Tag: jesus

Week beginning Sunday 4th May 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

BBQs on the Beach

One of my enduring memories as a teenager was being part of a youth pilgrimage to Whitby. After a 70 mile week of walking, we awoke early in the morning at Whitby and made our way to the beach. There a group of 30 young pilgrims and their leaders celebrated communion and had a BBQ on the beach for breakfast. Every time I read John 21, the gospel for this Sunday, and hear how Jesus meets his disciples on the shore of Lake Galilee for a resurrection fish breakfast, I remember this faith moment. We had all been changed by our weeks walking together, tired from our journeying but full of hope for what might be next. May we know and notice this Eastertide the changes that God brings about in our lives, as we pilgrimage together in this season.

Our worship this Sunday 4th May

10am – Creative Church – St Mary’s

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

6.30pm – Evensong – St Mary’s

Plenty of times to join together this weekend, with the Fishponds Arts Trail, Repair cafe and Saturday lunches. The All Saints fair is in a fortnight on Sat 17th May. 

The Week Ahead

Monday 5th May

10.30am Tiny Tots – All Saints
Tuesday 6th May

10:30am – M4T – St Mary’s
Wednesday 7th May

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints
Thursday 8th May

10:00am – Holy Communion – St. Mary’s
Friday 9th May

12.30pm – Concert – St Mary’s
Saturday 10th May

12.00 – 2:00pm – Saturday Lunches – St Mary’s
Sunday 11th May

8.00am – Holy Communion – All Saints
10:00am – Holy Communion– St Mary’s
10:30am – Muddy Messy Church
11.30am – All Saints APCM
7.15pm – Generations – All Saints

Blessings

Revd Lizzie

Week beginning Sunday 27th April 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

It’s that wonderful time of year when Spring feels really tangible. After the cold and dark of winter we start to see sunshine and colour everywhere. The days are longer and brighter, and you can smell the new fragrances of Spring in the air.

We are celebrating Christ’s  resurrection, the event that remade us as Easter people, a rebirth-the spring-of our own lives of faith. It is appropriate that we are doing so this coming Sunday in a Joint Benefice Service at St Marys to celebrate as a whole church community. Like Spring, this is a wonderful time, but also one of promise. Nature  does not stay permanently in Spring. 

Spring  is beautiful, but part of that beauty is its transitory nature. Christ’s resurrection is our spiritual spring, but then it becomes the spiritual summer with his ascending to be once more with God and the gifting of the Holy Spirit. Our own spiritual spring leads onto our spiritual summer where  we grow and develop, 

Thomas, aka Doubting Thomas, represents an important part of this faith journey. He is not reprimanded for his question. Instead, Jesus responds and provides the answer he seeks. And he continues to do so when we also ask questions. God does not force blind, unexplored faith. Our journeys with faith are unique and are all the richer for their questions, their times of doubt and reflection. God welcomes our most honest and heartfelt questions and will provide an answer-even if it is not immediately or not in the way we expect. Thomas is our example, so instead of Doubting Thomas he can be Bold Thomas, Thoughtful Thomas, even Faithful Thomas.

Amen

This Sunday 27th April (Second Sunday of Easter)

8.00am Holy Communion – All Saints

10.00am Joint Benefice Service Holy Communion – St. Marys NB. NO 10.30am service at All Saints

The Week Ahead

Monday 28th April

Tiny Tots – 10.30am All Saints Community Hall

Beavers – 6.15pm. All Saints Community Hall

Wednesday 30th April 

Celtic Morning Prayers – 9.00am.    All Saints Church

Thursday 1st May

Holy Communion – 10.00am. St. Mary’s Church

Cubs – 6.30pm.   All Saints Community Hall

Scouts – 8.00pm. All Saints Community Hall

Friday 2nd May

Living after Loss – 11am to 12noon. St. Mary’s Church

Saturday 3rd May.       

Coffee Morning  & Repair Café – 10am to 12noon.   All Saints Church

Saturday Lunches – 12noon to 1.30pm. Please note the change of time

Next Sunday 4th May (Third Sunday of Easter)

10.00am             Creative Church – St. Mary’s

10.30am.            Holy Communion – All Saints

6.30                    Evensong – 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

Week beginning Sunday 20th April 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

Happy Easter- when it comes!

For most of the last week, I have greeted people with a “Happy Easter” with the caveat….”when it comes”.  Not knowing if I will see that person again before the “Big Day” it seems the right greeting. And we are still in that paused moment, when Easter has not yet arrived, but it is very very near. 

Easter, when it comes, is the moment that Christians believe changed the world absolutely and forever. Having walked the road of Lent and Holy week, of foot washing, agape meals, silence and Good Friday we are now almost at that time. A time when around the world in all shapes and sizes people will gather and sing and say “Alleluia – Christ is Risen”. A statement of faith and truth for Christians. 

So may I also wish you a Happy Easter here, in the hope of seeing you and being with you to celebrate this over the coming weekend. 

EASTER SERVICES – 19th and 20th APRIL

7.30pm – SATURDAY NIGHT – 19th APRIL – Easter Vigil, Fire and First Holy Communion. – St Mary’s

10am – SUNDAY AM – 20th APRIL- All Age Holy Communion – St Mary’s

10.30 – SUNDAY AM – 20th APRIL- All Age Holy Communion – All Saints

6.30pm – SUNDAY EVE – 20th APRIL – Easter Choral Evensong – St Mary’s

Blessings and Happy Easter

Revd Lizzie. 

Week beginning Sunday 13th April 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

Palms – Hands, Branches and Donkeys

Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end (or so some say). This week, Palm Sunday arguably marks all three. It is an ending of Lent. A beginning of Holy Week. And it marks an interjection in the midst between the two.  A day of remembering, retelling, taking part in the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. A day which marks the beginning but also draws us to the ending . A week which sees processions, fickle crowds, rowdy temples, unjust trials, eating, sleeping, praying, dying and rising. It is the story which for Christians holds profound truth about who God is and how God acts. May we all be invited into this Holiest of weeks together.

This Sunday our worship allows us to open the palms of our own hands to receive God with the palm branches as we re discover again this life giving story.

PALM SUNDAY – Sunday 13th April

8am – Holy Communion – All Saints

10am – Sung Palm Sunday Holy Communion Service- St Marys

10.30 – Palm Procession Service – All Saints

7.15 – Generations Youth Group – All Saints

The week ahead

Tuesday 15th

11am – Pat Jones Funeral – All Saints

6.30pm – Holy Communion – All Saints

Wednesday 16th

9am – Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints

6.30pm – Taize – All Saints

Thursday 17th

10.30 – Chrism Mass – Bristol Cathedral

6.30pm – Agape – All Saints

7.30pm – Maundy Thursday Holy Communion – St Marys

Friday 18th

10.30 – Good Friday Children’s Activities – All Saints

1.30pm – Liturgy of Good Friday – St Marys

2pm – Last Hour – All Saints

Saturday 19th

12-1.30pm – Sat Lunches

 7.30pm – Easter Eve Holy Fire, Vigil and First Communion of Easter – St Marys

Sunday 20th

10am – Easter Sunday Holy Communion – St Marys

10.30am – Easter Sunday Holy Communion – All Saints

6.30pm – Easter Choral Evensong – St Marys.

Oh….and a interesting poem I discovered this week to ponder about a Donkey by GK Chesterton ( because…why not on Palm Sunday)

When fishes flew and forests walked
   And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
   Then surely I was born.
With monstrous head and sickening cry
   And ears like errant wings,
The devil’s walking parody
   On all four-footed things.
The tattered outlaw of the earth,
   Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
   I keep my secret still.
Fools! For I also had my hour;
   One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
   And palms before my feet.

God Bless

Revd Lizzie

Week beginning Sunday 23rd February 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

In the church’s year, we have now left the season of Epiphany, and Lent is rapidly approaching. Lent has traditionally been used as a time for reflection and self-examination. It is a time when we can consider our relationship with God: where it is and where it might be going. It is a time to reflect again on what God is calling us to. It is a time to examine whether we have wandered from the path of Christ and how we can follow it more closely.

This year, at All Saints and St Mary’s, we will be using the book Searched me out and known me by Charlie Bell to help us in our reflections. The book uses a psalm, along with the gospel reading set in the lectionary, to consider the themes of Lent and Holy Week. It starts on Ash Wednesday and continues with each of the Sundays in Lent and each of the days from Palm Sunday to Easter Day. For each of these days, there is a psalm, the gospel reading of the day, a reflection, and some questions for thought or discussion. The material can be used by individuals, but it is more helpful to use it in groups.

We will be running two lent groups. One will be on a Monday evening at our house. The other will be on Wednesday afternoon in St Mary’s parish rooms. They will start with the Ash Wednesday material on Monday 3rd March and Wednesday 5th March, respectively. If you would like to find out more, please contact Kester or me. Lizzie has purchased some copies of the book. In addition, it is available from various online retailers, including Eden and Amazon.

This Sunday, the lectionary is still with the general theme of who Jesus is, with the story of the calming of the storm. We will be looking at this in our Holy Communion services at 8.00 am at All Saints and at 10.00 am at St Mary’s. At 10.30 am at All Saints, we have Café Church, where we will be continuing our journey through Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome. This month the theme is Peace. We will be thinking about God’s love for us and how we can know peace with him. Then we will reflect on how this can make us more resilient during tough times.

This gives the following services for Sunday 23rd February:

8.00 amAll SaintsHoly Communion (said)
10.00 amSt Mary’sHoly Communion
10.30 amAll SaintsCafé Church

We have our normal midweek services with Celtic Morning Prayer on Wednesday at All Saints and Holy Communion on Thursday at St Mary’s. Then on Sunday 2nd March we have our normal first Sunday pattern with Creative Church at St Mary’s and Holy Communion at All Saints. In the evening, there is Evensong at St Mary’s.

This gives the following services for the coming week:

Wednesday 26th February9.00 amAll SaintsCeltic morning prayer
Thursday 27th February10.00 amSt Mary’sHoly Communion
Sunday 2nd March10.00 amSt Mary’sCreative Church
 10.30 amAll SaintsCafé Church
 6.30 pmSt Mary’sEvensong

One future date for your diaries is the World Day of Prayer on Friday 7th March at 2.00 pm in All Saints. This year’s theme is “I made you wonderful” and is based on material from the Cook Islands.

As we look forward to getting a clearer vision of God and for his plans for us and the world, let us pray that Lent may be a time of growth, discernment, and vision, so we may come to Easter in the joy of the resurrection and the triumph of Christ over sin and death.

Yours in Christ.

Mark

Week beginning Sunday 16th February 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

Waiting on the Waiting

The middle of February brings us into a betwixt and between time. The days are still cold, yet they are also noticeably longer and lighter. We are moving away from winter, but spring is not quite here. There are glimpses of what is to come, and yet it feels as if we are still in the thick of it.

Easter, the ever-moveable Calander feast comes as late as possible in 2025, and so that gives a rare opportunity of a three-week gap before Lent even begins. It feels a bit like the waiting room, before the waiting room. Or the departure area, that isn’t quite yet the actual departure area. What possible purpose could this extra waiting space bring? 

I want to rush through it…to not consider its importance or notice its possible usefulness. Yet, perhaps it is a time to slow the steps down and not race through the year wishing it away – getting to of 2025 and looking back saying “Where did the year go?”  These three weeks before Lent can be a blessing, a time of not requiring more from me than the attention to just the space it brings. So it is not a drag, or a bind to reach March – but the move from the speed of a sprint, into a steady jog, so that we can walk more easily into the year, and on the way hear more clearly God’s call on our lives. 

This Sunday 16th February

10am – Sung Holy Communion – St Mary’s

10.30 – Holy Communion with Hymns – All Saints

The Week Ahead

Monday 17th

No Tiny Tots – Half term!

Tuesday 18th

No Music for Toddlers – as its half term! 

Wednesday 19th

9:00am – Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints 

Thursday 20th

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

Saturday 22nd

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

Sunday 23rd

8.00am – Holy Communion – All Saints 

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

10.30am Cafe Church – All Saints 

Blessings and peace to you all.

Revd Lizzie

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 5th January 2025

On By Sam ToogoodIn Weekly Info

Epiphany

I am very fond of the season of Epiphany which comes straight after Christmas. I have pondered why this is and have come up with three reasons “I love Epiphany”

1) It feels like you get all the joy of Christmas with a little less of the stress! 

2) Its just a lovely word to say, with all the lovely “ph” sounds it rolls off the tongue!

3) It connects us deeply to our Eastern Christian Heritage that has so many riches.

So this week, we begin our Epiphany journey, as the church begins to grapple with and wonder at the God who is made manifest, real, visible in the baby of the manger. As the Magi make their appearance, having travelled far and for so long. As we learn of the tyranny of rulers and the burden of being a refugee. I invite us all to enjoy deeply this Epiphany season, so that it might bring us healing, perspective and joy.

This Sunday 5th January our worship is as follows

10am – Creative Church – Theme “East” – St Marys

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

6.30pm – Sung Holy Communion for Epiphany – St Marys

THE WEEK AHEAD

Weds 8th Jan  

9:00am –  Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints 

Thursday 9th Jan

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

Friday 10th Jan

1:00pm – 2:00pm – Lunchtime Concert – Kookie Yukes – St Marys

Saturday 11th Jan

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

Sunday 12th Jan        

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

Epiphany Collect to ponder – till we see each other

O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: mercifully grant that we, who know you now by faith, may at last behold your glory face to face; 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

Blessings for 2025

Revd Lizzie