Parish email 14 February
2nd Sunday before Lent
In Sunday’s Gospel Jesus tells us not to worry about our lives – what to eat, or drink or wear.
This is a useful corrective for most of us – certainly for me – though not entirely possible to fulfil to the letter. As always, that’s the point: he’s saying something which is simple, but not easy, and certainly not as banal as ‘don’t bother to eat or drink or dress yourself’.
The message is about prioritising the values of life as God sees it, not about behaving like tramps (though of course some saints have found God in that state of radical simplicity and lack of attachment). As Jesus goes on to say, he’s talking about about seeking first the Kingdom of God, looking to the the trajectory of the the Gospel narrative (which I take to be about love, sacrifice and new life) and the organising principles for Christian life which those Kingdom values imply (such as invitation, generosity, concern for others’ flourishing, forgiveness and joy).
There are, however, details of life about which we should take care (not neurotically obsess, just take care). One of these is the health of our fellow communicants as well as our own. I mentioned on Sunday that, in light of advice about the spread of the Coronavirus, we shall no longer allow people to intinct (dip the host in the consecrated wine) when we come to receive communion.
I have reproduced the Archdeacon’s advice on this below.
Should the situation become more serious we shall withdraw the chalice from all except the celebrant for a time. Meanwhile, if you are worried about infection (or think you might infect others) the Archdeacon reminds us that it it is acceptable to receive the host alone: it has always been Catholic teaching that we receive the fullness of the sacrament under each of the elements of bread and wine.
That is taking proper care. Meanwhile, as the Lord says, it is good to seek God’s perspective on life: to keep God’s priorities and promise of glory as our horizon and not get bogged down in passing troubles.
Yours in Christ,
Michael Bowie
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The Walsingham Cell will visit Notre Dame de France, Leicester Sq, THIS EVENING 14th February: we look forward to singing Evensong of the BVM at 7pmand enjoying the Marists’ generous hospitality. All welcome.
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HOLY WEEK and EASTER 2020
Holy Week Preacher: Bishop Rowan Williams
Bishop Rowan will preach every day from Palm Sunday to Easter Day
Advice from the diocese of London about the reception of Holy Communion:
Holy Communion
While it is our faith that the sacraments are means of grace and not of sickness, they are physically ministered, and we should take physical care. As well as the specific concern about Coronavirus, this advice is generally applicable for all infectious disease.
- Wash Hands. Priests presiding at the Eucharist, communion administrators and servers are reminded to wash hands.
- Do not intinct. Because hands can be as much a source of pathogens as lips, intinction is no safer than drinking and can introduce germs into the cup. Intinction (dipping the bread into the wine) can also threaten those with certain immune or allergic conditions. For instance, those with gluten intolerance for whom traces of gluten can be hazardous are at greater risk when other communicants have dipped their communion wafer into the wine.
- Consider receiving Holy Communion in one Kind. It is Anglican teaching that to receive the sacrament in one kind only (ie. just the bread) is to receive the sacrament in its entirety. The celebrant should always receive from the Chalice. Should a communicant feel ill or not wish to drink from the chalice then he or she ought to receive the consecrated bread alone. There is no need at this stage to cease offering the chalice to the congregation.
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Parish Retreat
The 2020 parish retreat will be from May 22-24 at Bishop Woodford House in Ely. It will be conducted by Fr Luke Miller, who is the Archdeacon of London.
If you want to come, or would like further information, please contact Martin Woolley at
or on
07976275383.
Rooms will be allocated in the order in which bookings are received.
PARISH OFFICE
For the foreseeable future the Parish Office will not always be staffed.
James Sherwood will usually be in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
From Tuesday to Saturday, Peter Little will also be in and around the church working as sacristan / verger.
The best way to get in touch with the parish is by email:
E: office@allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk (T: 020 7636 1788)
THIS WEEK’S PRAYER DIARY
Those who are sick or distressed and have asked for prayers:
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Kylie Moore-Gilbert, Mayshee Eyob, Belinda, Victor Sharp, David Fettke, Joan Cooper, Jenni Black,
Elizabeth Dennis, Sian Evans, Helen Mannion, Vallery Tchukov,
Hilary Anne, Sara Vice, Lenore Kimbrough, Fr Ron Swan,
Darryl d’Souza, Katherine Lee, Chris Gudgeon, Fr Kevin Hunt,
Nicky Yeo, Lorna Smith, Margaret Clark, James Shrimpton
Those known to us recently departed:
James Nagenda, Clive Wright, James Adam
Anniversaries of death this week:
Frederick Howard, Letty Attlee, Jack Hope, Lill MacKay, Angela Thompson, Joan Bowie, Mavis Symes, Guida Crowley, Joan Williams, John Vickery
THIS SUNDAY at ALL SAINTS:
Sunday 16 February 2nd before Lent
8am Low Mass
11am HIGH MASS
Preacher: Fr Julian Browning
Missa O Quam Gloriosum Victoria (1548-1611)
O sacrum convivium – Tallis
5.15pm Low Mass
6pm Evensong and Benediction
Preacher: Fr Michael Bowie
Canticles in F – Dyson
O for a closer walk with God – Stanford
WORSHIP at ALL SAINTS this week
Monday 17 February – Friday 21 February
7.30am Morning Prayer 8am Low Mass (except Wednesdays)
Daily: 12.30pm Confessions 1.10pm Low Mass
5.30pm Confessions 6pm Evening Prayer 6.30pm Low Mass
Saturday 22 February (Church opens at 11am)
12 noon Low Mass
5.30pm Confessions 6pm Evening Prayer
6.30pm First Mass of Sunday
Sunday 23 February Sunday before Lent
8am Low Mass
11am HIGH MASS Preacher: Fr Michael Bowie
Mass in C major K.259 – Mozart
Laudate Dominum – Mozart
5.15pm Low Mass
6pm Evensong and Benediction Preacher: Fr Simon Cuff
Canticles Murrill in E
Thou wilt keep him – Wesley
The best way to get in touch with the parish is by email:
E: office@allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk (T: 020 7636 1788)
THE ALL SAINTS CLUB BAR
below the Parish Room is open after High Mass and Evensong.
The bar has a members’ only licence; (membership £5).
Club members are reminded that annual subscriptions for 2020
are due for renewal from 1st January.
New members are welcome.
THE PARISH SHOP is open in the Parish Room before High Mass and in the courtyard afterwards. On sale this week:
Discussion and decision on sacramental ministry and the appointment of a new Incumbent at All Saints Margaret Street – the process.
(information pack available on the parish website: www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk/news/515)
From Fr Adam Atkinson
When Bishop Sarah and Bishop Jonathan were both at All Saints in November we started a discussion on a review of the Resolution about the episcopal oversight of the parish to precede the appointment process for a new Incumbent at All Saints.
The Resolution the parish has in place at present was agreed upon before Bishop Sarah became the Diocesan Bishop. The Bishops were encouraging us to review our position on it and have delegated Fr Adam Atkinson to lead us through discussion and decision, the annual meeting and to the appointment process. These three phases will take about 6 months.
Discussion on the Resolution
The Bishops are keen to allow the parish time and space for discussion and the PCC to take responsibility for the health of the whole and the future ministry of the parish. Given the strong feelings in the parish about the nature of episcopal and priestly sacramental ministry, it seems wise to allow a process of listening to start in January after the PCC meeting on 13th, leading to a decision before Easter to take place.
Fr Neil Bunker will be joining Fr Adam Atkinson in this listening exercise. They will be holding private one to one meetings and enabling people to book times through the church office. They intend to commit sufficient hours to this over January and February as to satisfy the appetite among the congregation for discussion.
A pack of background information for discussion on a Resolution under the House of Bishops Declaration has been put together under the instruction of the Bishops. It is available in hard copy and online (on the Parish website, via the link to the January 2020 Parish Paper). Informed by the listening exercise the PCC will take responsibility for a decision on the Resolution by Passiontide. It is seen as important that this step is concluded before Bishop Rowan comes to lead us through Holy Week.
Appointment of Incumbent
The Annual Meeting (APCM) is currently scheduled for 26 April, at which a new PCC will be elected. It is time to elect Deanery Synod representatives as well as five other places on PCC, plus the annual election of the two churchwardens. It is this new PCC from which the two parish representatives will be selected to join the panel with the Bishop and those who are tasked with appointing a new Incumbent.
Because important elements of the parish profile cannot be concluded until a decision on the Resolution has been reached, the process of appointment of a new Incumbent will not begin until after the APCM. In line with common practice, the PCC may wish to revisit their decision on a Resolution at that point. The Bishops are content to endorse this timing and this process.
We expect an advertisement to be published in May and interviews take place in June, for an Autumn appointment. Until that point the priestly cover will be offered by a number of friends of All Saints who have permission to officiate by the Diocesan Bishop.
How to play your part
Every one of us at All Saints Margaret Street is involved. St Paul’s image of the Church as one Body with many parts applies to us as a parish: We all have different gifts and different functions in the body but each one is to be honoured. The life of the whole is dependant on the health of each member. Christ is the head of the body. Please do consider under God how you can contribute to the health and life of the whole body:
Prayer – Please intercede for the life of God in and though us, pray for our leaders for the future ministry of the church, pray for wisdom from above.
Speaking – Let us speak well of one another, taking care how we use the tongues with which we praise God, building one another up, telling of His love.
Participation – Sign up for a private one to one conversation in January/February, read the information, enjoy serving at and giving through All Saints.
If you would like to sign up for a conversation with Fr Adam (dates available from 10 January), please speak to Chris Self or contact him by email at
OR by telephone:
020 7723 2938 (where you can leave a message).
If you have any questions please do approach members of the PCC and the Priests at All Saints and you may also contact Fr Adam in person or on adam.atkinson@london.anglican.org
WARM CLOTHING FOR THE NEEDY
Donations of warm clothing are gratefully sought at this time of year by our neighbours the Jesus Army. Women’s clothing and men’s, particularly shoes, are appreciated. Please leave donations in the Parish Office, or the vicarage hallway.
CONTACTING YOU (GDPR)
New data protection laws mean that we need your consent to communicate with you by post/email/phone/SMS.
If you have NOT already responded to an email from us
in May 2018 and wish us to continue or start to send you
weekly e-newsletters, please go to our website www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.or…
and click on the ‘Sign up here’ link to give us your consent.
View All Saints’ Privacy Notice at: https://bit.ly/2n6OC7z.
If you know of others 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 – www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.or… and click on the ‘Sign up here’ link to give us their consent.
If you would like pastoral assistance, please contact:
The Parish Church of All Saints Margaret Street,
London W1W 8JG
T: 020 7636 1788. E: office@allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk
Assistant Priest: Fr Michael Bowie
T: 07581 180963 E: assistantpriest@allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk
(Day off: Wednesday)
Safeguarding Officers: Please raise any concerns you have with:
Chris Self (Vulnerable Adults) and Janet Drake (Children)
If you would like prayers offered, amendments to the prayer list or to obtain an Electoral Roll form please contact the office:
E: office@allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk
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.)
PLEASE SUPPORT US!
The ministry of All Saints costs £1,070/day.
Visitors, tourists & photographers are invited to contribute, reviewing the experience on All Saints’ Trip Advisor entry.
THANK YOU for all donations supporting the Church’s work and worship, choir & music and care of its heritage buildings.
The Government reports an £600m annual shortfall in take-up of Gift Aid tax relief for UK charities – so All Saints doesn’t lose the extra 25%, please always GIFT AID!
PARISH GIVING leaflets – about how to set up regular giving to All Saints – can be found on the church table.
Donations for general Church purposes:
To give by BACS please use the following details,
advising the Administrator to collect Gift Aid:
PCC All Saints (Charity # 1132895)
Sort Code 60-09-15. A/C # 04559452
Parish Legacy Policy
We are always delighted to hear from anyone who wants to support us with a donation. Our PCC Legacy Policy though is to encourage people to leave bequests specifically to one of our two related charities to be used for purposes of lasting value (rather than day to day costs):
All Saints Choir & Music Trust (Charity # 802994) or
The All Saints Foundation (Charity # 273390).
Keep up to date with all that is going on at All Saints:
www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk
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