All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friend,

EASTER 4 – Good Shepherd Sunday

You’ll probably remember that shepherds feature in the Christmas story precisely to emphasise God’s egalitarian good news, his bias to the poor and marginal; his bias to people who have no bargaining power, not even the withdrawal of their labour; people whom we may not wish to know; but people of whose importance to God Pope Francis is forcefully reminding the church.

The lengthy Good Shepherd discourse in John’s gospel, from which we hear on Sunday, is a deeper subversion of dismissive snobbery: here it is not just that good shepherds exist and are not to be despised; it is, positively, the close knowledge and personal connection of shepherd and flock which is emphasised. This is not class war but unity of all sorts and conditions, gathering all into safety and harmony.

Again, this good shepherd is not a typical hired man, but someone who will fight for, even die for, the sheep as his own beloved family; no one will steal them, as might happen under the careless eye of the itinerant shepherd. Elsewhere, we hear, he knows them by name; there is a relationship of love and trust between them.

Jesus always distinguished between who we are, which is loved unconditionally by God, and what we do, which can be wrong, and sometimes needs correction, repentance and forgiveness. But he never got stuck at that point: the destination for him was always Easter, not Good Friday.  And he wanted as many of us as possible, however ill-assorted we might seem to each other, to get there too.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Michael Bowie
Assistant Priest 
All Saints Margaret Street

Please pray for those who have asked for our prayers: Asia Bibi. Fr. Bruce Barnett- Cowan, Ella Carroll, James Cary-Elwes, Ian Coull, Paul Curno, 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, Hilary Morgan, David Pearce, Pat Phillips, Malcolm Richards, Jock Scott, Fr. Nicholas Stacey, Buzz Stokes, Celia Swan, Henrietta Vaizey, Joy Wright, Marc Young and Revd. Mary Spredbury.

For the recently departed: Michael Lawrenson (Priest), Elizabeth Beet, Joseph Cassidy (Priest Principal of St Chad’s Durham), David Gerald Francis Hinge (Priest), Jordan Scales, Jean Bray, Mike McKenna, Hilary Mary Waters and Jim Holden.

Remember past priests, benefactors, friends, and all whose year’s mind occurs this week: Sarah Grace Edmonds, Sister Elizabeth Noel (Society of All Saints), Leslie William Clutterham, Dorothy Coles, Ze Renato, Denzil Freeth (Churchwarden), Priscilla Black, Isabel Sturges-Jones, John Birch (former organist and Director of Music All Saints), John Simpson (Bishop and former Curate of All Saints), Beatrice Hudson, Douglas Robertson, Jane Mather, John Beard, Trevor Stevens (Priest)

WORSHIP THIS 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

Ten to One Talk in Church after Mass: Theme: The Institution Narrative. The bell will ring beforehand.

Sunday Lunch is being cooked by Patrick Hartley and Rebecca Hirst. Tickets on sale in the Parish Room before and after Mass – £5.

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

WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY 3 MAY – Fifth Sunday of Easter
HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: Fr Michael Bowie 
Mass in Four Parts – Monteverdi
If ye be risen again with Christ – Gibbons

Ten to One Talk in Church after Mass: Theme: The Anamnesis & Acclamation.  The bell will ring beforehand.

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm 
Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses
Magnificat – Buxtehude
Nunc dimittis tertii toni – Palestrina
Easter – Vaughan Williams 

NOTICES

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.

Thursday 30 April – The Vicar is preaching at Westcott House.

 Sunday 10 – Saturday 16 May – CHRISTIAN AID WEEK – collection envelopes will be available on Sunday 10 and ideally should be returned on Sunday 17 May (or to the Parish Office as soon as possible afterwards).

Monday 18 – Saturday 23 May – Bishop of London’s third Week of Prayer – this year for the Great Feast of Pentecost, praying that we may be strengthened in our inner being with power through his Spirit (Ephesians III. 16). In his invitation to take part in the Week of Prayer Bishop Richard says:

I hope that once again many of you will come to St Paul’s Cathedral to pray during this week. As well as the Cathedral’s regular pattern of worship there will be dedicated space in the Chapel of St Michael and St George to support your prayer journey over the week in creative and different ways…..In whatever ways you are able, join us in prayer between Ascension and Pentecost, for I am convinced that there is nothing that is impossible for a Church that is confident, compassionate and creative in the power of the Spirit and in union with Jesus Christ our Lord. With thanks for our partnership in the Gospel, Richard London +

EVENTS AT ALL SAINTS IN APRIL/MAY

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

Admission free – retiring collection in aid of the Music at All Saints (suggested donation £4).
For more organ recitals, visit www.organrecitals.com.

Thursday 14 May, 6.30pm – ASCENSION DAY – PROCESSION & HIGH MASS, Preacher: Fr Sean Mullin, Rector of St Mark’s Philadelphia
Missa ‘Ascendo ad Patrem’ – Palestrina
Cœlos ascendit hodie – Stanford

 EVENTS ELSEWHERE 

Saturday 2 May, 3pm St Cyprian’s Clarence Gate – CHORAL EVENING PRAYER & BENEDICTION – With the St Cyprian’s Singers (directed by Julian Collings). Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis: Dyson in D. Anthem: Hadley, My beloved spake.

Tuesday 5 May, 6.30pm FAITH MATTERS QUESTION TIME at Farm Street.  As a supplement to the Faith Matters series talks at Westminster Cathedral/ Vaughan House, Farm Street continues to host what are becoming very popular regular panel discussions on matters of faith and life, bringing together Catholics and others from different walks of life and inviting them to respond to questions from the audience.  The next Faith Matters Question Time, 2 days before the General Election addresses an important topic: ‘The General Election: What’s Religion got to do with it?’

On the panel:
Lord Glasman of Stoke Newington and Stamford Hill (Blue Labour)
Dr Laura Keynes (journalist, author, Catholic Voices, and ‘Conservative Woman’ blogger)
Alex Macqueen (Actor, ‘The Thick of It’)
Revd Lucy Winkett (Rector, St James’, Piccadilly)

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.

Monday 25 May – THE NATIONAL PILGRIMAGE, WALSINGHAM – a day excursion by coach from All Saints to Walsingham. To find out more/book a place on the coach, please contact: Ross Buchanan (020 7 221 1312).

Saturday 30 May, 6.30 – 7.30pm – St Cuthbert’s, Philbeach Gardens, Earl’s Court (nearest tube: Earl’s Court) – RECITAL BY THE AMERICAN CONCERT ORGANIST, CHRISTIAN SCHOEN

Repertoire: JS Bach, Buxtehude, Vierne and several 20th century American composers

Free admission, collection in support of Organ Restoration Fund.

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. Please continue to donate these so we can help 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 from 2 MAY) 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 for Holy Week.)

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