Parish Email 17 January
Epiphany 2
One of the notable religious phenomena of the 20th century was the burgeoning of cults and sects as alternatives to the major religions. It is easy to forget that Christianity was once so regarded, by Jews and Romans alike: an eccentric cult focussing on Jesus of Nazareth. And one of the problems faced by the early Church was another such cult, the Baptist sect, who believed that John the Baptist, not Jesus, was the Messiah, the chosen one of God. The Baptist sect argued that their master, John, was superior to Jesus for two reasons: John the Baptist came before Jesus and that priority gave him superiority; second, Jesus submitted to John’s baptism of repentance, demonstrating his inferior to John. Faced with these arguments, the early Church had to clarify its view of John the Baptist.
In Sunday’s Gospel we see the writer of John’s gospel deals with this. First he takes the point that priority means superiority and flips it over: because Jesus existed before John, he says, Jesus is the superior. The Baptist declares, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me.’ Jesus is the Word who existed from the beginning; all that came to be had life in him, this gospel tells us. As for Jesus submitting to the baptism of John, this gospel omits the account of Jesus’ baptism: instead we see John the Baptist interpreting its meaning after the event by affirming that the Spirit of God rests on Jesus.
St Augustine summarized the relationship between the Baptist and Jesus in John’s gospel poetically like this:
I listen; he is the one who speaks.
I am enlightened; he is the light.
I am the ear; he is the Word.
John the Baptist is a witness to the light; he is not the light. He is the first of many witnesses to Jesus, a host of people who give testimony to the truth about Jesus. Later in the Gospel Jesus tells his own followers that when they receive the Spirit of Truth, ‘you too will be my witnesses’. (15.27) And that charge is given to every one of us. We have all been baptized in the Spirit; we have been called to witness to Jesus. We are asked to point away from ourselves to Jesus; we are challenged to lead others to the person of Jesus. We can share what we believe, if it really matters to us. As St John Henry Newman said, ‘we believe because we love’. In the power of love we can also share what we believe.
Yours in Christ,
Michael Bowie
Churches together in Westminster AGM & Talk: tomorrow
January 20 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Hinde Street Methodist Church,W1U 3QJ
Talk by Kevin Hyland, former UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner on “MODERN SLAVERY and HUMAN TRAFFICKING”.
Next Sunday, 26 January, 3.30pm Organ Recital by John Kitchen: music by Durufle, McDowall, Parry, Franck & Callaerts
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, Mashee Eyob, Belinda,Victor Sharp, David Fettke, Joan Cooper, Jenni Black, Ondina Brash, Elizabeth Dennis, Sian Evans, Helen Mannion, Vallery Tchukov, Hilary Anne, Sara Vice, Lenore Kimbrough,
Jane Kirton, Fr Ron Swan, Darryl d’Souza, Katherine Lee, Chris Gudgeon
Those known to us recently departed: Elizabeth SLG, David Paton Pr, Ros Tagoe, Judith CSC, and Graham Francis Pr
Anniversaries of death this week: Arnold Lawson, Kate Gorge, Josephine Whittley, Harris Charlton, William Clark, Hannah Berry, John Snoswell, Mary Bishop, Virginia Smith, Isabella Fotheringham, Frank Whitehill, Lilian Yorke, Gwyneth Hopkins, Amony Lay, Annie Constance Waggett, Maggie Dibley, Derek Allen Pr, Jim Swanton, Edith Laing, Kenneth Christie, Ethel Boileau, Hilda Lawson, Watroslav Reith, Anthony Halsey Pr
THIS SUNDAY at ALL SAINTS:
Sunday 19 January Epiphany 2
8am Low Mass
11am HIGH MASS Preacher: Fr Michael Bowie
Mass in G, K140 Mozart
Lo! Star-led chiefs Crotch
5.15pm Low Mass
6pm Evensong and Benediction Preacher: Fr Gerald Beauchamp
Evening Service in Latin Tallis
Cantate Dominum – Pitoni
WORSHIP at ALL SAINTS this week
Monday 20 – Friday 24 January
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 25 January (Church opens at 11am)
12 noon Low Mass
5.30pm Confessions 6pm Evening Prayer
6.30pm First Mass of Sunday
Sunday 26 January 3rd Sunday of Epiphany 8am Low Mass
11am HIGH MASS Preacher: Fr Julian Browning
Missa Laudate Dominum Lassus O Magnum Mysterium Victoria
5.15pm Low Mass
6pm Evensong and Benediction Preacher: Fr Michael Bowie
Canticles Batten Fourth Service Lullaby, My sweet little baby Byrd
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:
Full service information: www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk
Discussion and decision on sacramental ministry and the appointment of a new Incumbent at All Saints Margaret Street – the process.
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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facebook.com/AllSaintsMargaretStreet
and 250 who follow us on instagram.