All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friends,

One of the things we miss here in the heart of London is the night sky. “Light pollution” means that cannot see the stars. Standing in a garden in the depths of rural France on a clear night a few weeks ago, we gazed at a sky dusted with stars. Comper’s re-work of the chancel ceiling in All Saints attempts to reproduce this vault of heaven.

Human beings have always gazed in wonder at the heavens. Unless we are seriously addicted to horoscopes, we no longer believe that the movement of planets rules our lives. But astronomy and space exploration have made us even more conscious of the vastness and wonder of the created universe. 

This Sunday, we take a break from the long series of Sundays after Trinity to celebrate Michaelmas: the feast of St. Michael and All Angels.  A feast dedicated to mythological creatures would seem to fly in the face of a scientific world view. Does it not merely confirm what atheists, who claim the authority of science, say about religious people: that we are not as clever as they are?

If angels are the “messengers” of God, what do they say to us now?

The doctrine of the angels, of other orders of being, directs our minds to the vastness and richness of the creation. To make ourselves the measure of all things, the sole author of values, is narrow and parochial.

The angelic order stands for the unity of that creation in service of its Creator; in free and conscious cooperation, as all things strive to attain the fullness of being in him. 

The angels as spiritual beings remind us that we are material as well as spiritual ones. We are not to despise our human existence, our bodies and relationships, but to integrate them with the spiritual.  “Angelism” is the name for a false spirituality which acts as if we were disembodied spirits not human beings; relying too much on our spiritual and intellectual capacities. Spiritual beings are not immune from sin, as we are reminded by Sunday’s reading from Revelation, with Satan and his angels thrown down from heaven.

We humans are created in the image of God, that is, with the capacity to know and love God. This means our life is open to grow into that image. ‘We are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be but that we know that when he appears we shall be like him.’  (1 John 3.2)

The archangel Gabriel announces the incarnation of Jesus to Mary and the angelic chorus proclaims his birth. They and the Christian faith hold before us, not an angel, but “Christ, the fair glory of the holy angels” (New English Hymnal 190 – the Office Hymn for Michaelmas), who as divine and human, the perfect image of God, is the fullest expression of our destiny.

Yours in Christ, 

Fr. Alan Moses

PRAYER DIARY
Please pray for those who have asked for our prayers: Harry Allan, Damon Brash, Peter Burbidge, Maragret Campbell, Rachel Clayton, Sheena Cruse, Rosie Davis, Arthur Fearns, Charles Forker, Denise Inge, Mason Jacobsen, Linda Jervis, Jill, Katherine Lee, Joshua Levy, Christine Lofty, Miriam Morris, Rev Andrew O’Connor, Marimar Perez Fabo, The Ven. Jim Rone, Celia Shore, Stephen Short, Ian Stevens, Kate Thomas, Andrew Tillyard, Melanie Toogood, David and Jo Vincent, Heather Walker, Wendy Wall, Fr Stephen Williams.

For the recently departed: Rosemary St John, Stanley Mogford (Priest), Eve Shannon, Stephen Willis.

At the anniversary of their death (during the coming week): Evelyne Mginah, Alfred Davis, Leslie Thomas, Brenda Kirk, John Shand, Edith Fricker, Alice Sexton (Former Secretary to the Friends), Edward Hector Grant, Edna Thompson, John Clayton. 

WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY – 29 SEPTEMBER 2013
St Michael and all Angels

11am High Mass:
Preacher: Fr Neil Bunker
Missa Brevis in D – Mozart  
Factum est silentium – Dering

6pm Evensong & Benediction:

Future Events at All Saints, the Annunciation and St Cyprian’s:

ORGAN RECITAL – CHARLES ANDREWS, Associate Director of Music. Programme includes: Bach, Franck and Heiller. Retiring collection to support the Choir and Music at All Saints (suggested donation £3.50).

Sunday 6 October, 12.45pm – BUILDINGS COMMITTEE meeting. 

Friday 11 October – The Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham: OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY – 6.30pm Low Mass with Hymns, 7pm. The Rosary will be said for approximately half an hour, followed by light refreshments.

Sunday 13 October – TEACHING THE FAITH AT ALL SAINTS – Ten-to-One Talk Series: WHY DO YOU DO THAT? – Standing, Kneeling, Sitting. This is the third of twelve talks given by the Vicar. The bell is rung to announce the start.

Monday 14 October – 7pm Meeting of the Standing Committee of the PCC. 

Friday 18 October 7pm – PLEASE NOTE NEW DATE – Initial meeting for those adults interested in a course to prepare adults for Baptism and Confirmation or Reception into the Church of England. This course is open to those who were confirmed a long time ago and would like a refresher course in the basics of the faith.  Please let the Vicar or Parish Administrator know you would like to attend.

Sunday 20 October – TEACHING THE FAITH AT ALL SAINTS – Ten-to-One Talk Series: WHY DO YOU DO THAT? – Vestments. This is the third of twelve talks given by the Vicar. The bell is rung to announce the start.

Tues 22 – Sun 27 October – EXHIBITION – TIMOTHY BETJEMAN AT ALL SAINTS MARGARET STREET – the painter revisits a favourite Victorian church of his grandfather, poet John Betjeman, with a series of new works done in situ at All Saints.  The exhibition anticipates the bicentennial of its architect, William Butterfield, with oil paintings and prints intimately depicting the church’s vibrant interior through various liturgical seasons, moods and rites.  Open 12–6pm, in the Parish Room.

Future Events Elsewhere:

Tuesday 8 October 13.00, St Lawrence Jewry – Lunchtime organ recital – CHARLES ANDREWS, Associate Director of Music.

Monday 14 October 2013, starting 7pm – All Hallows by the Tower

BRITTEN AT 100: RECITAL AND SEMINAR SUPPER. Sion College celebrates Benjamin Britten’s centenary year with a recital and seminar supper on Britten at 100: “Britten and the Church” exploring Britten’s relationship with Christianity.

Thursday 24 October 13.05, Lunchtime organ recital at St John’s, Smith Square – TIM BYRAM-WIGFIELD, Director of Music All Saints. Tickets: £10. Programme includes: Handel, Beethoven, Liszt, Hollins and Widor. See SJSS website for full details.

ALL SAINTS FESTIVAL 2013

THURS 31 OCT – EVE OF ALL SAINTS 6.30pm
LITANY OF THE SAINTS IN PROCESSION, SOLEMN EVENSONG AND SOLEMN BENEDICTION
Fr Robert Mackley, Vicar of Little St Mary’s, Cambridge
Music: Service in F minor—Gray
What are these that glow from afar?—Gray

FRI 1 NOV- ALL SAINTS’ DAY 6.30pm
HIGH MASS
The Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, Archbishop of Armagh and
Primate of All Ireland
Music: Missa Brevis—Jonathan Dove
Glorious in heaven—Whitlock

SAT 2 NOV – ALL SOULS’ DAY 11am
HIGH MASS OF REQUIEM
The Venerable Douglas McKittrick, Archdeacon of Chichester
Music: Requiem Mass—Duruflé

SUN 3 NOV – ALL SAINTS’ FESTIVAL SUNDAY 11am
PROCESSION AND HIGH MASS
The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses
Music: Krönungsmesse—Mozart
Holy is the true light—Harris

SOLEMN EVENSONG, TE DEUM & SOLEMN BENEDICTION 6pm
Fr Ian Brothwood, Vicar, St Michael & All Angels Croydon
Music: Service in A – Stanford
Seek him that maketh the seven stars – Jonathan Dove