top of page
All Saints Fishponds

A Wing and a Prayer

Updated: Nov 26, 2022

Dear All Saints and St Marys

I was thinking a little this week about the phrase “A wing and prayer” and pondering where it came from. I have always viewed it optimistically, a sense of relying and trusting that all will be well, even if planning has gone awry. The phrase originated from an incidence when a pilot was returning from a bombing raid in WWII. He was very unsure of his chances of getting back, and so asked for prayers to get them home. The plane landed safely, and so was known as the plane that “prayed its way back”.

Prayer is the interconnecting thread of a faith community, a thread that binds us to God, and each other. It is why Christians often pray in “the power of the Holy Spirit”.

When in a small group leading some discussion based on prayer the other day, I asked everyone to think about what their favourite prayer was. It was a really insightful and felt deeply connecting and spiritually deepening as people shared what that was and why. I have lots of “favourites” so it is hard to pick one, or even a top ten. However, for me one of the prayers that we use in the church, one used this week at the funeral not only of HM Queen Elizabeth, but also of our dear friend Kay Powell, is the prayer of commendation. It is a prayer that has such certainty and assurance that whenever it is prayed, it makes me feel deeply thankful for my Christian faith. I offer this prayer to you today, but invite you to consider what your prayer/s is and possibly share that with someone in the coming week.

God our creator and redeemer,

By your power Christ conquered death

And entered into glory.

Confident of his victory

And claiming his promises,

We entrust our sister/brother to your mercy

In the name of Jesus our Lord,

Who died and is alive

And reigns with you

Now and for ever.

Amen

Café church returns to All Saints for the end of this month and we will be looking at the theme of Justice. There is a phrase that Graham Tomlin uses which says “The opposite of love is not hatred, but indifference” – that really stuck me as something that I needed to think on a little more. Café church gives the opportunity to do just that.

Our Worship this Sunday 25th September

8am – Holy Communion – All Saints

10am – Sung Holy Communion with St Marys Kids – St Marys

10.30 – Cafe Church – All Saints

Please find here the roots materials - with notice sheets being at the end.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Weds 28th

9:00am

Celtic Morning Prayer

All Saints Church

Thurs 29th

10:00am

Holy Communion

St Marys Church

Sunday 2nd

10:00am

Open Church

St Marys Church

10:30am

Harvest Festival

All Saints Church

6:30pm

Evensong

St Marys Church

Please keep Rev'd Jordan and Rev'd Mary in your prayers as they finish their time and ministry at St Johns, St Aidans and St Michaels in the Kingsway Benefice, and also for those parishes as they enter into a vacancy process.

Blessings

Revd 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 for Bristol Diocese

0117 9650856

07973917720


342 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Commentaires


bottom of page