Dear All Saints and St MarysThis weekend is often called Petertide - a name which is given to a season in the church when we celebrate the Feast of St Peter and St Paul. It is also one time in the churches season when we come together to celebrate with all those who have been called to be ordained in the church. As a benefice we will have to wait a little bit longer to be part of those particular celebrations together with our own curate Revd Kester. We continue to keep him very much in our prayers as he recovers his health. Our readings on Sunday remind us that we are all called to be worshippers on earth and in heaven and join with the words we hear in the Issiah reading, that cry "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts". These words form part of our Eucharistic prayers each week, a great thanksgiving that invites us all to praise God. Holy is a brilliant word, it combines both awe and wonder, with a sense of humility before God our Creator. It is a 4 letter word that speaks of being called to something precious, special and sacred. "Holy" is to be fully whole as people, an invitation to be truly ourselves as we find we are wrapped up in God's great big story and life. This weekend we gather as God's holy people, to worship the Almighty and be drawn into God's presence which embraces both Heaven and Earth. We will do this in our worship together as churches at the 10.30am Benefice service at All Saints. As a blessing we welcome the preaching ministry of Revd Robert Cotton, and it will be a delight on this ordination anniversary for many of us, that we will celebrate that same Eucharistic Prayer. Join us for our worship, as we join with God in Heaven and on Earth.Our Services this weekend - Sunday 30th June 20248am - BCP Holy Communion - All Saints10.30am - Sung Holy Communion Benefice Service - All Saints6.30pm - Said Evening Prayer - St MarysThe week aheadTuesday 2nd July 10:30am – M4TWeds 3rd July 9:00am - Celtic Morning Prayer – All SaintsThursday 4th July 10:00am – Holy Communion - St. Mary’sFriday 5th July 11:00am – Living After Loss – St. Mary’sSaturday 6th July 10:00am - Coffee Morning and Book Sale with Bristol Repair Café – All Saints11.00 – 2:00pm – Summer Fair - St Mary’sNext SundaySunday 7th July 10:00am – Creative Church – St Marys10:30am – Holy Communion and Junior Church – All Saints6:30pm – Evensong – St. MaryHoly, Holy Holy LordGod of power and mightHeaven and Earth are full of your gloryHosanna in the Highest. AmenRevd LizzieVicar of All Saints and St Marys Churches, FishpondsInterim Co Area Dean Bristol City Deanery
‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ Mark 4.40Dear All Saints and St Mary’sJesus’ rebuff of the disciples in this Sunday’s gospel reading sounds a little insensitive. Was it not obvious why they were afraid? Jesus was perfectly aware of the dangers of the storms on the lake. However, it is the disciples lack of faith, their lack of trust in him that he repeatedly disappointed him. If they really understood who he was, then they would not be afraid. In a similar way in this Sunday’s epistle, Paul tried to encourage the faith of the church in Corinth by showing how God had helped and supported him. The Christians in Corinth could trust God and be confident to live the sort of lives to which Christ was calling them. I his first letter, John told his readers that “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4.18). If we trust God and we love one another, then we can start to put the fear aside and be more open, generous, creative, and brave in the way we live out our lives. We will have more opportunities to think about this further at the 8 am service at All Saints and the 10 am service at St Mary’s. At the 10.30 service at All Saints, we continue our look at the characters in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. I have said that these books are primarily about King David. However, there is another character, who is present throughout these books. That character, of course is God. It is David’s trust in God that is the key theme of the books. But, like all of us, David did not always know what God really wanted. When David wanted to build a temple for God in Jerusalem, God told him through the prophet Nathan, that it was not his job, but would be for his son. (You can read the story in 2 Samuel 7.1–29.) We will reflect a little on how to be more confident we are doing what God wants and how we can help others do the same.This gives us the following services for this Sunday 23rd June: 8.00 am All Saints: Holy Communion (said)10.00 am St Mary’s: Holy Communion10.30 am All Saints: Café Church In the coming week we have our normal services, with Celtic Morning Prayer at 9.00 am on Wednesday and Holy Communion at 10.00 am on Thursday. Next Saturday 29th June, Kester will be ordained as a priest in Bristol Cathedral at 3 pm. Next Sunday will be our benefice service at All Saints at 10.30 am. At this service, Kester will be presiding at the eucharist for the first time. Please remember him in your prayers. This gives the following services for the coming week: 9.00 am Wednesday 26th All Saints: Celtic morning Prayer10.00 am Thursday 27th St Mary’s: Holy Communion3.00 pm Saturday 29th Bristol Cathedral: Ordination Sunday 30th June 8.00 am All Saints Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer)10.30 am Sunday 30th All Saints Benefice Service We are starting a new series of sessions to prepare candidates for baptism or confirmation. For further details, speak to Revd Diane 07396732318 or Revd Lizzie lizzie.kesteven@live.co.ukAs Kester prepares for his ordination as priest, let us pray for him and for the ministry of the whole people of God:God our Father, Lord of all the world,through your Son you have called us into the fellowshipof your universal Church:hear our prayer for your faithful peoplethat in their vocation and ministryeach may be an instrument of your love,and give to your servants now to be ordainedthe needful gifts of grace;through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.AmenYours in Christ Mark
"In the shade of the branches shall nest winged creatures of every kind" - Ezekiel 17.23Dear All Saints and St MarysIt is rare to find a piece of scripture from the fiery prophet Ezekiel that feels comforting. Yet this week in the scriptures of Ezekial and later in Marks gospel we have images of two different types of places that give shelter. The Cedar Tree in the Old Testament gives a majestic picture of a strong and sturdy place where creatures can make a home. In Marks picture there is a scrappy and straggly shrub of a mustard seed which gives a place to call home to all creatures who find their way to it. I love both images as they connect deeply to how I know God. "What does the kingdom of God look like?" is the question that is pondered by Jesus. The picture he then draws us to is that of a tree in which all creatures can find a home and make a home. We all need a home. Somewhere we can go to where we are safe and warm. A place where we know how we are connected together as people and tribes. A place that is protective and welcomes us. It can be large and secure like the Cedar and as scrappy and straggly as the mustard tree - as long as we know it is our home and that we are invited to take our place in it. Come and take your place.Our worship this weekend Sunday 16th June 10am - Sung Holy Communion - St Marys10.30am Holy Communion with Hymns - All SaintsThe week aheadMonday 17th June 10.30am - Tiny Tots - All SaintsTuesday 18th June 10:30am - M4T - St. MarysWeds 19th June 9:00am - Celtic Morning Prayer - All Saints Weds 19th June 7.15pm - All Saints PCCThursday 20th June 10:00am - Holy Communion - St. Mary’s Saturday 22nd June 12.00 - 2:00pm - Saturday Lunches - St Mary’s Sunday 23rd June 8.00am - Holy Communion – All Saints 10:00am - Sung Holy Communion – St Marys 10.30am - Cafe Church - All Saints On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it, in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar. Under it every kind of bird will live; in the shade of its branches will nest winged creatures of every kind. - Ezekiel 22:23Blessings and prayers Revd Lizzie
Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,This past week has given us time for sombre and grateful remembrance as we have marked the 80th anniversary of D Day. Amongst all the formality and history, what struck me most was the humility and grace of the various veterans that were interviewed. Alongside this was the power of grief and loss that was still raw after such a vast amount of time. For those of us born after these events it can be too easy to lose that reality of human suffering amongst the details of history and sadly also a nostalgic narrative that can soften the sad reality with a patina of acceptable memories. These dignified veterans were and are the core of this period of commemoration.Listening to them and their please for peace for the future gained extra power by the coming together of people and leaders from a diversity of countries, sharing in a common humanity. They were united in this commemorative act.It would be wonderful if humanity could simply be united in genuine love and grace, and this is the vision Jesus gives us in this weeks text. When his family come for him, waiting outside and concerned about his sanity, Jesus radically redefines the definition of family. The shared value is the acceptance of God, but this forms a new family that welcomes all-there are no barriers, no exclusions. He is not rejecting his blood family-he is expanding it, so we too are part of this vast, diverse and dynamic human family, and this is the good news that we can reflect upon this week.The services and events for the coming week are:Sunday 9th June8.00am: Holy Communion at All Saints10.00am: Holy Communion at St. Mary’s10.30am: Muddy Messy Church at All Saints7.15pm: Generation Youth Group at All Saints Community HallThe Week AheadMonday 10th June at 10.30am: Tiny Tots at All Saints Community HallTuesday 11th June at 10.30 am: Music for Toddlers at St Marys Parish RoomWednesday 12th June at 9.00am: Celtic Morning Prayer at All Saints ChurchThursday 13th June at 10.00am: Holy Communion at St. Marys ChurchFriday 14th June at 11.00am: Living After Loss at St. Mary’s ChurchFriday 14th June at 6.30pm: Choir plus at All Saints ChurchSaturday 15th June at 12 noon: Saturday Lunches at St. Marys ChurchSunday 16th June10:00am – Sung Service of the Word – St. Mary’s10:30am – Holy Communion – All SaintsMay the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. AmenBlessingsRevd Kester de Oliveira
