All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friend,

If you use Oxford Circus Tube station, you will have encountered the Jehovah’s Witnesses who stand at the entrances and exits handing out leaflets, including one called, “What the Bible Really Says.”

As their creed is an American re-make of an early heresy denying the divinity of Christ, combined with speculation about the end of the world, we may question their claim to know what the Bible really says. 

Knowing what the Bible really says is not always the straightforward business that fundamentalist sects claim; which may explain why they so often fall out with each other. The First Letter of John, from which our Sunday epistles are taken this Eastertide, is a case in point. 

It was probably written to interpret John’s Gospel in new times and circumstances. We are not told in detail what these are, so we have to read between the lines.  There has been a split in the church for which he writes– probably about the nature and meaning of Christ.  The author believes that, like Jehovah’s Witnesses, his opponents do not grasp the meaning of “the Word was made flesh.”  

Sunday’s passage follows the Gospel in speaking of our relationship with God as present and future. “Eternal life” means both the promise of life with God beyond death, and a share in that life now.  The life of believers has an “already but not yet” quality. If the world does not recognize us as God’s children, we should not be dismayed, for it failed to recognize God’s Son.   We have the assurance, founded on God’s love, that “we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed.”   The humanity which Christ shares with us will be perfected in him: “when his is revealed, we will be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”   

In this life we can already live towards that final promise:  “all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”  The Spirit enables us to imitate in part the Christ whom one day we will see fully.  We are to strive for holiness in this life, not just to hope for it in the future.

The second section of our passage is difficult in more ways than one.

In saying, “no one who abides in him sins,” it seems to contradict what was said earlier:  “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 

(1 John 1: 8).  You don’t need to have much experience of the Church to acknowledge the spiritual realism of this. 

The second and apparently contradictory statement is aimed at those whose denial of the incarnation led them to believe that being saved meant safety from evil; regardless of conduct. This was common belief at the time.  Religion was about keeping on the right side of the gods in exchange for protection; not morality.   In our day, much of what goes under the label of “spirituality” is more about private experience or self-improvement than moral duty to others. The First Letter of John will have none of that because the incarnation is about the transformation of the whole of human life, in communion with all who share it, not just some “spiritual” part of disconnected individuals. Christianity is about love of God and neighbour; and the two are inseparable.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Alan Moses

Prebendary Alan Moses
Vicar of All Saints Margaret Street
Area Dean of Westminster & St Marylebone

Please pray for those who have asked for our prayers: Asia Bibi. Fr. Bruce Barnett- Cowan, James Cary-Elwes, Ian Coull, Paul Curno, Cynthia Drury, Hugo Gralka, Tim Harding, Yvonne & Philip Harland, Elspeth Harley, Lewis Harvey, Maxwell Hutchinson, Alice Jullien, Sheila Kenyon, Molly Leng, Patrick & Anthea Lepper, Joshua Levy, Christine Loffty, Mike McKenna, Hilary Morgan, David Pearce, Malcolm Richards, Jock Scott, Fr. Nicholas Stacey, Buzz Stokes, Celia Swan, Joy Wright, Marc Young and the Revd. Mary Spredbury.

For the recently departed: Tay Ntow, Michael Lawrenson (Priest), Elizabeth Beet, Hilda Hodds, Joseph Cassidy (Priest Principal of St Chad’s Durham), David Gerald Francis Hinge (Priest), Jordan Scales and Jean Bray.

Remember past priests, benefactors, friends, and all whose year’s mind occurs this week: Basil Harris, Hugh Whittow, John Halliwell, Irene Vile, Kathleen Bates, Henry Alconer Barclay Mackay (fifth Vicar of All Saints), Margaret Forsyth, Constance Cavan, Priscilla Black, Constance Briscoe, David Mason, Charles Messenger, Elenor Stanton, Arthur Sandeman (Priest), Hannah Ebbs, John Burton-White, Beatrice Atkins, Ada Brookes, Letitia Bettey, Ambrose Weekes (Bishop).

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY 19 APRIL – Third Sunday of Easter
HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses 
Missa Papæ Marcelli – Palestrina
My beloved spake – Hadley

Sunday Lunch is NOT being served due to the Annual Parochial Church Meeting.

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm 
Preacher: Father Julian Browning 
Service in C – Stanford 
Ye choirs of new Jerusalem

WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY 26 APRIL – Fourth Sunday of Easter
HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: The Right Reverend Allen Shin, Bishop Suffragan, New York
Missa Brevis in D – Mozart 
Benedictus (The Short Service) – Gibbons 

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm
Preacher: Fr Michael Bowie
Service in F – Ireland
Most glorious Lord of Lyfe – Lloyd Webber 

PARISH NOTICES

LENT BOXES – thank you to everyone who has returned their box/contributions to the Lent Appeal. If you have still to do so, please drop off your box/donation to the Parish Office as soon as possible, so that we can finalise the Appeal total. Thank you!

LONDON FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY CHURCH MUSIC – this event takes place in May and the Festival is currently recruiting volunteers to help at Festival events.

Roles include helping with tickets, serving drinks, selling programmes and assisting with concert set-ups. Might you consider volunteering, at even one event? Please email Rebecca at admin@lfccm.com if you would like to do so. Volunteers are given free entry to ticketed events they work, a free LFCCM Volunteer t-shirt, acknowledgement on the LFCCM website and an invitation to the Festival Closing Celebration and drinks reception. Full details of this year’s festival events are available at www.lfccm.com.

EVENTS AT ALL SAINTS IN APRIL

Saturday 18 April 3.30pm – FORMER ALL SAINTS CHORISTERS REUNION EVENSONG followed by Tea in the Courtyard. Organist Harry Bramma. Music before the service: Easter Chorale Preludes from J S Bach’s Orgelbüchlein – Jesus Christus unser Heiland (Jesus Christ our great Redeemer) and Erstanden ist der heil’ge Christ (The Blessed Christ is risen today). Canticles: Specially composed by Louis Halsey and Anthem: The Lord’s my Shepherd. Specially composed by Martin Bruce. Voluntary: Postlude in D minor by Stanford. All welcome. 

MEETING OF PARISHIONERS AND ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING, SUNDAY 19 APRIL 2015 

A meeting of parishioners will be held on Sunday 19 April 2015 at 12.45pm in Church, at which Churchwardens for the year 2015 – 2016 will be appointed.  Members of the Electoral Roll and residents of the Parish on the Electoral Register are eligible to attend. Any person wishing to be considered for the Post of Churchwarden must be (a) 21 years of age or over, (b) on the Electoral Roll and (c) an actual communicant member of the Church of England. Nominations must be proposed and seconded, and candidates must indicate their willingness to stand. In addition, candidates are asked to submit a short typed or clearly written statement giving the reasons for their wishing to stand, and the benefits they could bring to the post if appointed. Nominations for the post of Churchwarden MAY NOT be made at the meeting.

Prebendary L. A. Moses, Vicar

The Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) will follow immediately. Only members of the Electoral Roll are eligible to attend.  At the meeting three members of the laity will be elected to serve on the Parochial Church Council for the years 2015 – 2018.  The retiring members of the Council are Janet Drake, Patrick Hartley and Geoffrey Woodcock.  Of these, only Patrick Hartley is eligible for re-election.  Candidates for election must be (a) on the Electoral Roll, (b) at least 16 years of age, and (c) actual communicant members of the Church of England. All nominations must be proposed and seconded by persons on the Electoral Roll and all candidates must indicate a willingness to stand. In addition, candidates are asked to submit a short typed or clearly handwritten statement giving their reasons for standing for election.  Nomination forms may be obtained from the PCC Secretary or the office. Although nominations may be made at the meeting, it would be helpful if completed nomination forms, together with statements, are returned to the PCC Secretary by Friday 3 April to enable the papers to be available one week before the Annual Meeting.  Sidesmen for the year 2015 – 2016 will be appointed at the meeting.

Jaron Lewis, PCC Secretary

Monday 27 April, 7pm – ALL SAINTS’ PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING (following Evening Mass at 6.30pm) – Parish Room

Sunday 10 May, 7.15pm (after Benediction) – ORGAN RECITAL – ROGER SAYER, Organist and Director of Music, The Temple Church.

Programme includes:   
Fantasia and Toccata op. 57 – C. V. Stanford (1852-1924)
Melodia op. 59 – M. Reger (1873-1916)
Phantasie über den Choral “Hallelujah! Gott zu loben, bleibe meine Seelenfreud’!” op. 52 – M. Reger
For more organ recitals, visit www.organrecitals.com

EVENTS ELSEWHERE 

Thursday 23 April, 7pm – St Saviour’s Pimlico – MASS OF ST GEORGE. Preacher: Bishop Graeme Knowles. Music by Canticum.

Saturday 16 May, 7pm – St Cyprian’s Church – ST CYPRIAN’S SINGERS – NEW YORK TOUR FUNDRAISING CONCERT
Programme includes: Frank Martin Mass for double choir and works by Tallis, Shepphard, Bairstow, Howells, MacMillan and Whitacre. Tickets £15 including Buffet.

Sunday 31 May, 3pm – POETRY TEA AT PAMELA’S – Theme of ‘Light’. Please see Pamela or Sandra Wheen for directions to the house. Tickets £6 in aid of All Saints’ Restoration Appeal.
 

ALL SAINTS RESTORATION PROJECT UPDATE

EXCELLENT PROGRESS with work and fundraising but FURTHER DONATIONS NEEDED to reduce the reliance on loans

New wiring and lighting, essential CCTV security and fire detection systems cost £372,000. Fire alarm commissioning is due next week. As the project reaches its conclusion, and the final invoices are received, we want to remove any reliance on loans to pay for the works. We have recently had a number of generous gifts that have greatly helped in this ambition. Loans have been successfully reduced from £35,000 to just over £1,600 so any more gifts will reduce this still further.

HOW YOU CAN HELP………. please be as generous as you can, making cheques payable to: All Saints Church Restoration Appeal and sending them 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% at no cost to yourself. Thank you!

ALL SAINTS MISSION ACTIVITIES

ONGOING SUPPORT for HOMELESS PEOPLE through: MARYLEBONE PROJECT run by the CHURCH ARMY – 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 helped to provide the funds for one of the 4 beds – offers a safe haven and refuge for women escaping domestic violence, financial crisis, sexual exploitation and mental health issues.

Seasonal Appeals – The grand total collected in 2014 was £3,463 (up significantly on 2013’s support of £2,790) to this Mission Project through the All Saints Festival and Lent Appeals. The Project (in acknowledging our support) said: ‘Such a wonderful amount to have raised, thank you so very much for your valued support’.

A further £3,000 raised in 2014 for Us (formerly USPG) was acknowledged to be a ‘very generous gift’ which will be used to feed communities and generate income to support AIDS orphans in child-headed families in Zimbabwe.

Year Round Support – we also support the Marylebone Resettlement Project with non-perishable food and toiletries or household necessities like cutlery or bed linen/blankets. Thank you to all who have contributed recently with many donations – we have helped more people in need.

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
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 – FRIDAY
Morning Prayer 7.30am
Low Mass – 8am, 1.10pm and 6.30pm
Evening Prayer 6pm
(Except Bank Holidays – 1.10pm Mass only)

SATURDAY
Morning Prayer 7.30am
Low Mass – 12 noon (NOTE REVISED TIME) and 6.30pm (First Mass of Sunday)
Evening Prayer 6pm

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 Holy Week.)

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