All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friends

‘Mise en abyme’ is a curious concept which originally comes from the world of medieval heraldry. It referred first to the placing of a coat of arms at the centre of another one. However, it came to be taken on by literary theorists in the twentieth century to talk about the phenomenon of placing one story within another story, or a play within a play, or a picture within another picture.

By placing one narrative within another, you create connections, see similarities and note differences that you might not otherwise have realised. You highlight the process of telling the story and the effect it has on the reader.

One could argue our gospel reading this Sunday is a form of “mise en abyme.” It is a healing within a healing. We begin by hearing the story of Jairus’ young daughter who is very ill, but that story is interrupted by the older woman afflicted by a flow of blood, who touches Jesus’ garments and is healed. Once she is healed, we return to Jairus’ daughter, who is brought back to life by Jesus.

These two narratives seem to be very different, yet when placed together, commonalities emerge. In two very different women at very different times of life, Jesus’ presence brings life-changing healing: in Jairus’ daughter we see how Christ heals and returns her from the jaws of sickness and death to fullness of life; yet, in the older woman we see that life itself is more than simple existence – once excluded from society by the ritual impurity of her condition, and financial destitution, she is restored to full inclusion in the life of the community.

We learn through these two narratives something deeper about the power and extent of Jesus’ healing than we would have if we read either story on its own, something Mark our gospel writer hopes we will make a reality in our lives as we read his narrative and trust in Christ’s power to save and heal.

Fr Peter

Mass in German at All Saints

I am very pleased to announce plans for a new venture at All Saints focussed on establishing a new worshipping community for German speakers.

One way in which the Diocese of London has sought in recent years to reach out to the residents of our world city is to offer worship in the many languages of the people who live here. Several new projects have been inaugurated throughout our diocese which seek to cater for the worshipping needs a range of different language groups.

In my former parish, we offered Mass once a month in German. It consisted in a Low Mass with homily at 4.00 pm on the first Sunday of the month followed by coffee and cake and the opportunity to chat in German after the Mass. German speakers were invited to preach and we always had an interesting range of excellent preachers come to speak to us.

In part the German Mass project stemmed from the fact that I read German as an undergraduate and have an abiding interest in all things teutonic. However, the project at Kentish Town began to attract a wide range of different people: native German speakers from many different theological backgrounds; bilingual families; visiting students from Europe; those trying to learn, keep up, or refresh their German; and those with an academic or professional interest in things German. There was also a happy synergy with our diocesan partnership with the church in Berlin-Brandenburg, which meant visitors from partner churches in Berlin came to preach and share in our worship.

I would like to transfer this project to All Saints and explore how it might become part of our parish life here. I suspect the central location of our church might mean a German Mass attracts more people here than in Kentish Town. I also know of a number of members of All Saints’ who speak German or who have attended the Mass when it was at St Benet’s.

I would like to organise a meeting for anyone interested in discussing this idea more. It would be good to know if there are any German speakers amongst the All Saints congregation who might like to support this project, and anyone with ideas for how this might proceed. There will be a meeting on Thursday 8th July at 7.00 pm by Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83589325149) to discuss this idea. If you can’t make that date, do just drop me an email and let me know of your interest or any thoughts that you might have.

I hope this kind of project might become a good example of a way in which All Saints can begin to reach out beyond its usual boundaries more and start to connect with people who until now haven’t experienced our parish’s life. I see it as a way of inviting a wider range of people to encounter the living God through the ministry of our parish and the fellowship and welcome they find here. I realise that attending Mass in Germon won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I hope everyone will be able to rejoice in a project that seeks to draw more people into a deeper relationship with Christ through being able to worship in their mother tongue. I commend it to your prayers and welcome your thoughts and ideas.

Fr Peter

Opportunities for theological formation through the next year.

A number of events, talks and study days with guest speakers will take place over the next which are an opportunity to grow in our understanding of the Christian faith. Do put these dates in your diaries.

Study Day

Ravenna: the history of a city and the art of theology

Speakers: Prof Judith Herrin, The Revd Dr Anders Bergquist, The Revd Dr Peter Anthony

Friday 29th October 2021 10.00 am – 4.00 pm

Advent Quiet Day

“Standing by the Cross, Born into life as a human being”

Led by The Revd Prof John Behr

Saturday 27th November 2021

Lent Lecture

St Augustine and the formation of the Western mind.

The Revd Dr Dominic Keech

Friday 8th April 2022 at 7.30 pm

Parish visit to “Thomas Becket: murder and the making of a saint” at the British Museum

Friday 2nd July 5.30 pm – followed by dinner

I am pleased to be able to report that one of the curators of the Becket exhibition, Dr Lloyd de Beer, has agreed to meet us and offer a few words of introduction to our group.  This means we will now meet at 5.30 pm at the Information Desk in the Great Court.

All the tickets for the exhibition which we bought are now gone, but places remain for the dinner. If you would simply like to join us for dinner at 7.30 pm at Le Beaujolais, visit asms.uk/becket

Links for Sunday

The link for the Propers for Trinity 4 is at the top of this email.

And click here for the YouTube live stream.

Evensong and Benediction is at 6pm on Sunday. The music includes Jackson in G minor, Brahms Geistliches Lied, Howells O salutaris and Tantum ergo. This service is not live-streamed.

Flowers

The flowers for Sunday have been given by Shawn Welby-Cooke to the glory of God and in thanksgiving for another birthday.

If you would like to make a donation for flowers, please contact Shawn on 07988 287 663 or shawnwilbe@outlook.com or speak to Chris Self.

Prayer list

Prisoners and captives

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Ismaeil Maghrebinejad, Nasrin Sotoudeh
Maira Shabhaz
Rogingya Christians in Pakistan and Karen Christians in Burma

The sick

David Fettke, Joan Cooper, Vallery Tchukov, Sara Vice, Katherine Lee, Lorna Smith, Beth Klausing, Hilary Porter, Bruce Ross-Smith, Benjamin Woolf, James Shrimpton, Tony Rodger, Rachel Pereira, Fr Michael Gudgeon, Chris and Carole Radley, Fr Harry Hodgetts, Rosemary Orr, Andrew Roger, Martin Berka, Barbara Schiefer, Joan Anna SLG, Phil Gibbs, Poppy Harris, Sheila Wood, Jennifer Spreckley, Sue Yesnick, Elizabeth Lyon, Rosina Sargon Eskrya, Fr Charles Cloughen, Malcolm Brown, Fr Pip Bevan, Tim Knight, Alixe Bainbridge-Spring, Hillary Rodger, Geoff Vardy, Fr John O’Brien, Michael Adam

Those known to us recently departed

Joan Halley, Jim Peschek, David Laing, Theresa Bahemuka, Tessa SLG

Anniversaries of death

27th – John Slater Pr, Barbara Thrift

28th –

29th – Edith Taylor, Freida Bailey, Edward Roberts Bp, John Hughes Pr, Peggy Leeman

30th – Harry Lye, William Roberts, Andrew Barker, Gladys Dare

JULY 1st – Richard Price Pr, Barbara Treadway, Philip Cranmer, Valerie Southcott

2nd – Mary Lightfoot

3rd – Kenneth O’Ferral Pr, Barbara Brentnall, John Pearce

Supporting All Saints

Parish Giving Scheme

You can set up a regular donation to All Saints here.

We use the Parish Giving Scheme, which allows contributions to be anonymous and deals with Gift Aid, saving our office a lot of time. You can read about how the scheme works here.

Donations for general church purposes

To give by BACS please use the following details, advising the Administrator to collect Gift Aid:

PCC All Saints (Charity no. 1132895)
Sort Code 60-09-15
A/C 04559452

Parish Legacy Policy

We are always delighted to hear from anyone who wants to support us with a donation. Our PCC Legacy Policy encourages people to leave bequests specifically to one of our two related charities to be used for purposes of lasting value (rather than day to day costs):

All Saints Choir & Music Trust (Charity # 802994)

or The All Saints Foundation (Charity # 273390).