All Saints Parish Paper 7, MARGARET STREET, LONDON W1W 8JG www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.co.uk NOVEMBER 2018 £1.00 VICAR’S LETTER The season of All Saints and All Souls, of Remembrance and the shortening of days, provides a reminder of our own mortality and the need to prepare for the end of our lives. It is an occasion to think about funerals and wills. This is something both practical and spiritual. We live in a culture which avoids talking of death. Funerals are often advertised, even in churches, as services of thanksgiving, celebrations of a life. Thanksgiving is rightly an element in any funeral service. We should give thanks for the gift from God of someone whom we have known and Allsaintstide at Margaret Street, November 2017 Photo: Andrew Prior loved as a companion on our earthly pilgrimage; memories of love In the Common Worship Funeral Mass and joy, for their good deeds, for sorrows we pray, “Heavenly Father, in your Son shared. Jesus Christ you have given us a true faith and sure hope. Strengthen this But first of all, as Christians, we give faith and hope in us all our days, that thanks for the death and resurrection of we may live as those who believe in the Christ which is the source of our hope. Thecommunion of saints, the forgiveness first of the Prayer Book Funeral Sentencesof sins and the resurrection to eternal is “I am the resurrection and the life, life...” saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; Because we believe in the forgiveness of and whosever liveth and believeth in me sins, we do not bury our dead pretending shall never die” (John 11: 25 – 26). That is that they have been without sin in this life. why the Paschal Candle burns by the coffin In the communion of saints, we pray as as it lies in church. redeemed sinners for a fellow-sinner, as we 1 trust that they and others will in turn pray funerals at All Saints know that to be true. for us. Family and friends have often said to me how touched they have been by the care We entrust them to the mercy of God, and sympathy they have found, not just praying at the Commendation, when the from the clergy but from members of the coffin has been sprinkled with holy watercongregation. as sign of their baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ, and honoured with As well as preparing our funeral service, incense which symbolises our prayers: the Prayer Book reminds us that we should put our affairs in order by making a will. Into your hands, O merciful At the very least, this will make life easier Saviour, we commend your servant... for the relatives or friends who have to deal Acknowledge, we pray, a sheep of your with our estate when we have gone. own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming, Enfold We have just been asking our people him in the arms of your mercy, in the to review their giving to the work of the blessed rest of everlasting peace and in church in this life, and we are grateful to the glorious company of the saints in those who have responded generously. light. If you haven’t quite got round to it, don’t worry, there is yet time! The sermon at a funeral should be a proclamation of the Gospel of resurrection Another of the funeral sentences says: hope. That does not mean that it should “We brought nothing into this world, make no reference to the life of the person and we can take nothing out. The Lord who has died. However, I have come to gave, and the Lord has taken away; believe that tributes by family members blessed be the name of the Lord.” (I or friends should be like the speeches at Timothy 6: 7; Job 1: 21) weddings — kept for the reception after the service. They are often much better In recent decades, All Saints has benefited greatly from the generosity of former accompanied by a glass of wine. worshippers who have made bequests in In a congregation like ours many of us their will. Their legacy is to be seen in the live far from our nearest relatives. They continuation of our work, especially the may not share our faith or be familiar with care of our extraordinary building and the our customs. Their idea of a funeral might maintenance of our musical tradition, much well be 20 minutes at the crematorium with of which would not be possible without the a recording of Frank Sinatra’s “I did it my funding they have provided. way”. If you want to have a funeral Mass at All Saints, it will help both your family The PCC has adopted a policy of encouraging people to leave bequests to and the clergy here if you have said so in the All Saints Foundation (which assists advance. The clergy are always happy to the parish in the care of our buildings) and advise on choice of music and readings. We the Choir and Music Trust. This means keep a file of people’s funeral instructions. that you can be assured that your bequest Some years ago Archbishop Rowan said will make an enduring contribution to that the Church is often seen at its best at the life of All Saints. We can give thanks a good funeral. Those who have attended for the many blessings we have received 2 here by helping to ensure that they will be congratulations also to Assistant Director available for others in the future. Details of Music Jeremiah Stephenson on of the Trusts are available on the Church recently achieving the Licentiate of the table or from the Parish Office. Royal Academy of Music (LRAM) in Yours in Christ, recognition of his one-to-one instrumental teaching skills. Alan Moses MAKING MISSION WORK! PEOPLE David Craig reports on the USPG Baptism: Vahagn Jacka was baptised at Festival held at All Saints on Saturday 22 High Mass on Sunday 23 September. September: Confirmation: Satomi Horiuchi and After a period when it seemed to have Joshua Dolphin were amongst a group little idea of its purpose or any future with others from the Annunciation, programme, USPG nowUnited Society Marble Arch, who were confirmedPartners by in the Gospel has returned to the Bishop Stephen Platten at All Saintslife on of the27 Anglican Church with a vitality September. which enthused an audience of former staff, retired missionaries and current Holy Matrimony: Alice Dickerson supporters. For the second year, All Saints and Kiran Nagandran were married on hosted the annual gathering, the church Saturday 29 September. We wish the new providing a warm welcome as well as the Mr and Mrs Nagandran a long and happy right atmosphere for liturgy, presentations married life. and celebration which have always been Institution: Fr Jeremy Tayler, one of our the hallmarks of such events. ordinands, and until this month curate of One year ago a new General Secretary St John’s Wood Church, was instituted and was introduced. Duncan Dormer, dean inducted as Rector of St Mary’s, Henley on of Chapel at St John’s College with an Thames, on Monday 24 September. The impressive CV. He held responsible Vicar joined a coach party from St John’s posts both in the academic and ecclesial Wood to support him. worlds and authorship of books, chapters Birthday Celebrations: The happy and and articles on a variety of relevant, laudable custom of providing wine after contemporary theological issues. Here High Mass on Sundays to mark birthdayswas a CEO with a very different history. and anniversaries continues. Over the past His enthusiasm, accessibility and common few weeks we have celebrated the birthdays sense appealed to his audience who left of Keith Postance, David Parrott, Juliet with the sense that the venerable society Windham, Ian Marsh and Joanna Moses had embarked on a new and exciting (combined with her mother’s name day). chapter. Congratulations to Hilary Rodger September 2018 revealed how much on being made a Freeman of the Guild progress had been made in just a single year. of Nursing. She joins another of ourUSPG had reinvigorated itself!A temporary parishioners, Anne Flanagan. And move to offices in Mary Sumner House in 3 preparation for taking over a purpose-built creative initiatives in mission theology to property in Southwark providing a future develop and deepen contextual and inter- income strand suggested a new confidence cultural thinking across the Anglican and awareness of fundraising. A powerful Communion. presentation on the Society’s project: 3 Energise churches and communities ‘Standing in Solidarity with the Philippines’ to proclaim a holistic Gospel where revealed how, pursuit of profit mining proclamation is accompanied by action. exploitation has exacerbated environmental degredation, socio-economic inequality and 4 Strengthen the capacity to enliven faith, above all violated the human rights of the deepen relationships and work for justice indigenous Lumad peoples. Church leaders at every level of church life. have been imprisoned because, in support of Summing it all up Duncan ended: their people, they have demonstrated against such exploitation. Here was an example l We are Faithful to the call of Christ and of partnership, where, working with the to a 300+ year long history of serving churches in mission. indigenous churches (the Iglesia Filiina Independiente and the Episcopal Church lof We are Radical in response to the the Philippines) USPG challenges churches challenge of working for the Kingdom of not only to pray for the Filipinos but to God.