Tag: comingup

Week beginning Sunday 2nd February 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

This Sunday we begin our Candlemas celebrations. A pivot point between Christmas and the beginnings of Lent. In the gospel story from Luke, we hear how Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple to be “presented”. A ritual of thanksgiving for a new child and also what was the re-entry into society for a mother. It is a delicate, vulnerable and yet heart warming pilgrimage that they make. At one point Mary hands over the baby Jesus to Simeon, an ancient priest who had been waiting for that moment all of his life – to hold the Saviour of the World in his arms. We all have to delicately hand over precious people at times in our lives. With hearts in our mouth that we hope that the person receiving them will not drop them (always my fear with babies!) and to entrust to others the care of our most dear and loved ones. It happens at baptisms, weddings and funerals. It happens at the school gate, the work door and thresholds to nursing homes. We do so always in trust – that like Jesus,  that they will be received, blessed, adored and recognised for who they are. It is a source of trust that needs a lighted path, and so as we begin our Candlemas festivities come to church to have your own candles blessed, to hear the good news and to trust that the God holds us tightly in love and care.

This Sunday’s Services – 2nd February 2025

10.00am – Creative Church – St Mary’s – (Theme is Scripture)

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

6.30pm – Choral Candlemas Evensong – St Mary’s.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Monday 3rd Feb

10:30am – Tiny Tots – All Saints

Tuesday 4th Feb

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

Wednesday 5th Feb

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer   All Saints 

Thursday 6th Feb

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

Saturday 8th Feb

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

Sunday 9th Feb

8:00am – Holy Communion – All Saints

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

10:30am – Muddy Church – All Saints 

7:15pm – Generations – All Saints Link 

With my prayers and blessings to you all.

Revd Lizzie

Week beginning Sunday 26th January 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

If you only heard one word from the mouth of Jesus, what might that be?  ‘Love’.  ‘God’.  No, I suggest that the key word Jesus speaks to us today (as he did 2000 years ago to the first disciples) is ‘now’!

When should I do good?  Now!  How often should I forgive my brother?  Actually, the number does not matter.  What matters is: now!  If you pass the person who has been beaten up in the street (while the priest and the Levite pass by on the other side), when is the best time to help?  Now!

St Paul captures this in a wonderful verse on 2 Corinthians.  First God says to us: “at an acceptable time, I have listened to you; on the day of salvation, I have helped you”.  In other words, God hears us NOW – as soon as we pray.  God does not delay – God’s help may not be what we expected, nor what we thought we want; but there is no delay.

Martin Luther was asked: what would he do if the world were to end tomorrow?  He answered, “I would plant an apple tree today.”  Now!  There is a Greek proverb which says: a society grows great when old people plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.  There is value in doing something today – even if the benefits will not be manifest till many years later.

So, perhaps it is not surprising that the key moment in this week’s Gospel reading is when Jesus says “now”!  “I am now.  God’s promises are now – in me, by me, with me.”  And that ‘now’ continues up to today.  God’s actions are not merely found in the past.  God acts today – in us, by us, with us.

This Sunday 26th January the services at church are as follows

8am – Holy Communion  – All Saints

10am – Sung Holy Communion – St Mary’s

10.30am – Cafe Church – All Saints

(Cafe Church is a open and informal space which begins with coffee/tea and breakfast that enables worship with space for discussion and reflection with others.  We are currently looking at the Book of Romans together and is good way to get to know people and learn together about the Christian faith)
 

THE WEEK AHEAD 

Monday 27th Jan

10.30am – Tiny Tots – All Saints Church Hall 

Tuesday 28th Jan

10.30 am – Music for Toddlers – St Mary’s 

Wednesday 29th Jan

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints 

Thursday 30th Jan

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

Saturday 1st Feb

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

12.00 – 2:00pm – Saturday Lunches  – St Mary’s 

3pm  – Queer/Open Tango – All Saints  

Sunday 2nd Feb       

10:00am – Creative Church – St Mary’s 

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

6:30pm – Candlemas Choral Evensong – St. Mary’s

Revd Bob Cotton

Week beginning Sunday 19th January 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

This Sunday, we reach the centre point of the Epiphany season. It is a season when we remember the way Jesus was revealed to the world. This week we reach what John refers to as the first of Jesus’ signs. Yet all our readings through Epiphany are signs that point to Jesus. The gifts of the magi, the Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism, the power of Jesus’ miracles, his fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies and his presentation at Temple all show facets of who Jesus is and why we can put our trust in him.

Our opening hymn at St Mary’s this Sunday gives a summary of this revelation or “manifestation”. Starting at Jesus’ birth, we sing of the events that we hear about in the Epiphany readings. Yet the hymn asks for more than just “Songs of thankfulness and praise”. It prays that we may learn more of Christ from the bible and that we grow to be more like him in all we say, do and are. 

This Sunday morning, we have chances to reflect on these themes with Holy Communion at St Mary’s at 10.00 and at All Saints at 10.30. In the evening, there is the Epiphany carol service at St Mary’s at 6.30. This gives the following services for this Sunday 19th January:

10.00 amSt Mary’sHoly Communion
10.30 amAll SaintsHoly Communion
6.30 pmSt Mary’sEpiphany carols

During the week, we have our normal midweek services with Celtic Morning Prayer at All Saints on Wednesday at 9.00 am and Holy Communion at St Mary’s on Thursday at 10.00 am.

Next week follows our normal fourth Sunday pattern, with Holy Communion at All Saints at 8.00 am and at St Mary’s at 10.00 am. At 10.30 am at All Saints we have our café church, where we will be continuing our look at Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. This week’s theme is salvation, which Paul writes about in chapters 3 and 4.

This gives the following Services for the coming week:

Wednesday 22nd9.00 amAll SaintsCeltic morning prayer
Thursday 23rd10.00 amSt Mary’sHoly Communion
Sunday 26th8.00 amAll SaintsHoly Communion (said)
 10.00 amSt Mary’sHoly Communion
 10.30 amAll SaintsCafé Church

So, as we start a new week, let us pray that we can see that revelation of Christ and follow in his way, using the words of Christopher Wordsworth’s hymn:

Grant us grace to see thee, Lord,
Mirrored in thy holy word.
May we imitate thee now,
And be pure, as pure art thou.
That we like to thee may be
At thy great Epiphany,
And may praise thee, ever blest,
God in Man made manifest.

Yours in Christ

Mark

Week beginning Sunday 22nd December 2024

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

This week we celebrate the last Sunday of Advent and that leads us into the full wonder of Christmas. The readings take on the focus of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her magnificent song which declares the reshaping of God’s world, and how we are all invited to be drawn closer to the crib of creation. God’s story unfolds in the most unassuming and unexpected people. As Rachel Mann , theologian, remarks

“God calls the unlikely, and Mary joins a long line of those who will take their place in God’s wondrous work of transformation.’

A peasant girl who gives birth to a peasant king. 

Gods call is universal, one for all people. It is the message of hope that kindles its place in the soul of humanity. It is the great triumph of truth, love and hope and one that the world craves to hear and that we wonder at as we sit with candles, sing with carols and relearn again how God intends the world to be. 

It is the way of community, it is the message of the church, it is our hope. So come and celebrate with us in the multiple different services to listen again to the word made flesh, a song of humanity. A song of joy.

WORSHIP THIS WEEK

SUNDAY – 22nd DECEMBER

8am – BCP Holy Communion – All Saints

10am – Sung Holy Communion – St Marys

10.30am – Holy Communion with Hymns – All Saints

6.30pm – Carols by Candlelight – St Marys

CHRISTMAS EVE – 24th December

4pm- Family Carols and Christingle – St Marys

7.30pm – Carols by Candlelight – All Saints

11.30pm – Midnight Mass – St Marys

CHRISTMAS DAY – 25th December

10am – All Age Family Communion – St Marys

10.30 – All Age Family Communion – All Saints

Next Week

Sunday 29th December – BENEFICE SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION – ALL SAINTS

Blessings this Christmas.

Revd Lizzie

St Mary’s Flower Festival: 5th – 8th September 2019

On By Sam ToogoodIn eventsLeave a comment

After a long period in abeyance, the St Mary’s Flower Festival is back! The theme for this event is ‘The Church Year’, and St Mary’s will be filled with floral displays. The church will be open at the following times:

Thursday 5th 11.00am – 4.00pm

Friday 6th 10.00am – 4.00pm

Saturday 7th 10.00am – 4.00pm with lots of things to do for all ages.

Sunday 8th is our Patronal Festival, and there will be special services at 10am and 4pm, led by Revd Brian Curnew, our former vicar. The church will be open between these services.

Entrance to the festival will by programme, at a cost of £5. The event is in aid of the organ appeal. For more details of the organ appeal and to donate, see here.

A flyer for this event is available here