Dear All Saints and St Mary'sThis past week the Holiday Bible Club was blessed by a visit from the Saltmine Theatre Company. With their gifts and talents in writing, acting and teaching, Emily, Anisha and Frankie guided us through the "Lost" parables in chapter 15 of the gospel according to Luke. After retelling the parables in their own, original style, they guided the children through different approaches to telling the stories.Not many of us have the skills to stand up on stage and present bible stories to children. However, God has given us all different gifts. The Holiday Bible Club needs many gifts from singing to first aid, from teaching to making lunch. It is only by working together to combine those gifts that the Holiday Bible Club can happen.This is true in life and in the church. God calls us to work together, to use our different gifts to do more than any of us could do on our own. This is a central message of Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth. He reminds us that, just like the different parts of the human body, God made us all different so we could work together to do more than any of us could on our own. (See 1 Corinthians chapter 12.)So, I would like to thank Saltmine for their contribution to this year's Holiday Bible Club. I would also like to thank everyone else who was involved to make a joyful, thoughtful and creative couple of days.This Sunday is the fourth Sunday of the month, so we have Holy Communion at 08:00 at all Saints and 10:00 at St Mary's. At 10:30 at All Saints we have Café Church, where we will continue our journey through the gospel according to John. At Café Church this month, we will be reflecting on the idea of Identity in the light of Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan Woman at Jacob's well. This story is in the fourth chapter of the gospel.This gives the following services for this Sunday, 26th July:08:00 All Saints Holy Communion (said)10:00 St Mary's Holy Communion10:30 All Saints Café ChurchIn the coming week we have our usual midweek services. Next week is the first Sunday of August, so there is Creative Church at St Mary's at 10 am and Evensong at 6.30 pm. At 10.30 am there will be Holy Communion at All Saints. This gives the following services for the coming week:\Wednesday 29th July All Saints 09:00 Celtic Morning PrayerThursday 30th July St Mary's 10:00 Holy CommunionSunday 2nd AugustSt Mary's 10:00 Creative ChurchAll Saints 10:30 Holy CommunionSt Mary's 18:30 EvensongWe thank God for all his gifts and blessings and pray for the wisdom to use them together for the service of others and to his glory.Yours in ChristMark
Hope and Grace in Triumph and DisasterDear All Saints and St Mary'sArthur Fery had a stunning run at Wimbledon this year. He was a wild card entry, yet managed to reach the semi-finals. He played with panache, and gave post-match interviews that endeared him to thousands. The quotation (from Kipling’s poem If - ) that is on display in the Wimbledon Club House is appropriate to Fery as much as to us all: If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; Fery might have felt on top of the world because of his triumphs – but what truly shone through was his character. And then, after defeat in the semi-final, he might have been feeling abysmally low – but so many felt proud to have seen him in action. Yes, triumph and disaster can blind us to deeper truths, as they swamp other more sensitive, and more important, emotions. By all means, let’s at times get carried away with stirring emotions - provided we also have the wisdom, as the crowds disperse and the applause diminishes, to recall what is resiliently true: both God’s love for us, and our immeasurable worth.I am writing this before we know whether the England football team will meet with triumph or disaster in their semi-final. Quite intentionally, I wanted to put pen to paper before the result is known. For we have already seen fine examples of sportsmanship, courage and respect from our nation’s team. That lasts beyond any fleeting glory.There are some lines of Kipling’s poem that I find hard to take. But I have always valued this: Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:As I look back over 40 years of ministry as a priest in the Church of England, there are quite a few things that seem to have degenerated, rather than improved. I wonder if you feel something similar, as you contemplate the direction our nation has taken over the last generation. And yet ….. faithful people do not rely on improvement always happening. We know that sometimes we have to enter into dismal seasons of breaking down, loss and frustration. Does that stop us hoping? No! I am very encouraged to hear the Archbishop of Canterbury, on more than one occasion, use phrases like this: “we have to rebuild trust so that hope may grow”. She is clearly a woman of faith, confident that what is broken can be mended, and that flowers will bloom once again. All this will happen, relying on God’s good grace, in God’s appointed time.Revd Bob.Services this Sunday 19th July10am - Sung Holy Communion with Baptism - St Marys10.30am - Holy Communion with Hymns - All Saints7.15pm - Generations - Vicarage GardenThe week aheadMon 20th Jul 9.30am - Fishponds School Y6 Rehearsal 10:30am - Tiny Tots, All SaintsTue 21st Jul 10.00am - Fishponds School Y6 Final serviceWed 22th Jul 9:00am - Celtic Morning Prayer, All SaintsThu 23rd Jul 9:15am - 3.15pm - Holiday Bible ClubThu 23rd Jul 10:00am- Holy Communion, St Mary’sFri 24th Jul 9:15am - 3.15pm - Holiday Bible ClubSat 25th Jul 12:00am -1:30pm - Saturday Lunches, St Mary’sSunday 26th July 8:00am - Holy Communion, All Saints 10:00am - Holy Communion, St Mary’s 10:30am - Cafe Church, All Saints
Dear All Saints and St Mary’s,As I prepare for my first weekend as a newly ordained deacon, I simply want to say thank you for your welcome, encouragement, prayers, gifts and cards. Beginning my ordained ministry is both joyful and humbling, and I am excited to start this new chapter with you all.Throughout many seasons of life and faith, I have found myself returning to these words from Isaiah:"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you and help you..." (Isaiah 41:10)These words have encouraged and nurtured me for many years, and they felt especially significant throughout my ordination weekend. Again and again, the same message seemed to emerge in different ways: in Bishop Neil's charge to us as ordinands, in the gospel reading in the ordination service, and in the beautiful Stopford anthem, Do Not Be Afraid, sung at Evensong in St Mary's on Sunday evening.It's struck me that, as helpful as these words have been to me, perhaps these are words many of us need to hear and be reminded of from time to time. Whatever lies before us — new beginnings, uncertainty, worries, responsibilities or challenges — may we hear again God's gentle reassurance: Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Our worship and readings this weekend help point us to this continual presence.I am looking forward to settling into the Benefice full time, getting to know you all a little more, and seeing what God has in store. My new contact details are at the bottom of this email, should you wish to get in touch at any time.The opportunities to join us for worship this Sunday are: 8:00 am - Holy Communion, All Saints10:00 am - Sung Holy Communion, St Mary’s10:30 am - All-Age Communion Celebration, All Saints Join us at All Saints to celebrate our young people, Junior Church and Muddy Messy ChurchThe week aheadMon 13th Jul 10:30 am – Tiny Tots, All SaintsWed 15th Jul 9:00 am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All SaintsThu 16th Jul 10:00 am – Holy Communion, St Mary’sFri 17th Jul 11:00 am – Living After Loss, St Mary’sSat 18th Jul 12:00 -1:30 pm - Saturday Lunches, St Mary’sSun 19th July10:00 am - Baptism and Holy Communion St Mary's10:30 am – Sung Holy Communion, All SaintsGenerations at the vicarage - Speak to Revd LizzieBlessings Revd Charlie Blackett
Ordination SundayDear All Saints and St MarysThere is something about sand and sea air that is refreshing and renewing. I sometimes wonder how much Jesus would have looked out over water (Lake of Galilee in his case) and stared into the distance and prayed. It seems easier somehow to look on water, or watch it wash over feet, and know the power and presence of God. Like staring at the night sky and wondering about our place in the universe and what that might mean, a way in which we connect to the bigger spaces and places, knowing that all of humanity looks up to and shares in the same created spaces. Similarly, the water that washes up from the ocean has traveled to us from elsewhere, has blessed and brushed the feet of others in its path."Come to me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest" says Jesus. As we approach this weekend we join in the great collective season of ordinations around the world. The Church prays with the power of the Holy Spirit, as Bishops ordain people who are called to serve in the Church, to be connected people who bring their gifts to the service of others. They may only be with us a while, but they are there washing our feet, blessing our lives and serving their communities. This week we welcome back Charlie - as Revd Charlie Blackett - ordained deacon in God's church to our community. Pray with us and join with us at the Cathedral in Bristol for this moment. If you want to watch live stream then you can do so here on this link.https://www.youtube.com/@bristolcathedrallivestreamIf you are going to the Cathedral and want to catch the bus then feel free to park at All Saints Church, Fishponds and bus down.Services this Sunday are as follows8am - Holy Communion - All Saints10.30am - Bristol Cathedral (no services at St Marys or All Saints at 10 or 10.30)6.30pm Evensong and Celebrations - St MarysThe week aheadMon 6th July 10:30am – Tiny Tots, All SaintsTue 7th July 10:30am – M4T, St Mary’s Parish RoomsWed 8th July 9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All SaintsWed 8th July 7.00pm - Make the Future Celebration - All SaintsThu 9th July 10:00am – Holy Communion, St Mary’sSat 11th July 12.00am -1.30pm - Saturday Lunches - St. MarysSun 12th July 8:00am – Holy Communion - All Saints10:00am - Sung Holy Communion - St Marys10.30am - All Age Communion with Junior Church celebration - All SaintsBlessingsRevd LizzieVicar of All Saints and St Marys Churches, Fishponds