From the Vicar's Desk - 22 January

Welcome to "From the Vicar's Desk" for 22 January 2021



Water into Wine

The Wedding at Cana, the first of Jesus' signs as recorded in John's gospel, is remembered most for the miracle that turned six stone jars of water, each containing 20 to 30 gallons of water, into the most exquisite, fine wine. At one level, that shows us that those who follow Jesus should not be shy of a good party and can feel encouraged to celebrate important family events. At a deeper level, this miracle turns the water of purification into the wine of celebration, thus turning upside down the expectations of how we approach the divine: not so much a process of making ourselves good enough, but an unfolding desire to join the celebration. 


We're praying for you

Both individual church members and the congregation as a whole are always in our prayers. During this time of lockdown, however, we wanted to pray by name for everyone on our Electoral Roll. Today at Morning Prayer we started at A (by surname) and we will be working through a dozen or so a day between now and Lent, using your first names only to protect your privacy. If you'd like to join us in praying through our electoral roll you can find our weekly prayer list here and you can join us every day at 9.0am for Morning Prayer on SMR Live. If you ever have any specific prayer requests, please don't hesitate to get in touch.


Corinne Rees funeral

Corinne's funeral will be held in church on Tuesday 26 January at 1.30pm. As with all our recent funerals, only those who have been invited can come to church for the service. If you wish to join us for the service please go to this link https://vimeo.com/event/621321. And the order of service can be downloaded here. 


Home Schooling for Parents

Our Outreach team is organising sessions to give some support to local parents about how to home school. The team would greatly appreciate donations of rulers, pencils, A4 card, Rigatoni pasta, string or cord and empty egg cartons of 10. If you can help, can you contact David Cousins. Thank you.


Could you foster children?

In the earlier lockdown, leaders of the faith communities across the city came together to seek foster parents. The plea has come again from Bristol City Council and Home for Good for foster parents for at least five sibling groups. If this sparks an interest in you please watch this video and contact Claire Walker from Home for Good.


Bristol Churches Winter Night Shelter

This year Bristol Churches Winter Night Shelter is running in a Bed and Breakfast property close to SMR Church. We have rooms for seven guests and are providing three meals a day for them. SMR has responsibility for providing food each Friday. Click here to make a donation to help pay for these meals as well as other essentials for the guests. Thank you. 


Live Stream kit installation

Further work has been done this week but, at the time of writing, we're still not quite there yet! 


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) 


Finally ... 

I'm on BBC Radio Bristol on Sunday morning just after 8.30am being interviewed by Lucy Tegg about church life in the third lockdown. 


With my best wishes


Dan


Canon D F Tyndall

Vicar, St Mary Redcliffe

0776 929 6220


Looking ahead

Sunday Services:

9.00am : Morning Prayer : Live Stream here : Words here

10.00am : Holy Communion : Live Stream here : Words here 

 
We Are Bristol phone line is available for people who need support during lockdown: 0800 694 0184 (Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm)


 



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

Sermon on Sunday Evening 26th July 2026

By matthew.buckmaster • July 27, 2026
Preached by Canon Dr Stephen Spencer

Sermon on Sunday 19th July 2026

By matthew.buckmaster • July 22, 2026
Preached by Canon Dr Stephen Spencer

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.

Sermon on Sunday 12th July 2026

By matthew.buckmaster • July 13, 2026
Preached by Canon Dr Stephen Spencer

Sermon on Sunday 5th July 2026

By matthew.buckmaster • July 6, 2026
Preached by the Revd Dr Brutus Green