All Saints Margaret Street.

Advent 3 

The opening word of the epistle for this Sunday, ‘rejoice’, gave this Sunday its traditional name, ‘Gaudete Sunday’ which is marked by the wearing of rose-coloured vestments in place of the more sombre purple. The lightening of the colour signifies our turning a corner in preparation for Christmas.

Advent is not a time when we pretend that Jesus hasn’t yet come into our world or that we are the first to anticipate his arrival at Christmas. It is a richer season than that (and not a penitential season). It is the time when we recall what it was like before he came, and how much we need him to keep breaking into our daily lives.

In the second reading, from the letter of James, the metaphor of waiting for rain is given to us as a way of understanding what it was like to wait for Christ. This is not such a striking a metaphor in England (!) but very much to the point this month in my home state of NSW where bushfires continue to burn out of control in the lead-up to Christmas. In a Middle-Eastern context, as in Australia, it makes sense to think of this as a season when we remember that humanity waited through a long, dry and exhausting period for the sign of new life in Jesus. For generations people looked to the heavens every day for a sign that today would be the day when God’s salvation would come. Then, one night, in a way no one had imagined and with no fanfare, a child came into the world to establish the final reign of God’s love.

As we prepare to celebrate that unexpected royal birth, we’re reminded by Isaiah that as a result of being soaked in the love of God we are called to do all we can for those in our world who are lame, blind, deaf, lepers, poor or left for dead. Advent reminds us that in welcoming Christ we take on ourselves an obligation to care for all his children. May we learn from Christ this Christmas the generosity to see that the desert is meant to bloom for all people, not just the few of us lucky enough to live in an oasis. We are to be ridiculously generous because God in Jesus has been lavishly good to us, and our goodness remains a most powerful sign of God’s salvation that is seen more in deeds than in words.

Yours in Christ,

Michael Bowie

PARISH OFFICE

For the foreseeable future the Parish Office will not always be staffed.

James Sherwood will usually be in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

From Tuesday to Saturday, Peter Little will also be in and around the church working as sacristan / verger.

The best way to get in touch with the parish is by email:

E:  office@allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk         (T: 020 7636 1788)

THIS WEEK’S PRAYER DIARY 

Those who are sick or distressed and have asked for prayers: 

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Mashee Eyob, Victor Sharp, David Fettke,

Elaine Faulkner, Joan Cooper, Jenni Black, Sr Elizabeth, Ondina Brash, Elizabeth Dennis, Sian Evans, Fr Graham Francis, Peter Jewkes, Helen Mannion, Simon & Mary Edsor, Vallery Tchukov, Hilary Anne, Sarah Vice, Lenore Kimbrough, and Jane Kirton

Those known to us recently departed: Ros Tagoe, Germay Green, Matthew Scott, Brian Pickett, Tim Taylor, Claire Maclean, Helen Minnett, Jean Stirling Smith, Anthony Holmes.

Anniversaries of death this week:  

James Forsyth, Doris King, Leonard Beeken, Edwin Forsyth, Joan Gower, Philip Prain, Richard Vick, Ena Knight, Lily King, Jack Monk,

Charles Hillier, Adam Reddington, Harry Nuttall

THIS SUNDAY at ALL SAINTS: 

Sunday 15 December ADVENT 3, Gaudete Sunday 

8am Low Mass

11am HIGH MASS  Preacher: Fr Adam Atkinson

Spaurmesse K.258 – Mozart

O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion – Handel

5.15pm Low Mass

6pm  Evensong and Benediction   Preacher: Fr Julian Browning

Fauxbordons – Byrd

Komm, Jesu, Komm – Bach 

WORSHIP at ALL SAINTS this week   

Monday 16 – Friday 20 December 

7.30am Morning Prayer   8am Low Mass (except Wednesdays) 

Daily: 12.30pm Confessions   1.10pm Low Mass

5.30pm Confessions   6pm Evening Prayer   6.30pm Low Mass

EXCEPT:

Monday 16th December: 6pm NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS

Saturday 21 December (Church opens at 11am) 

12 noon Low Mass (Monthly Requiem – please advise Fr Michael of any names you wish to be remembered this month)

5.30pm Confessions   6pm Evening Prayer 

6.30pm First Mass of Sunday

Sunday 22 December  Fourth Sunday of Advent 

8am Low Mass

11am HIGH MASS 

Preacher: Fr Julian Browning

Mass in E Minor – Lloyd Webber

Vox Dicentis: Clama – Naylor

5.15pm Low Mass

6pm Evensong and Benediction Preacher Fr Michael Bowie

Purcell in G minor

This lovely lady sat and song – Bryan Kelly 

THE PARISH SHOP is open in the Parish Room before High Mass and in the courtyard afterwards. On sale this week:

Tickets for Sunday lunch – £6     cooked by Judith Mather            

All Saints Christmas card £5 for a pack of 6

New 2019 design – featuring stained glass of the West Window

And Fairtrade coffee & tea, CDs, books, cards

Full service information: www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk 

WEEKLY NOTICES

WARM CLOTHING FOR THE NEEDY

Donations of warm clothing are gratefully sought at this time of year by our neighbours the Jesus Army. Women’s clothing and men’s, particularly shoes, are appreciated. Please leave donations in the Parish Office, or the vicarage hallway.

CONTACTING YOU (GDPR) 

New data protection laws mean that we need your consent to communicate with you by post/email/phone/SMS. 

If you have NOT already responded to an email from us  in May 2018 and wish us to continue or start to send you  weekly e-newsletters, please go to our website  www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.or…  and click on the ‘Sign up here’ link to give us your consent. 

View All Saints’ Privacy Notice at:   https://bit.ly/2n6OC7z.

If you know of others who would like to receive this regular update on what’s happening at All Saints please encourage them to sign up for the email on the All Saints website – www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.or… and click on the ‘Sign up here’ link to give us their consent.  

If you would like pastoral assistance, please contact: The Parish Church of All Saints Margaret Street, 

London W1W 8JG 

T: 020 7636 1788.  E:  office@allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk

Assistant Priest: Fr Michael Bowie 

T: 07581 180963  E: assistantpriest@allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk  (Day off: Wednesday) 

Safeguarding Officers: Please raise any concerns you have with: Chris Self (Vulnerable Adults) and Janet Drake (Children)  If you would like prayers offered, amendments to the prayer list or to obtain an Electoral Roll form please contact the office:   

T: 020 7636 1788.  E:  office@allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk

Confessions  A priest is available for confessions/counsel  Monday – Friday from 12.30 -1pm and at  5.30pm Monday – Saturday, or by appointment.  (Special arrangements apply in Lent and for Holy Week.)

PLEASE SUPPORT US!

The ministry of All Saints costs £1,070/day. 

Visitors, tourists & photographers are invited to contribute, reviewing the experience on All Saints’ Trip Advisor entry. The Vicar, Churchwardens and PCC THANK YOU for all donations supporting the Church’s work and worship, choir & music and care of its heritage buildings.  

The Government reports an £600m annual shortfall in take-up of Gift Aid tax relief for UK charities – so All Saints doesn’t lose the extra 25%, please always GIFT AID! 

PARISH GIVING leaflets – about how to set up regular giving to All Saints – can be found on the church table. 

Donations for general Church purposes: 

To give by BACS please use the following details, 

advising the Administrator to collect Gift Aid:   PCC All Saints (Charity # 1132895) Sort Code 60-09-15. A/C # 04559452 

Parish Legacy Policy  We are always delighted to hear from anyone who wants to support us with a donation. Our PCC Legacy Policy though is to encourage people to leave bequests specifically to one of our two related charities to be used for purposes of lasting value (rather than day to day costs): 

All Saints Choir & Music Trust (Charity # 802994) or 

The All Saints Foundation (Charity # 273390). 

Keep up to date with all that is going on at All Saints:  

www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk  

Join our 3200 followers on 

facebook.com/AllSaintsMargaretStreet 

and 250 who follow us on instagram.