Sun 27 October – EXHIBITION – TIMOTHY BETJEMAN AT ALL SAINTS MARGARET STREET – the painter revisits a favourite Victorian church of his grandfather, poet John Betjeman, with a series of new works done in situ at All Saints.  The exhibition anticipates the bicentennial of its architect, William Butterfield, with oil paintings and prints intimately depicting the church’s vibrant interior through various liturgical seasons, moods and rites.  Open 12–6pm, in the Parish Room.

Sunday 27 October – TEACHING THE FAITH AT ALL SAINTS – Ten-to-One Talk Series: WHY DO YOU DO THAT? – Bells. This is the fourth of twelve talks given by the Vicar. The bell is rung to announce the start.

ALL SAINTS FESTIVAL 2013

THURS 31 OCT – EVE OF ALL SAINTS 6.30pm
LITANY OF THE SAINTS IN PROCESSION, SOLEMN EVENSONG
AND SOLEMN BENEDICTION
Fr Robert Mackley, Vicar of Little St Mary’s, Cambridge
Music: Service in F minor—Gray   What are these that glow from afar?—Gray

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FRI 1 NOV- ALL SAINTS’ DAY 6.30pm
HIGH MASS
The Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, Archbishop of Armagh and
Primate of All Ireland
Music: Missa Brevis—Jonathan Dove   Glorious in heaven—Whitlock

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SAT 2 NOV – ALL SOULS’ DAY 11am
HIGH MASS OF REQUIEM
The Venerable Douglas McKittrick, Archdeacon of Chichester
Music: Requiem Mass—Duruflé

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SUN 3 NOV – ALL SAINTS’ FESTIVAL SUNDAY 11am
PROCESSION AND HIGH MASS
The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses
Music: Krönungsmesse—Mozart   Holy is the true light—Harris

SOLEMN EVENSONG, TE DEUM
AND SOLEMN BENEDICTION 6pm
Fr Ian Brothwood, Vicar, St Michael & All Angels Croydon
Music: Service in A – Stanford   Seek him that maketh the seven stars – Jonathan Dove

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Saturday 2 November, 3pm – St Cyprian’s Church, Clarence Gate NW1 6AX – CHORAL EVENING PRAYER & BENEDICTION.
With the St Cyprian’s Singers directed by Julian Collings. Music: William Byrd – Responses, Herbert Sumsion – Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G and Basil Harwood – ‘O how glorious’.

Sunday 10 November – TEACHING THE FAITH AT ALL SAINTS – Ten-to-One Talk Series: WHY DO YOU DO THAT? – Incense. This is the fifth of twelve talks given by the Vicar. The bell is rung at the start.

Mon 11 Nov – Sat 21 Dec – CARD AID SHOP in the Parish Room, opening times: 11am – 3pm Monday – Saturday (closed Sunday). Card Aid shops offer an unrivalled range of cards, together with the assurance that ALL profits from the cards sold are going to charity. Award winning Peace Oil will also be available here at All Saints.

*******   TELLING THE GOOD NEWS *******–
Saturday 16 November 10.30am – 3.30pm
at the Annunciation, Marble Arch, Bryanston Street

A day for members of the All Saints, The Annunciation and St Cyprian’s congregations – sharing the Gospel and exploring how we can become more ‘confident in speaking and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, more creative in reaching new people and places with the Good News in the power of the Spirit’ (Diocese of London’s Capital Vision 2020).

The day will be led by Fr Tim Sledge, Vicar of Romsey Abbey, who preached at All Saints on Corpus Christi.

Please sign the list at the back of the church if you would like to take part in this mission day, to assist with planning and catering. We hope many of you will come – no expertise or experience required – we are all learners in this process.

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Monday 18 November, 7pm – MEETING OF THE ALL SAINTS PCC in the Parish Room. 

Sunday 24 November, 7.15pm (following Benediction) – ORGAN RECITAL – CHARLES ANDREWS, Associate Director of Music. Programme includes: Bach, Widor and Reger. Retiring collection to support the Choir and Music at All Saints (suggested donation £3.50). All Saints Licensed Club/Bar below the Church will be open afterwards.

Saturday 7 December 3pm – CHRISTMAS POETRY TEA at Pamela’s. 
All welcome.  Please bring ‘Seasonal’ poems or prose – stretch your imagination!  To accept/find out the address, please speak to Pamela or Sandra in the courtyard or ring Sandra on 020 7637 8456 (leaving your name and phone number).  Cost £6 in aid of the All Saints Restoration Fund. 

FUTURE EVENTS ELSEWHERE

Thursday 24 October 13.05, Lunchtime organ recital at St John’s, Smith Square – TIM BYRAM-WIGFIELD, Director of Music All Saints. Tickets: £10. Programme includes: Handel, Beethoven, Liszt, Hollins and Widor. See SJSS website for full details.