ST MICHAEL’S, AND ALL SAINTS, HIGHGATE PARISH MAGAZINE January/February 2013 From the vicar and priest-in-charge ‘I don’t believe as much as I used to, but what I do believe I believe with more conviction.’ first heard these words, or something very close to may disappoint us. It is perfectly possible for Christian them, almost exactly thirty years ago. It was in the people to hold very different opinions about issues such I study of the then Bishop of Edmonton, the Rt Rev’d as gay marriage and women bishops; once we accept Bill Westwood, who was interviewing me to see whether he that the area of complete certainty and unanimity is would allow me to serve my curacy at Enfield Parish restricted to a relatively small circle of central doc- Church. He said a great deal else no doubt, but this is the trines, we shouldn’t be surprised about disagreements bit that has remained with me. Perhaps he discerned in me elsewhere, though we might hope that the debates the typical strengths and weaknesses of an ordinand from the should proceed in charity. (They don’t always.) evangelical tradition: lots of fervour and enthusiasm for the gospel combined with a tendency to be certain about all It could be very easy to lose patience both with the sorts of issues—perhaps indeed a little too certain about Church as a whole and with the Church of England in most issues. particular. Plenty of people have prophesied the decline and fall of an institution that seems to be losing the bat- Although I think at the time I rather brushed them aside, the tle against secularism, and whose members seem to be Bishop’s words were prophetic, at least in so far as how declining in numbers in many part so the country things have turned out with me. Perhaps my time amongst (although not in London). My response is a simple one: the intelligentsia of Highgate (which now represents well When did the Lord ever tell us that his disciples would over half of my ministry) has played a part in this, but I have become a majority? (He didn’t: Mt 7:14.) Was there to say that while my conviction of the truth of the central ever a time when there weren’t vehement disagree- claims of the New Testament about God’s nature and his ments in the life of the Church? (If there was such a saving love revealed in the birth, life, ministry, death and time, the New Testament period was not it: Acts 6:1, resurrection of Jesus Christ and the gift of his Spirit to his Galatians 2:11.) But above all, will the weakness, ti- people is as strong as it has ever been, I am far less certain midity and division of the church frustrate the loving than I used to be about all sorts of other things. purposes of God? (They won’t: 2 Cor. 4). This has been my starting point in reacting both to the Gen- So at the beginning of a new year, a reminder that divi- eral Synod’s failure to pass the motion about women bishops sion and weakness in the church is no reason whatsoever by a sufficient majority, and to the distress this has caused to for a Christian to lose heart. members of both of our congregations. It is well known Jonathan Trigg that some Anglicans would refuse to support any change for which the full authority of the Church Catholic (i.e. of Rome) has been given. It is equally well known that others would want to find a mandate in Holy Scripture for every decision on this and other contested issues. The difficulty is that perhaps Scripture was never meant to be a text book to give answers on every issue; rather its purpose as a Christian sees it is to bear witness to God revealed in Jesus Christ. If there are no hard and fast ways of arriving at a clear verdict on the rightness or wrongness of a decision we have the dis- comfort—and challenge—of seeking a way forward where certainty and knockdown proofs aren’t available. From this point of view, disagreements in the life of the church should not surprise us, even though some of them SERVICES AT ST MICHAEL’S Services are modern language (Common Worship) except where indicated as BCP (Book of Common Prayer). SUNDAY 10th NEXT BEFORE LENT JANUARY 2013 8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) 9.45am Morning Prayer 2 Corinthians 3.12 - 4.2; Luke 9.28--43a 11.15am Holy Communion 2 Corinthians 3.12 - 4.2; Luke 9.28--43a SUNDAY 13th EPIPHANY 2 6.30pm Service of the Word Exodus 3.1-6; John 8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) 12.27-36a 9.45am Morning Prayer Isaiah 43.1-7: Luke 3.15-17,21,22 ASH WEDNESDAY 13th February 11.15am Holy Communion Isaiah 43.1-7: Luke 3.15-17,21,22 11.00am Holy Communion (BCP) 6.30pm Service of the Word Isaiah 55.1- 7.30pm Holy Communion at All Saints 11; Romans 6.1-11 SUNDAY 17th LENT 1 * 8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) SUNDAY 20th EPIPHANY 3 9.45am Holy Communion 8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) 11.15am Morning Worship 9.45am Holy Communion Isaiah 62.1-5; 6.30pm Choral Evensong (BCP) Deuteronomy 26.1- John 2.1-11 11; Luke 4.1-13 11.15am Morning Worship Isaiah 62.1-5; John 2.1-11 SUNDAY 24th LENT 2 * 6.30pm Choral Evensong (BCP) 1 Samuel 8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) 3.1-20; Ephesians 4.1-16 9.45am Morning Prayer with Baptism 11.15am Holy Communion with Baptism SUNDAY 27th EPIPHANY 4 6.30pm Evening Prayer (BCP) Genesis 15.1-12,17- 8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) 18; Luke 13.31-35 9.45am Morning Prayer with Baptism 1 Corinthians 12.12-31a; Luke 4.14-21 11.15am Holy Communion with Baptism 1 MARCH 2013 Corinthians 12.12-31a; Luke 4.14-21 SUNDAY 3rd LENT 3 * 6.30pm Evening Prayer (BCP) Numbers 8.00am Holy Communion (CW) 9.15-23; 1 Corinthians 7.17- 9.45am Holy Communion 24 11.15am Morning Worship 6.30pm Choral Eucharist (BCP) 1 Corinthians 10.1- 13; Luke 13.1-9 FEBRUARY 2013 * Please note that the readings at 9.45 and 11.15am on Sundays in Lent will be specially chosen for a sermon series; more details will be rd SUNDAY 3 2 BEFORE LENT: available nearer the time, and those on the readers’ rota will be sent a The Presentation list of them. 8.00am Holy Communion (CW) 9.45am Holy Communion Hebrews 2.14- 18; Luke 2.22-40 11.15am Morning Worship Hebrews 2.14- 18; Luke 2.22-40 6.30pm Choral Eucharist (BCP) Haggai 2.1-9; John 2.18-22 2 Upcoming Events at All Saints n this New Year, there will be some exciting and, hopefully, enjoyable events at All Saints. In January, on Saturday 19th, I we will be hosting a bring-and-share lunch with live music accompanying our meal. John Campbell, trumpeter, will be on hand to enliven our lunch and fellowship. There is a chance that John will be accompanied by a pianist and/or singer. But no mat- ter, John is happy for us to eat and converse while he plays music. SERVICES AT ALL SAINTS He will have CDs available for purchase and we will have a retir- ing collection to help with our Church Restoration Fund. Please WEEKLY SERVICES AT ALL SAINTS bring a dish and join us for what should prove a relaxing and fill- ing day. Sundays 10.00 am Parish Communion On Saturday 9 February we will get ready for the Lenten Season by anticipating Ash Wednesday (and Shrove Tuesday) with a pan- cake Saturday. We will begin at 5.30pm with a £1 admission (all Wednesdays ages) for all you can eat pancakes. Please bring your own fillings 7.30 pm Holy Communion and help make the pancakes as delectable as possible. We will also be accepting donations of wine, juice, etc and make those avail- able to accompany our Lenten preparations. At 6.30pm we will SERVICES AT MARY FEILDING GUILD have our annual Lenten quiz! Everyone is invited. 1st Thursday of the Month Finally, on Sunday 10 March, we will host a Mission Breakfast for 11.00 am Holy Communion St Anne's Hospital, Nkhotkhota. This is one of our annual mission Sundays partners and this year we restore our Lenten focus on the people (except the Sunday following the first and work of St Anne's Hospital. Breakfast is served from 8.15am with last orders at 9.30am. Each cooked breakfast is £5 for adults Thursday) (12 and older) and £2.50 for children (2-11 yrs old). All proceeds 11.15 am Extended Communion go directly to St Anne's via USPG. Bryce Wandrey Brownies meet on Thursday evenings Guides meet on Monday evenings ALL SAINTS PARISH MAGAZINE READERS Please e-mail to All Saints editor at [email protected] submissions and correc- tions to Events, Services and Parish Register listings, for inclusion in future magazine edi- tions. Many thanks. 3 Welcome to st Michael’s Worship ur pattern of services: O 8am: A quiet said celebration of the Holy Communion, mostly Prayer Book (traditional language) 9.45am: either Morning Prayer or Holy Communion modern language service, usually with the choir, offering full provision for children (our more traditional main morning service) 11.15am: either Holy Communion or Morning Worship: full provision for children; some contemporary music 6.30pm: our evening services are mostly traditional language including monthly Choral Evensong and Sung Eucharist.