All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friend,

In this Sunday’s extract from the Letter to the Philippians (4.1-9) Paul urges two women, distinguished co-workers of his, who are now at odds with each other, “to agree in the Lord.” 
He urges rather than commands, and he suggests that others help them.

We are not told why the two are at loggerheads, but we know the issues on which members of the Church today are divided. 

The Synod of Bishops, which Pope Francis has called to discuss the family, is meeting in Rome.  Even before it met cardinals were disagreeing with one another in public over the vexed issue of communion for remarried divorcees.  One said it should not even be discussed; the issue was closed and change out of the question.

The Pope has encouraged participants in the Synod to speak frankly and to listen humbly. Many prelates have not had much experience of either.  They will have to learn a new way of doing things.

In our own Church, a new way of doing things helped find a way through the impasse over women bishops in the General Synod. Instead of confrontational set-piece speeches, the new Archbishop of Canterbury suggested discussion in groups aided by trained facilitators.  We did not end up with total agreement but there was rather more understanding than before.

The Church is trying the same method again in dealing with the other vexed issue facing it: human sexuality; which is church-speak for homosexuality. This is equally divisive but the fault lines are rather different. It should be no surprise that this is not an issue traditionalist anglo-Catholics are getting up a public head of steam over. 

But the conservative evangelical pressure group Reform is and has withdrawn from the conversations; presumably on similar grounds to that cardinal. There is nothing to discuss; the Bible has spoken. Their understanding of scripture is the only one. They have nothing to learn from those with other viewpoints.

Paul says to the Philippians: “Let all men know your forbearance,” or your “gentleness.”  He has spent much of the letter speaking of the “mind of Christ” which should be theirs, a mind revealed in the humility of Christ.  It is that mind in which they can “stand firm.”  

Standing firm in the Lord need not mean being rigid or strident. If we “have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let (our) requests be made known to God,” then we can have confidence to do as Paul suggests: “…whatever is true, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Christians, especially those with angry agendas and loud voices, can appear to outsiders as anything but forbearing or gentle; let alone willing to think of the virtues of non-Christians. Yet Paul, whose convictions were anything but wobbly, can do just that in the strength of his faith. Real faith, a deeper understanding of the work of God in all creation, a larger vision of the Christian hope, should make us more confident not less in the face of the world.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Alan Moses
Vicar, All Saints Margaret Street
Area Dean of Westminster – St Marylebone

Please pray for those who have asked for our prayers: Stephanie Aziz, Alan Bishton, Susan Beauchamp, Rachel Clayton, Rosamond Clayton, Kate Down, Jean East, Tim Harding, Yvonne & Philip Harland, Elspeth Harley, Lewis Harvey, Myrtle Hughes, Molly Leng, Joshua Levy, Christine Loffty, Jonathan Mani-Weoki, Hilary Morgan, Norman Newby, Maureen Pride, Malcolm Richards, Peter Royle, Jock Scott, Dilys Thomas, Mary Thomas and Joy Wright.

For the recently departed: Meriol Oliver, Martin Bluhm, Colin Titmus and Mark Wood (Priest) whose funeral is today 10 October 2014.  

Remember past priests, benefactors, friends, and all whose year’s mind occurs this week: (Thomas) Guest Blofeld (Priest) sometime Curate of All Saints, Lilian Ditcham, David Heffer, Elizabeth Hoare, Vera Dyer, Godfrey Dick (Benefactor), Florence Kelly, Raymond McGrath, Jack Ridley, Richard O’Conner, Robert Hanvey, Evelyn Vandy, Margaret McKenzie Edwards, Lilian Geddes, John Williams (former Chorister and later Organist of All Saints 1949 – 51) and Chris Rawll, one time Churchwarden, Lay Preacher, Sub Deacon and Archivist of All Saints.

WORSHIP AT ALL SAINTS THIS SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER – SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

HIGH MASS at 11am
Preacher: Revd Dr Andrew McGowan, Dean and President of Berkeley Divinity School, Yale
Missa ‘Ave Maria’ – Palestrina
Locus iste – Bruckner 

Sunday lunch is served this week. Tickets £5 from the Parish Shop in the Parish Room. The menu is Beef Carbonnade, green vegetables and potatoes with a cheesecake dessert and coffee.

A new series of TEN TO ONE TALKS (running from Autumn 2014 to Spring 2015) entitled ‘The Shape of the Liturgy’ continues in Church after Mass. The topic is the Collect for Purity.  The bell will ring at the start.

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION at 6pm
Preacher: Fr Julian Browning 
The Second Service – Byrd 
Praise our Lord, all ye Gentiles – Byrd 

WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER – EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY HIGH MASS at 11am
Preacher: Father Julian Browning
Mass for four voices – Tallis
Sing joyfully – Byrd  

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION at 6pm
Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses
Service in D – Wood 
Give us the wings of faith – Bullock 

ALL SAINTS EVENTS in OCTOBER: 

Monday 13 October – there is a Standing Committee meeting of the All Saints PCC after the 6.30pm Low Mass.

REQUIEM MASS on Tuesday 14 October, 8am in the Parish Room – please print the names of anyone you would like remembered in the file at the back of Church, to be found on the wooden lectern in the Baptistery.

Friday 17 October, 11am – READING GROUP (second meeting of three in 2014, meeting the third Friday of each month. The last date is Friday 21 November). The text for the Group is: Marilynne Robinson’s novel Gilead, available in paperback from Virago at £7.99.

Sunday 26 October – there is a Buildings Committee meeting in the Parish Office after Mass.

ALL SAINTS FESTIVAL 2014

FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER 6.30pm – EVE OF ALL SAINTS, LITANY OF THE SAINTS, SOLEMN EVENSONG AND SOLEMN BENEDICTION
Preacher: The Reverend Reuben Preston,
Vicar of St Mary of Eton Church, Hackney Wick
Mass Setting: The Chichester Service – Walton
Anthem: O what their joy and their glory must be—Harris

SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER 11am – ALL SAINTS’ DAY HIGH MASS
Preacher: The Reverend Dr Greg Seach, Dean of Clare College, Cambridge
Mass Setting: Missa Sanctae Margaretae – Gabriel Jackson
Anthem: Gaudent in coelis—Hassler

SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER 11am – ALL SAINTS’ FESTIVAL SUNDAY
PROCESSION & HIGH MASS
Preacher: The Very Reverend Peter Bradley, Dean of Sheffield
Mass Setting: Krönungsmesse – Mozart
Anthem: Cantate Domino—Gabriel Jackson

6pm SOLEMN EVENSONG, TE DEUM & SOLEMN BENEDICTION
Preacher:  The Right Reverend & Right Honourable Richard Chartres, Bishop of London
Canticles: The Truro Service – Gabriel Jackson
Anthem: Justorum animae—Stanford

MONDAY 3 NOVEMBER – ALL SOULS’ DAY 6.30pm – HIGH MASS OF REQUIEUM
Preacher: The Very Reverend Victor Stock
Mass Setting:  Officium defunctorum à 6 – Victoria
Anthem: Justorum animae—Byrd

EVENTS BEYOND ALL SAINTS
Saturday 18 October – NATIONAL PILGRIMAGE TO THE SHRINE  OF ST EDWARD THE CONFESSOR 9am Abbey opens for Pilgrims, 11.30am Festival Eucharist Preacher : The Right Reverend John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford 3pm Evensong with Procession 

Walking pilgrims will be welcomed with a rite of foot washing. Throughout the day pilgrims will be able to pray at the Shrine, priests will be on duty for individual spiritual counselling and the Sacrament of Reconciliation and prayer tours around the Abbey will be available. For more details about the day, contact T: 020 7654 4805 or E: press@westminster-abbey.org.

Thursday 23 October – 6.30pm for 7.30pm – The Annunciation, Marble Arch W1H 7AH  – ANNUNCIATION CENTENARY FUNDRAISING CONCERT – ‘Jamie Lonsdale & Friends’ present an evening of arias and songs from your favourite operas and shows. Jamie will be joined by soprano Alexandra Kennedy, Chinese X-factor winner Mary-Jess and mezzo soprano Flora McIntosh. MD – Robert Emery. Please come and support this wonderful event. Tickets strictly limited, so please book in advance at www.jamie-lonsdale.com or T: 01367 820599 or email: lroyde@gmail.com. Tickets £25 per person or 4 for £60, including a glass of Prosecco.

Thursday 13 November, 6.45pm THE 2014 MARYLEBONE SERVICE at The Annunciation, Marble Arch W1H 7AH. An interfaith celebration of Marylebone, the international village. The Chairman of the Marylebone Association, the Lord Mayor of Westminster cordially invites you to this service, followed by a reception. Limited spaces – RSVP essential, by email k.coyne@ish.org.uk or call 0207 631 8366. The event is supported by the Portman and Howard de Walden Estates.

Friday 12 December, 6.45pm – All Saints’ Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham Event
In the octave of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception – a Visit to the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, Mayfair.
All are invited and welcome to join the liturgy and address by Fr Dominic Robinson SJ, a tour of the church, followed by light refreshments. You do not have to be a member of the Cell to attend, and the group would be pleased if you would join them. Please advise Mrs Rosa Postance (rosa_postance @hotmail.com) if you are going to come to this event.  

NOTICES

The CHARITY FUNDRAISING ORGAN RECITAL given by Carl Bahoshy in aid of IRAQI CHRISTIANS IN NEED on 28^th September raised the splendid sum of £972. Thank you to everyone who attended and supported this hugely worthwhile and topical cause.

ALL SAINTS RESTORATION APPEAL UPDATE – WORK IS UNDERWAY!

FUNDRAISING – thanks to the very considerable generosity of parishioners and friends and the good news of last week that we were awarded £10,000 by the Garfield Weston Foundation, we have now received or had pledged £365,600. This reduces our reliance on loans to just under £20,000 (from £35,000) but we still have a couple of important project elements that we have had to put on hold to get within the overall project figure – a CCTV security system and an automatic fire detection system. Both items would be highly desirable in our Grade 1 Listed Church if further donations are received.

WORKS – The electrical cabling strip out began on 29 September. Church is now closed during weekdays for most of the period until 30 October to allow the use of a cherry picker and other high-level access equipment. Weekday services are taking place in the Parish Room and Confessions are heard in the Oratory (access via the Parish Office). Church will be open for the Saturday Vigil Mass and Sunday. 
The main works on infra-structure cabling in the basement take place at the same time as the strip-out from within the Church. Work to install the new electrics in the Church itself is planned after the All Saints Festival from Tuesday 4 November – for completion by the end of January 2015, allowing for a Christmas break and subject to the delivery of all specialist materials.

HOW YOU CAN HELP………. further donations are needed to reduce our reliance on loans and complete key fire and security improvements!
Cheques should be made payable to: All Saints Church Restoration Appeal and be sent to: The Parish Administrator, 7 Margaret Street, London W1W 8JG. Please indicate where Gift Aid may be applied as it increases the value of your contribution by 25%. Thank you!

ALL SAINTS SUPPORT FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE – MARYLEBONE PROJECT 
A Day Centre, Residential and Transitional accommodation provider, re-settlement project and Educational and Training Unit for women. The Emergency Bed Unit – for which we have for some years provided the funds for one of the 4 beds – provides a safe haven and refuge for women escaping domestic violence, financial crisis, sexual exploitation and mental health issues.

Seasonal Appeals – Last year we donated £2,790 to this Mission Project, collected through the All Saints Festival and Lent Appeals. The PCC approved support of £3,000 for 2014.  

Year Round Support – we also support the Resettlement Project with non-perishable food and toiletries or household necessities like cutlery or bed linen/blankets. Please contribute to this effort, bringing donations to the Parish Office or leaving them in Church in the basket in the Baptistery.

Day-to-day Support – we respond to the needs of homeless people who visit the church, providing luncheon vouchers for the West London Day Centre for rough sleepers who apply to the office and allowing a few individuals, who need a place to shelter or sleep during the day, to rest in the back of the church. We have created an information resource for Church Watchers, giving useful advice to homeless and vulnerable people seeking particular support or services.
In the face of a rising tide of homelessness in London, please help us fund and support people in need through our Mission project.

Want to help someone sleeping rough but don’t know how? Call Streetlink on 0300 500 0914 and they will get a visit from the local Street Team who can put them in contact with the services they may need.

FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS OR ASSISTANCE FROM ALL SAINTS MARGARET STREET:-
* If you would like to encourage others to take an interest in All Saints/keep up with what is happening here, please forward this email on to them, or to people you would like to invite to services.

* If you know of others who would like to receive this correspondence please encourage them to sign up for the email on the All Saints website – see the tab News & Events> Weekly Newsletter.

* If you would like prayers offered at All Saints, please email the Parish Administrator Mrs Dee Prior at: astsmgtst@aol.com.

If you would like any pastoral assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses: alanmoses111@gmail.com. Or Assistant Priest Fr Michael Bowie: mnrbowie@hotmail.com.

DAILY SERVICES AT ALL SAINTS during Refurbishment – October 2014
(Church open Saturday and Sunday only from 7am to 7pm)
On major weekday feasts, High Mass is sung at 6.30pm

SUNDAYS in Church
Low Mass 6.30pm (Saturday), 8am and 5.15pm. Morning Prayer 10.20am
HIGH MASS AND SERMON, 11am and CHORAL EVENSONG, SERMON and BENEDICTION, 6pm.

MONDAY – SATURDAY in the Parish Room
Morning Prayer 7.30am
Low Mass – 8am, 1.10pm and 6.30pm
Evening Prayer 6pm
(Except Bank Holiday – 1.10pm Mass only)

Confessions
A priest is available for confessions/counsel Monday – Friday from 12.30-1pm and at 5.30pm Monday – Saturday, or by appointment. During the refurbishment works, confessions will be heard Monday – Friday in the Oratory at 7 Margaret Street. Please ring the bell
at the Vicarage or Parish Office doors for admittance.

www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk and e-mail: astsmgtst@aol.com.