Sunday 12 February 2023

Sunday 12 February 2023 - This morning Toby and Josh led us in our worship and Pauline led us in reflecting on whether we should worry or not - does Jesus tell us not to worry and Paul tell us that we should?

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Sunday Service 5 February 2023

This morning we had a visit from the Reverend Hannah Lievesley of St Chad’s Church in Headingley. She shared with us about being the salt of the Earth and being a light to the world.

Sunday Service 29 January 2023

Today Heston delivered a dramatic explanation of how we can understand the Atonement in the context of Old Testament Jewish tradition. This was his and Lydia’s last Sunday with us before they leave on Sabbatical for three months. Catch up on the service below:

Sunday Service 22 January 2023

This Sunday Richard spoke about the Church of England’s recent announcement of an £100M reparation fund designated for communities historically ravaged by the Atlantic Slave trade, from which the Church benefitted financially. How do we view atonement in this context? Then Adriaan, via Heston, led us in prayers for affirmation, justice and inclusion in the wake of the recent announcement about the Church’s decision to deny equal marriage, while accepting the blessing of same sex partnerships.


Here is the text of our prayers this morning:

Dear God,

Your blessing is wherever there is love.

Yet, this week the Church of England decided not to marry two people of the same-sex in love for one another.

We pray for your forgiveness for a church that fails to recognise your most important command.

We pray for your comfort for each and everyone who has been hurt by this decision, who feel to be rejected, again.

We thank you for the small step forward that the church is making, offering prayers to same-sex couples,

and we pray for those who feel that this step is already one too far – that they may find peace;

and we pray for those who keep campaigning for further progress to be made – that they may find strength and resilience.

Dear God,

Your blessing is wherever there is love.

And today, we thank you for the gift of love in all its diversity.

We thank you for the blessing that same-sex loving people have been, and continue to be, for the church and our society,

their many gifts and talents, their manyfold contributions.

We pray for your church to recognise and celebrate the diversity of your creation;

to recognise and celebrate the value and virtue present in every human being.

We pray for the mission of the church to make visible in the world your love and justice in all its fullness – let our actions reflect those words.

We thank you for this church of All Hallows, that is such a special place where love can dwell,

And we pray that everyone who is part of our community will continue to grow in faith, in hope, and in love.

Dear God,

We thank you for the gift of your dear Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

He has lived your love among us, abundantly.

He has lived your forgiveness among us, generously.

He has brought reconciliation among us, radically.

Help us to shape our lives after his example,

and to grow our faith out of the new beginning that he has made possible.

Through him, each and every one of us is a child of you, dear God.

Help us to be one Family in your name,

transcending our differences, everything that divides us,

and transforming your world through your love.

Amen

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Here is the text of our prayers this morning:

Dear God,

Your blessing is wherever there is love.

Yet, this week the Church of England decided not to marry two people of the same-sex in love for one another.

We pray for your forgiveness for a church that fails to recognise your most important command.

We pray for your comfort for each and everyone who has been hurt by this decision, who feel to be rejected, again.

We thank you for the small step forward that the church is making, offering prayers to same-sex couples,

and we pray for those who feel that this step is already one too far – that they may find peace;

and we pray for those who keep campaigning for further progress to be made – that they may find strength and resilience.

Dear God,

Your blessing is wherever there is love.

And today, we thank you for the gift of love in all its diversity.

We thank you for the blessing that same-sex loving people have been, and continue to be, for the church and our society,

their many gifts and talents, their manyfold contributions.

We pray for your church to recognise and celebrate the diversity of your creation;

to recognise and celebrate the value and virtue present in every human being.

We pray for the mission of the church to make visible in the world your love and justice in all its fullness – let our actions reflect those words.

We thank you for this church of All Hallows, that is such a special place where love can dwell,

And we pray that everyone who is part of our community will continue to grow in faith, in hope, and in love.

Dear God,

We thank you for the gift of your dear Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

He has lived your love among us, abundantly.

He has lived your forgiveness among us, generously.

He has brought reconciliation among us, radically.

Help us to shape our lives after his example,

and to grow our faith out of the new beginning that he has made possible.

Through him, each and every one of us is a child of you, dear God.

Help us to be one Family in your name,

transcending our differences, everything that divides us,

and transforming your world through your love.

Amen

Sunday 15 January 2023

This morning Tim led us in a game of consequences to highlight some of the things that are involved in our response to Jesus saying “Come, follow me”.

Sunday Service 1st January 2023

In our first morning worship of 2023 Toby shared his thoughts on the “massacre of the innocents” - a great topic for the new year!

Unfortunately we had an issue with the live stream so there is a short break in the video - our apologies.

Sunday Service 25 December 2022 - Christmas Day

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14a)

This Christmas morning our Bible reading was very short! Heston reflected on how Jesus came and walked in our shoes and what it might be like to walk in other people’s shoes.

Here are some questions he shared with us to reflect on:

  • What do you love about your life?

  • What do you most like about yourself

  • What would you do if you couldn’t fail?

  • When was the last time you felt truly inspired?

  • What brought you to life today or recently?

  • What is really working well in your life/career right now?

  • What are some of the big questions you're asking yourself?

  • What is one big change you've made in your life?

  • Who was the last person to make you smile?

  • When have you been most present to others?

  • What is the vision of the world you'd like to help create?

  • If things were working for you, what would be happening?

  • If you were working at your best, what would you be doing?

  • What legacy would you like to leave?

  • What kind of an ancestor would you like to be?

  • What is your version of a more liveable world?

  • What's the coolest thing you learned today or recently?

  • Who are you becoming?

Sunday Service 4 December 2022

This Sunday was World Aids Sunday and Adriaan shared his thoughts with us about how we respond to Aids and those suffering with it

Here are two poems and a picture that Adriaan shared with us:

Bearing the Stigmata

I sit in the dark pew
abandoned
they shrink from me
fearing the cup we will share
stained with my blood
my diseased black body
despised
quietly condemned
leper of this age
 
place of condemnation
my Holy Mother
denying me my
birthright
I am
stoned again
for adultery
stoned for my race
for the sins of my brothers and sisters
my cross of shame
uncleanness
 
You stand in the altar
bruised
head bent
light from the rose window
reflecting the anguish
in your eyes
taking the burden of the stigmata
stigmata in your palms
balm for my spirit
hurt
 
I hear your words resound through the nave
Those who are whole do not need the physician
 
You slowly alight
from the cross
and begin
writing with your finger
across the altar
chancel step
altar rails
and down
the
aisle
 
"Bearing the Stigmata", by Devarakshanam Betty Govinden
Published in Nobody Ever Said AIDS: Stories and Poems from Southern Africa, compiled and edited by Nobantu Rasebotsa, Meg Samuelson and Kylie Thomas (Cape Town: Kwela Books 2004), p. 142-143.

We turn to God

We turn to God when we are sorely pressed;
we pray for help, and ask for peace and bread;
we seek release from illness, guilt, and death:
all people do, in faith or unbelief.

We turn to God when he sorely pressed,
and find him poor, scorned, without roof and bread,
bowed under weight of weakness, sin, and death:
faith stands by God in his dark hour of grief.

God turns to us when we are sorely pressed,
and feeds our souls and bodies with his bread;
for one and all Christ gives himself in death:
through his forgiveness sin will find relief.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Man of Sorrows” by W. Maxwell Lawton

You can see this painting and the story that Adriaan referred to here

Sunday Service 20 November 2022

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.

Sunday Service 6 November 2022

On Sunday we gathered to discuss how we worship; how it works for us as a community and how we can make sure Sunday mornings are as inclusive and diverse as possible.

Sunday Service 30 October 2022

As All Hallows’ Eve and All Saint’s Day approaches, we gathered this morning to share stories of those we have loved and lost, and to celebrate the Saints who have inspired us. We brought our offerings of remembrance (photos, objects), treading on crunchy and colourful autumn leaves as we approached our altar. If you missed it, you can catch up on our special All Hallows’ service here:

Sunday Service 16 October 2022

'I am the vine; you are the branches' John 15.

This morning, in this week of our Creation Season, Richard spoke to us about the two books which connect us with God; the Bible and Creation.

The readings were from Exodus 3 1-14 and Luke 12 22-31.

Sunday Service 25th September 2022

This morning, in our second service in Creation Season, we welcomed the Rev. Dr Jan Goodair, Area Environment Champion for Leeds. Jan reminded us that we are not at the centre of the universe, we are part of God’s Creation and we need to care for every living creature.

Sunday Service 18th September 2022

'Lets stop building bigger barns. Lets build a house, a community, a world where love can dwell.'

This week is the start of our new series about Creation. Paul talked to us about consumption and reminded us that life does not exist in an abundance of possessions. Putting our trust in God and pursuing giving are the paths we are to follow.

The readings were from Exodus 16: 2-5 and 14-20 and Luke 12: 13-34.