All Saints Parish Newsletter 28th February 2014
Dear Friends,
In The Dwelling of the Light, one of his little books, (small in size but not in content) on praying with icons, Rowan Williams meditates on icons of the Transfiguration which is this Sunday’s Gospel reading. (Matthew 17.1-9)
He describes how the apostles, Peter, James and John are sometimes shown shielding their eyes from the transfigured Christ. “What they see is not easily manageable in the world as they know it.”
“Looking at Jesus seriously changes things,” says Williams; “if we do not want to be changed. It is better not to look too hard for too long.” So, like the disciples, we hide behind our hands.
I have known about Jesus as long as I can remember, and have always been drawn to him, even when his sayings are more challenging than comfortable; when he will not allow us to linger on the mountaintop of spiritual experience but leads back down to the everyday world of intractable problems and squabbling disciples.
It is all too tempting to use prayer and worship as a refuge, a respite from that reality. In fact, as the Transfiguration story shows, our times spent with Jesus in prayer, are not to be an escape from reality but the route to a deeper engagement with it. Christ allows us to see our world in the light of God. That can reveal things about others and ourselves we prefer to shut our eyes to; things we would rather not know. But the light of Christ also reveals what people united with him in his glorified humanity might look like.
Lent begins in a few days. It will take us with Jesus all the way from temptation in the wilderness, to agonised prayer in Gethsemane. The same three disciples will fall asleep during that, just as they did on the Mount of Transfiguration, just as we do sometimes when we try to pray. Our eyelids close and our minds wander, so we fear that there is no place with Jesus for the likes of us.
When the disciples hear the voice of God from the cloud, they collapse in fear. They have hidden behind their hands, but Jesus uses his hands to touch them, as he does the sick, the blind, the leper. He speaks to reassure them. Angry words often lead to physical violence, but there is something profoundly compassionate about comforting words allied with physical touch. When words of assurance become flesh they are somehow much more effective. There are times when no words will do. Only being held makes a difference. When we “listen to him,” in his gospel, and when we touch him in the sacrament of his body, we know that he reaches out to speak and touch us, reassuring us in our fear and confusion.
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: Jean Brackston, Rachel Clayton, Rosie Davis, Ursula Edwards, Canon David Garlick, Geoff, Yvonne Harland, Denise Inge, Jill, Fr Kevin, Katherine Lee, Joshua Levy, Christine Loffty, Kerry Manuel, Norman Newby, Andrew O’Connor, Stephen Short, Colin Titmus.
For the recently departed: Christopher Leigh Hunt (Priest), Charles Forker, Doreen Tallis, Mary Tustin, Katherine Roger, William Roger, Mary Lundell, Clare Connly, Gareth Rider.
At the anniversary of their death (during the coming week): Catherine Packer, Ernest Gittins, Walter Freeth, Bridget Wright, Marion Badger, Alfred Gorse (Churchwarden), George Holden (Fourth Vicar of All Saints), Gwen Ogilvy, Alice Sutton, Phyllis Wickner, Brigid Beattie-Moriarty, George Gorse, Hope Harris
WORSHIP AT ALL SAINTS THIS SUNDAY, 2 MARCH
(Sunday Next before Lent)
Music to mark the Centenary, on 11 March 1914, of the birth of William Lloyd Webber, Organist and Choirmaster of All Saints Margaret Street throughout World War 2.
This Sunday we remember with thanksgiving the life and work of William Lloyd Webber, organist of All Saints from 1938 to the end of the Second World War. The music at High Mass and Evensong will feature his compositions; with the hymn 416 O God of Bethel being introduced by his prelude on the tune. As a salute, there will be a short voluntary before High Mass, which together with the concluding piece, forms the first and third part of a substantial organ work (Choral, Cantilena and Finale). Charles Andrews, our Associate Director of Music, will feature organ music by Lloyd Webber in his recital at All Saints on Sunday 23rd March.
HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses
Missa Maria Magdalenae – William Lloyd Webber
Love divine, all loves excelling – William Lloyd Webber
CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm
Preacher: Fr Gerald Beauchamp
Lloyd Webber in E Minor
O Lord I give myself unto thee – William Lloyd Webber
EVENTS & NOTICES THIS WEEK and NEXT
Sunday 2 March, there will be a meeting of the Mission Committee in the Parish Office after High Mass.
CONFESSIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF LENT and ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES
Monday 3 March, 12 – 1pm Fr Barrie 5-6pm The Vicar
Tuesday 4 March, 12 – 1pm The Vicar 5-6pm Fr Browning
ASH WEDNESDAY – 5 March 2014
Low Mass with Ashing at 8am
Confessions 12-1pm The Vicar
Low Mass with Ashing at 1.10pm
Confessions 5-5.45pm The Vicar
6.30pm HIGH MASS AND IMPOSITION OF ASHES
Thursday 6 March, 10.30 – 12.30, Parish Room, SINGING FOR THE BRAIN run by The Alzheimer’s Society. Please see leaflets on the table in Church. If anyone is interested in joining this session (9th of 12) please contact: Samerah Malik of The Alzheimer’s Society on 07891 888539.
Friday 7 March – Women’s World Day of Prayer – 12.45pm – 1.15pm A Short Lunchtime Service OR 2.30pm – 3.30pm THE WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER SERVICE (International and Interdenominational) – PRAYING FOR EGYPT at The Chapel, Methodist Central Hall, Storeys Gate, Westminster.
LENT 2014 – STUDY GROUPS and STATIONS OF THE CROSS during LENT
“The Joy of the Gospel” – a study of Pope Francis’s Letter on “The Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World” – Thursday Evenings from 6 March, 7pm in the Parish Room.
“Love bade me welcome”- The Poetry of George Herbert – Friday Mornings from 7 March, 11am in the Vicarage. If you would like to take part in either of the Lent Study Groups, please sign the list in church or email the Parish Office at astsmgtst@aol.com.
Sunday 9 March – There will be a meeting of the Events Committee in the Parish Office after High Mass. The ‘This is our Faith’ Group meets in the Vicarage at 4pm.
THE WAY OF THE CROSS – Friday evenings in Church at 7pm throughout Lent starting on Friday 14 March.
OTHER NOTICES
REVISION OF THE ALL SAINTS’ ELECTORAL ROLL
The Electoral Roll has to be revised before the Annual Parochial Church Meeting on Sunday 30 March 2014. Inclusion on the revised Roll is the qualification to attend, participate and vote at the Meeting.
The Roll will be closed for revision between Monday 10 March and Friday 14 March. No further entries may be made to the Roll between 10 and 30 March close of the APCM.
Would all members of the congregation please check their entries on the copy of the Roll available in the Parish Office; any alterations should be notified to me, c/o the Parish Office.
Anyone who wishes to be included on the Roll, and who is qualified to do so, should complete one of the forms available from the table in Church, and send it to me no later than Sunday 9 March.
Catherine T. Burling, Electoral Roll Officer
LOOKING AHEAD – DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES
HOLY WEEK – AN INTRODUCTION
Organised by Anglican Catholic Future in the Diocese of London
Saturday 22 March 11am-3.30pm, All Saints’ Parish Room – Led by Fr Christopher Woods. Please sign up on the ACF website or by contacting the Parish Office.
ORGAN RECITAL – CHARLES ANDREWS
7.15pm after Choral Evensong & Benediction, Sunday 23 March
HIGH MASS OF THE ANNUNCIATION of our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary
at the Annunciation, Marble Arch on Tuesday 25 March, 7pm
High Mass & Procession of the Image of Our Lady
Preacher: Bishop Rowan Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth
There will be no Evening Mass at All Saints.
MEETING OF PARISHIONERS and ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING (for members of the Electoral Roll only) – Sunday 30 March 2014, 12.45pm
POETRY TEA – Sunday 6 April, 3pm at Pamela’s
Theme: My Favourite Poems or Prose. £6 charge, to raise funds for the Restoration Appeal.
HOLY WEEK 13 – 20 April
For this particularly special time at All Saints, we welcome as our preacher an old friend of All Saints: Bishop John Flack. His ministry has stretched from West Yorkshire to Rome, as Director of the Anglican Centre and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s representative to the Holy See. More recently he has served as both a parish priest and an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Peterborough.
ALL SAINTS PARISH RETREAT 2014
This year’s retreat is at Bishop Woodford House, Ely, from Friday 30 May to Sunday 1 June. The retreat will be conducted by Fr Julian Browning. A definite price has yet to be fixed. However, Martin Woolley will happily receive expressions of interest, and enquiries from those who need more information to: m.g.woolley@btinternet.com or on 0207 436 2858 or 07976 275 383. The order of receipt or requests to participate will, as usual, be carefully noted to enable peaceful allocation of rooms and facilities. Full details will be issued in due course to those who put their names down for the 2014 Retreat.
Have you any warm clothing to spare for homeless people?
WRG, a creative agency in the Parish of All Saints on Great Titchfield Street is working with St Mungo’s to collect gloves, scarves, hats, footwear, sweaters or anything else that would keep a homeless person warm. They have been collecting these items during the winter and making a colourful display in their reception window. If any of you has items you could donate for this worthy cause, please drop them off at the Parish Office and the Parish Administrator will take them in to WRG. Thank you for the donations to date!
Food Donations for the Marylebone Project for Homeless Women
Just to remind you that we keep a basket in church in the Baptistery for donations of non-perishable foodstuffs – soups, tinned meat, biscuits, chocolate and similar are much appreciated by this All Saints’ Mission Project for Homeless Women. Do drop off what you can – the reason the basket may often appear empty is that we gather up contributions as they come in and then pass them onto the Project. Thank you for the donations to date!
Security in and around All Saints Church
Please do not leave valuables unattended in Church at any time – the Police have alerted us to a spate of thefts in this area of central London in recent weeks and have asked us to be particularly on our guard. Please be vigilant and if you do see anything suspicious, let the Clergy or Churchwardens know.
WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY – 9 MARCH, First Sunday of Lent LITANY IN PROCESSION & HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: Fr Julian Browning
Missa ‘Emendmus in melius’ – Palestrina
Emendmus in melius – Byrd
Choral Evensong & Benediction, 6pm
Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses
Service in the Dorian mode – Tallis
Salvator mundi II – Tallis
ALL SAINTS RESTORATION – Lighting & Electrical Renewal Update
The display of our proposals for this Restoration Project continues in the Baptistery. We have now received approval to proceed with this essential work in our Grade 1 Listed Church, but must secure all the funds to go ahead. We are delighted to announce that we have now raised or had pledged £171,000 (68% of target). Thank you to everyone who has contributed donations large and small; we are extremely grateful. We hope that works will commence after Easter in 2014.
The balance for which we still need your help is: £79,000. Please help us to achieve this!
If you have still to contribute, please make cheques payable to: All Saints Margaret Street PCC Restoration Account and send to: Restoration Appeal, All Saints Church Parish Office, 7 Margaret Street, London W1W 8JG.
If you are a UK tax payer and have signed/will sign a Gift Aid declaration with us, your donation to the Appeal is increased by 25%. Please ensure we have your full name (with initial/s), address and postcode. If unsure if you have signed a Gift Aid declaration form, please pick one up from the table in church, fill in and return to: Mrs Dee Prior, Parish Administrator. Thank you for your contribution.
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.
* 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.
DAILY SERVICES (open every day from 7am to 7pm)
SUNDAYS
Low Mass at 6.30pm (Saturday), 8am and 5.15pm
Morning Prayer at 10.20am
HIGH MASS AND SERMON at 11am
CHORAL EVENSONG, SERMON and BENEDICTION at 6pm
MONDAY TO FRIDAY
Morning Prayer at 7.30am
Low Mass at 8am, 1.10pm and 6.30pm
Confessions from 12.30pm -1pm and 5.30pm
Evening Prayer at 6pm
SATURDAYS
Morning Prayer at 7.30am
Low Mass at 8.00am and 6.30pm (First Mass of Sunday)
Confessions at 5.30pm
Evening Prayer at 6pm
On major weekday feasts, High Mass is sung at 6.30pm.
A priest is available in church for confessions or counsel every weekday from 12.30-1pm (except Saturdays) and at 5.30pm, or by appointment. The clergy are always happy to see anyone for whatever reason. Please enquire at the Parish Office (to the right as you enter the church courtyard).
www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk and e-mail: astsmgtst@aol.com.