Tag: bible

Week beginning Sunday 15th March 2026

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info
Photo by K8 on Unsplash

I have always liked that Mothering Sunday is also known as “Refreshment Sunday” – it brings to mind images of cake and good coffee. Mothering Sunday comes exactly halfway through the season of Lent, giving us a time of reprieve from whatever it is that we have “given up” for 6 weeks. It is the pitstop that we need to be refilled with joy and rejoicing, before approaching perhaps the hardest part of our Christian story, the crucifixion. 

I also find it interesting that the readings for Mothering Sunday blends some of the complex tensions of this day. In one Paul reminds us in Colossians of the gifts of compassion and kindness. In the other we are at the foot of the cross, with Mary and the disciple John, staying with Jesus in his final hour. So the rejoicing in what we are encouraged to be in Christ, is also held with the way in which Christ made this possible.

Perhaps the line that helps to bring these together is Paul’s encouragement to “bear with one another”. On this day, as we come together to celebrate Mothering in line with our faith in the God of all creation, who died for us – then may we be a refreshment to each other by “bearing with.”

Services on Sunday 15th March  – Mothering Sunday

10:00am – Holy Communion – St Mary’s

10:30am – Holy Communion – All Saints

​​​The Week Ahead

Mon 16th March

9:00am – Tiny Tots, All Saints

Tue 17th March

10:30am – M4T, St Mary’s Parish Rooms 7:30pm – Lent Group One

Wed 18th March

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All Saints

2:00pm – Lent Group Two, St Marys’ Parish Room

Thu 19th March

10:00am – Holy Communion, St Mary’s

Fri 20th March

11:00am – Living After Loss, St Mary’s

Sat 21st March

12:00pm – 1:30pm – Saturday Lunches, St Mary’s

Sun 22nd March

8:00am – Holy Communion, All Saints

10:00am – Holy Communion, St Mary’s

10:30am – Cafe Church, All Saints

6:30pm – Passiontide Music & Readings, St Mary’s

Blessings,

Revd Lizzie

Week beginning Sunday 8th March 2026

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info
Photo by Frank Albrecht on Unsplash

This week’s Gospel reading tells the story of Jesus and the woman at the well — a moment where Jesus gently crosses cultural boundaries to notice and speak to someone others might have ignored. From this simple interaction, the conversation deepens. Jesus speaks of ‘living water’ — the grace of God that refreshes and renews us. Reminding us in the third week of Lent that God meets us in ordinary places and welcomes us just as we are, ready to guide us. 

This week at Messy Muddy Church, we continue our exploration of saints. No spoilers about who we’re exploring! But they were known for their courage of faith. 

The woman at the well also shows great courage. After meeting Jesus, she goes and tells others about her experience. Her story reminds us that faith often grows through simple witness, honest conversations, curiosity, and openness. 

May we be encouraged this week to notice God in the simple moments each day, and may we all be a little more courageous in our faith.  

This week’s Worship  

There are plenty of opportunities to join us for Worship:  

8:00 am Holy Communion, All Saints  

10:00 am Holy Communion, St Mary’s  

10:30 am Muddy Messy Church, All Saints  

5:00 pm Generations, All Saints  

The week ahead  

Mon 9th March

9:00 am – Tiny Tots, All Saints 

Tue 10th March

10:30am – M4T, St Mary’s Parish Rooms 

7:30pm – Lent Group One, Vicarage 

Wed 11th March

9:00 am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All Saints 

2:00 pm – Lent Group Two, St Mary’s Parish Room 

Thu 12th March

10:00 am – Holy Communion, St Mary’s 

Sat 14th March

12:00 pm- 1:30 pm – Saturday Lunches, St Mary’s 

Sun 15th March

10:00 am – Holy Communion, St Mary’s 

10:30 am – Holy Communion, All Saints  

Blessings,

Charlie
Ordinand- All Saints and St Mary’s – Bristol Diocese 

Week beginning Sunday 22nd February 2026

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info
Photo by Rubaitul Azad on Unsplash

“Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.”

That is a quotation from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (please excuse the gender-specific language).  I have long treasured these words, since I know that, when faced with my frailties and enduring imperfections, the easiest way to avoid the pain is to lie to myself.  It usually does not start out in a grand manner – rather, I pretend something didn’t really happen; or I excuse my own bad behaviour as I was tired.  There are many other ways of avoiding – but in the end, this is about lying to oneself.  And Dostoevsky points out that lying is only the first dangerous step.  What follows is that we become uncertain about the truth about ourselves.  Deep down, our self-respect is lessened – and so our respect for others decreases.  It is a long slippery slope.

Yet Lent is a time to pause – a time for a truce, with ourself and God.  Can we notice and admit those little indications that things are not going well?  And that we are ready to take some responsibility for this?  This is not self-abasement; rather, Lent is a season for increased truth-telling.  Rejoice in what is going well (that helps with noticing when things don’t).  And when there are painful moments of recognition, simply acknowledge that.  I find it so easy to jump immediately to promising to do better, or beating myself up for not being perfect.  Wait!  First, tell yourself the truth – action and reformation will follow later.  God’s grace is required for that; and God’s timing is not to be rushed.

1 Peter 5 has these comforting words: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that God may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on God, because God cares for you.”  Lent does not promise instant change.  Rather, it is a season for starting afresh, offering us a time for patience, humility and honesty.  Let’s see where that lead us.

 Revd Bob

Services this Sunday – 22nd February – Lent 1

8am – Holy Communion – All Saints

10am – Sung Holy Communion – St Mary’s

10:30am – Café Church – The Holy Spirit – All Saints

The Week Ahead

Mon 23rd Feb

10:30am – Tiny Tots, All Saints

Tue 24th Feb

10:30am – M4T, St Mary’s Parish Rooms

 7:30pm-9:00pm – Lent Groups, Vicarage

Wed 25th Feb

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All Saints

2:00pm-3:30pm – Lent Groups, St Mary’s Parish Rooms

Thu 26th Feb

10:00am – Holy Communion, St Mary’s

Sat 28th Feb

12:00pm-1:30pm – Saturday Lunches, St Mary’s

Sun 1st Mar

10:00am – Creative Church, St Mary’s

10:30am – Holy Communion & Junior Church, All Saints

 6:30pm – Evensong, St Mary’s

Blessings,

Rev’d Lizzie

Week beginning Sunday 1st February 2026

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info
Photo by Roman Suslov on Unsplash

There is something about how rituals originate and begin that I find really interesting. This week the Feast of Candlemas (or the Feast of the Presentation) is celebrated by the Church. Various rituals and ways of marking this feast have been given to us as a church over the years, mainly to do with blessing and light. St Marys will have Choral Evensong connecting us to some of the traditional canticles and music that has been formed over centuries. All Saints has developed its own tradition of encouraging people to bring a candle to our Holy Communion at 10.30, which is then blessed and lit and taken back to our homes and communities as a symbol of God’s light in the world. It is a feast that is warmly welcomed particularly at this time of year when many of us are longing for longer daylight hours and warmth.

Rituals often come from a human need, a need to mark an occasion, a moment, a season. They say something, about stopping and noticing. They are often simultaneously solemn, creative and celebratory – things that we all need in balance to continue the creator’s formation of us in our daily lives. May we all know the blessing of this feast as we begin February and mark this pivot moment between Christmas and Easter.

Services this weekend – 1st February

10am – St Marys – Creative Church 

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

6:30pm – St Marys – Choral Evensong for Candlemas

The Week Ahead

Mon 2nd Feb

10:30am – Tiny Tots, All Saints

Tue 3rd Feb

10:30am – M4T, St Mary’s Parish Rooms

Wed 4th Feb

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All Saints

Thu 5th Feb

10:00am – Holy Communion, St Mary’s

Fri 6th Feb

11:00am – Living After Loss, St Mary’s

Sat 7th Feb

10:00am – Coffee Morning & Book Sale with Bristol Repair Café, All Saints

12:00pm-1:30pm – Saturday Lunches, St Mary’s

Sun 8th Feb

8:00am – Holy Communion, All Saints

10:00am – Holy Communion, St Mary’s

10:30am – Messy Muddy Church-St. Valentine, All Saints

7:15pm – Generations, All Saints

Blessings

Revd Lizzie

Week beginning Sunday 11th January 2026

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

“I shall sustain you in courage and confidence”

Issiah 42:4
Photo by Oliver Cole on Unsplash

After the New Year has been celebrated, and we start to see the Christmas Trees being put out for collection January can feel like one of the longest months of the year and so I reach eagerly, like a hungry child, for these words at the start of 2026. And what a promise it is – The promise of God to sustain us in courage and confidence. 

The Church looks in different ways at “Who Jesus is” in the month of January, and this week it sees us dwell on the Baptism of Jesus. At the very start of his adult ministry Jesus is baptised in the river Jordan and he hears the voice of God from heaven. There are words of affirmation, ones which like Isaiah give him courage and confidence for his ministry. We all need times of feeling sustained, of being given courage and confidence in life’s journey and so I hope and pray that at this time, in this moment, we all are able to quieten the noise that so often surrounds us and hear God’s promise to us all.

Services for this Sunday – 11th January

8am – Holy Communion  – All Saints

10am – Sung Holy Communion – St Marys*

10:30am – Muddy Messy Church – St Mungo – All Saints

7:15pm – Generations

Coming up this week, we have:

Mon 12th Jan

10:30am – Tiny Tots, All Saints
Tue 13th Jan

10:30am – M4T, St Mary’s Parish Rooms
Wed 14th Jan

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All Saints
Thu 15th Jan

10:00am – Holy Communion, St Mary’s
Fri 16th Jan

11:00am – Living After Loss, St Mary’s
Sat 17th Jan

12:00pm-1:30pm – Saturday Lunches, St Mary’s
Sun 18th Jan

10:00am – Holy Communion, St Mary’s
10:30am – Holy Communion, All Saints
6:30pm – Epiphany Carols, St Mary’s

*Please be aware that the heating is not working in St Marys Church currently, so do wrap up warm, bring a hot water bottle/blanket/cushion and we will do all that we can to provide warmth and welcome*

Muddy Messy Church start a year of looking at SAINTS – and begin with St Mungo – What do we know about this person? What can we learn about their lives – for a engaging way of looking at faith creatively then why not come and along and see what we can discover as a church.

In courage and confidence

Revd Lizzie​​

Week beginning Sunday 7th December 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info
Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash

The church’s seasons and year are often shown through different colours. Frontals, vestments change colour according to where we are in each year. Advent, like Lent, is the colour purple. Purple is the colour of royalty (and of bishops!) but more importantly it is for the church the colour of penitence. So here in the second week of advent our readings start to focus on repentance, starting with the prophets this is a call to change.

What is it that this Advent we are willing to ask, brave enough to pray to change in us so that we might be ready? What are we prepared to put down, give up, make up, pivot to or away from to be as ready as possible for Christ (mas)? For each of us that will be something different. Is it a temptation that we need to be honest about? Is it a relationship that needs attention? Knowing what our weaknesses might be, holding them up to the light of God and examining them gently, carefully in prayer, can be the beginnings of this movement. As Paul notes this week it is a time of “encouragement” for us to a place of harmony. Like all good harmonies, it doesn’t mean that we will all sing the same note, or even start or end at the same time – but that when we do this examination of ourselves, that the resulting music with all others is one that brings blessing to the world. 

As well as St Mary’s Christmas Fair this Saturday (11-2pm) we have as worship the following.

Services this Sunday – 7th December 2025

10:00am – Toy Service with the Rainbows, Brownies and Guides – St Mary’s

10:30am – Holy Communion with Band and Junior Church (Nativity rehearsal) – All Saints

6:30pm – Advent Candlelit Procession  – St Marys

The Week Ahead

Mon 8th Dec

10:30am – Tiny Tots, All Saints

Tue 9th Dec

10:30am – M4T, St. Mary’s Parish Rooms

Wed 10th Dec

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All Saints

Thu 11th Dec

10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s

Fri 12th Dec

1:00pm-2pm – Christmas Concert – Veterans Band, St Mary’s

Sat 13th Dec

12:00pm-1:30pm – Saturday Lunches, St. Mary’s

Sun 14th Dec

8:00am – Holy Communion, All Saints

10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s

10:30am – Advent service of the word,  with Nativity rehearsal, All Saints

4:30pm – Nativity, All Saints

6:30pm – Generations, Avonmeads 10Pin Bowling

May you have a Joyful Advent.

Revd Lizzie

Week beginning Sunday 30th November 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Uncategorized, Weekly Info
“Grocery Store at Christmas” by Michael Kappel, CC BY-NC 2.0

Dear Friends in Christ,

Supermarkets are a constant pointer to what time of year it is. The cycle from season to season seems to get swifter and also increasingly blurred. 

We’ve had Halloween, with every possible opportunity taken to shove witches and skeletons onto anything. Some of the items are creative and entertaining, but its created a massive selling opportunity completely out of proportion to the event itself. And of course, the moment its done there’s Christmas merchandise in all its forms, only punctuated by the massive hype around the recent growth of Black Friday (and I’m no more immune to this particular hype than anyone else-the temptation to score that bargain that I don’t actually need is very alluring).

But what of Christmas? What are we actually encouraged to engage with over the next 4 weeks is the season of Advent? Most people’s only contact with Advent is via the plethora of admittedly lush Advent calendars. There’s nothing wrong with this, but surely the season of Advent is more than this.

Advent’s a period of reflection. It’s a thoughtful, positive anticipation, the excitement of Christmas set alongside the invitation to see beyond the busyness and prepare us to meet with God and truly rejoice with arrival of Christmas as we celebrate the birth9 of Jesus.

This Sunday – the 1st Sunday of Advent (30th November)

8:00am Holy Communion (BCP) – All Saints

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

4:30pm Christingle Service – All Saints

The Week Ahead

Mon 1st Dec

10:30am Tiny Tots – All Saints

Tue 2nd Dec

10:30am M4T – St. Mary’s Parish Rooms

Wed 3rd Dec

9:00am Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints

Thu 4th Dec

10:00am Holy Communion – St. Mary’s

Fri 5th Dec

11:00am Living After Loss – St. Mary’s

Sat 6th Dec

10:00am Coffee Morning, Book Sale & Bristol Repair Cafe – All Saints

11:00am Christmas Fair – St Mary’s

Next Sunday Second of Advent (7th Dec) 

10:00am Toy service with Guides & Brownies – St. Mary’s

10:30am Holy Communion – All Saints

10:30am Junior Church – All Saints

6:30pm Advent Sequence – 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.

Blessings,

Fr Kester de Oliveira 

Week beginning Sunday 23rd November 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info
Photo by Mattia Poli on Unsplash

This Sunday’s gospel reading has one of the most amazing examples of faith in the bible. While Jesus was hanging on the cross, amid all the mocking of the passers-by, one of the criminals being executed with Jesus says “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”. I have no idea what that criminal thought Jesus’ kingdom and rule might look like or how and when it might come to be. Yet, despite the apparent hopelessness of the situation, there was still faith and hope enough to believe in Jesus.

This can be an inspiration to us today. Even when Christ’s kingdom seems far and distant, we still have faith in his just and gentle rule. Despite the very real presence of evil in the world, we still work for and look for the kingdom of God. In the event of tragedy, we look forward to the fulfilment of that kingdom, when there will be no more tears. Faced with our own weaknesses and failings, we turn back to Christ and ask for him to rule in our hearts.

As we start to turn our attention to Christmas, we are reminded that Christ is king, even when we cannot see it or understand it. He calls us to follow him day by day. There will be opportunities to reflect on this more this Sunday at 8.00 am at All Saints and 10.00 am at St Mary’s.

At our 10.30 am Café Church service at All Saints, we will continue our look at the Nicene creed. This month, we will be thinking about God the Father, the creator. What does it mean to call God Father? What can creation tell us about God? What other names and titles do we use for God? All this and more will be up for discussion.

This gives the following services for this Sunday 23rd November:

8.00 am  All SaintsHoly Communion (said)
10.00 am  St Mary’sHoly Communion
10.30 am  All SaintsCafé church

We have our normal pattern of services for the coming week. Next Sunday we have a Benefice service at St Mary’s. As such, there will be no 10.30 am service at All Saints. However, there will be a Christingle service at 4.30 pm. This gives the following services for the coming week:

Wednesday 26th9.00 am All SaintsCeltic Morning Prayer
Thursday 27th10.00 am St Mary’sHoly Communion
Sunday 30th8.00 am All SaintsHoly Communion
 10.00 am St Mary’sBenefice communion
 4.30 pm All Saints Christingle

So let us pray together in the words of the collect for this Sunday, the festival of Christ the King:

God the Father,
help us to hear the call of Christ the King
and to follow in his service,
whose kingdom has no end;
for he reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, one glory.
Amen

Yours in Christ

Mark

Week beginning Sunday 16th November 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info
Photo by Nelli Chaitanya on Unsplash

“The end is nigh” wails a lonely figure in the distance, as the clouds darken and huge waves appear out of the sea, threatening impending doom and destruction. 

Whether it is disaster movies, or thriller novels, or bleak poetry, then there is a way in which there seems to be a human fascination with what might be depicted as “The end times” .

Armageddon, The Day of Judgement or The Final Reckoning is something that for centuries people have contemplated and worried about. A very natural response to times of change or shifts in power and environment. 

Of course, in a disaster movie, then there is often a heroine or hero whose skills are tested to the limit, but who ultimately succeeds in rescuing the world and humanity and that is why I find them so good to watch. I want to see someone save the world!

This time of year we often start to hear in the readings at church things that resonate with that disaster picture. Jesus in Luke’s gospel this week talks about famines, fighting, persecution and rebellions and we are invited to reflect on how we cope with the ever changing world around us. The big question the disciples ask is “WHEN”…let us know when disaster will strike so we can prepare, get ready…..or run away.

Jesus avoids that question. He asks them to be aware, stay alert and put their faith and trust in a way that saves without heroics, but promises that staying in close step with Jesus and his way will bring us through the storms ahead that help us find life.

This week’s worship – Sunday 16th November 2025

10am – Sung Holy Communion – St Marys

10:30am  – Holy Communion with Hymns – All Saints

The Week Ahead

Mon 17th Nov

10:30am – Tiy Tots, All Saints

Tue 18th Nov

10:30am – M4T, St. Mary’s Parish Rooms

Wed 19th Nov

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All Saints

2:00pm – Bible Book Club, Venue TBC

Thu 20th Nov

10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s

Fri 21st Nov

11:00am – Living After Loss, St. Mary’s

7:00pm – “Christmas Choir” Practise, All Saints

Sat 22nd Nov

12:00pm – 1:30pm – Saturday Lunches, St. Mary’s

12-3pm – All Saints Christmas Fair

Sun 23rd Nov

8:00am – Holy Communion, All Saints

10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s

10:30am – Café Church, All Saints

Blessings

Revd Lizzie

​​

Week beginning Sunday 9th November 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

As we journey through Kingdom Season, the time between All Saints and Advent, we are invited to reflect on the themes of memory, sacrifice, and hope. This season is a precious opportunity to remember—last week, during All Souls, we held in our hearts the faithful departed. This week, as we approach Remembrance Sunday, we turn our thoughts to how we remember—both as a community and as individuals—particularly in the context of war, peace, loss, and the power of both memory and forgetting. 

Many of us carry precious memories passed through generations—stories of those who stood up for what was right, who fought in wars, or who served in quiet, often unseen ways. I think of my own grandad, who shared with me his experiences of serving in the Home Guard. As he spoke, I could see the deep emotion in his eyes, a reminder of the pain and weight that many carry with them long after the conflict is over. His story is just one of many others, each person fulfilling their role in different ways, in different times, in different places. 

On this Remembrance Sunday, it is right that we pause to honour all those who have made great sacrifices, especially those who gave their lives for the sake of peace and justice. But we are also called to remember those who continue to stand up for what is right today—those who work for peace, who speak against injustice, and who strive to build a more compassionate world. 

As we reflect, I gently remind us all that we, too, are part of this story. In a world torn by conflict and division, we are called to stand up for the oppressed, to feed the hungry, to clothe the poor, and to bring peace where there is none. Above all, we are called to reflect God’s love in all we do. 

This Week’s Services

8:00am Holy Communion, All Saints

10:00am Holy Communion, St. Mary’s (shortened service ending in a procession to the Park for the Act of Remembrance)

11:00am Civic Remembrance in Park, St. Mary’s

10:45am Remembrance Parade, All Saints

7:15pm Generations, All Saints

The Week Ahead

Mon 10th Nov

10:30am – Tiny Tots, All Saints

Tue 11th Nov

10:30am – M4T, St. Marys Parish Room
11:00am – Said service at the park memorial

Weds 12th Nov

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All Saints

Thurs 13th Nov

10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s


Fri 14th Nov

7:00pm – “Christmas Choir” Practice, All Saints


Sat 15th Nov

12:00pm – 1:30pm – Saturday Lunches, St. Mary’s

Sun 16th Nov

10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s
10:30am – Holy Communion, All Saints

Blessings, 

Charlie Blackett