Tag: god

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 4th January 2026

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

This Sunday we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, or as the 1662 Prayer Book puts it, the Manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles. This name is used to emphasise that, right from the start, the the gospel tells us that Jesus is for all people. Many artists took up  this theme by depicting Jesus’ visitors coming from the three extremes of the known world. One was from Europe, one from Asia or Arabia and one was from Sub-Saharan Africa. Although this is a contradiction to the actual Biblical text, which says that they came from “the east”, it reminded people that Jesus came for everyone, including those that did not look like them, think like them or behave like them.

Historically, the Church of England in Bristol does not have a good record, when it comes to welcoming people who are different. Today, we need to make sure that we extend the love of God to all, whatever their circumstances or background. Differences of race, social class, disability and sexuality should not come between us. As Paul put it in his letter to the church in Galatia, “There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 NRSVue).

This Sunday we will have an opportunity to think a little more about Epiphany and its meaning at the 10:30 am Holy Communion at All Saints and the 6:30 pm Evensong at St Mary’s. In the morning at St Mary’s, there is creative church. This gives the following services for this Sunday, 4th January:

10:00 amSt Mary’sCreative Church
10:30 amAll SaintsHoly Communion
  6:30 pmSt Mary’sEvensong for Epiphany

This week we have our normal pattern of services with Celtic Morning Prayer on Wednesday at All Saints and Holy Communion at St Mary’s on Thursday. Next Sunday has our normal services for the second Sunday of the month with Messy/Muddy church at All Saints and Holy Communion at St Mary’s.

Wednesday 7th9.00 am All SaintsCeltic Morning Prayer
Thursday 8th10:00 am St Mary’sHoly Communion
Sunday 11th8:00 am All SaintsHolly Communion (said)

 		10:00 am St Mary’sHoly Communion

 		10:30 am All SaintsMessy/Muddy Church


Wishing you a happy New Year. May God bless you and all you do in 2026.

Yours in Christ

Mark

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 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

Week beginning Sunday 19th October 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info
The Roman gates of Nicea.

This year is the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea. At this council, The Emperor Constantine gathered all the wise and the great in the church to resolve some questions that had been dividing the church. Christianity is a religion centred on the story of God’s relationship with human beings. That story started in the Old Testament and continues to this day. At the heart of the story is the story of Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection.

Living out this story, some questions arose. Is God the Father the same as the creator God of the Old Testament? Is Jesus a god, a human or somehow both? If Jesus is in some way a god, are there two gods or one? If there is one God, how is Jesus connected with God the Father? And what do we think about the Holy Spirit, the church, baptism, and resurrection? The answers to these questions have surprising consequences. They affect our attitudes to creation, to human suffering and to community, among other things.

The answers to the questions of the day were summarised in a document that was agreed by representatives of all the churches. This was updated in fifty-six years later in the Council of Constantinople to produce what we know as the Nicene creed. This statement of the Christian faith is still accepted by almost all of those who call themselves Christian.

In honour of this anniversary, we have decided to think about the creed in our Café Church services at All Saints. After a general introduction in October, we will work our way through the creed. We will reflect on what it says and how that makes a difference to our faith and in our lives. All are welcome to our first session on October 26th.

Before then, this Sunday, we have our normal pattern of service for a third Sunday. In addition, there is a memorial service at St Mary’s in the afternoon, “A Time to Remember”.

10.00 amSt Mary’sHoly Communion
10.30 amAll SaintsHoly Communion
3.00 pmSt Mary’sA Time to Remember

The services for the coming week are as follows: 

Wednesday 22nd9.00 amAll SaintsCeltic morning prayer
Thursday 23rd10.00 amSt Mary’sHoly Communion
Sunday 26th 8.00 amAll SaintsHoly Communion (said)
 10.00 amSt Mary’sHoly Communion
 10.30 am All SaintsCafé Church

Your brother in Christ

Mark

Week beginning Sunday 12th October 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info
Everyone is Welcome
Photo by Katie Moum on Unsplash

I am very fond of the signs that have the word Welcome on their doors, especially the ones that have it in multiple languages. The world Welcome comes from two words – “Wil” which means “desired” and “Cuma” which means “Guest”. Its a rather lovely way to think about the word – to desire a guest. To wish for company. 

At both All Saints and St Mary’s we welcome people in all sorts of different ways, and to many different things – worship, concerts, groups, cafes. To extend a welcome to a whole community is something that is core to the values of the Church of England, which has a parish in every part of the country.  Part of our DNA is that everyone in a parish immediately belongs and that we are all welcome, regardless of creed, colour, sex or sexuality. It also means that all are welcome regardless of ability, intellect, wealth or skill. We don’t earn our parish – we simply are born, work, or live in it – we belong because we are here. 

As both churches, we are looking at ways in which we can live out this welcome, whether that is through open churches, better access or more creative invitations, it is good to believe, trust in and know that Jesus is the person who teaches us and models for us a radical welcome. May we be parish churches who trust in that welcome that is extended to us all.

All Saints welcomes our furry (and not so furry) friends ,to worship tomorrow for the Pet Service at 10.30 – do bring along your pet, or if not, a cuddly toy as we look at place of animals in our lives. St Mary’s focus will be on raising awareness of disability and how we can make a difference here in this place with our welcome.

WORSHIP SUNDAY 12th OCTOBER

8:00am – Holy Communion, All Saints

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

10:30am – Pet Service, All Saints

 7:15pm – Generations, The Wood

THE WEEK AHEAD

Mon 13th Oct

10:30am – Tiny Tots, All Saints

Tue 14th Oct

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

Weds 15th Oct

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All Saints

2:00pm – Bible Book Club, St. Mary’s

Thurs 16th Oct

10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s

Fri 17th Oct

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

Sat 18th Oct

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

Sun 19th Oct

10:00am – Sung Service of the Word, St. Mary’s

10:30am – Holy Communion, All Saints

3pm – A Time to remember – St Mary’s

Blessings

Revd Lizzie

Week beginning Sunday 5th October 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

How do we live well in a world that marks many different life defining moments, almost simultaneously? The last 48 hours has brought us the news and horror of an attack on a synagogue during the Jewish festival of Yom Kippur. The news has also brought again a week of witnessing to continued bombing of Gaza and the subsequent loss of life. It has also been a week when a cure for Huntington’s Disease is seemingly possible, and one when the Church of England has made a historic appointment of the first woman to be the Archbishop of Canterbury.  There are things to mourn, times to weep and yet also things of thanksgiving and wonder and celebration. Is it okay to celebrate one thing at the same time as feeling aggrieved in prayer at another? How do we square that? Should we even try to make sense of it? Can we find genuine joy in one thing when it sits alongside tragedy in another? 

Today, the 4th October, is the day the church remembers St Francis of Assisi. A Saint whose story filled both extremes of wealth and chosen poverty. He may not have been aware in the 12th century of global news from around the world, but he did experience the extremes of both sorrow and joy. One of the striking things about Francis is perhaps once he had made his choice about how he was going to follow God, he appeared to have made peace with that decision, and in that he became a man of peace. A gentle, simple appreciative life was lived in the service of others and the created world. It was his intentional living in this way that perhaps gave rise to some of his more famous moments of compassion. No doubt he continued to have the same human responses of anger and injustice as others around him at what he saw and experienced. Yet he practiced peace. And for that I am truly grateful.

SERVICES THIS SUNDAY 5th OCTOBER

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

10:30am – All Saints – Harvest Festival Holy Communion Celebration with Band and Junior Church and Harvest Lunch

6:30am – St Mary’s – Choral Evensong for Dedication

THE WEEK AHEAD

Mon 6th Oct

10:30am – Tiny Tots, All Saints

Tue 7th Oct

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

Weds 8th Oct

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All Saints

Thurs 9th Oct

10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s

Sat 11th Oct

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

Sun 12th Oct

8:00am – Holy Communion, All Saints

10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s

10:30am – Pet Service, All Saints

7:15pm – Generations, The Wood

Peace.

Revd Lizzie

Week beginning Sunday 28th September 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

Dear Friends in Christ,

Since I moved to Fishponds 2 years ago, I’ve spent a lot of time walking around the area. It’s sometimes chaotic diversity can be refreshing, exciting, sometimes challenging, but never dull! 

What strikes me within the diversity are the contrasts. Perhaps the starkest is between those who can afford to use the artisan and independent cafes and shops and those who sit on the streets begging.  These are the visible ones. Many more are just about scraping by unnoticed.

Of course, other places are even more stark in contrast. I visited Sao Paulo in Brazil and there the contrast between the uber wealthy and the destitute is shocking. 

Our Gospel warns us of stocking up earthly treasure at the cost of our spiritual lives, our connection with God – the transient vs the eternal. Yet it’s not telling us to hate the things of the world, but to have the right relationship with them. Being totally consumed with the modern consumerist world is a way of life that will never be fully satisfying as it’s never ending. But we mustn’t become so holier than thou that we fail to see the real need that so many have for the means to live and thrive.

Instead, Jesus is teaching us to not make money and stuff our God, but to keep God at the centre of our lives. These other things are an undeniable and vital part of life, but they are not its fullest answer. The tension of this is real, but God gives us the way to navigate it as long as we constantly lean into and on him.

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

This Sunday – 28th September (15th after Trinity)

8:00am Holy Communion, All Saints

10:00am Harvest Festival Communion, St. Mary’s

10:30am Cafe Church, All Saints

The Week Ahead

Monday 29th Sept

10:30am – Tiny Tots, All Saints

Tuesday 30th Sept

10:30am – M4T, St Mary’s

Wednesday 1st Oct

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer, All Saints

Thursday 2nd Oct

10:00am – Holy Communion, St. Mary’s

Friday 3rd Oct

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

Saturday 4th Oct

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

11:00am – Harvest in the Wood

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

7:00pm – Barn Dance, All Saints

Sunday 5th Oct 

10:00am – Creative Church, St. Mary’s

10:30am – Holy Communion, All Saints

10:30am – Junior Church, All Saints

6:30pm – Choral Evensong, St. Mary’s