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
Dear All Saints and St MarysThere have been two and a half momentous occasions in the life of the worldwide church in recent weeks:Pope Leo 14th and King Charles praying together in the Sistine Chapel, a holy place which lies at the heart of the Roman Catholic Church. The backdrop is the magnificent portrayal of the Last Judgement, painted by Michelangelo. The King was there not solely as monarch, but also as the supreme Governor of the Church of England. Both Pope and King guide, govern and encourage their branches of the worldwide church, not through dictat, but by drawing on the wisdom of the ages, and through their own personal examples of attempting to live a godly life. 500 years of discord - sad though much of that has been - is set against the background of God patiently drawing us closer by grace, towards our heavenly home. That is what it means to live “under the judgement of God”. Sarah Mullally, currently Bishop of London, has been appointed to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury. I did not think that I would live to see the day when a woman - a gracious, strong, godly woman - would sit on the Throne of Saint Augustine. She takes on the mantle of guiding the Church of England, formally begun in 597 AD - a church which has weathered storms and dangers, which has at times been a shining example of Christ-like living (and at times has cloaked the light for the Holy Spirit, through timidity, half-hardheartedness and resistance). The Church of England has never been perfect - but is at its best when humbly seeking to discern God’s will afresh in new circumstances, and sacrificial serving all people of this land.The “half” momentous occasion has been the decision from the House of Bishops to pause its efforts to make the Church of England a more inclusive, hospitable church (by recognizing the full contributions of LGBTI+ disciples). I am truly saddened by this. But I take heart from the other two examples - that the journey towards building God’s kingdom on earth is neither easy nor short; that God’s gracious providential care will not be thwarted.This Sunday marks the festival of All Saints, when we are called to remember the “saints” of past generations (some of whom, as they sought to be faithful to God, made decisions that we now question), the “saints” from different countries and cultures to our own, and the “saints” who do not look like us. I put the word in inverted commas, because saints are not only to be found in stained glass windows. Saints are all those who listen attentively for God’s word, who know they won’t get everything right, but who trust in the continuing inexhaustible kindness of God. Revd BobThis Sunday we have the following services10am - Creative Church - St Marys10.30am - All Saints Patronal Festival with Junior Church6.30pm - Choral Evensong - St MarysThe week aheadMon 3rd Nov 10:30am – Tiny Tots, All Saints Tue 4th Nov 10:30am – M4T, St. Marys Parish Rooms Weds 5th Nov 9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All Saints Thurs 6th Nov 10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s Fri 7th Nov 11:00am – Living After Loss, St. Mary’sSat 8th Nov 12:00pm - 1:30pm – Saturday Lunches, St. Mary’s Sunday 9th November8:00am – Holy Communion, All Saints 10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s 11.00am - Civic Remembrance in Fishponds Park – St Marys 10:45am – Remembrance Service – All Saints 7:15pm – Generations, All Saints
