Dear All Saints and St Marys It has struck me in the past week that the seasonal changes that happen in autumn are much more present and with us as we approach Harvest time. The nights draw in slightly earlier and the leaves start to change to that glorious tinge of copper and amber. More than that I have been spider spotting all week – that really is the start of Autumn. I stood with Ellie and watched the delicate work of one spider this morning as it spun its web across our front gate. I’m personally not a big fan of spiders, but as we watched this small creature carefully, mathematically move around its web, slowly and precisely bringing one thread to join another and therefore make its nest and home for the day, I was struck by the wonder of these “scary” creatures. The wonder that is their work, the wonder that they are part of this incredible eco system that holds Gods world together. Both fragile, beautiful, strategic and strong all in one breath. The Harvest that the spider will create might be very different perhaps to our own (unless anyone likes the taste of fly) but as we bring goods that have come from the earth, to resource and feed we too are part of that great system of weaving our webs and creating homes and nests. As this week our thoughts and worship turn to Harvest. What a delight that we can celebrate that this year. We are worshipping this weekend in the following way THIS WEEKEND Sunday 19th September. Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity 10.30am Celebration All Age Harvest Holy Communion at All Saints -
with Revd Lizzie and the All Age Team.
This will be a service where we explore the gifts of creation together. Please bring tins of food, pasta, grains, rice so that we can distribute them to people and give to the local foodbank.
12.15am – Harvest Lunch – All Saints Hall – All Welcome – Donations/Tickets(£5/2.50)
6.30pm Sung Holy Communion at St Mary’s -
with Revd Janey leading and Revd Lizzie preaching.
Here at this week’s Roots at Home and Activity sheets.
The weekly sheets for All Saints and St Mary's, where you will find information about the coming week and also people to pray for, are at the bottom of this message.
As we look to the week ahead there is the following THE WEEK AHEAD Monday 20th 08.15 – Morning Prayer on zoom Wednesday 22nd 09.00 – Celtic Morning Prayer at All Saints Church Thursday 23rd 10.00 – Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church Sunday 26th 08.00 – Holy Communion at All Saints Church
10.00 – All Age Harvest Festival at St Mary’s Church
with Rainbows, Brownies and Guides If you are away for harvest this week – the joy of a benefice is that we can be together the following week as St Marys celebrate theirs. As we move tentatively towards Christmas and having taken into account the worship survey and tried to carefully listen to all voices across both the parishes and the benefice we will be increasing the moments and places and spaces that we can worship in.
This means that there will be a gathering at both 10am and 10.30am each Sunday at both All Saints and St Marys from October onwards. However, in this we will maintain the pattern of alternate Holy Communions at that time, and use the 8am and 6.30pm services for communions and evensong and special music worship . We will use the newly reintroduced additional 10am and 10.30am spaces that return to worship and gather in ways which are creative and community focused and prayerful. It will be a new season and in that way an important one. It will be looking at things in a different way whilst continuing to listen to God and each other as we ask how we now need to be here in this space and place able to worship and serve God. I will bring further details with the rationale about those services and worship in the coming fortnight. My ask is that we all keep praying for these parishes in this time and for all in our community. I discovered this prayer the other day which I wanted to share with you for this harvest season “He prayeth best, who loveth best All things both great and small For the dear God who loveth us He made and loveth all.” – Samuel T Coleridge. Blessings Lizzie Revd Lizzie Kesteven Vicar of All Saints Church and St Marys Church, Fishponds Interim Co Area Dean of Bristol City Deanery Advisor for Spirituality and Spiritual Direction for Bristol Diocese 0117 9650856 07973917720
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