All Saints Parish Newsletter
Thursday 13 December 2012 at 23:05
Advent III Gaudete
Dear Friends,
“So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.” So says St. Luke of John the Baptist in this Sunday’s Gospel. I have long found these words ironically amusing, coming, as they do, a few verses after the Baptist has addressed his hearers as, “You brood of vipers!” If I was to address you as snakes, I don’t think you would regard it as good news. St. John the Baptist would not fit the person specification produced by most bishops and parishes when they are looking for a new vicar. Bishops and churchwardens, like most of us, prefer a quiet life! But for Luke, the preaching of John is good news because it disturbs; it strips away the illusions we have about ourselves. He takes an axe to the false securities on which we rely: “We have Abraham as our ancestor;” for which we might substitute: “We are C of E” or “members of All Saints, Margaret Street.” “What shall we do?” The gospel reminds us that we are called to bear fruit; that our faith must have consequences in our lives. John gives practical examples to those who come to him and we must ask ourselves what the equivalents are for us. How is our faith to be worked out in practice; not in some imaginary world but in the real one in which we live and work? How should we manage our financial affairs? How should we share the good things we enjoy with those less fortunate? These are questions posed to a society as well as to individuals? These questions are posed on a Sunday when both Old Testament reading and epistle bid us “Rejoice.” We can and should rejoice because we are not on our own to do these things. “The Lord, your God is in your midst.” (Zephaniah 3. 15) “God is with us” is the message we prepare to celebrate at Christmas. God is with us in word and sacrament and fellowship: gifts we should not take for granted, but both rejoice in and use.
Yours in Christ, Fr. Alan Moses
Please pray for Jasmine Cullingford, Sophia Cullingford, Fr. Richard Eyre, Fr. Neil Share, Christopher Ryan, Malala Yousufzai, Fr. David Jowitt, Michael Harris, Linda Orme, Mary Barnet, Sian Evans, Jackie Ferriter, Joshua Levy, Audrey Patterson, Celia Shore, Michael Sullivan, Rachel Clayton, Heather Walker, Richard Tann, Brian Sparkes, John Rogers, Mason Jacobson, Barbara Laws, Marguerite Crill, David Day, Timothy Montgomery, Timothy Harding, Andrew Tillyard, Finola Robinson, Stephen Finch, Jonathan Jennings, Leija Cox, Geoffrey Oakeshott.
The Recently Departed: Polly Rafter, Nicholas Assheton, Valerie Oram, Rosemarie Roberts, Betty Mills, Duncan Pingriff, Sibyl Webster, John Gant, Graham Hawkes, Bp Kenneth Cragg at the anniversary of their death: William Lloyd, Robert Kirk, John Turner, James Forsyth, Doris King, Leonard Beekam, Edwin Forsyth, Joan Gower, Philip Prain, Ena Knight, Lily King, Jack Monk, Charles Hillier, Adam Reddington, Harry Nuttall
Job description for the Post of Director of Music at All Saints Margaret Street: www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk/music/directorofmusicjob
Friday 14th December – St Paul’s Cathedral – 5:00pm Evensong, Preacher – Fr Alan Moses
12:50pm talks on the Church Building:
Sunday’s talk at 12:50pm for 10mins will be given by Fr. Alan. 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.
ADVENT COURSE 2012
DAYTIME ADVENT COURSE – Fr. Alan’s last course meets at 11am on Thursday 20th December at the Vicarage. “The Lion’s World – A journey into the heart of Narnia.
EVENING ADVENT COURSE Fr. John’s last course, meets at 7:00pm on Wednesday 19th December at No.6 Margaret Street. At the final session we will watch the film “Children of Men”