All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friend,

St.Luke is a master story-teller and his account of the conversion of St. Paul is so dramatic that it overshadows the other readings on that feast which we celebrate this Sunday, including the apostle’s own reflection on his conversion in the Letter to the Galatians.

“He who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles.”

Paul sees what has happened to him in terms of the prophets of Israel and their calling.  The purpose of his whole life and the fulfillment of his Jewish faith in making all nations partners with Israel in the salvation of God is revealed to him.

So, as well as his “conversion,” we might speak of his “calling” and “commission”. That might help many who have found emphasis on dramatic conversion experience as the norm of Christian life not true to their own experience.  Conversion can involve decisive moments, but more often it is a process. And even when there is some Damascus Road, conversion has to go on being lived out. 

Paul speaks of his being set apart before he was born. “Pre-destination” is another word which sets teeth on edge, often being confined to decisions about who is going to heaven or hell.  But Paul uses it here of vocation; the purpose for which God has made us, you and me. What is it that we are called to be and do? 

Not only individuals but communities have callings. A religious community might have a calling to mission or education or service, to live among the poor or to pray.  To those of us who belong to a parish church in the heart of London, responsible not just for the small number of people who live around us but for all who work or study, or even just shop or eat around us, what does that calling mean and what ongoing conversion does it ask of us? 

Like Paul we have a heritage of faith, or worship, service, prayer and holiness, to which many of us have been drawn. It shapes our sense of who we are. We may think, in our consumerist culture’s way, that this is a matter of our own choice. But what if we were to see it as something directed by God who has called us here by his grace, so that our being here has a purpose greater than the fulfillment of our own needs?  What is that calling? How do we discover it?

Paul, the proud Pharisee, the guardian of separateness, found himself turned inside out, driven out beyond the boundaries he had policed with persecuting zeal.

We do not have to leave home to find the nations of the world. In our world city, they have come to us. But we still need to open hearts and minds to them, both as we seek to share the gospel with them, and as we seek to build a society in which we can live together in mutual respect and peace. Perhaps we need to be knocked off the horses of our certainties – which sometimes are really fears we proclaim loudly for our own comfort – to be shown that when we think we see so clearly, we might in fact be blind.

We too need an Ananias to remove the scales from our eyes.  I like Ananias, sceptical and suspicious about Saul: a reformed persecutor sounds too good to be true.  He represents that fear of the new and risky in many of us. And yet, he does what God  tells him too and so will be immortalised for his small part in something quite extraordinary, That is  the universal mission of the Church which continues to this day and in which we too who are not in Straight Street, Damascus but Margaret Street, London, are called to share.

Yours in Christ,

Fr 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. Bruce Barnet- Cowan, Jean Bray, Heather Brown, Lily Caplin, James Cary-Elwes, Kate Down, Cynthia Drury, Fr. Norman Greenfield, Tim Harding, Yvonne & Philip Harland, Elspeth Harley, Lewis Harvey, Myrtle Hughes, Sheila Kenyon, Molly Leng, Joshua Levy, Christine Loffty, Hilary Morgan, Norman Newby, Malcolm Richards, Peter Royle, Jock Scott, Fr. Nicholas Stacey, Buzz Stokes, Robert Streit, Celia Swan, Jane Wildash, Joy Wright and Mark Young.

For the recently departed: Maisie Orr, George Askey, Frank Hawkins (Priest), Mavis Mercer, Myra Shields, Linda Orme, Joseph Dorgu and Frank Whitehill. 

Remember past priests, benefactors, friends, and all whose year’s mind occurs this week: Isabella Fotheringham, Ethel Boileau, Hilda Florence Lawson, Watroslav Reith, Noël Campion, Frederic Hood (Priest), Oswald Rodger, Walter Vale (organist 1907 – 1939), Annie Taylor, Alice Savage, Annie Benniston, Vera Martin, John Brackley, Barbara Niemyska, George Flack, Norah Lawrence, Doris Foster, Judith Pulteney, Florence Akers, Leonard Forsyth, Reginald Oxley (All Saints’ Bar Steward)  and Jean Phillips.

WORSHIP THIS WEEK

SUNDAY 25 JANUARY – THIRD SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 18 – 25 January 

HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: The Right Reverend Jonathan Meyrick, Bishop of Lynn
Missa ‘Bell’ Amfitrit’ altera’ – Lassus
Now we are ambassadors/How lovely are the messengers – Mendelssohn

There is a Ten to One Talk – the bell will be rung beforehand. The theme is The Sermon.

There is an Events Committee after Mass in the Parish Office.

There is Sunday lunch service this week –Robin Clutterham will be cooking. Tickets £5 from the Shop in the Parish Room (subject to availability).

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm
Preacher: Father Michael Bowie
The Chichester Service – Berkeley
Es ist das Heil uns kommen her – Brahms

The Vicar is at St Paul’s Cathedral this evening to say farewell to Bishop Peter Wheatley.

Sunday 25 January, 7.15pm (after Benediction)
ORGAN RECITAL – CHARLES ANDREWS (Associate Director of Music)
Programme:
By J. S. Bach (1685-1750):
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm’ ich her BWV 606
Mit Fried’ und Freud’ ich fahr’ dahin BWV 616
Herr Gott, nun schleuß den Himmel auf BWV 617       
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm’ ich her BWV 700
Prelude and fugue in A minor BWV 543
In dulci jubilo BWV 608

By M. Dupré (1886-1971):

Variations sur un Noël op. 20

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.

WEEKDAY SERVICES – taking place in the Parish Room and Confessions heard in the Oratory (access via the Parish Office) until the end of January while there is scaffolding in Church. Church reopens for weekday worship on Monday 2 February.

WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY
Sunday 1 February – FOURTH SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY
HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: Father Julian Browning
Communion Service ‘Collegium Regale’—Howells
Videntes stellam – Poulenc

Ten to One Talk Theme: The Creed– the bell will ring beforehand.

FESTAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm
First Evensong of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas)
Including the dedication of All Saints’ new lighting scheme
Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses
Service in G – Stanford
Hail, gladdening Light – Wood

In thanksgiving for the completion of the fourth phase of our Restoration Project – Renewal of Lighting and Electrics – we will be celebrating the completion of the project and expressing our gratitude to all those who contributed to its success. We hope as many people as possible will join us and take the opportunity to meet the Project Team (including the electricians) who worked on the Project. If you intend to come to this service, please let us know as Refreshments will be served after the service. RSVP – The Parish Administrator on 0207 636 1788 or Email: astsmgtst@aol.com.  

NOTICES

‘EVERYONE COUNTS EXTRA’ (Diversity Audit for Congregations). We are asked by the Diocese of London to take part in this top-up to their Everyone Counts 2014 Survey. Everyone Counts Extra is an additional phase running throughout January for individuals to complete a short demographic survey to be used in the main Everyone Counts diversity audit survey for congregations. This allows anyone who wasn’t able to take part in October/November to join in and is intended to potentially boost overall figures for dioceses. This data will be used to complement the information already collected.

Anyone from a congregation can simply go to:  https://www.churchofengland.org/about-us/facts-stats/research-statistics/everyone-counts-2014.aspx and complete the short survey from there. Just eight questions – the work of a couple of minutes we promise!

Wednesday, 28 January 2015 from 7-10pm FILM SHOWING and interview with David Oyelowo the star of SELMA, Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8EP.  SELMA is a 2014 American historical drama film directed by Ava DuVernay and written by Paul Webb and Ava DuVernay.  Based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches led by James Bevel, Hosea Williams, and Martin Luther King, Jr.  and John Lewis, the film stars British actors David Oyelowo as King, Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon Johnson, Tim Roth as George Wallace, Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King, and American rapper and actor Common as James Bevel.

Selma had four Golden Globe Award nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Actor, and won for Best Original Song. It is also nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Song at the 87th Academy Awards.

Tickets for the film and an interview with its leading man are available here for £7.83 to cover costs: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bloomsbury-central-baptist-church-selma-film-preview-david-oyelowo-qa-tickets-15350085519

ALL SAINTS’ PARISH RETREAT 2015 – PLEASE NOTE – Just 8 places left!!
The Retreat will be at Ely again, from 13-15 March. The conductor will be Fr John Cullen. If you would like to attend, or to know more about it, please contact Martin Woolley on 07976 275383 or at m.g.woolley@btinternet.com. A careful note will be kept of the order in which firm reservations are received to assist with fair room allocation.

ALL SAINTS’ DATES FOR YOUR DIARY IN FEBRUARY

Monday 2 February – THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE (Candlemas)
HIGH MASS 6.30pm
Preacher: Fr. Will Lamb, Vice-Principal, Westcott House
Mass Setting: Missa super ‘Sancta Maria’ – Händl
When to the Temple Mary went – Eccard

Friday 6 February, 6.30pm – CELL OF OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM – LOW MASS WITH HYMNS. Address by Father Kevin Morris, Vicar of St Michael’s Bedford Park. All are welcome. Light refreshments will be served afterwards.  

Sunday 8 February – There will be a meeting of the Health & Safety Committee after Mass in the Parish Office.

Friday 13 February – a Requiem Mass will be held at 6.30pm. Please enter the names of those whom you wish to be remembered in the blue folder at the back of Church.

Wednesday 18 February, 6.30pm – ASH WEDNESDAY High Mass and Imposition of Ashes. Preacher: The Vicar

Thursday 19 February, 7pm – There is a meeting of the Standing Committee of the All Saints PCC in the Vicarage after Evening Mass at 6.30pm.

EVENTS BEYOND ALL SAINTS 

St Cyprian’s, Clarence Gate: Evensong & Benediction Saturday 7 February – PLEASE NOTE – THERE WILL NOT BE A SERVICE THIS MONTH.

ALL SAINTS RESTORATION PROJECT UPDATE

EXCELLENT PROGRESS but FURTHER DONATIONS NEEDED to reduce reliance on loans
New wiring and lighting cost £350,000. Essential CCTV security and fire detection systems cost £22,000. We have completed these works while scaffolding is in place, to minimise the cost. We now want to reduce our reliance on loans so any further gifts will help us to do that. We will be  celebrating the newly lit All Saints at Candlemas and finishing off the back-of-house works in February.  

HOW YOU CAN HELP………. please be as generous as you can making cheques payable to: All Saints Church Restoration Appeal and sending them to:  The Parish Administrator, 7 Margaret Street, London W1W 8JG.
Please indicate where Gift Aid may be applied as it increases the value of your contribution by 25% at no cost to yourself. Thank you!

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.

Seasonal Appeals – The grand total collected in 2014 was £3,463 (up significantly on 2013’s support of £2,790) to this Mission Project through the All Saints Festival and Lent Appeals. The Project (in acknowledging our support) said:
‘Such a wonderful amount to have raised, thank you so very much for your valued support’.

A further £3,000 raised in 2014 for Us (formerly USPG) was acknowledged to be a ‘very generous gift’ which will be used to feed communities and generate income to support AIDS orphans in child-headed families in Zimbabwe.

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. Please contribute to this effort, bringing donations to the Parish Office or leaving them in Church in the basket in the Baptistery.

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 project.

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.

* 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.

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 during Refurbishment until the end of January 2015
(Church guaranteed open Sunday only from 7am to 7pm) and then Church will reopen as usual from Monday 2 February.
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 – SATURDAY in the Parish Room
Morning Prayer 7.30am
Low Mass – 8am, 1.10pm and 6.30pm
Evening Prayer 6pm
(Except Bank Holiday – 1.10pm Mass only)

Confessions
A priest is available for confessions/counsel Monday – Friday from 12.30-1pm and at 5.30pm Monday – Saturday, or by appointment. During the refurbishment works, confessions will be heard Monday – Friday in the Oratory at 7 Margaret Street. Please ring the bell
at the Vicarage or Parish Office doors for admittance. 

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