All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friends,

I mentioned in passing a couple of Sundays ago that Jesus’ bread of life discourse was not an unqualified success at the time: it was too much for some and they began to drift away. If you read the gospels carefully this is part of a broader waning of enthusiasm for him: by the time we get to the cross very few of his followers are left. There is a culture of avoiding ‘losers’ even in Jesus’ day.

As we find the Church occupying ‘loser’ status in the world’s eyes, we might reflect on how the difficulty of what is, essentially, Catholic teaching about the Eucharist (Christ truly present in the bread and wine of the sacrament) started the trend.

One observable response to that in ‘successful’ churches has been to disown (or keep quiet about) this sort of teaching and other difficult truths of the Christian tradition and seek to be more ‘approachable’ (roughly, the Alpha course strategy). But my experience is that the harder parts of Christianity don’t often cause people to drift away: rather, we usually fail to communicate them in the first place.

This means, if we are determined to stand by our traditions, that it is essential to prioritize those that are most important in order to win as many souls as possible for Christ. And there is a constant challenge to morale which we must acknowledge and meet: we may conscientiously prefer to be true to the faith than popular, but that is not a comfortable position to inhabit, especially as our leadership seems ever more obsessed with measurable growth and ‘outcomes’ (things which less complicated forms of Christianity find easier to achieve, at least in the short term).

We can, however, help our cause by making sure that our devotion to Catholic tradition is obviously outward-looking. Sacramental Christianity and being committed to eternal life requires us to take thought for the physical survival as well as the spiritual well-being of our neighbour. The two types of bread from heaven need not be mutually exclusive. One way of hearing Sunday’s Gospel, as most of the followers leave and even the twelve are seen to contain a traitor, is with Gustavo Gutierrez:

‘Once again Jesus says that his words “are spirit and life” (6.62). Believing in them means accepting life; rejecting them is, in some way, delivering Jesus to death (6.64). This is what Judas will do (he is mentioned in verse 71). Later, like Judas, many will do the same. They are those who, although they form part of Christ’s disciples, do not feel challenged by injustice, the exploitation and mistreatment of others, especially the most dispossessed. They are the Judas of history because their conduct is a betrayal of Jesus and his teaching. Jesus’ words will expose them.‘

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 Burbridge, Ella Carroll, James Cary-Elwes, Coretta Quarty, Ian Coull, Paul Curno, Dennis Davis, Elizabeth Day, Mark Dougly, Michael Duggan, Helen Everett, David Fettke, Jonty Gordon, Yvonne Harland, Lewis Harvey, Alice Jullien, Andrew Laird, Tom Leader, Anthea Lepper, William Lightening, Christine Loffty, Simon MacGregor, Sister Martha (SMNC Tanzania), Hilary Morgan, David Pearce, Prebendary Tunde Roberts, Nick Russell, Jock Scott, Stella Skinner, Judy Stewart, Buzz Stokes, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Christine van Dyck, Debbie Wheeler and Joy Wright.

For the recently departed: Owen Chadwick (Priest), Sister Jane Frances, Charles Hamilton, Estelle Lovell, John Scott, Tore Bergquist, James Hamilton and Graciela Muňoz.

Remember past priests, benefactors, friends, and all whose year’s mind occurs this week including: John Skinner, Elsie Faithfull, John Hawkins (Priest), Patricia Jones, Peter Vickers, Mary King, David Harris (Priest), Linda Clark, Irene Harford, Elvira Dibley, Robert Corbin (Priest), Ellen Noble, Lucy Cook, Dawn Hart, Christine Sanderson, Michael Boll, Nora Leyland, Kenneth Eaves, Evelyne Mginah, Denis Campkin and Joan Saint.

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY 23 AUGUST – TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY 
We conclude our series of services in August highlighting the musicians of All Saints with the Missa Brevior for lower voices composed by James Sherwood, a current member of the All Saints Choir.

HIGH MASS, 11am 
Preacher: Father Barry Orford 
Missa Brevior – James Sherwood
Blessed is he – Tomkins

There are no Sunday lunches during the month of August. Sunday lunch service will resume in September.

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm 
Preacher: Father Michael Bowie 
Service in G (lower voices) – Sumsion 
Laudem dicite Deo – Sheppard

WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY 30 AUGUST –THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: Father Michael Bowie
Mass for four voices – Byrd 
Holy is the true light – Harris

There are no Sunday lunches during the month of August. Sunday lunch service will resume in September.

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm 
Preacher: Father Barry Orford 
Collegium Regale – Howells 
Save us, O Lord – Bairstow

PARISH NOTICES  

Wednesday 26 August, 6.30pm – MONTHLY REQUIEM MASS. Please add names of those you wish to be remembered at this Mass to the folder on the lectern in the Baptistery. 

Wednesday 26 August – Sunday 6 September 2015
The Parish Office will be closed during this holiday period. Voicemails and emails will be checked from time to time and dealt with.

EVENTS AT ALL SAINTS in AUGUST and SEPTEMBER

Saturday 22 August – ALL DAY, either side of 12 noon Mass, there will be filming by a Christian film-maker inside All Saints. The film crew will be using the Church and the Parish Room throughout the day. Fr Michael Bowie will be overseeing the arrangements.

Sunday 30 August, 3pm – HIGH MASS – BLESSING of THE MARRIAGE of Patrick and Rebecca. Please pray for this couple as their marriage is blessed at All Saints.

Sunday 30 August – this is the Dr John Birch Organ Scholar Nicholas Mannoukas’s last day at All Saints. We wish him well with his continued studies.

Saturday 5 September – 9-11am and 2 – 4pm 
BLUE BADGE GUIDE TRAINING inside All Saints.

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.

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.

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.

EVENTS ELSEWHERE in SEPTEMBER

Saturday 5 September, 3pm, St Cyprian’s Church, Clarence Gate
CHORAL EVENING PRAYER & BENEDICTION
Responses: Reading; Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis: Blair in B minor
Anthem: Stanford – For lo, I raise up
With the St Cyprian’s Singers, directed by Julian Collings.

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 £411,580. 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