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| | | As most of you know, I shall be leaving St Mary’s on 24 April 2016. That will be the date of my farewell Eucharist and final sermon as Vicar, followed by a great party in the church itself. My departure is something I face with enormous ambivalence after 30 years of regarding SMV as my place both physically and symbolically, and, after a less than happy first few years, developing a relationship which is now a mature love affair.
But there are a few detailed arrangements for the interregnum that people will want to feel confident about.
Alan Ramsey’s contract expires in September 2016 and he has decided to take up a place on the prestigious MA course at the Royal College of Art. He will continue to serve SMV half time from September until the new Vicar arrives, hopefully by Christmas 2016. In order to give another familiar priestly presence on the staff, Charlotte Bannister Parker has agreed to return to SMV from April 2016 – April 2017. She knows the place backwards and is pastorally very strong.
The process of appointing my successor cannot (by law) begin until I have actually gone and my official leaving date will be 31 May 2016. It is customary to employ a Vicar for one month after actual work is finished to allow for clearing up and moving. The principal Patron is Oriel College, and I know that the college proposes to take a leading role in making the appointment, with the full involvement of parish representatives. So I think everyone can feel assured and confident that the process will enable the church to keep its open, inclusive and theologically critical ethos which has become a defining characteristic of SMV and important to so many of you.
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| | | Christingle for Advent
The Family Service on the 6th December will be a Christingle service with songs for Advent and the lighting of the Advent candle along with the making of Christingle oranges. 9.30am in the Chancel.
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| | Services this Week
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Tuesdays & Thursdays
12.15 pm Lunchtime Eucharist
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Sunday 29th November 2015
First Sunday of Advent
10.30 am Choral Eucharist
Canon Brian Mountford
Children's Church will meet on Sunday during the service. All Welcome. |
| | | | Forthcoming Events
— The Moot, Monday, 7th December, Old Library
We will be joined by Elisabeth Dutton from the University of Fribourg, who will be talking to us about Julian of Norwich.
Shall all be well? Julian of Norwich and the art of asking question. For more details please contact: tim.middleton@worc.ox.ac.uk
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| | Forthcoming Concerts
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Monday 30th 7.30pm
Hertford Music Society - 'A Hertford Christmas Concert'
Saturday 12th December 7.30pm City of Oxford Choir - Time of Snow
Saturday 19th December 7.30pm Instruments of Time & Truth - Handel's Messiah
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| | Poetry Corner
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‘Everyman, I will go with thee, and be thy guide,
In thy most need to go by thy side…’
This week sawthe final event in our series of ‘Fireside Tales’: the medieval morality play ‘Everyman’, performed by Brasenose students under the direction of Dr Liv Robinson. The play, dating from the late 15th century, is an allegorical one: Everyman, the central character, is going on a ‘voyage long’ to the afterlife; he attempts to coerce his favourite things from life (Fellowship, Worldly Goods, Beauty, Strength, and his Wits) into going with him, but in the end only one of his companions sticks by him. Afterwards, in the Q&A, we discussed the moral code behind the play, and its relationship with Christianity.
This event marked the close of a really interesting series – one which we hope to build on next term.
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