All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friends,

“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.’

Yesterday we celebrated the funeral mass of Nick Luff, who was Assistant Director of Music at All Saints, Margaret Street for 11 years with Dr. Harry Bramma. The church was filled with family, friends, colleagues from the worlds of music and teaching, and clergy and people from churches he had worked in over the years. Liturgy and music were beautiful and prayerful; transcendent yet profoundly human.

The words of the Nunc Dimittis were ones Nick would have accompanied countless times at Evensong.  On Sunday we will hear them in their original context as we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. Simeon’s song expresses his joy at seeing the child in whom his long-held hopes for Israel fulfilled. There is a note of joy rather than of weary resignation about it.  A life of hopeful prayer has been rewarded. 

Archbishop Cranmer took the canticle from the traditional late-night office of Compline and incorporated it into the Prayer Book office of Evening Prayer. Compline combines reflection on the day that is past and prayer for protection during the coming night.

Night, with its darkness and sleep, is seen as foreshadowing death, so the association of the Nunc Dimittis with death was strengthened. Like many another priest, I have often said it with the dying and as I have led coffins from church at the end of funerals.

We pray these words in acceptance of the fact that we must all die. But, more importantly, in the faith and hope that our lives, like Simeon’s, find their end and fulfilment in Christ. That too is the faith and hope in which we celebrate our funeral liturgy. This acknowledges the reality of death, loss and sorrow. It gives thanks for God’s gifts in the lives of those who have died, but does not pretend that we are not sinners needing the mercy of God. We are complex mixtures. But it places our failure and loss, as well as our faithfulness and love, in the context of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Yours in Christ,

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

PRAYER DIARY:
Please pray for those who have asked for our prayers: Jean Brackston, Damon Brash, Rachel Clayton, Rosie Davis, Ursula Edwards, Charles Forker, Joan Foster, Canon David Garlick, Penny Greenwood-Penny, Denise Inge, Jill, Craig Laughton, Katherine Lee, Joshua Levy, Christine Loffty, Kerry Manuel, Andrew O’Connor, Hazel Reynolds, Stephen Short, Erica Telfer, Colin Titmus, Canon Geoffrey White. 

For the recently departed: Nick Luff (former Assistant Organist at All Saints’ Church, whose Funeral Mass took place there on 30 January), Robert Tennant, Elizabeth McLellan, Tim Penrose, Aileen Cudlip, Paul Mothersdale (Priest), Baby Charlotte, Isabella Fotheringham, James Rone (Priest).

At the anniversary of their death (during the coming week): Florence White, Pamela Powis, Alfred Buhagiar, Sydney Barradell, Cecilia Gamble, Agnes Theobald, Vera Aspinall, Marjorie Hague, Dorothy Collins, Philip Morrell, George Venn, Sarah Hudson, Iris Harrison, Norman Holden, Rond Pethers, Donald Scott, Beatrice Reed, Jane French, Dorothy Dent, Grahame James, Bernard Auslow, Armorel Griffiths (Friend of All Saints).

WORSHIP AT ALL SAINTS THIS SUNDAY:

SUNDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2014 – Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas) Preachers & Music:
CANDLE PROCESSION & HIGH MASS, 11am
The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses
Missa super ‘Sancta Maria’ – Händl
Nunc Dimittis à 8 – Wood

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm
Fr Neil Bunker
Service in G – Stanford
When to the temple Mary went – Eccard

EVENTS THIS WEEK
Sunday 2 February – THIS IS OUR FAITH – Please could Group members meet the Vicar in Church after High Mass.

Thursday 6 February, 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 (5^th of 12) please contact: Samerah Malik of The Alzheimer’s Society on 07891 888539.

WORSHIP AT ALL SAINTS NEXT SUNDAY
SUNDAY 9 FEBRUARY 2014 – Fourth Sunday before Lent
Preachers & Music:
The Vicar is preaching at St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood

HIGH MASS, 11am
Fr Julian Browning
Missa Solemnis – Mozart
Ave verum corpus – Mozart

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm
Fr Gerald Beauchamp
Service in F (Collegium Regale) – Wood
A prayer of King Henry V1 – Gabriel Jackson

ALL SAINTS RESTORATION APPEAL – Lighting & Electrical Renewal Update

We are delighted to announce that we now have £162,000 (65% 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: £88,000.

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 receive this weekly email, 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, or for whom you would like prayers offered at All Saints, please ask them to 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.