Luke 9:28-36 – The Transfiguration

We all have those times where we really don’t know how to react to something. I can easily just babble away or just look baffled (which I’d like to think gives the impression of deep thought!) So, I can really identify with Peter in today’s Gospel. His reaction to the Transfiguration is really interesting and relatable. I suspect I’d have babbled like he did! But there’s much more to what he says.

The very human reaction to this epic experience helps me remember that encountering the divine in our daily lives can really leave us utterly unsure as to how to react. Thankfully Peter shows us that this is ok and those seemingly inadequate reactions are more relevant than we might think.

The Luke text always strikes me with its magnificence and power, and the authentic responses of the disciples, reminding me of God’s awesome power which can dramatically puncture and transform our lives at any time in unexpected ways.. This is exciting and challenging, but this also directs us to Jesus, reiterating who he is. God is giving us an anchor to cling to. At a time where there seems to be so much that is difficult and worrying, this is invaluable.

This Sunday we have Holy Communion at All Saints, as well as the chance to be crafty at Creative Church at St Mary’s. In addition, we have our service of Choral Evensong at St Mary’s at 6.30 which will continue the theme of the Transfiguration.

Please find attached the Readings for this Sunday and the weekly sheets with more details of the coming weeks activities.

Sunday 6 August

10.00 – Creative Church: St Marys

10.30 – Holy Communion with Junior Church :All Saints

6.30pm – Evensong: St Marys

The Week Ahead

Wednesday 9^th August – 9am Celtic Morning Prayer : All Saints

Thursday 10^th August 10am Holy Communion: St Marys

Saturday 12^th August 12.00 – 2pm:Saturday Lunches: St Marys

Sunday 13^th August

8.00 – Holy Communion: All Saints

10.00 – Holy Communion :St Marys

10.30 Muddy Messy 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

Rev Kester de Oliveira

“Heave Ho 1-2-3, raise the anchor and out to sea, up with the sail and away we go, riding the waves with a Yo Ho Ho”

This is the earworm that has been in my head all week as over 40 children, young people and adults came together to celebrate Holiday Bible Club. Together we told the story of Jonah and the Whale, with song, dance, drama and craft. It has been such a joyous week and although there were tired limbs and voices at the end of Friday there was also a firm knowledge that we had held each other and been held by God. Jonah runs away from the task God asks of him, but after waves and whales he is gently guided back to Ninevah where he had a message of God’s love to tell people and with that lives were changed.

This week we join together again for our benefice service at St Marys at 10am. One of the readings is taken from Pauls letter to the Romans and it is this scripture that has been central to my own understanding of the God of mercy that Jonah came to understand. “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ”. At times when high winds and stormy weather I have known these words to speak a deep Christian truth – that God remains constant, steady and present. God never deserts us, but holds, corrects, challenges and loves us through all time and all things.

I am deeply grateful for this past week and for this passage from Romans. I hope and pray it is as transformative for you all as it has been for me.

Services this Sunday – 30^th July 2023

8am – Holy Communion – All Saints

10am – Sung Holy Communion Benefice Service – St Marys

The Week Ahead

Wednesday 3^rd August – 9am – Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints

Thursday 4^th August – 10am – Holy Communion – St Marys

Saturday 5^th August 12.00 – 2pm –Saturday Lunches – St Marys

Sunday 6^th August 10.00 – Creative Church – St Marys

10.30 Holy Communion All Saints

6.30pm – Evensong St Marys

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

Lizzie

Lolium temulentum, commonly known as darnel, is a real devil of a weed. When it is young, it is very hard to distinguish from wheat. It looks so similar, that it is often called false wheat. However, it has an invasive root system that chokes the plants around it. It cannot be uprooted without pulling out everything else in the area. Even worse, eating it can cause a drunken nausea and can be fatal in larger quantities. It grows just about everywhere wheat does and seems to spring up spontaneously in wheat fields. It is so pervasive that the ancient Greek botanist, Theophrastus, believed that wheat spontaneously transforms into darnel.

This is the image Jesus uses for evil, in our gospel reading this Sunday, Matthew 13.24–30. Evil is an insidious thing that works its way into our lives and our communities. Like the farm workers, we need to be constantly vigilant to identify it when it does start to creep in. But we also need to heed the warnings of the farm owner. Be sure that what you are rooting out is the evil. Sometimes it can be harder to tell than we suppose. Make sure you are not doing more harm than good. Tearing everything apart might not always be the best approach.

I will be talking a little more about this on Sunday at the 8.00 am service at All Saints and the 10.00 am service at St Mary’s. At 10.30 at All Saints, Diane and Kester will be continuing our Café Church series on Jonah. They will be helping us think about the God who relents in the light of Jonah 3 and Luke 13.6–9.

This gives the following services for Sunday 23^rd July:

8.00 am – All Saints – Holy Communion

10.00 am – St Mary’s – Sung Holy Communion

10.30 am – All Saints – Café Church

This coming week we have Holiday Bible Club at All Saints from Monday to Friday. Please pray for all involved, both the helpers and the children, that this will be a fun and safe time and that the gospel light will shine in all we do.

This means that there is no Celtic Morning Prayer at All Saints on Wednesday morning. In addition, Sunday 30^th July is a fifth Sunday, so we have a benefice service at all St Mary’s. As such, there will be no 10.30 am service at All Saints on 30^th July. This gives the following services for the coming week:

Thursday 27^th July – 10.00 am – St Mary’s – Holy Communion

Sunday 30^th July – 8.00 am – All Saints – Holy Communion

Sunday 30^th July – 10.00 am – St Mary’s – Benefice Sung Holy Communion

As we look forward to the coming week, in the light of last week’s parable of the sower, this week’s parable of the wheat and darnel and the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13.31-32, let us pray that God will help our faith to grow so that his kingdom may flourish in all we do.

Yours in Christ

Mark

A sower went out to sow…

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I wonder how many of you are enjoying seeing the results of seed you have sown earlier in the season? On Monday a grandma at Tiny Tots told me how exciting it is seeing her flower seeds come up and blossom in bright colours. Flowers and fruit are signs of new life and hope. But you can’t get good growth without seed, good soil, rain and warmth. As I write I can hear welcome rain blowing against my window, while indoors the aroma of strawberries is filling the house. (Mark is making jam again!).

This Sunday’s reading, Jesus’s Parable of the Sower speaks of sowing seed – the Word of God – The Good News of the Kingdom.

We invite you to come and worship with us this Sunday as we respond to God’s Gospel of Reconciliation and seek to spread his peace in the world.

SERVICES THIS SUNDAY 16th JULY

Readings: Genesis 25:19-34; Matthew 13:1-9,18-23

10.00	St.Mary’s	Sung Holy Communion
10.30	All Saints	Holy Communion with Hymns

UPCOMING SERVICES AND EVENTS

Mon 17th July	10.30-12.30	All Saints	Tiny Tots
Wed 19th July	9.00 – 9.30am	All Saints	Celtic Prayers
Wed 19th July	6.30- 8.00pm	For more details speak to Rev Lizzie, Diane & Mark Simms	Adult Confirmation Class
Sat 22ndJuly	12.00-2pm	St.Mary’s	Saturday Lunches
Sun 23rd July	12.00-1:30pm	All Saints	Youth Confirmation Class

SERVICES NEXT SUNDAY 23rd JULY Communion Readings: Genesis 28.10-19a; Romans 8.12-25; Matthew 13.24-30,36-43
08.00	All Saints	Holy Communion
10.00	St.Mary’s	Sung Holy Communion
10.30	All Saints	Cafe Church: The God who RelentsJonah 3:1-4:1; Luke 13:6-9

HOLIDAY BIBLE CLUB 24-28 July mornings, at ALL SAINTS

There are still a few spaces for 4-12 year olds. Our theme this year is Jonah with tons of games, bible stories, crafts, drama and singing. Speak with Revd Diane or Lizzie for more information and to book a place.

In a speech he gave on Reconciliation last week, our Archbishop Justin, summarised the Gospel in these compelling and beautiful words.

God says you are loved so much that I died for you so that you can be reconciled to me, to yourself, to all that needs doing.

In my resurrection you have life and purpose, and by the gift of the Holy Spirit I equip you for the life of struggle and suffering, of joy and fulfilment, of pleasures and pains that are the cost of following Jesus. I will never leave you, never fail or forsake you. Nothing can tear you from my hands, not even you.

May you discover God’s acceptance in his message and then share his words to bring hope to someone else this week.Thanks be to God!

Revd Diane, curate.

Summertime often brings with it the anticipation of times of rest and refreshment, and the joy of watching lots of tennis and cricket, although watching Wimbledon or The Ashes has had its nail biting, plate throwing moments this week!

The words we here from Jesus in the gospel reading this week are familiar ones. “Come to me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest”. They are words of invitation that are often spoken in the Book of Common Prayer Communion. They are words that for me have always been an encouragement when I am overwhelmed with the busyness of life. They are a reminder to me that whatever life brings us Jesus invites us to come to him and receive the rest that God desires us to have.

So how do we rest in God? What does that look like? And rest from what exactly? All of those questions might be different depending on who we are and what experiences we have, and perhaps it is that which is also the common thread of these words of invitation. God invites us to rest, and can carry our burdens however heavy or numerous. The things that we might shy away from loading onto others, are things that God can hold simultaneously at the same time that God holds all the burdens of those around us. Nothing is too heavy, no burden is too much. One of the joys of the Christian faith is precisely that – we are never too heavy for God.

As the frenetic pace of the build up to the summer holidays begins, I pray that we will all know that rest that God invites us to at moments this week.

This week on Sunday 9^th July our worship is as follows

10am – Sung Holy Communion – St Marys

8am – Holy Communion – All Saints

10.30am – Children’s celebration Service – All Saints

7.15pm – Generations BBQ – Vicarage

THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday 12^th July 9.00am – Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints

Thursday 13^th July 10am Holy Communion – St Marys

Saturday 15^st July 12.00 – 2pm –Saturday Lunches – St Marys

Sunday 16^th July 10.00 Sung Holy Communion St Marys

10.30 – Sung Holy Communion – All Saints

‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’

Matthew 11:28-30

Blessings

Revd Lizzie

At Glastonbury Festival the Sanctuary Tent is run by local Christians. It’s a place people come to in search of water, away from the heat. Volunteers notice that a cup of water is often the prelude to deeper conversations. Visitors are happy to find a listening ear, and frequently ask for prayer.

A simple cup of water is all it takes, says Jesus, to offer a welcome that cares. Hospitality stands at the centre of Christian discipleship.

But Jesus also warns his disciples that missionaries and prophets of God are not always made welcome. It’s tough but also a reality. In the time of Jeremiah and Isaiah there were prophets a-plenty who were happy to get paid for telling people what they wanted to hear. ‘Don’t worry, ’bout a thing. Cause every little thing’s gonna be alright’ (springs to mind).

But God’s free gift of forgiveness, his grace, gives us the courage to break through the veil of denial, when we are tempted to forget the meaner and more broken parts of us. Instead of turning a blind eye, we can turn back towards Christ in trust, because he knows and loves the whole of us and can transform us from the inside out. Stormzy’s ‘Blinded by your Grace’ is a great counterbalance to Marley’s ‘Don’t worry’. Stormzy says it like Paul after his Damascus Road encounter with Jesus.

Lord I’ve been broken

Although I’m not worthy

You fixed me

I’m blinded by your grace

You came and saved me

SERVICES THIS SUNDAY 2nd JULY

10.00am – St.Mary’s – Creative Church – Theme: St.Mark

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

6.30pm – St.Mary’s – Evensong

UPCOMING SERVICES AND EVENTS

Mon 3rd July – 10.30 – 12 noon- All Saints – Tiny Tots

Wed 5th July – 9.00 – 9.30am – All Saints – Celtic Prayers

Thurs 6 July – 10.00am – St.Mary’s – Holy Communion

Sat 8th July – 12.00-2pm – St.Mary’s – Saturday Lunches

SERVICES NEXT SUNDAY 9TH JULY

08.00 – All Saints – Holy Communion

10.00 – St.Mary’s – Sung Holy Communion

10.30 – All Saints – Children’s Celebration Service

19.15 – Vicarage – Generations Youth BBQ

HOLIDAY BIBLE CLUB 24-28 July mornings, at ALL SAINTS

There are now forms for a space for all 4-12 year olds at the back of Church. Our theme this year is Jonah with tons of games, bible stories, crafts, drama and singing. Speak with Revd Diane or Lizzie for more information

ORDINATIONS. On Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd July the Ordination of Deacons and Priests by Bishop Viv will take place at Bristol Cathedral. Among the deacons is Kester de Oliveira (our curate designate), Dr Simon Atkins (who is known to Fishponds people as a local GP) and James Manning (who did a placement with us in Holy Week). Among the priests are Revd Sharon Gleed and Revd Sarah Heywood, whose vocations came to life during their time in our parishes. Please pray for them all as they continue to be God’s blessing in the parishes they now serve.

Father God, we pray for all those preparing for ordination at this time. We ask you to strengthen them as they serve your people. As congregations may we welcome support and encourage them in their work. Fill them with the fire of your Spirit, that their ministry may reveal the loving presence of Christ on Sundays and weekdays, both in church and in the forgotten corners of their parishes, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen

Thanks be to God!

Revd Diane, curate.

The epistle reading set for this Sunday is from Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. It ends with one of the three quotes from Paul’s letters that make up the Easter Anthems. This canticle, originally set for Easter Day in the 1662 Prayer Book, is now used throughout the Easter season both to celebrate the joy and power of the resurrection and to commit ourselves to follow Christ, die to sin and live in sincerity and truth. In this passage, Paul reminds us that in our baptism we entered into Christ’s death and resurrection and committed ourselves to follow him. Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to give us the strength and guidance to live out that commitment in all we do.

At All Saints at 10.30 this Sunday we will be continuing our look at the book of Jonah in our Café Service. This week we will be looking at Jonah 3.1–4, which tells how God gave Jonah a second chance after he had run away from God. God called Jonah a second time and, this time, Jonah answered God’s call. In a similar way, in Luke 15.11–24, Jesus tells the story of how the prodigal son was given a second chance by his forgiving father, when he was truly sorry and was willing to try again. These stories remind us of how central repentance and forgiveness are to the Christian life and that God is always willing to give us a second chance if we are willing to try again.

Diane is preparing some activities to help our younger members think about some of these topics. There will be the usual discussion questions for adults. All are welcome to come and explore what it means for God to give us a second chance and how we can do the same for our neighbours.

This Sunday, 25^th June, we have the usual fourth Sunday pattern of services as follows:

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

During the week we have our usual pattern of services with Celtic Morning Prayer at All Saints at 9.00 am on Wednesday and Holy Communion at St Mary’s at 10.00 am on Thursday. Next Sunday is a first Sunday, so there is Holy Communion at All Saints and Creative Church at St Mary’s. In Addition, Kester de Oliveira, who is coming to us as a curate, will be ordained deacon at Bristol Cathedral on Sunday morning. This gives the following services for the coming week.

Wednesday 28th June	9.00 am	All Saints	Celtic morning prayer
Thursday 29th June	10.00 am	St Mary’s	Holy Communion
Sunday 2nd July	10.00 am	St Mary’s	Creative Church
	10.00 am	Bristol Cathedral	Ordination
	10.30 am	All Saints	Holy Communion

This week, we are starting classes for anyone wishing to be baptised or confirmed. The sessions for young people will start at All Saints, starting this Sunday, 25^th June, at 12.00 noon. Sessions for adults will start on Wednesday, 28^th June, at 6.30 pm. If you are interested and have not let us know already, could you please contact me, Diane, or Lizzie.

God bless

Mark

Genesis 18:11 – “Sarah Laughed” – Finding Hope

The story in the Old Testament of how Abraham and Sarah discover that she is pregnant is a fascinating one that combines, strangers and hospitality and tents. Yet it has always been that verse about Sarah that I have been intrigued by. As she overhears the visitors talking about her being able to have a child, she “laughed to herself”. Its an easy scene to imagine – Sarah in her tent chuckling away at the foolishness of such chatter, gently shaking her head in disbelief at the ridiculous idea that she would be able to have a child after so many years of wanting one. Yet in that laughter, there would also have been a deep sadness I suspect. A hope and dream that had long ago been put down and shut away.

In Genesis several chapters later Sarah gives birth to Issac – a name which means “laughter”. The hope that had been locked up in a cupboard, that was seemingly gone, was realised. The story can be interpreted in different ways and much can be taken from it. Yet for me it is a reminder that what I think might not be possible, is not necessarily what God thinks is finished and done with. In that way Christians always live with a flicker of hope, however dimmed at times, but it is there because our stories tell us that at different moments in time God has already done what we thought impossible.

 

Services this weekend – Sunday 18^th June 2023

10.00 – Sung Holy Communion – St Marys

10.30 – Sung Holy Communion – All Saints

7.15pm – Generations – All Saints

 

THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday 21st June 9.00am – Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints

Thursday 22nd June 10am Holy Communion– St Marys

19.00 – PCC DV Training at All Saints

Saturday 24th June 12.00 – 2pm –Saturday Lunches – St Marys

Sunday 25th June 08.00 – Holy Communion – All Saints

10.00 Sung Holy Communion– St Marys

10.30 – Café Church – All Saints

 A prayer for your week

BECOMING GOOD GROUND

As the rain and sun come down from the heavens making the earth to grow, so may your Word not return to you empty, bit embed itself in the soil of my silence. May I discover what makes for peace, whatever my language, and know your blessing, on which our peace depends.

Tess Ward

 

Blessings Revd Lizzie

This Sunday there is a rather beautiful coinciding of the season of Trinity with the celebration of Saint Barnabas. Saint Barnabas was a friend of Paul who was an early follower of Jesus and an Evangelist for the church. Barnabas introduced Paul to the leaders in the Church in Jerusalem, as well as spending time with the early church in Antioch. It was here that Paul and Barnabas departed ways, and Barnabus went back to Cyprus. He was martyred in AD61. The Prayer for St Barnabas begins “Bountiful God, giver of all gifts”. Bountiful is a wonderful word, and not one that is normally used in prayer. It has an energy and a buoyancy to it. It suggests an unending flow of God’s power and love, it is a well from which we can continually take rest and refreshment.

This week we celebrate St Barnabus at our Holy Communion services at All Saints (8am) and St Marys (10am) and then later at Muddy Messy Church (10.30am) at All Saints we will be looking at what binds us together as God’s Church by making some Bread! A great service for people of all ages.

Everyone is welcome to join us at our worship this week

SUNDAY 11^th JUNE 2023

8am – Holy Communion – All Saints

10am – Sung Holy Communion – St Marys

10.30am – Muddy Messy Church – All Saints

I leave you with the Collect Prayer for St Barnabas this week.

Collect for St Barnabas

Bountiful God, giver of all gifts, who poured your spirit upon your servant Barnabas and gave him grace to encourage others: help us by his example, to be generous in our judgements and unselfish in our service; 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

Blessings

Revd Lizzie

Dear All Saints and St Mary’s

We approach the final festival of the Easter Season – Trinity Sunday. Yet it could also be viewed as the First Sunday of a new season in the Church. It is a festival which often reminds me of the fictional French Musketeers – D’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis whose phrase was “One for all and All for One”.

Christians experience God, who is One, in three interconnecting and mutually dependent and co existing ways – what is commonly known as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The intellectual engagement of how this is possible, to be both One God but known in three ways simultaneously has delighted and perplexed people for many hundreds of years. For me the interesting thing lies more in the way in which God the Creator, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit interact with each other. What does it mean to know God in different ways? What does the relationship and energy and fellowship between the Father, Son and Spirit show us about God? What does that relationship teach us about how to be more fully human?

“All for one and one for All” is a memorable way in which I am reminded that the Trinity of God is a way in which individuals are in fact deeply dependent and connected to others in the community, and only truly flourish if others are also allowed to flourish equally and simultaneously. Happy Trinity!

Services this Weekend – 4^th June – Trinity Sunday

10am – Creative Church – St Mary’s – Looking at St Matthew

10.30am – Holy Communion with Hymns and Junior Church – All Saints

6.30pm – Choral Evensong – St Mary’s

The Week Ahead

Wednesday 7^th June 9am – Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints

Thursday 8^th June 10am Holy Communion Corpus Christi – St Mary’s

Saturday 10^rd June 12 – 2pm –Saturday Lunches – St Mary’s

Sunday 11^th June 10am Sung Holy Communion– St Mary’s

10.30am – Muddy Messy Church – All Saints

Blessings

Revd Lizzie