Dear All Saints and St MarysBefore we decided to move to Bristol, there was a charming story in the national news that endeared me to this city. Following troubles and riots, many were very angry with the Mayor, Marvin Rees. In protest, someone painted a message on the road just outside his house with the message: “Marvin must die”. Soon enough, the police were called and cordoned off the area – but not before, one of his neighbours had added a ‘T’. So, now the message read: “Marvin must diet”!Each one of us is allowed to be angry – but sometimes that is not all that has to be said. Take an example from today: painting the middle of a mini-roundabout with a flag of St George. Is that a message saying “we are proud to be British” (and, by implication: “migrants out!”)? Yes, be proud to be British, but I believe you are required then to complete the sentence – WHY are you proud to be British? And the answer cannot just be “because we hate the French”!Occasionally, you might hear in a documentary a story about someone who came to this country and her life was turned around. She will tell how, on arriving here, she felt safe, was enabled to go to university, raise a family and provide a future of hope for her children. She is, very evidently, proud to live in this country – and we should be proud to be part of this country which made this happen. How can we enable such a voice (of which there are thousands of examples) to be better heard?This coming weekend, we mark the Dedication Festival of St Mary’s, partly by hearing the Gospel reading of the Magnificat. It expresses not only Mary’s pride in her God, but also names why – God is the one who raises the lowly, and who feeds the hungry. Mary was a single teenage mother. Thank God a voice was found for her so that, even today, we can sing God’s praise, associate ourselves with God’s compassionate works and give hope to those in need.Revd BobSunday 14th September Services8am - Holy Communion All Saints10am - Sung Eucharist St Marys10.30am - Muddy/Messy Church Reptile Experience7.15pm - Generations - All SaintsThe week aheadMon 15th Sept 10:30am - Tiny Tots, All SaintsTues 16th Sept 10:30am - Music for Toddlers, St. Mary’s Parish RoomsWeds 17th Sept 9:00am - Celtic Morning Prayer, All SaintsWeds 17th Sept 2.00pm - Bible Book Club, All SaintsThurs 18th Sept 10:00am - Holy Communion, St. MarysFri 19th Sept 11:00am - Living After Loss, St. MarysFri 19th Sept 12:30am - 2:00pm – Concert performance, St. Mary’sSat 20th Sept 12:00am - 1:30pm – Saturday Lunches, St. Mary’sSun 21th Sept 10:00 – Sung Service of the Word, St. Mary’s 10:30 – Holy Communion, All Saints
Dear All Saints and St Mary’sThis Sunday’s epistle reading is taken from the shortest of all Paul’s letters. The letter to Philemon, is a very personal letter, written to a specific individual at a specific time and in a cultural and legal context far removed from our own. Yet, possibly because of that very specific context, it speaks out clearly about the Christian values of forgiveness and reconciliation.The recipient, Philemon, is a wealthy Christian. His house has served as a meeting place for the local Christians. Like all wealthy people, he owned slaves. One of his slaves, Onesimus, had run away, possibly having stolen from Philemon. When Onesimus met Paul, Onesimus became a Christian. Paul persuaded Onesimus to live up to the social expectations of the time and return to his master Philemon. However, Paul urges Philemon not to punish Onesimus, but to welcome him back with the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation that is at the heart of the gospel. Paul also tells Philemon that, if Onesimus has stolen from Philemon, Paul will pay back what has been stolenAlthough Paul does not challenge the idea of slavery in his letters, he does challenge the attitude that many slave owners had to their slaves. Onesimus was Philemon’s brother in Christ and should be treated as such. This lays a foundation for a new way of thinking about relationships. Everyone, whether the most powerful or the weakest in society is a child of God. Those with power have a responsibility to treat those weaker than themselves with the respect and dignity that God gives to every human being. That includes forgiving those seeking reconciliation and working towards a world that supports and values all. This message, rooted in the Old Testament prophets, was proclaimed by Paul and has been echoed by Christian social reformers ever since.This Sunday we have our normal first Sunday pattern of services. There is creative church at St Mary’s at 10.00 am and Holy communion at All Saints at 10.30 am. In the evening, we have Choral Evensong at 6.30pm. This will be the start of St Mary’s Patronal Festivel, which will conclude with Holy Communion next week.This gives the following services for this Sunday, 7th September10.00 am St Mary’s Creative Church10.30 am All Saints Holy Communion with Junior Church6.30 pm St Mary’s Choral EvensongWe have our usual midweek services. Next Sunday has our normal second Sunday pattern with Holy Communion at All Saints at 8.00 am and at St Mary’s at 10.00 am. At All Saints at 10.30 am will be Messy/Muddy Church. This gives the services for the coming week:Wednesday 10th 9.00 am All Saints Celtic Morning PrayerThursday 11th 10.00 am St Mary’s Holy CommunionNext Sunday 14th September8.00 am All Saints Holy Communion (said) 10.00 am St Mary’s Patronal Holy Communion 10.30 am All Saints Messy/Muddy ChurchSo remembering the call to reconciliation and forgiveness that Paul urges in his letter to Philemon, let us pray in the words of the collect for this Sunday:God of constant mercy,who sent your Son to save us:remind us of your goodness,increase your grace within us,that our thankfulness may grow,through Jesus Christ our Lord.AmenYours in ChristMark
“Entertaining angels”Dear All Saints and St MarysI am very fond of the little snippet that comes from one of the readings for this Sunday. In the letter to the Hebrews we are invited to "Show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." Not only is there something about being abundant, without favour, in a generous way of being with people. There is also something about having that sort of experience of people who are strangers that enrich our own lives. On one very simple level, everyone we may now count as "knowing" was at some point "unknown to us" - a stranger. For me one of the keenest delights of life is meeting and being with people. Some of these have long and profound impacts on our lives, and some are but fleeting - yet all of them are filled with the possibility that we are in the company of angels, even if we don't know it at the time. May we gather together in that same way this Sunday for worship, being hospitable to all of us as known and unknown, strangers and angels. Worship this weekendSunday 31st August- Benefice services8.00am BCP Holy Communion - All Saints10.30am Benefice Service Holy Communion - All Saints(Please note there is no service at St Marys this Sunday as we worship with our sisters and brothers at All Saints)The week aheadWednesday 3rd September 9.00am Celtic Morning Prayer - All SaintsThursday 4th September 10.00am Holy Communion - St MarysFriday 5th September 11.00am Living After Loss - St Marys Parish roomsSat 6th September 10.00am to 12noon Coffee Morning & Repair Cafe - All SaintsSat 6th September 12noon to 1.30pm Saturday Lunches - St MarysSunday 7th September 10.00am Creative Church (Theme ‘Forgiveness’) - St. Marys10.30am Holy Communion - All Saints6.30pm Choral Evensong - St Marys (Patronal Festival)Please find attached the readings for this week.BlessingsRevd LizzieVicar of All Saints and St Marys Churches, Fishponds
Dear Friends in Christ,August can be a strange month. For many it’s a time of holidays-especially those having to fit in their vacations with schools. Yet on the flip side it’s also when students get their exam results, with all the attendant worry and excitement that goes with it. It brings us this coming last Bank Holiday until Christmas. I always remember hating to see all the ‘back to school’ signs in the supermarkets reminding me that my lovely 6 week break was coming to an end!! Mind you-I’m sure a fair few parents also count those days down with anticipation! We also notice the nights starting to get dark again and the first hints of autumn.Change-good and bad-is a fundamental part of life. No matter how hard we may fight it, we can’t avoid it. The future is something that can excite or terrify us, the past often becomes distorted through nostalgia. I now seem to view the 1980s as the best period ever simply because I was young then with hair and lots of energy. We have to be so careful that this nostalgia doesn’t blur our vision of the present and dictate how we look at the future.In our Gospel reading this Sunday the disciples argue about which of them would be regarded as the greatest. They’re projecting to a future they don’t understand rather than being present in that moment with Jesus. He in turn challenges their views on authority but also promises them thrones to judge alongside him-a somewhat contradictory message but one that we can unpack.Ultimately, we can learn from them to not be defined only by our past and how that might shape our future, but to be in the present moments that’s where our life is happening now, and to not do so means we may miss the bad, but we also miss so much that’s good.AmenThis Sunday 24th August Bartholomew the Apostle8.00am Holy Communion - All Saints10.00am. Holy Communion - St. Marys10.30am Café Church - All SaintsThe Week AheadWednesday 27th August Morning Celtic Prayer 9.00am - All Saints ChurchAA Meetings 7.30pm - St. Marys ChurchThursday 28th August Holy Communion 10.00am - St. Marys ChurchFriday 29th AugustLiving after Loss 11.00am. St. Marys ChurchSaturday 30th AugustSaturday Lunches 12noon to 1.30pm. St. Marys Church.Next Sunday 31 August Eleventh Sunday after Trinity8.00am. BCP Holy Communion - All SaintsNo service at St. Marys10.30am. Benefice Holy Communion - All SaintsMay 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
