All Saints Parish Newsletter 23rd May 2014
Dear Friends
Sunday’s gospel is part of the farewell discourse of Jesus during the Last Supper. St John gives us a picture of someone concentrating on essentials, and looking to the future when he is not with his friends in the same way as before. One of the things he says to them is ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments.’
You can hear that and understand it as a command, a direct order (sometimes it has been so translated): ‘if you love me, then you must keep my commandments’. But it is a subtler teaching: it means something more like, ‘if you love me, then you are keeping my commandments’; your love will demonstrate your allegiance. This is another variation on John’s major theme, love as the basis of the new law.
This makes more sense than seeing the words as a mere directive command, because Jesus hasn’t given us a list of commandments to ‘keep’, nor does he go on to do so. The focus here is on loving Jesus, on what we might call discipleship, living after the pattern of the Lord. He rewrites the meaning of ‘commandments’: it is the person and life of Jesus that we are to emulate; we are not given a new set of rules.
And again, this saying certainly does not mean, ‘if you keep my commandments then I will love you’; it isn’t the saying of a manipulative parent. Earlier, during the same meal, John reports Jesus saying, ‘by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another’; the theme is repeated a little later, ‘love one another as I have loved you.’
‘As I have loved you’: that means, of course, even to death. Again, he is saying to them, if you love me, if you love one another, you are keeping my ‘commandments’. Unconditional acceptance and generosity is the model of love he offers.
We all long for unconditional love. But many of us find it difficult to believe that God really loves us like that. We tend to assume, and may even have been told, that God loves us only if we are good. God loves us, not because we are good but because he is good. Our very existence is a sign of God’s love. God’s unconditional love for us is the Good News. And, Jesus says, if we love him and one another we are keeping his commandments. That’s the lesson we have to spend our lives learning, not the contents of a rule book. It’s much more difficult to work out and infinitely more rewarding in the outcome.
Fr Michael Bowie
Assistant Priest
All Saints Margaret Street
Please pray for those who have asked for our prayers: Harry Allan, Alan Bishton, Susan Beauchamp, Jean Brackston, Rachel Clayton, Rosamond Clayton, Kate Down, Jean East, Ursula Edwards, Arthur Fearns, Geoff, Yvonne & Philip Harland, Lewis Harvey, Kate Hickman, Jill, Katherine Lee, Molly Leng, Joshua Levy, Christine Loffty, Santa Luca, Kerry Manuel, Jonathan Mani-Weoki, Megan and Chantal, Norman Newby, Andrew O’Connor, Frances O’Neil, Malcolm Richards, Peter Royle, Marilyn Stansfield, Dilys Thomas, Mary Thomas and Joy Wright.
For the recently departed: Anne Maguire, Brenda Stather-Dunn, Gladys Harris, Robert Blott (former chorister of All Saints) and Neville Wilson.
At the anniversary of their death (during the coming week): Frederick Seales, John Graham Davies, Clare Jackson, Percy Aspinall, Elsie Aileen Davies, Constance Betty Scott (one time member of the PCC and Parish Paper Secretary), Ivan Sutton, Joy Cooch, Constance Alice Crozier, Agnes Elizabeth Barry, Brenda Lusha, Dominic Francis Borg, Henry Pelham-Clington 7th Duke of Newcastle, Constance Eleanor Porter, Olga Gaunt.
WORSHIP AT ALL SAINTS THIS SUNDAY – 25 MAY 2014
Sixth Sunday of Easter
HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: Fr Michael Bowie
Communion Service in F – Darke
Christ rising again – Weelkes
3-4pm Please pray with other Anglicans and Roman Catholics for Pope Francis’ visit to Christians in Bethlehem.
CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm
Preacher: Fr Gerald Beauchamp
Service in D – Wood
VictimÓ• paschali – Byrd
The Vicar is preaching on Sunday 25 May at St Mary the Virgin, New York.
EVENTS THIS COMING WEEK
WALSINGHAM NATIONAL PILGRIMAGE – Bank Holiday Monday 26 May
All Saints is running a coach once again to the Walsingham National Pilgrimage – with a Concelebrated Mass in the Abbey Grounds, Sermon (Preacher: Mother Mary Luke CHC), Procession round the Village, and Benediction in the Shrine Gardens. This has always been a day to enjoy and a powerful witness to the Christian faith. The total cost will be about £20. Please speak to Ross Buchanan (Tel: 020 7221 1312) in case of a last-minute place.
ASCENSION DAY at ALL SAINTS – Thursday 29 May at 6.30pm
HIGH MASS – Preacher: Prebendary Alan Moses
Mass Setting: Missa ‘Ascendo ad Patrem – Palestrina
Anthem: Ascendit Deus – Philips
WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY 1 June
Seventh Sunday of Easter (Sunday after Ascension)
HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: Prebendary Alan Moses
Missa in honorem Sancti Dominici – Rubbra
Cœlos ascendit hodie – Stanford
CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION at 6pm
Preacher: Fr Michael Bowie
Primi toni – Palestrina
Ascendens Christus – Handl
SPECIAL EVENTS IN MAY/JUNE at All Saints and Elsewhere
ALL SAINTS PARISH RETREAT – Friday 30 May to Sunday 1 June
This year’s Retreat is conducted by Father Julian Browning.
ST CYPRIAN’S CHURCH, NW1 6AX – SATURDAY 7 JUNE, 3pm
Choral Evensong & Benediction
Responses: Richard Shephard. Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis: Charles Villiers Stanford: Evening Service in B flat. Anthem: God is gone up – Gerald Finzi. With the St Cyprian’s Singers directed by Julian Collings.
CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION, Bryanston Street, nr. Marble Arch, London W1H 7AH – Saturday 7 June 2014 at 7pm – Music in Honour of Our Lady A Concert for the Centenary of The Church of the Annunciation 1914 – 2014 to include SPEM IN ALIUM – THOMAS TALLIS, the famous 40-part motet. Together with plainchant and works by Lassus, Palestrina, Rachmaninov, Fizi and Gorecki. Performed jointly by ExColl, a choir of former Cambridge Choral Scholars & The Annunciation Singers under the direction of Christopher Saward and Simon Lovell-Jones. Please take your seat by 6.50pm. Tickets £20 to include a glass of wine. Available on the door or from www.excoll.org.uk. NB. ExColl is also singing at the celebration of the Mass of Pentecost at The Annunciation on Sunday 8 June at 10.30am.
CAPITAL VISION 2020 VIGIL OF PRAYER – the Bishop is calling us to a week of prayer, both in the cathedral and in our parishes, in the days between Pentecost and Trinity Sunday. Capital Vision 2020 encourages us to be more Confident, Creative and Compassionate in our sharing of the gospel with the people of our city. All Saints is known as a place and a community of prayer. That prayerfulness needs to be constantly renewed and deepened. Part of our response to the Bishop’s call to prayer will be a Vigil of Prayer in church on Wednesday 11 June commencing after the 8am Mass and continuing through the day until midnight. Outside service times, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on the High Altar and there will be scriptural and prayer resources to help us focus our attention on Jesus. There will be a list in church for people to sign up for particular times, so that the watch can be maintained throughout the day until midnight. Please give a little of your time to join in the watch of prayer.
CORPUS CHRISTI – All Saints – Thursday 19 June, High Mass and Procession of the Blessed Sacrament in the streets around the Church at 6.30pm. The All Saints choir and congregational singing will be supported by brass players accompanying the procession. Preacher: Canon Dr. Angus Ritchie, the Director of the Centre for Contextual Theology based at the Royal Foundation of St. Katharine in the East End. Mass setting: Missa Brevis in B flat—Mozart and anthem O sacrum convivium—Guerrero. Refreshments will be served after the service.
THE ALBAN PILGRIMAGE – Saturday 21 June 2014 at St. Alban’s Abbey – the Shrine of Britain’s First Martyr. Please aim to arrive by 10.30am, for procession set off 11am prompt.
PROGRAMME FOR THE DAY:
11am Pilgrimage Procession begins through the City Centre
Route begins from St Peter’s Church, St Albans, continues to the Town Hall and then will process to the West End of the Cathedral.
c. 12noon Festival Eucharist following the Procession) Preacher: The Most Reverend Dr Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop & Primate of the Episcopal Church in the United States. Service sung by the Abbey Girls’ Choir.
12noon Children’s Worship and Activities – in the Abbey Primary School.
2pm Orthodox Service and Veneration of the Relic at the Shrine of Saint Alban Organised by the Ecumenical Chaplaincy and the Fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius – all welcome.
3pm Anointing for Healing in the Lady Chapel.
4pm Festival Evensong and Procession to the Shrine Preacher: John Bell of the Iona Community. Service sung by the Cathedral Choir.
The Abbot’s Kitchen will be open 10-4.30 serving breakfasts, lunches, afternoon teas, and a range of snacks and drinks. The Cathedral Shop & Bookstall will be open 10-5 selling pilgrimage merchandise, books, greeting cards, CDs.
SPECIAL EVENTS IN JULY
ALL SAINTS PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO WALSINGHAM (Friday 18 – Sunday 20 July) will be led this year by Fr Michael Bowie. Please let Ross Buchanan (Assistant Secretary Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham, All Saints Margaret Street) know of your interest on Tel: 020 7221 1312.
NOTICES
ALL SAINTS RESTORATION APPEAL UPDATE
The Programme
The electrical scheme is progressing well. Preparations continue to advance each week, with the Butterfield designed lighting fittings now commissioned and in construction at the blacksmiths.
We hope to have tenders returned for the work by Friday 20 June. After these have been reviewed a recommendation will be made to the PCC for approval. Then the work of stripping out the existing installation can commence. The earliest date for that is Monday 7 July, subject to sufficient funds being available.
As in previous phases of the restoration programme, weekday worship, except on major feasts, will take place in the Parish Room. This will enable to contractors to have more uninterrupted working time, keep costs down and speed the whole process.
The Appeal
Fund-raising continues. Applications are in to a small number of trusts we hope may be sympathetic. So far the extended family of All Saints has produced a total of £215, 300 towards our target of £250,000. This is 86% of the sum required, an excellent result in a little over six months.
Our thanks to all who have so generously contributed to date. Further donations are of course welcome! Cheques should be made payable to: All Saints Church Restoration Appeal and be sent to the Parish Administrator. Please indicate where Gift Aid may be applied as it increases the value of your contribution by 25%. Thank you!
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 (the Church is open every day of the week from 7am to 7pm except on Bank Holidays, when it opens for the lunchtime Mass only)
SUNDAYS
Low Mass at 6.30pm (Saturday), 8am and 5.15pm
Morning Prayer at 10.20am
HIGH MASS AND SERMON at 11am
CHORAL EVENSONG, SERMON and BENEDICTION at 6pm
MONDAY TO FRIDAY
Morning Prayer at 7.30am
Low Mass at 8am, 1.10pm and 6.30pm
(Except bank holiday – 1.10pm Mass only)
Confessions from 12.30pm -1pm and 5.30pm
(No Confessions on bank holidays)
Evening Prayer at 6pm
SATURDAYS
Morning Prayer at 7.30am
Low Mass at 8.00am and 6.30pm (First Mass of Sunday)
Confessions at 5.30pm
Evening Prayer at 6pm
On major weekday feasts, High Mass is sung at 6.30pm with Evening Prayer at 5.45pm.
A priest is available in church for confessions or counsel every weekday from 12.30-1pm (except Saturdays) and at 5.30pm, or by appointment. The clergy are always happy to see anyone for whatever reason. Please enquire at the Parish Office (to the right as you enter the church courtyard).
www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk and e-mail: astsmgtst@aol.com.