Christ Over Me, Christ Under Me, Christ Beside Me

Every Wednesday we gather at All Saints for a short time of prayer, bible readings and reflections. We use the Celtic Morning Prayer service that the Northumbrian Community at Iona developed. One of the prayers that we use is a Prayer of St Patrick, which is

Christ as a light illumine and guide me, Christ as a shield overshadow me, Christ under me, Christ over me, Christ beside me on my left and my right. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all powerful. Be in the heart of each who speaks unto me. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all powerful. Christ as a light, Christ as a shield, Christ beside me on my left and my right.

It is a prayer that is all encompassing, a prayer that looks to God as a source of ultimate protection and blessing. It is a prayer of dependence on God.

In this weeks reading we are invited by St Matthew into some of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It is an invitation to not worry about the things of life and to look to God. That can seem harsh and glib potentially in a world where weekly war and natural disaster inflict huge sufferings on humanity. People need food, water, shelter, clothes and medicine. To not worry about where these “things” may come from would be odd? Yet they do come. The call on the world for help, the call on our hearts from those who can, mean some of those needs being met.

Is that God providing? Or is it people responding? Or is it God’s people in this instance responding to the need of God’s people? Perhaps it is hard to separate where God’s response starts and the action of Gods people begins. I suspect they overlap, under and over, left and right, within and without as St Patrick prayed.

This week Messy Muddy Church meet at All Saints for worship at 10.30 – its a great time of creative and exploratory worship together. Bring your journey prayer stick from last time, or grab another one and join the fun.

WORSHIP THIS WEEKEND – 12^th FEBRUARY 2023

• 8am – Holy Communion – All Saints – Revd Lizzie
• 10am – Sung Holy Communion – St Marys – Revd Lizzie
• 10.30am – Muddy Messy Church – All Saints – Muddy Church Team
• 7.15pm – Generations – All Saints

THE WEEK AHEAD

• Wednesday 15^st Feb 9.00am – Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints
• Thursday 16^th Feb 10am – Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church
• Saturday 18^th 12.00 – 2pm – Saturday Lunches
• Sunday 19^th Feb
  • 10am – Sung Holy Communion with Baptism at St Marys
  • 10.30am – Sung Holy Communion All Saints – Revd Susan Allman

May the world know Gods protection and abundant love and care

Lizzie

I am beyond excited about the celebration of the Feast of Candlemas this weekend. For me it is the heady mix of brilliant bible readings, babies, candles, blessings and so much more. The feast centres around Mary and Joseph as they bring Jesus to be presented in the Temple, where all Jewish parents went to give an offering of thanksgiving to God. It is such a vivid scene which on the one hand I imagine as being chaotic, busy and messy (Sacrificing animals normally is). Yet it holds within it this beautiful intimacy of parents wanting to give thanks for the most precious of gifts, a child. There is tenderness in the way in which the older generation of faithful people, Simeon and Anna, come to greet Jesus and make their own proclamations about this child.

For the church it is a reminder that we are intimately linked to our Jewish heritage, and yet at the same time we look to the “light which lightens all nations”. It is a turning point, a pivot, a crossroads and it falls at a time when we also turn from the crib to the cross, from Christmas to Easter. I look forward to celebrating this great feast with you all in some way this weekend.

SUNDAY WORSHIP 29^th JANUARY 2023

8am – BCP HOLY COMMUNION – ALL SAINTS – REVD DIANE

10am – BENEFICE SUNG HOLY COMMUNION – REVD LIZZIE AND REVD DIANE WITH ST MARYS KIDS

2pm – BAPTISM OF ALFRED – ALL SAINTS – REVD LIZZIE – (ALL WELCOME)

Please do bring your own candle with you to the 10am service to be lit and blessed!

THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday 1^st Feb 9.15am – Celtic Morning Prayer (Change of venue) See Notice sheet for details

Thursday 2^nd Feb 10am – Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church

Sunday 5^th Feb 10am – Open Church St Marys

10.30am – Sung Holy Communion at All Saints with Junior Church

6.30pm – Choral Evensong for Candlemas at St Marys

I want to signpost you to the letter by the Bishop of Bristol – The Rt Revd Viv Faull in regards to her response to the Church of England’s recent communications. It is available here

Also do keep an eye out for lent group information. We are hoping to host a day time group on Wednesday afternoons and also an evening group on a Tuesday.

Candlemas – Malcolm Guite

They came, as called, according to the Law.
Though they were poor and had to keep things simple,
They moved in grace, in quietness, in awe,
For God was coming with them to his temple.
Amidst the outer court’s commercial bustle
They’d waited hours, enduring shouts and shoves,
Buyers and sellers, sensing one more hustle,
Had made a killing on the two turtle doves.
They came at last with us to Candlemas
And keep the day the prophecies came true;
We share with them, amidst our busyness,
The peace that Simeon and Anna knew.
For Candlemas still keeps his kindled light:
Against the dark our Saviours face is bright.

Blessings as always

Revd Lizzie

O Captain My Captain

The week that spans the 18^th to the 25^th January has been marked as The Christian Week of Prayer for Unity for over a century. It is a week that churches of all denominations are asked to pray not just for unity, but for peace, justice and the oppressed. But how do we really begin to understand what those words might actually mean or what that might look like? How do we pray for unity, peace and justice? What if any of those worthy things for prayer are in conflict with each other? That is something that the Church of England Bishops have been grappling with particularly this week.

When thinking and praying around this I was suddenly reminded of a 1989 film that I find both beautiful and thought provoking and always makes me cry. “The Dead Poets Society” follows a year in an American School. A young English teacher Mr Keating (played by Robin Williams) tries to inspire his students to look beyond just their own experience and see the world from a different angle. My favourite scene sees him encourage them all to stand on a table in the classroom just so they can look at the world from a different viewpoint. No spoilers here just in case you haven’t seen it but the phrase “O Captain my Captain” used in the film encapsulates some of what it means to be inspired to see the world differently.

Jesus calls us to look at the world differently and part of our call as Christians is to be brave enough, generous enough to do that. I think that is the way in which my muddled prayers this week for justice, unity, peace and the oppressed have been formed.

This week begins our adventure into learning about the Book of Jonah. All Saints Cafe Church on Sunday at 10.30 will be given over to looking at this fascinating and inspiring book of the Old Testament and an introduction to the book and its themes that will then be unpacked in café church over 2023. Its a really easy service to bring a friend or family member to church, and is set in an informal way with coffee and food. We have communion at 8am at All Saints and also Sung Holy Communion at St Marys at 10am.

SERVICES THIS SUNDAY – 22^nd JANUARY 2023

8am – Said Holy Communion – All Saints

10.00am – Sung Holy Communion – St Marys

10.30am – Cafe Church – Book of Jonah – All Saints

THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday 25^th 9am – Celtic Morning Prayer at All Saints Church

Thursday 26^th 10am – Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church

Sunday 29^th 8am – Holy Communion BCP at All Saints

10am – Benefice Sung Holy Communion at St Marys

One of the Prayers for Christian Unity that I have found helpful this week and I hope it also blesses you

Heavenly Father
You have called us in the Body of your Son Jesus Christ
To continue his work of reconciliation
And reveal you to the world,
Forgive us the sins which tear us apart
Give us the courage to overcome our fears
And to seek the unity which is your gift and your will
Through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord
Who is alive and reigns with you
In the unity of the Holy Spirit
One God now and forever.
Amen

Revd Lizzie Kesteven

Greetings! Friends of St.Mary’s and All Saints!

Well, folks, it’s been a rather wet week, hasn’t it? My vocabulary for rain is being stretched to the limit – it’s been drizzling, mizzling, bucketing, tipping down, raining cats and dogs – it’s been nice weather for ducks! Never have I been so glad to be clad in my Paramo waterproofs – though water did run down them into my shoes!

By contrast, this time last year we enjoyed a short break in a cottage by the sea at Cushendun in County Antrim. We got up at dawn for a beach walk and saw this view. I hope you’ll feel cheered by the rays of the rising sun- because it also reminded me of these words of hope from the prophet Isaiah which we repeat at morning prayer during Epiphany.

The light of Epiphany shines as the hours of sunlight begin to increase and the dark winter days release us into the promise of spring’s new life. God’s work of transformation is all around us and yet Isaiah doesn’t pretend everything’s already fine. He doesn’t gloss over the reality of suffering but injects fresh hope into the darkness. Isaiah speaks the words we need as we pray for the people of Ukraine.

Though night still covers the earth and darkness the peoples, above you the Holy One arises and above you God’s glory appears!

Isaiah 60:2

The sound of violence shall be heard no longer in your land, or ruin and devastation within your borders!

Isaiah 60:18

Yes, Lord, Amen, may it be so.

We look forward to welcoming you at one of our services this Sunday, as we gather to worship God and pray for individuals and nations in need.

Sunday Worship January 15th

Second Sunday of Epiphany

Readings: Isaiah 49: 1 – 7; 1 Corinthians 1: 1 – 9; John 1: 29 – 42.

10.00am Sung Service with Baptism at St. Marys with Revd Diane

10.30am Holy Communion at All Saints with Archdeacon Neil Warwick

6.30pm Epiphany Carols at St. Marys With Mark Simms LLM

Worship in the coming week and next Sunday…

Wednesday 18^th. 9.00am – Celtic Morning Prayer at All Saints Church

Thursday 19^th10.00am – Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church

Sunday 22nd 8.00am – Holy Communion All Saints

10.00am – Sung Holy Communion St Marys

10.30am – Café Church – Book of Jonah Session 1

This Sunday we will welcome two new children into the church family at St.Mary’s. The service of Holy Baptism is full of the language of light. The liturgy closes with this wonderful prayer.

God has delivered us from the dominion of darkness
And has given us a place with the saints in light. 
You have received the light of Christ; Walk in this light all the days of your life.

At everyone replies:

Shine as a light in the world, to the glory of God the Father! In these days may you all catch glimpses of the glorious hope of the risen Christ.

Revd Diane

This week, we celebrate the Feast of the Manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles, commonly known as Epiphany. This is when we think about the way Jesus was revealed to the Magi through the sign of a star. Throughout the season of Epiphany, we retell the stories of how who Jesus is was became known to different people. Next week we hear bout John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus. The week after, we hear about the call of the first disciples, Peter, Andrew, James and John Then we finish the season with the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, with the witness of Simeon and Anna. All these stories reveal something of who Jesus is through the words and actions of others.

Yet, when we talk about having “an epiphany”, we mean that we suddenly realise something that we never properly understood before. In that sense, it was the Magi, John the Baptist, those first disciples and Simeon and Anna who had an epiphany. Suddenly, they got it. God opened their eyes, and they could see clearly. The child of Bethlehem is the king, the anointed one of God. The one on whom the Spirit descended is the Lamb of God. The man from Nazareth is the one to follow. The baby in the temple is God’s messiah. It is through those epiphanies, those revelations of the deeper truth beneath the surface of ordinary events, that God changed their lives forever.

Sometimes, the same thing happens to us. Whether it is a big thing or a small, God reveals to us something that we never managed to see before. Suddenly, we just get it. We are never too young or too old, too experienced or too inexperienced, too educated or too uneducated. There may still be new epiphanies that God has in store for us. Let us pray that we may be open to the everything that God has prepared for us.

This Sunday we are following our usual second Sunday pattern, with communion at 8.00 am at All Saints and 10.00 am at St Mary’s. The 10.30 service at All Saints will be our all age Messy/Muddy Church. This gives the following services for this Sunday:

8.00 am – All Saints – Holy Communion (said)

10.00 am – St Mary’s – Holy Communion

10.30 am – All Saints – Messy/Muddy Church

This week most groups and activities are back to normal after the Christmas break. We have Celtic morning prayer at All Saints at 9.00 am on Wednesday and Holy Communion on Thursday at 10.00 am at St Mary’s. Next Sunday there is a baptism at 10.00 am at St Mary’s and Holy Communion at 10.30 am at All Saints. Next Sunday evening is the Epiphany carol service at St Mary’s at 6.30 pm. This gives the services for the coming week as follow:

Wednesday 11^th – 9.00 am – All Saints – Celtic morning prayer

Thursday 12^th – 10.00 am – St Mary’s – Holy Communion

Sunday 15^th

10.00 am – St Mary’s – Baptism

10.30 am – All Saints – Holy Communion

6.30 pm – St Mary’s – Epiphany Carols

So, as we get back into the normal routines of life after the Christmas break, let us follow the advice of the prophet Isaiah in the reading for Epiphany. He told the people of Israel to lift their eyes and look around to see all the things that God was doing for them. Let us do the same so we can see all that God is doing for us and all that he is calling us to do in his world.

Mark

^{Moments of Marvelling}

And all those who heard it marvelled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Luke 2:18-20 New King James Version

As the shepherds left the manger they skipped up to the sheep covered hills with a new spring in their step. Bethlehem’s citizens marvelled at everything the shepherds told them about Jesus’ birth.

What special moments of marvelling have you experienced this Christmas season? The story, the carols, the reflections, the decorations and flowers were only complete when people decided to come along and join our worship at St.Mary’s and All Saints. We were overjoyed to meet you all – both new and old faces. Thank you for making the effort to gather with us. We shared joy, peace and hope as we listened together to story of Jesus birth and heard it receive fresh life and meaning for our times, in words sung and pondered. We hope you’ve had a chance to put your feet up, Revd Lizzie!

Thank you for all of you who made Advent and Christmas so special in so many ways.

May the light and hope of the Christ-child go with you into the New Year 2023.

Church is open all year round of course, so today we invite you back again to share your hopes for the New Year at this Sunday’s services:

Services this Sunday 1st January 2023

Naming of Jesus – Readings: Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7;Luke 2:15-21

10.00 – St Mary’s – Creative Church : Journeying

10.30 – All Saints – Holy Communion

Events in the coming week…

Monday 2nd January Tiny Tots closed – starts back 9th January at All Saints

Tuesday 3rd January No Music for Toddlers – starts back 10th January at St.Mary’s

Wednesday 4th January Celtic Morning Prayer – 9.00- 9.30am at All Saints

Thursday 5th January Holy Communion – 10.00am at St.Mary’s

Friday 6th January- Living after Loss – 11am to 12noon St. Marys

Saturday 7th January- Saturday Lunches – 12noon till 2pm St. Marys

To finish with, here is a beautiful and apt new year reflection by Carol Dixon, as we continue to remember our brothers and sisters in Ukraine and Russia, and other war weary places. We hope for their peace and relief from suffering.

 Step softly into your weeping world, incarnate God; embrace it in your love. Bring light into broken lives, warmth into frozen hearts, hope to those at war. May your peace pervade every place.   Help us to approach this new year filled with the joy of your companionship, ready to face the future, whatever it may hold.

Every blessing in 2023 , Revd Diane

Happy Christmas All Saints and St Marys

After all that waiting we are here. Christmas Eve. Christmas Day – A Whole Christmas Weekend. A weekend of celebrations around this world changing, life changing moment that impacts our daily lives as we learn to be with others in Gods name.

As I think about placing all of those people in the stable I try to reflect again about their story and who they are and why they might be there. Mary, Joseph, Angels, The Magi and Shepherds. As I again imagine that child born in Bethlehem, I think of them all, and the story that they still have to tell us. What would they whisper to me? What would they lean close to tell you? The crib lies empty only a little longer, we are now so close to the good news that starts in that place in the middle east and then reverberates around the world. What makes this moment, this incarnational centre, the most critical of festivals for me, is that Christians believe that God does not remain other, but becomes one with. Simple. Yet mind blowing. Ridiculous, but also so obvious. Terrifyingly beautiful. There is a prayer that captures perhaps part of that paradox – we pray it at Midnight Mass

“Welcome all wonders in one sight! Eternity shut in a span. Summer and Winter, day in night, heaven in earth and God in Man. Great little one whose all embracing birth brings earth to heaven and heaven to earth.”

For a moment those words take us to a different place. A place of possibility. A place of hope. Emmanuel. God is with us.

Happy Christmas everyone.

SERVICES FOR THE CHRISTMAS WEEKEND

Saturday 24^th December – Christmas Eve

4pm – Family Carols and Christingles – St Marys

7.30pm – Carols by Candlelight – All Saints

11.30pm – Midnight Mass – St Marys

Sunday 25^th December – Christmas Day

8am – Holy Communion (said) – All Saints

10am – All Age Family Communion – St Marys

10.30am – All Age Family Communion – All Saints

THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday 28^th 09.00 – Celtic Morning Prayer at All Saints Church

Thursday 29^th 10.00 – Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church

Sunday 1^st 10.00 – Creative / Open Church at St Mary’s Church

10.30 – Holy Communion with Baptism at All Saints Church

Revd Lizzie

This Sunday we get just a little bit closer to that crib scene. The schools have broken up for the holidays, people are starting to sign off from work, others are cramming in a quick few days away, some are making sure that they get everything they need sorted before next week. Somethings have got in the post, others haven’t. Christmas parties, end of term parties and the first sounds of carols being sung are all happening and as we do so, we creep a little bit closer to the manger.

I was thinking about that scene at this particular point in advent. That empty manger. I want to stay there just a little bit longer although I know that the energy of Christmas is just around the corner. But right now the crib remains empty. It is ready to receive the people that we know. It is ready to welcome Mary and Joseph, to be the place of donkeys and camels and sheep. It is ready to receive the shepherds and the magi. It is ready to welcome Jesus. But am I ready? Am I ever ready?

I want to be ready in so many ways, I want to be ready with all the practical things that go with this Christmas season but what I really need is to be ready to receive and learn again from all the people that journey to Bethlehem. To listen and understand why they came to this place and what they bring and what it cost them. I need to be ready to learn again the songs of hope and love. I hope and pray we will use these last days before Christmas to be ready to receive “The Emmanuel”, God with us.

Worship for this weekend – Sunday 18^th December

10am – Guide Toy Service – St Marys

10.30am – Holy Communion with Hymns – All Saints

6.30pm – Carols by Candlelight – St Marys

Looking to the weekend ahead please join us for

The Week Ahead

Wednesday 21^st 09.00 – Celtic Morning Prayer at All Saints Church

18.30 – Carols around the Yew Tree at All Saints Church

Thursday 22^nd 10.00 – Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church

Christmas Eve 16.00 – Family Carols at St Mary’s Church

19.30 – Carols by Candlelight at All Saints Church

23.30 – Midnight Mass at St Mary’s Church

Christmas Day 08.00 – Holy Communion at All Saints

10.00 – All Age Christmas Communion at St Mary’s

10.30 – All Age Christmas Communion at All Saints

May you all know the coming of Christ in this week ahead, his love and joy and peace as we creep closer to the crib.

Advent Blessing

Lizzie

This Sunday, we continue our Advent theme of waiting. Our readings bring out three different themes of waiting for the Kingdom of God. In our Gospel reading, we hear how doubt had crept into the mind of John the Baptist as he waited in prison. Yet Jesus told him to look for the signs of the Kingdom all around. In our Old Testament reading, the prophet Isaiah gives the people a message of hope. He paints a picture of healing that goes beyond people and through all creation. In our New Testament reading, James tells his readers to be patient. But this is not an idle or inactive patience. It is the patience of the prophets, who continued to challenge injustice and oppression, despite the Kingdom of God seeming as far away as ever.

We have several opportunities to reflect further on this on Sunday. In addition to the normal 8am Holy Communion service at All Saints and 10am Holy Communion service at St Mary’s, there will be a Service of the Word at All Saints at 10.30am. This service will be held in the link, while Junior Church rehearse the Nativity in the church. The Nativity will be in the afternoon at 4.30pm. this gives the following services for this Sunday:

8.00 am – All Saints – Holy Communion (said)

10.00 am – St Mary’s – Holy Communion

10.30 am – All Saints Link – Service of the Word

10.30 am – All Saints Church – Nativity practice

4.30 pm – All Saints – Nativity service

This week we have our normal mid-week services with Celtic Morning Prayer at All Saints on Wednesday and Holy Communion at St Mary’s on Wednesday. Next Sunday at St Mary’s we have the Guides Toy Service in the morning and Carols by Candlelight in the evening. With Holy Communion at All Saints in the morning, the services for the coming week are as follows:

Wednesday 14^th – 9.00 am – All Saints – Celtic Morning Prayer

Thursday 15^th – 10.00 am – St Mary’s – Holy Communion

Sunday 18^th – 10.00 am – St Mary’s – Guides Toy Service

10:30 am – All Saints – Holy Communion

6.30 pm – St Mary’s – Carols by candlelight

And as we wait, this Advent, let us look for the signs of the Kingdom of God all around us. Let us plant seeds of love and pray that, though they might be as tiny as a mustard seed, God may make them grow into something large and strong. Let us work with the patience of the prophets for God’s truth and justice, trusting that God will act in his own time.

Yours in Christ

Marc