When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs

Mark 13.7–8

We live in uncertain times.

The events in and around Ukraine have brought war closer to home than any time in most of our lifetimes. Yet, as many in Ukraine have reminded us, Ukraine and Russia have been at war for eight years, ever since the annexation of Crimea and the declarations of independence in Donetsk and Luhansk. In my lifetime, there have been many other places in the world that have experienced wars and civil strife, but they have always seemed more distant and less threatening. There is something about the attack by a major power on a European nation that is very reminiscent of the wars that have caused so much death and destruction throughout the history of Europe.

It is so much easier to destroy things than to build things up. The recent history of Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya shows that it is easy for a powerful nation to defeat an army or overthrow a government. Building a real peace is much harder. Making a land into a home where all its people may live in safety and happiness takes a lot of work. Reconciling old enemies and helping them work for the common good is a major challenge. Jesus knew this when he warned his disciples that there would be wars and natural disasters. He encouraged the disciples not to panic, but to keep firm in their faith in him.

It is that faith that leads us to pray. Even when there is nothing practical that we can do, even when we don’t know what to pray for, we pray. As St Paul reminded the Christians in Rome, “the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” (Romans 8.26) I have included with this email a letter from the archbishops and a covering letter from Bishop Viv. There are some suggestions of when and where to pray, but in the words of Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell, however and whenever you pray, pray that the world may choose peace.

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This Sunday, we have our usual fourth Sunday services. At Café Church at All Saints, we will be looking forward to Lent by thinking about forgiveness. We will be repeating this at St Mary’s at Open Church the following Sunday. In addition, this Sunday, we have Holy Communion at 8am at All Saints and 10am at St Mary’s.

8.00 am	All Saints	Holy Communion
10.00 am	St Mary’s	Holy Communion
10.30 am	All Saints	Café Church

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. As such, there is no Thursday Holy Communion at St Mary’s. Instead, there will be a service of Holy Communion for Ash Wednesday with the imposition of ashes on Wednesday 2^nd March at 10am. If anyone cannot make the morning service, St Ambrose are holding a service of Holy Communion with the imposition of ashes at 7.30 pm. Along with the World Day of Prayer service at Argyle Morley URC Church, this gives us a rich selection of opportunities for worship this week:

Wednesday	9.00 am	All Saints	Celtic Morning Prayer
Wednesday	10.00 am	St Mary’s	Holy Communion
Wednesday	7.30 pm	St Ambrose	Holy Communion
Friday	2.00 pm	Argyle Morley URC	World Day of Prayer
Sunday	10.00 am	St Mary’s	Open Church
Sunday	10.30 am	All Saints	Holy Communion
Sunday	6.30 pm	St Mary’s	Evensong

In all our worship and all our prayers, let us pray for true peace, between nations, communities, and individuals:

Almighty God,
from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed:
kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all, the true love of peace
and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom
those who take counsel for the nations of the earth
that in tranquillity your kingdom may go forward,
till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love;
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 for ever.
Amen
 

May God bless us all

Mark Simms
Licensed Lay Minister
Benefice of All Saints and St Mary, Fishponds

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until the destroying storms pass by. Psalms 57:1.

Dear All Saints and St Mary’s

As I prepare this week’s message I am sitting snug in my office overlooking the garden below, where the south west wind is bending and buffeting trees, plants and grass. The wind is in control of their movements. Birds have sought shelter out of sight. Children have been let off school. We wait and sit out the storm, while emergency services are on high alert to protect us from any dangers arising from storm Eunice.

What a coincidence then that this Sunday’s gospel reading is one where Jesus’ disciples find themselves out on a lake in a storm – the wind and their fears have blown out of control – that is, – until our Lord Jesus stands up and restores calm to waves and hearts. Looking to the future, the New Testament reading from Revelation presents us with a vision of heaven where ‘a rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne’ of God. The scene captures the essence of a place and time where the storms of life’s sufferings have petered out and been replaced by beauty, joy and peace, amid brotherly and sisterly communion. With this in mind, we warmly invite you to gather in worship at one of the following services.

Sunday 20th February – Second Sunday before Lent

10.00am Creative Church at St Mary’s Church – Bird feeders for your gardens! Revd Diane and team

10.30am Holy Communion at All Saints Church – Revd Janey Hiller

6.30pm Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church – Revd Janey Hiller

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As we look to the week ahead then we have the following times of prayer and worship

Wednesday 23^rd 09.00 – Celtic Morning Prayer at All Saints Church

Thursday 24^th 10.00 – Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church

Sunday 27^th 08.00 – Holy Communion at All Saints Church

10.00 – Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church

10.30 – Bible Study Worship at All Saints Church

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LLF * It’s now time to book your place on a Living in Love and Faith course* The courses offer a learning and listening space – exploring the topics of identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage.

Face-to-face Groups

Evenings: St.Mary’s: Wednesdays 7.30- 9.00pm starting 9th March

Daytimes: All Saints: Tuesdays 2.00-3.30pm starting 8th March

Alternatively, you are welcome to enrol on any of the following:

City Deanery online Mondays 12 -1.30pm

ECFC Easton Tuesday evenings 7.30-9.00 pm

St Annes Greenbank Wednesdays 4pm- 5.30pm

St Annes Greenbank Saturdays 10am -1pm starting 12th March

The LLF courses run for five weeks (except 3 x Saturdays at St.Annes)

To book your place please email Elaine Jones at admin@citydeanery.co.uk

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Creative wind of the Spirit… (continued from above)

Wind may be destructive, but in Scripture it is also creative. In Genesis 1:2 ‘a wind from God swept over the face of the waters’. The word for wind is the same as the word for ’Spirit’ in Hebrew: ruach. So it is also important to see God’s Holy Spirit as an energising wind – sweeping away cobwebs, re-energising people, the church and renewing the faith of our community. You will catch a glimpse of that excitement if you listen to a playground of young children on a windy day, as I did at Fishponds CE Academy this week. ‘Behold I am doing a new thing – do you not perceive it?’ (Isaiah 43.19).

In your lives, in our parishes may we recognise God as both refuge and risk-taker – in both reassurance and renewal as He builds His Kingdom among us.

Revd Diane, deacon