Apologies again for the lack of a livestream last Sunday. If you were unable to be with us and want to know what we got up to, here’s a report from Magnus (thanks Magnus!):
Last Sunday, 20th of November, the congregation at All Hallows focussed on the feast of Christ the King, which is the ultimate week in the liturgical year. Some of the hymns and the collects were in a more gender-fixed language than we are used to, but Assistant Curate, the Revd Joshua Peckett explained why.
In an insightful sermon, Josh preached that this feast emphasised the true kingship of Christ and that it is a relatively recent addition to the liturgical calendar, starting in 1925 by Pope Pius XI - and with good reason. Josh highlighted this as an attempt to heal the mid-1920s polarisation of western society and to focus on the assurance that Christ the King shall reign forever while governments at the time crumbled.
Almost 100 years later, this is a perfect lesson for us all, hoping that we can focus less on our current political divisions and more on the hope of the coming Messiah as we enter Advent in 2022 and beyond.
Throughout the service, Alice was the lead cantor while her father played the clarinet, and both kept us beautifully in tune. Pippa led inclusive prayers with worshippers contributing their immediate intersessions from the congregation floor. At notable moments we were given times of silence to contemplate and pray in the presence of each other - something which resonates for me, especially as a Franciscan Friar, who is new to All Hallows life.