Are you “The One”?Dear All Saints and St MarysIn Advent we remember and reflect on the people who point towards Christ from the Old and New Testament. John the Baptist becomes the focus of our thoughts and attention this week. His ministry was a courageous one of pointing towards a new way. He is perhaps one of the most challenging people we encounter in the Bible. He is often resolute and uncompromising in his actions and words. Yet this week in the gospel we hear an unusual element of doubt as he sits in prison, constrained in his advocacy and dependent on Jesus now fulfilling all that he has championed. Was Jesus "The One"? he asks? Is this really it? How do we know? I welcome John the Baptists laser sharp focus on the person of Jesus and who he is. I also welcome his doubt and vulnerability.As we move closer to Christmas, that question of - What is this really all about? Jesus's response is to say - Look at what you see and hear? What do we see and hear? Where are the outsiders welcomed? Where are the broken invited? Where are the lowly empowered? Where do we see that happening in our lives, churches and communities? And where I see that, I see Christ. And there I see Christmas.Services this Sunday 14th December8am - Holy Communion - All Saints10am - Sung Holy Communion - St Marys4.30pm - Nativity Service - All Saints6.30pm - Generations - 10 Pin BowlingJoin us for our worship this Sunday, everyone is welcome to all and any of our services. Our young people, tiny tots and junior church have been preparing hard and practising for the Nativity Play, so come and support and sing with them to welcome Christmas in.The week aheadMon 15th Dec 10:30am – Tiny Tots, All SaintsTues 16th Dec - 7.30pm - Advent Group - VicarageWed 17th Dec 9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All SaintsWed 17th Dec 2:00pm – Advent Group, St. Mary’sWed 17th Dec 6:00pm – Fishponds Primary Carol Service, St MarysThu 18th Dec 10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’sFri 19th Dec 11:00am – Living after Loss, St MarysFri 19th Dec 6:30pm – Carols around the Yew Tree, All SaintsFri 19th Dec 8:15pm – "Christmas Choir" Practice, All SaintsSat 20th Dec 12:00pm-1:30pm – Saturday Lunches, St. Mary’sSun 21st December 10:00am – Holy Communion, St Marys10:30am – Holy Communion, All Saints6.30pm - Carols by CandlelightPlease find attached all the readings to read and pray about, also the weekly sheet from St. Marys.Blessings this AdventRevd LizzieVicar of All Saints and St Marys Churches, Fishponds
Encouraging Advent HarmoniesDear All Saints and St MarysThe churches seasons and year are often shown through different colours. Frontals, vestments change colour according to where we are in each Calander year. Advent, like Lent, is the colour purple. Purple is the colour of royalty (and of bishops!) but more importantly it is for the church the colour of penitence. So here in the second week of advent our readings start to focus on repentance, starting with the prophets this is a call to change.What is it that this Advent we are willing to ask, brave enough to pray to change in us so that we might be ready? What are we prepared to put down, give up, make up, pivot to or away from to be as ready as possible for Christ (mas)? For each of us that will be something different. Is it a temptation that we need to be honest about? Is it a relationship that needs attention? Knowing what our weaknesses might be, holding them up to the light of God and examining them gently, carefully in prayer, can be the beginnings of this movement. As Paul notes this week it is a time of "encouragement" for us to a place of harmony. Like all good harmonies, it doesn't mean that we will all sing the same note, or even start or end at the same time - but that when we do this examination of ourselves, that the resulting music with all others is one that brings blessing to the world. As well as St Marys Christmas Fair this Saturday (11am - 2pm) we have as worship the following.Services this Sunday, 7th December 202510am - Toy Service with the Rainbows, Brownies and Guides - St Marys10.30 - Holy Communion with Band and Junior Church (Nativity rehearsal) - All Saints6.30 - Advent Candlelit Procession - St MarysThe week aheadMon 8thDec 10:30am – Tiny Tots, All SaintsTue 9th Dec 10:30am – M4T, St. Mary’s Parish RoomsWed 10th Dec 9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All SaintsThu 11th Dec 10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’sFri 12th Dec 1pm-2pm – Christmas Concert - Veterans Band, St MarysFri 12th Dec 7:00pm – "Christmas Choir" Practise, All SaintsSat 13th Dec 12:00pm-1:30pm – Saturday Lunches, St. Mary’sNext Sunday 14th December8:00am – Holy Communion, All Saints 10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s10:30am – Advent service of the word, with Nativity rehearsal, All Saints 4:30pm – Nativity, All Saints 6:30pm – Generations, Avonmeads 10 Pin BowlingMay you have a Joyful Advent.Revd LizzieVicar of All Saints and St Marys Churches, Fishponds
Dear Friends in Christ,Supermarkets are a constant pointer to what time of year it is. The cycle from season to season seems to get swifter and also increasingly blurred. We’ve had Halloween, with every possible opportunity taken to shove witches and skeletons onto anything. Some of the items are creative and entertaining, but its created a massive selling opportunity completely out of proportion to the event itself. And of course, the moment its done there’s Christmas merchandise in all its forms, only punctuated by the massive hype around the recent growth of Black Friday (and I’m no more immune to this particular hype than anyone else-the temptation to score that bargain that I don’t actually need is very alluring).But what of Christmas? What are we actually encouraged to engage with over the next 4 weeks is the season of Advent? Most people’s only contact with Advent is via the plethora of admittedly lush Advent calendars. There’s nothing wrong with this, but surely the season of Advent is more than this.Advent’s a period of reflection. It’s a thoughtful, positive anticipation, the excitement of Christmas set alongside the invitation to see beyond the busyness and prepare us to meet with God and truly rejoice with arrival of Christmas as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.This Sunday the 1st Sunday of Advent 30th November 8:00am Holy Communion - BCP, All Saints10:00am Benefice Sung Holy Communion, St. Mary’s4:30pm Christingle Service, All SaintsThe week aheadMon 1st Dec 10:30am – Tiny Tots, All SaintsTue 2nd Dec 10:30am – M4T, St. Mary’s Parish RoomsWed 3rd Dec 9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All SaintsThu 4th Dec 10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’sFri 5th Dec 11:00am – Living After Loss, St. Mary’sFri 5th Dec 7:00pm – "Christmas Choir" Practise, All SaintsSat 6th Dec 10:00am – Coffee Morning, Book Sale & Bristol Repair Cafe, All SaintsSat 6th Dec 11.00am - 2.00pm Christmas Fair - St. Marys Next Sunday Second of Advent 7th Dec 10:00am – Toy service with Guides & Brownies, St. Mary’s10:30am – Holy Communion, All Saints10:30am – Junior Church, All Saints6:30pm – Advent Carol Procession, St. Mary’sMay the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, evermore. Amen.Blessings,Fr Kester de Oliveira
Dear All Saints and St Mary'sThis Sunday's gospel reading has one of the most amazing examples of faith in the bible. While Jesus was hanging on the cross, amid all the mocking of the passers-by, one of the criminals being executed with Jesus says "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom". I have no idea what that criminal thought Jesus' kingdom and rule might look like or how and when it might come to be. Yet, despite the apparent hopelessness of the situation, there was still faith and hope enough to believe in Jesus.This can be an inspiration to us today. Even when Christ's kingdom seems far and distant, we still have faith in his just and gentle rule. Despite the very real presence of evil in the world, we still work for and look for the kingdom of God. In the event of tragedy, we look forward to the fulfilment of that kingdom, when there will be no more tears. Faced with our own weaknesses and failings, we turn back to Christ and ask for him to rule in our hearts.As we start to turn our attention to Christmas, we are reminded that Christ is king, even when we cannot see it or understand it. He calls us to follow him day by day. There will be opportunities to reflect on this more this Sunday at 8.00 am at All Saints and 10.00 am at St Mary's.At our 10.30 am Café Church service at All Saints, we will continue our look at the Nicene creed. This month, we will be thinking about God the Father, the creator. What does it mean to call God Father? What can creation tell us about God? What other names and titles do we use for God? All this and more will be up for discussion.This gives the following services for this Sunday 23rd November:8.00 am All SaintsHoly Communion (said)10.00 am St Mary'sHoly Communion10.30 am All SaintsCafé churchWe have our normal pattern of services for the coming week. Next Sunday we have a Benefice service at St Mary's. As such, there will be no 10.30 am service at All Saints. However, there will be a Christingle service at 4.30 pm. This gives the following services for the coming week:Wednesday 26th9.00 amAll SaintsCeltic Morning PrayerThursday 27th10.00 amSt Mary'sHoly CommunionSunday 30th8.00 amAll SaintsHoly Communion10.00 amSt Mary'sBenefice communion4.30 pmAll Saints ChristingleSo let us pray together in the words of the collect for this Sunday, the festival of Christ the King:God the Father,help us to hear the call of Christ the Kingand to follow in his service,whose kingdom has no end;for he reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,one God, one glory.AmenYours in ChristMarkMark SimmsLicensed Lay MinisterBenefice of all Saints and St Mary Fishponds
Disaster MoviesDear All Saints and St Marys"The end is nigh" wails a lonely figure in the distance, as the clouds darken and huge waves appear out of the sea, threatening impending doom and destruction.Whether it is disaster movies, or thriller novels, or bleak poetry, then there is a way in which there seems to be a human fascination with what might be depicted as "The end times”.Armageddon, The Day of Judgement or The Final Reckoning is something that for centuries people have contemplated and worried about. A very natural response to times of change or shifts in power and environment. Of course, in a disaster movie, then there is often a heroine or hero whose skills are tested to the limit, but who ultimately succeeds in rescuing the world and humanity and that is why I find them so good to watch. I want to see someone save the world!This time of year we often start to hear in the readings at church things that resonate with that disaster picture. Jesus in Luke's gospel this week talks about famines, fighting, persecution and rebellions and we are invited to reflect on how we cope with the ever changing world around us. The big question the disciples ask is "When"…let us know when disaster will strike so we can prepare, get ready…or run away.Jesus avoids that question. He asks them to be aware, stay alert and put their faith and trust in a way that saves without heroics, but promises that staying in close step with Jesus and his way will bring us through the storms ahead that help us find life.This week's worship - Sunday 16th November 202510.00am - Sung Holy Communion - St Marys10.30 - Holy Communion with Hymns - All SaintsThe week aheadMon 17th Nov 10:30am – Tiny Tots, All SaintsTue 18th Nov 10:30am – M4T, St. Mary’s Parish RoomsWed 19th Nov 9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All SaintsWed 19th Nov 2:00pm – Benefice Bible Book Club, Venue TBCThu 20th Nov 10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’sFri 21st Nov 11:00am – Living After Loss, St. Mary’sFri 21st Nov 7:00pm – "Christmas Choir" Practice, All SaintsSat 22nd Nov 12noon - 1:30pm – Saturday Lunches, St. Mary’sSat 22nd Nov 12noon - 3.00pm - All Saints Christmas BazaarSun 23rd Nov 8:00am – Holy Communion, All Saints10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s10:30am – Café Church, All SaintsBlessingsRevd LizzieVicar of All Saints and St Marys Churches, Fishponds
Dear All Saints and St Mary's,As we journey through Kingdom Season, the time between All Saints and Advent, we are invited to reflect on the themes of memory, sacrifice, and hope. This season is a precious opportunity to remember—last week, during All Souls, we held in our hearts the faithful departed. This week, as we approach Remembrance Sunday, we turn our thoughts to how we remember—both as a community and as individuals—particularly in the context of war, peace, loss, and the power of both memory and forgetting.Many of us carry precious memories passed through generations—stories of those who stood up for what was right, who fought in wars, or who served in quiet, often unseen ways. I think of my own grandad, who shared with me his experiences of serving in the Home Guard. As he spoke, I could see the deep emotion in his eyes, a reminder of the pain and weight that many carry with them long after the conflict is over. His story is just one of many others, each person fulfilling their role in different ways, in different times, in different places.On this Remembrance Sunday, it is right that we pause to honour all those who have made great sacrifices, especially those who gave their lives for the sake of peace and justice. But we are also called to remember those who continue to stand up for what is right today—those who work for peace, who speak against injustice, and who strive to build a more compassionate world.As we reflect, I gently remind us all that we, too, are part of this story. In a world torn by conflict and division, we are called to stand up for the oppressed, to feed the hungry, to clothe the poor, and to bring peace where there is none. Above all, we are called to reflect God’s love in all we do.This week's services8:00am Holy Communion, All Saints10:00am Holy Communion, St. Mary’s (shortened service ending in a procession to the Park for the Act of Remembrance)11:00am Civic Remembrance in Park, St. Mary’s10:45am All Age Service with the Act of Remembrance , All Saints7:15pm Generations, All SaintsThe weak aheadMon 10th Nov 10:30am – Tiny Tots, All SaintsTue 11th Nov 10:30am – M4T, St. Marys Parish Rooms 11:00am – Said service at the park memorialWeds 12th Nov 9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All SaintsThurs 13th Nov 10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’sFri 14th Nov 7:00pm – "Christmas Choir" Practice, All SaintsSat 15th Nov 12:00pm - 1:30pm – Saturday Lunches, St. Mary’sSunday 16th Nov 10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s10:30am – Holy Communion, All SaintsBlessings, Charlie BlackettOrdinand- All Saints and St Mary's - Bristol Diocese
