Author: Sam Toogood

Polymath bluffer, lover of cricket, Wodehouse, music and F.L.O.S.S, and home-dad to Hope and Robin.

Week beginning Sunday 27th April 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

It’s that wonderful time of year when Spring feels really tangible. After the cold and dark of winter we start to see sunshine and colour everywhere. The days are longer and brighter, and you can smell the new fragrances of Spring in the air.

We are celebrating Christ’s  resurrection, the event that remade us as Easter people, a rebirth-the spring-of our own lives of faith. It is appropriate that we are doing so this coming Sunday in a Joint Benefice Service at St Marys to celebrate as a whole church community. Like Spring, this is a wonderful time, but also one of promise. Nature  does not stay permanently in Spring. 

Spring  is beautiful, but part of that beauty is its transitory nature. Christ’s resurrection is our spiritual spring, but then it becomes the spiritual summer with his ascending to be once more with God and the gifting of the Holy Spirit. Our own spiritual spring leads onto our spiritual summer where  we grow and develop, 

Thomas, aka Doubting Thomas, represents an important part of this faith journey. He is not reprimanded for his question. Instead, Jesus responds and provides the answer he seeks. And he continues to do so when we also ask questions. God does not force blind, unexplored faith. Our journeys with faith are unique and are all the richer for their questions, their times of doubt and reflection. God welcomes our most honest and heartfelt questions and will provide an answer-even if it is not immediately or not in the way we expect. Thomas is our example, so instead of Doubting Thomas he can be Bold Thomas, Thoughtful Thomas, even Faithful Thomas.

Amen

This Sunday 27th April (Second Sunday of Easter)

8.00am Holy Communion – All Saints

10.00am Joint Benefice Service Holy Communion – St. Marys NB. NO 10.30am service at All Saints

The Week Ahead

Monday 28th April

Tiny Tots – 10.30am All Saints Community Hall

Beavers – 6.15pm. All Saints Community Hall

Wednesday 30th April 

Celtic Morning Prayers – 9.00am.    All Saints Church

Thursday 1st May

Holy Communion – 10.00am. St. Mary’s Church

Cubs – 6.30pm.   All Saints Community Hall

Scouts – 8.00pm. All Saints Community Hall

Friday 2nd May

Living after Loss – 11am to 12noon. St. Mary’s Church

Saturday 3rd May.       

Coffee Morning  & Repair Café – 10am to 12noon.   All Saints Church

Saturday Lunches – 12noon to 1.30pm. Please note the change of time

Next Sunday 4th May (Third Sunday of Easter)

10.00am             Creative Church – St. Mary’s

10.30am.            Holy Communion – All Saints

6.30                    Evensong – St. Mary’s

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. Amen

Week beginning Sunday 20th April 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

Happy Easter- when it comes!

For most of the last week, I have greeted people with a “Happy Easter” with the caveat….”when it comes”.  Not knowing if I will see that person again before the “Big Day” it seems the right greeting. And we are still in that paused moment, when Easter has not yet arrived, but it is very very near. 

Easter, when it comes, is the moment that Christians believe changed the world absolutely and forever. Having walked the road of Lent and Holy week, of foot washing, agape meals, silence and Good Friday we are now almost at that time. A time when around the world in all shapes and sizes people will gather and sing and say “Alleluia – Christ is Risen”. A statement of faith and truth for Christians. 

So may I also wish you a Happy Easter here, in the hope of seeing you and being with you to celebrate this over the coming weekend. 

EASTER SERVICES – 19th and 20th APRIL

7.30pm – SATURDAY NIGHT – 19th APRIL – Easter Vigil, Fire and First Holy Communion. – St Mary’s

10am – SUNDAY AM – 20th APRIL- All Age Holy Communion – St Mary’s

10.30 – SUNDAY AM – 20th APRIL- All Age Holy Communion – All Saints

6.30pm – SUNDAY EVE – 20th APRIL – Easter Choral Evensong – St Mary’s

Blessings and Happy Easter

Revd Lizzie. 

Week beginning Sunday 13th April 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

Palms – Hands, Branches and Donkeys

Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end (or so some say). This week, Palm Sunday arguably marks all three. It is an ending of Lent. A beginning of Holy Week. And it marks an interjection in the midst between the two.  A day of remembering, retelling, taking part in the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. A day which marks the beginning but also draws us to the ending . A week which sees processions, fickle crowds, rowdy temples, unjust trials, eating, sleeping, praying, dying and rising. It is the story which for Christians holds profound truth about who God is and how God acts. May we all be invited into this Holiest of weeks together.

This Sunday our worship allows us to open the palms of our own hands to receive God with the palm branches as we re discover again this life giving story.

PALM SUNDAY – Sunday 13th April

8am – Holy Communion – All Saints

10am – Sung Palm Sunday Holy Communion Service- St Marys

10.30 – Palm Procession Service – All Saints

7.15 – Generations Youth Group – All Saints

The week ahead

Tuesday 15th

11am – Pat Jones Funeral – All Saints

6.30pm – Holy Communion – All Saints

Wednesday 16th

9am – Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints

6.30pm – Taize – All Saints

Thursday 17th

10.30 – Chrism Mass – Bristol Cathedral

6.30pm – Agape – All Saints

7.30pm – Maundy Thursday Holy Communion – St Marys

Friday 18th

10.30 – Good Friday Children’s Activities – All Saints

1.30pm – Liturgy of Good Friday – St Marys

2pm – Last Hour – All Saints

Saturday 19th

12-1.30pm – Sat Lunches

 7.30pm – Easter Eve Holy Fire, Vigil and First Communion of Easter – St Marys

Sunday 20th

10am – Easter Sunday Holy Communion – St Marys

10.30am – Easter Sunday Holy Communion – All Saints

6.30pm – Easter Choral Evensong – St Marys.

Oh….and a interesting poem I discovered this week to ponder about a Donkey by GK Chesterton ( because…why not on Palm Sunday)

When fishes flew and forests walked
   And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
   Then surely I was born.
With monstrous head and sickening cry
   And ears like errant wings,
The devil’s walking parody
   On all four-footed things.
The tattered outlaw of the earth,
   Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
   I keep my secret still.
Fools! For I also had my hour;
   One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
   And palms before my feet.

God Bless

Revd Lizzie

Week beginning Sunday 6th April 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

This week brings us to the Fifth Sunday of Lent, and the beginning of Passiontide, leading us through the final weeks of Lent to Holy Week and Good Friday.

In John’s Gospel this week some of those closest to Jesus are beginning to understand where the road to Jerusalem is leading in the interaction with Mary, Lazarus and Judas.  

A time for us to particularly turn our thoughts and reflection to the Passion of Christ in the light of his suffering, taunting and subsequent crucifixion.  We all have the chance to delve into this together at St Mary’s this Sunday evening with Passiontide readings and music. 

Our worship this Sunday 6th April

10:00am – Creative Church – St Mary’s

10:30am – Holy Communion with hymns and Junior Church – All Saints 

6:30pm – Passiontide Readings and Music- St Mary’s 

The week Ahead

Monday 7th

7:30pm Lent Group 1 

Wednesday 9th

9:00am Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints 

2:00pm Lent Group 2 – St Mary’s 

Thursday 10th

10:00am Holy Communion – St Mary’s 

Friday 11th

12:30pm Lunchtime Concert – St Mary’s 

Saturday 12th

12:00pm Saturday Lunches- St Mary’s 

11:00am Stations of the Cross at Dither Wood (Bring a picnic, lifts available sign-up sheet at St Mary’s or speak to Charlie or Kester) 

Sunday 13th

8:00am – Holy Communion – All Saints 

10:00am – Palm Sunday – St Mary’s 

10:30am – Palm Sunday– All Saints 

7:15pm – Generations – All Saints Link

Blessings, 

Charlie 

Week beginning Sunday 30th March 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

This week we have a mini pause from Lent and celebrate “Mothering Sunday”. A  mix of traditions and emotions, Mothering Sunday comes originally from people returning from their work places to their Mother Church and parishes. One of the readings for this week is from Colossians. It speaks of humility, kindness, compassion and patience, all things that all people are encouraged to practice in daily life, rhythms and rituals. As a church we gather as a “family”, a hybrid of people of different ages and stages, life experiences, wisdom and folly and together collectively try to understand how these Christ centred practices might be lived out in life. 

Our worship this Sunday 30th March – (Remembering that the clocks go forward!)

8.00am – BCP – Holy Communion – All Saints

10.00am – Sung All Age Communion – St Marys

10.30am – All Age Communion (with band)  – All Saints

The Week Ahead

Monday 31st

7.30pm – Lent Group 1 

10.30am – Tiny Tots – All Saints

Tuesday 1st

10.30am – M4T – St Mary’s

Wednesday 2nd

9.00am – Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints 

Thursday 3rd

10.00am – Holy Communion  – St. Mary’s 

Friday 4th

11.00am – Living after Loss – St Mary’s

Saturday 5th

10.00am – Coffee Morning and Book Sale with Bristol Repair Café – All Saints 

12.00pm- Saturday Lunches  – St Mary’s  

Sunday 6th

10.00am – Creative Church – St Mary’s

10.30am – Holy Communion and Junior Church – All  Saints 

6.30pm – Passiontide readings and Music– St. Mary’s 

Blessings

Revd Lizzie

Week beginning Sunday 23rd March 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

This week our Lent course, from Charlie Bell’s book Searched me out and known me, looks at what it means to be “holy”, reflecting on Psalm 32 and today’s gospel reading from Luke’s gospel. The word “holy” has a rich range of meanings. This is just as true of the Greek and Hebrew languages in which the bible was originally written.

One meaning of “holy” is to be set apart for the service of God. When people refer to the communion table in church as the “holy table”, what they are saying is that this piece of furniture has been set aside for a specific use in our services. Because of that use, it is something special and should be treated with respect. In the same way, we are all set aside for God’s service in our baptism. As such, we are all holy and we are all saints, because we are set aside for God’s service.

But there is another much deeper and richer meaning to what it means to be “holy”. It is to have something of God about you. In Christian terms, it means to be Christ-like. Although we are made in the image of God, we can become more like Christ. This growing in the likeness of Christ is sometimes referred to as “sanctification”. It is the central purpose of our lent disciplines. We look to see where we are falling short or missing the mark and try to change our attitudes and behaviours, so we follow Christ more closely. In more traditional language, we repent of our sins.

We will have more opportunities to think about this at our Lent groups on Monday evening and Wednesday afternoon.

This Sunday we have our normal fourth Sunday pattern with Holy Communion at 8.00 am at All Saints and 10.00 am at St Mary’s. The 10.30 am service is Café Church, where we will be continuing our look at Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. This week we will be looking at chapter six and seven and considering what they teach us about freedom.

This gives us the following services for Sunday 23rd March:

8.00 am – All Saints – Holy Communion (said)

10.00 am – St Mary’s – Holy Communion

10.30 am – All Saints – Café Church

Our Lent groups continue this week on Monday evening at 7.30 pm and Wednesday afternoon at 2.00 pm. In addition, we have our usual weekly services of Celtic Morning Prayer at 9.00 am on Wednesday at All Saints and Holy Communion at 10.00 am on Thursday at St Mary’s.

Monday 24th March

7.30 pm – Lent group -Contact me for location

Wednesday 26th March

9.00 am – Celtic morning prayer -All Saints

2.00 pm – Lent group – St Mary’s parish room

Thursday 27th March

10.00 am – Holy Communion – St Mary’s

Next Sunday is Mothering Sunday, so we have services of Holy Communion at St Mary’s and All Saints. In addition, there will be a service of Holy Communion according to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer at 8.00 am.

This gives the following services for Sunday 30th March:

8.00 am – All Saints – Holy Communion (BCP)

10.00 am – St Mary’s – Holy Communion

10.00 am – All Saints – Holy Communion

As we enter the third full week of Lent, let us pray for God’s guidance and we seek to grow in the likeness of Christ

Eternal God, give us insight
to discern your will for us,
to give up what harms us,
and to seek the perfection we are promised in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God bless,

Mark

Week beginning Sunday 16th March 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

Dear Friends in Christ,

How are you doing with your Lenten observances? The desire to give up things such as chocolate or social media are laudable but also so easy to stray from. Or there’s the temptation to abstain and then binge when Lent is completed (or is that just me!). 

But maybe we can take on new things-ways of behaviour, devoting more time to spiritual practices. Whilst our other period  of preparation at Advent is one of joyous anticipation, Lent is more poignant and sober, but also a time of beauty and depth. But both conclude in times of joy.

The book we are studying for Lent (Searched me Out and Known Me by Charlie Bell) this week reminded us what we base Lent upon-Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness (note not a desert as is often thought). Jesus needed this time alone with God to discern his own identity following his baptism before he began his ministry.

So as we continue in our Lenten journey let us mirror and reflect upon this foundational moment in Jesus’ life.

This Sunday – 16th  March (Lent 2)

10:00am    Holy Communion – St. Mary’s

 10:30am   Holy Communion with Hymns – All Saints
 

The Week Ahead

Monday 17th March

Tiny Tots – 10.30-12.00 All Saints Community Hall

Squirrels – 5.15pm  All Saints Community Hall

Evening Lent Group  7.30pm

Tuesday 18th March

Music for Toddlers – 10.30am St Mary’s Church

Wednesday 19th March

Celtic Morning Prayer – 9.00-9.30am All Saints Church

Afternoon Lent Group – 2.00-3.30pm St. Mary’s Church (note new time)

Thursday 20th March

Holy Communion – 10.00am.  St. Mary’s Church

Cubs – 6.30pm. All Saints Community Hall

Scouts – 8.00pm All Saints Community Hall

Friday 21st March

Living After Loss – 11am St. Mary’s Church

Saturday 22nd March

Saturday Lunches – 12pm St. Mary’s Church

Next Sunday – 23rd March (Lent 3)

8.00am – Holy Communion – All Saints

10:00am – Sung Holy Communion – St Marys

10.30am – Cafe Church – All Saints

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. Amen

 

Blessings

 

Fr Kester de Oliveira

Week beginning Sunday 9th March 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

Lent 1

As a young man, on two occasions I decided to give up alcohol for Lent. One year, I was successful, not drinking a drop until Easter Day. Yippee! I was so proud of that achievement – which, of course, defeats the whole object of a Lenten discipline. This is not meant to be about our moral strength or determination. Rather, Lent is a season to be more attentive to the presence of God, and our neediness. So, on the other occasion, I managed to avoid alcohol for 36 hours – but, by the Friday evening after Ash Wednesday, I gave up. I can remember sitting in the pub with my pint of beer, thinking “I’ve blown it. What a weakling!”. Until I remembered that wonderful story about two people who go into the Temple (Luke 18). The Pharisee is proud of his achievements; the other one – you or me – says “God, I’ve blown it again. Sorry. How can you help me be better next time? Thank you for not abandoning me”.

Services this weekend for the 9th March 2025

8:00am Holy Communion – All Saints 

10:00am Holy Communion – St. Mary’s

10:30am Muddy Church – All Saints

4:15pm Generations (Crazy Golf)

The Week Ahead

Mon 10th

10.30am – Tiny Tots – All Saints 

7.30pm – Lent Group 

Tues 11th

10:30am – Music for Toddlers 

Weds 12th

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints 

1pm – Lent Group – St Marys 

Thursday 13th

10:00am – Holy Communion – St. Mary’s 

Saturday 15th

9.30am Safeguarding Training – All Saints 

12–2:00pm – Saturday Lunches  – St. Mary’s 

Sunday 16th

10:00am – Holy Communion – St. Mary’s 

10:30am – Holy Communion – All Saints 

Revd Bob.

Week beginning Sunday 2nd March 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info
George Herbert

On February 27th this week, the church remembered the Poet and Priest George Herbert. (1593-1633). He was a prolific writer. Through books, poems and hymns he managed to craft something about the ordinary life with God’s remarkable and extraordinary grace. He is both deeply serious and yet hopeful and light to read. I was gifted a book of poems a few months ago, a collection by Janet Morley. In it, at the beginning of Lent, is a poem by George Herbert. It is called Trinity Sunday. Weird perhaps to think of Trinty Sunday at this point in the year – but the poem, albeit it brief, is more about the way in which three’s come together for good and grace. There are three verses, three virtues, three nouns, three verbs to end. It feels that it combines the whole of the three theologies of creation, contrition and resurrection. I leave it here for your prayers and ponderings as we make our way towards Lent.

Trinity Sunday  by George Herbert 

Lord, who hast formed me out of mud, 
And hast redeemed me through thy blood, 
And sanctified me to do good; 

Purge all my sins done heretofore: 
For I confess my heavy score, 
And I will strive to sin no more. 

Enrich my heart, mouth, hands in me, 
With faith, with hope, with charity; 
That I may run, rise, rest with thee.

This Last Sunday before Lent  –  2nd March our services are the following:

10.00 – Creative Church – St Mary’s

10.30 – Holy Communion with Band and Junior Church – All Saints

6.30pm – Evensong – St Mary’s

The Week Ahead

Monday 3rd

10.30am Tiny Tots Toddlers – All Saints

7.30pm – Lent Group

Tues 4th

10:30am – Music for Toddlers – St Mary’s

Weds 5th (Ash Wednesday)

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints

10:00am – Holy Communion – St. Mary’s

1pm – Lent Group – St Mary’s

Friday 7th

 2pm – World Day of Prayer  – All Saints

Saturday 8th

12–2:00pm – Saturday Lunches – St. Mary’s

Sunday 9th

8:00am – Holy Communion – All Saints

10:00am – Holy Communion – St. Mary’s

10:30am – Muddy Church – All Saints

4.30pm – Generations – Crazy Golf at

Frenchay.

Revd Lizzie

Week beginning Sunday 23rd February 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

In the church’s year, we have now left the season of Epiphany, and Lent is rapidly approaching. Lent has traditionally been used as a time for reflection and self-examination. It is a time when we can consider our relationship with God: where it is and where it might be going. It is a time to reflect again on what God is calling us to. It is a time to examine whether we have wandered from the path of Christ and how we can follow it more closely.

This year, at All Saints and St Mary’s, we will be using the book Searched me out and known me by Charlie Bell to help us in our reflections. The book uses a psalm, along with the gospel reading set in the lectionary, to consider the themes of Lent and Holy Week. It starts on Ash Wednesday and continues with each of the Sundays in Lent and each of the days from Palm Sunday to Easter Day. For each of these days, there is a psalm, the gospel reading of the day, a reflection, and some questions for thought or discussion. The material can be used by individuals, but it is more helpful to use it in groups.

We will be running two lent groups. One will be on a Monday evening at our house. The other will be on Wednesday afternoon in St Mary’s parish rooms. They will start with the Ash Wednesday material on Monday 3rd March and Wednesday 5th March, respectively. If you would like to find out more, please contact Kester or me. Lizzie has purchased some copies of the book. In addition, it is available from various online retailers, including Eden and Amazon.

This Sunday, the lectionary is still with the general theme of who Jesus is, with the story of the calming of the storm. We will be looking at this in our Holy Communion services at 8.00 am at All Saints and at 10.00 am at St Mary’s. At 10.30 am at All Saints, we have Café Church, where we will be continuing our journey through Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome. This month the theme is Peace. We will be thinking about God’s love for us and how we can know peace with him. Then we will reflect on how this can make us more resilient during tough times.

This gives the following services for Sunday 23rd February:

8.00 amAll SaintsHoly Communion (said)
10.00 amSt Mary’sHoly Communion
10.30 amAll SaintsCafé Church

We have our normal midweek services with Celtic Morning Prayer on Wednesday at All Saints and Holy Communion on Thursday at St Mary’s. Then on Sunday 2nd March we have our normal first Sunday pattern with Creative Church at St Mary’s and Holy Communion at All Saints. In the evening, there is Evensong at St Mary’s.

This gives the following services for the coming week:

Wednesday 26th February9.00 amAll SaintsCeltic morning prayer
Thursday 27th February10.00 amSt Mary’sHoly Communion
Sunday 2nd March10.00 amSt Mary’sCreative Church
 10.30 amAll SaintsCafé Church
 6.30 pmSt Mary’sEvensong

One future date for your diaries is the World Day of Prayer on Friday 7th March at 2.00 pm in All Saints. This year’s theme is “I made you wonderful” and is based on material from the Cook Islands.

As we look forward to getting a clearer vision of God and for his plans for us and the world, let us pray that Lent may be a time of growth, discernment, and vision, so we may come to Easter in the joy of the resurrection and the triumph of Christ over sin and death.

Yours in Christ.

Mark