From the Vicar's Desk - 19 February

Whenever the rainbow is in the clouds ...  


Remember the Covenant

First, a heartfelt "thank you" to the crane driver who took this photo yesterday. I'm sorry I can't credit you by name, but it's so amazing I couldn't resist: especially as our Old Testament reading this coming Sunday is of God and Noah talking about the rainbow as the everlasting covenant established between the Creator and all creation to confirm and ensure that God's love is creative not destructive and (to pick up on Paul's letter to the Romans) that "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord". Whichever way we look at it, God's love for us is assured. 


Lent: A journey of prayer

Each week in Lent, throughout the week, we will be sharing reflections, prayers and other resources for our shared Journey of Prayer here on our website.


Prayer Laboratory

The Prayer Laboratory will be taking place each Sunday in Lent at 4pm and there will be different breakout rooms with a choice of creative and interactive prayers for all the senses. Some prayer activities will require some resources - but this week all you need is an item of food from your cupboard! Read more here ...


Heart Garlands

We had a very encouraging 'turn out' to our two Ash Wednesday services this week. At the earlier service, we spoke about Sharing God's Love, using heart shaped objects around us.  Liz shared her artistic talents to produce a video and guide for us on how to make a heart garland with recycled materials. We are being encouraged to engage with this during Lent, as a symbol of our love for all God's creation. How many hearts we can collectively make between now and Easter??


Sunday Evening Service

Throughout Lent, as well as Morning Prayer and the main Sunday service, we are holding a service of Night Prayer which you can download here. The service will be held on Zoom and you can join by clicking here here just before the service starts at 6.30pm 


Covid-19 Vaccine

As you no doubt know, all those over 70 and those on the clinically vulnerable list should have been invited to have their Covid job by now. If you are in one of those groups, or know someone who is, who has not yet been vaccinated I would like to encourage you to make an appointment by clicking here or ringing 119.


Constructing the church building

If you're interested in dundry stone, how mortar cures and the deviation / settlement of SMR you might be interested to read more ...


Standing Orders request

Thank you to all those who have set up standing orders in the last few months: it is great to know that we have such a committed group of people seeking to maintain the church and build the kingdom. To all those who have a standing order, we have a little problem ... many of the donations come in without your name attached so we don't know if we're missing out on additional Gift Aid funds. Can I ask if you have a standing order set up for SMR please click here to provide some information to help us out. Thank you. 


Send on / Contact me

Please forward this email on those who might be interested in SMR and contact me here (rather than using reply please) 


With my best wishes 


Dan


Canon D F Tyndall 

Vicar, St Mary Redcliffe 

0776 929 6220


 



More blog posts

An Update from Dan Tyndall

By sam.love • July 29, 2026
A year ago I preached my final sermon as Vicar of St Mary Redcliffe. Sarah and I were overwhelmed by the kindness of the send-off and your astonishing generosity. The following morning we packed everything we owned into a Transit van and drove it to London. If you think that felt abrupt, you'd be right. More than that, moving to London, when most retirees move away from the city, has been commented on many times. People often ask whether leaving was difficult. It was; very! However, the sheer scale of the change changed pretty much everything and all at once. Whilst we miss SMR and everything it stands for, a new home in a new city, with new routines and the freedom to shape our days differently, means that life has demanded our full attention from day one. The year since has been full of surprises. We've discovered that we enjoy living in a much smaller house than the vicarages we've lived over the last thirty years. Sarah now walks to work and I clean the house. We still haven't settled into one church, but we've enjoyed going to different churches and experiencing the extraordinary breadth of the Church of England. Without question, the greatest joy has been the birth of our first grandson. Living just an hour away has been an extraordinary gift, allowing us to be part of his life in a way that would never have been possible from Bristol. Professionally, coaching has continued to grow alongside research into leadership in complex parish churches. Personally, there has been time for lots of singing and I’m getting back on my bike again! Together we've made over fifty visits to theatres (including a fantastic production of Redcliffe at Southwark Playhouse a musical about an historic event that happened in the parish!), concerts and exhibitions—most recently The Art of Mini Golf, which was every bit as joyful and ridiculous as it sounds. Do I miss parish ministry? Of course I do. But I'm discovering that my vocation didn't retire when I did. I'm still curious about how people tick, what makes communities work, and how to name the question that unlocks a stuck situation. Thank you again for all the remarkable years at SMR. We remember them fondly and they continue to shape us in ways for which we shall always be grateful. Dan Tyndall 29.07.2026

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By matthew.buckmaster • July 27, 2026
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Staff Update: Joe Cryan, Director of Music

By joe.cryan • July 17, 2026
Last Sunday marked the end of another choir term—and what a term it has been! We've welcomed new choristers, learnt plenty of exciting music, sung for some wonderful liturgies, and eaten what can only be described as a significant amount of biscuits. The day began with a very special visit from Sing Start! , who joined us for the Eucharist. Together we sang Litany of the Holy Spirit and Joanna Forbes L'Estrange's St Helen's Mass. A huge thank you to Helena from Children's Church for organising ice creams afterwards—a thoroughly appreciated post-service treat! We're also delighted that a large number of Sing Start! children will be joining our regular treble lines from September. This is tremendously exciting, not only for the choir's future growth but also for the long-term strength and sustainability of our music-making at SMR. In the evening, we gathered for a special service celebrating the composer Charles Wood, marking 100 years since his death. It was a fitting tribute to one of the great figures of Anglican church music—but the occasion was also notable for another reason. Several of our own choir members stepped into new musical roles and showcased talents beyond their usual singing duties. Our Head Chorister conducted the introit, one of the back-row singers composed the psalm chant, and our Corner Chorister wrote the organ voluntary. It's wonderful to see so much creativity and musicianship flourishing within the choir. The final service of the year was followed by the all-important choir party: pizza and a screening of Sister Act. Judging by the enthusiastic reaction afterwards, there is now considerable demand for I Will Follow Him to appear in a future service. We make no promises—but do keep an eye on next year's music lists... The choir is now taking a well-earned summer break, but music certainly won't stop at SMR. Sunday morning Masses will continue with a cantor leading the music, and we're looking forward to welcoming several excellent visiting choirs over the coming weeks, including St Andrew's Backwell, St Mary's Ross-on-Wye, and the Handful Chamber Choir. Our regular choir returns on Sunday 13 September, refreshed, recharged, and ready for another exciting year of music. Have a wonderful summer, and thank you to all our choristers, families, volunteers, and supporters for another fantastic year.

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