Courage and ConfidenceDear All Saints and St Marys"I shall sustain you in courage and confidence" Isaiah 42:4After the New Year has been celebrated, and we start to see the Christmas Trees being put out for collection January can feel like one of the longest months of the year and so I reach eagerly, like a hungry child, for these words at the start of 2026. And what a promise it is - The promise of God to sustain us in courage and confidence.The Church looks in different ways at "Who Jesus is" in the month of January, and this week it sees us dwell on the Baptism of Jesus. At the very start of his adult ministry Jesus is baptised in the river Jordan and he hears the voice of God from heaven. There are words of affirmation, ones which like Isaiah give him courage and confidence for his ministry. We all need times of feeling sustained, of being given courage and confidence in life's journey and so I hope and pray that at this time, in this moment, we all are able to quieten the noise that so often surrounds us and hear God's promise to us all.Services for this Sunday - 11th January8am - Holy Communion - All Saints10am - Sung Holy Communion - St Marys*10.30am - Muddy Messy Church - St Mungo - All Saints7.15pm - Generations*Please be aware that the heating is not working in St Marys Church currently, so do wrap up warm, bring a hot water bottle/blanket/cushion and we will do all that we can to provide warmth and welcome*Muddy Messy Church start a year of looking at SAINTS - and begin with St Mungo - What do we know about this person? What can we learn about their lives - for a engaging way of looking at faith creatively then why not come and along and see what we can discover as a church.In courage and confidenceRevd LizzieVicar of All Saints and St Marys Churches, Fishponds
Dear All Saints and St Mary'sThis Sunday we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, or as the 1662 Prayer Book puts it, the Manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles. This name is used to emphasise that, right from the start, the the gospel tells us that Jesus is for all people. Many artists took up this theme by depicting Jesus' visitors coming from the three extremes of the known world. One was from Europe, one from Asia or Arabia and one was from Sub-Saharan Africa. Although this is a contradiction to the actual Biblical text, which says that they came from "the east", it reminded people that Jesus came for everyone, including those that did not look like them, think like them or behave like them.Historically, the Church of England in Bristol does not have a good record, when it comes to welcoming people who are different. Today, we need to make sure that we extend the love of God to all, whatever their circumstances or background. Differences of race, social class, disability and sexuality should not come between us. As Paul put it in his letter to the church in Galatia, "There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28 NRSVue). This Sunday we will have an opportunity to think a little more about Epiphany and its meaning at the 10:30 am Holy Communion at All Saints and the 6:30 pm Evensong at St Mary's. In the morning at St Mary's, there is creative church. This gives the following services for this Sunday, 4th January: 10:00 am St Mary's Creative Church 10:30 am All Saints Holy Communion 6:30 pm St Mary's Choral Evensong This week we have our normal pattern of services with Celtic Morning Prayer on Wednesday at All Saints and Holy Communion at St Mary's on Thursday. Next Sunday has our normal services for the second Sunday of the month with Messy/Muddy church at All Saints and Holy Communion at St Mary's. Wednesday 7th 9.00 amAll Saints Celtic Morning Prayer Thursday 8th 10:00 am St Mary's Holy Communion Sunday 11th 8:00 am All Saints Holly Communion (said) Sunday 11th 10:00 am St Mary's Holy Communion Sunday 11th 10:30 am All Saints Messy/Muddy Church Wishing you a happy New Year. May God bless you and all you do in 2026.Yours in ChristMarkMark SimmsLicensed Lay MinisterBenefice of all Saints and St Mary Fishponds
