All Saints Parish Newsletter
Thursday 11 October 2012 at 22:38
Trinity XIX – 12th October 2012
Dear Friends,
“The word of the Lord is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow, it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4.12)
There is a widespread and lazy assumption, even among some Christians, that the words of the Old Testament are so ancient, come from a time and place so remote, that they can have nothing to say to our world.
A reading Amos, with its message of divine judgement on an Israel increasingly divided along social and economic lines, ostentatious wealth alongside slavery, should be enough to show us that this is not true. This was “the word of the Lord sharper than any two-edged sword,” and when Amos preached this message at the royal shrine at Bethel, the priest sent him packing. How dare he attack the establishment in its very own temple? The word which judged Israel then judges us and our society now, and we are not likely to find it any more comfortable.
We who, like the man in this Sunday’s gospel, come to Jesus seeking to know what we must do to inherit eternal life, find Jesus turns our attention towards God and the commandments which are to govern our relationships with our neighbours. Few of us would be quite as confident that we kept all these things from our youth; although we might secretly think that we have lived a decent and respectable enough life. Jesus speaks a word to that man which is so sharp that it cuts straight through his estimate of himself, to lay bare the real object of his worship which is not God at all but his many possessions.
The disciples find it hard to accept that it will be harder for the rich to enter the kingdom of God than for a camel to get through the eye of a needle. They had been raised to see prosperity as a sign of God’s blessing. Ours is a society which has come to reward money-making, which is not the same as wealth creation, and to devalue other contributions to the commonweal which cannot simply be given a price tag.
Amos was addressing a society, and especially those who were the perpetrators and beneficiaries of inequality. Jesus is addressing an individual and his obsession with material possessions. Amos and Jesus speak to us still at both levels, and that we do not find their words any more comfortable now than their hearers did now, testifies to the enduring truth of what they say.
But this Sunday’s readings are not just of judgement but of hope too. They speak of a God for whom all things are possible; of a high priest who is able to sympathise with us in our weaknesses. So as we go come to church on Sunday we can “approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Yours in Christ, Alan Moses
Please pray for Christopher Ryan, Moe, Fr. David Jowitt OGS, Julia, Calum O’Connor, Daniel, Michael Harris, Sandra O’Brien, Linda Orme , Mary Barnet, Stephen Collingwood, Sian Evans, Jackie Ferriter, Joshua Levy, Audrey Patterson, Cecilia Shore, Michael Sullivan, Rachel Clayton, Heather Walker, Graham Hawkes, Richard Tann, Brian Sparkes, Ron Cayless, John Rogers, Mason Jacobson, Barbara Laws, Marguerite Crill, Ondina Brash, Anne Hamburger, David Day, Timothy Montgomery, Timothy Harding, Andrew Tillyard, Lise Cribbin, Finiola Robinson. The Recently Departed: Peter Vickers, Gwen Norman, Elvira Dibley, Sr. Jean Margaret ASSP, Maurice Keen, Marion Pidgeon, Sr. Elizabeth SSM, George Hurst, Mary Morrison, Nigel Bailey at the anniversary of their death: Vera Dyer, Godfrey Dick, Florence Kelly, Raymond McGrath, Jack Ridley, Robert Hanvey, Evelyn Vandy, Margaret McKenzie-Edwards, Lilian Geddes, John Williams, John Hillaby, Colin Wesley
The Feast of St Edward the Confessor
12 – 14 October 2012
During Edwardtide, we celebrate the life of Edward the Confessor, King of England 1042–1066, the re-founder of Westminster Abbey. Canonised in 1161, to this day pilgrims come to pray at his shrine.
Join us in this Feast to commemorate the life and work of St Edward, King and Confessor, in prayer and praise, sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey. All are welcome to attend. Tickets are not required.
Principal Services
Friday 12 October: THE EVE OF TRANSLATION OF ST EDWARD THE CONFESSOR, KING, 1163, 1269
Saturday 13 October: National Pilgrimage to the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor
All day pilgrimage: visits to the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor, lectures, and children’s activities.
11.30 am Festival Eucharist
This Festival Eucharist celebrates St Edward’s life and holiness on the day of the national pilgrimage to his shrine. Preacher: The Very Reverend Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury
3.00 pm Evensong and Procession
Evensong and Procession this evening marks the beginning of the Feast of Dedication of Westminster Abbey.
ANGLICAN CATHOLIC FUTURE
A series of evenings celebrating our Catholic inheritance in the Church of England .
Wednesday October 17th ‘Our Lady’ – Speaker, The Revd Cally Hammond Dean of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge 6:30pm Mass ALL SAINTS MARGARET STREET – ALL WELCOME for further details please contact All Saints Margaret Street.
CONFIRMATION – Saturday 3rd November 2012 5pm at St Paul’s Cathedral. Please see Fr. John or Fr. Alan for further information.
Sunday 4 Nov: Festival Sunday.
At High Mass: Dedication of framed photograph of Bishop Ambrose Weekes.
Wednesday 7 Nov: 6:30pm Mass of Thanksgiving for the life of Sr. Jean Margaret ASSP.
One o’clock talks on the Church Building:
On Sunday’s at 1pm for 10mins there will be a series of talks given by Fr. Alan and Fr. John.
11th November – The Baptistry. 18th November – The Nave. 25th November – The Pulpit. 2nd December – The Jesse Window. 9th December – The North Wall, The Old Testament. 16th December – The North Wall – The Nativity. Please come along prior to lunch for 10 minutes and hear an historical and theological perspective on our church building.
Penny Mordaunt MP, (Portsmouth North) and friend to All Saints Margaret Street is arranging for the Parish a Tour of Parliament on 16th November 2012. A maximum number of 60 people can attend, so please book your place with Fr. John Pritchard as soon as possible. johnapritchard@hotmail.co.uk The Tour Starts at 9:55am and will last 75mins. The Tours are free, but I am suggesting that we all make a £10 donation towards Phase IV – Restoration Appeal for All Saints Margaret Street. Please send Cheques to All Saints c/o Dennis Davis or Fr John Pritchard made payable to "All Saints PCC Restoration Appeal". Details of where to meet will follow. ONLY 7 Places left. Please book as soon as possible.
Saturday 24 Nov: 12 noon. Requiem Mass for Teresa Butler.
ADVENT COURSE 2012
There will be two courses running at All Saints Margaret Street this year.
Fr. Alan will lead a four week day-time course meeting at 11am on Thursday’s 29th November, 6th, 13th & 20th December at the Vicarage. This will be book based course looking at The Patriachs, The Prophets, St John the Baptist and Our Lady.
Fr. John will lead a four-week evening course, meeting at 7:00pm on Wednesday’s 28th November, 5th, 12th & 19th December at No.6 Margaret Street. This course will also look at The Patriachs, The Prophets, St John the Baptist and Our Lady each one will be explored through one of the following: Opera, Film (popcorn will be provided), prose and poetry.
Please indicate to Fr. Alan and Fr. John if you wish to attend.