From the Vicar's Desk - 5 March

What is wisdom?   Dear Rhys,


Welcome to From the Vicar's Desk for Friday 5 March


What is wisdom?

Our readings on Sunday leave this question hanging in the air: from the simple directive of the Ten Commandments .. Read more...


Lockdown - one year on

Next week we will be able to share the full details of "Let there be light" a special event to mark the turning of the year since the first lockdown. We aim to light one candle in church for every day of the year throughout the day and to share that with whoever wants to join us on our live stream feed on the website. Full details next Friday. 


Holy Week

Plans are beginning to come together for Holy Week and Easter. As with Christmas we are planning for a 'blended' liturgical week with some services on line, some on Zoom, some in the churchyard and, yes, some in church. Full details will come out as soon as we have something definitive to share. 


Lent carries on

A journey of prayer continues

Prayer Laboratory also continues

As does Sunday Evening Service


Contact Kat: kat.campion-spall@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk for further details about lent services and events.


Grief and Sandwiches 

Thank you to the person who pointed me to this article by Grace Dent ... she is one of the judges on Masterchef who I like ... and writes beautifully here about the intrinsic link between coping with loss and the making of sandwiches. Read more ... 


Liturgy & Worship Consultation 

Thank you to those who have already filled in one of the consultation forms. The next consultation meeting is on Sunday at 11.30am. Contact me for further details: dan.tyndall@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk


Live Stream kit

Almost a year ago we started live streaming Sunday services from the Vicarage basement .. ah, those were the days! Now, thanks to the Canynges Society and the work of Conferex and our vergers, the full kit is now ready to be used for the first time this Sunday morning. Once they've mastered the art, the vergers will be panning, tilting and zooming with any (or all) of the cameras installed in church!


Finance Officer post

We are now advertising for the post of Finance Officer. It's part of the ongoing work to ensure that we are ever more efficient in our use of resources and resilient as an organisation. Please do encourage anyone you know who might be interested to have a look at the paperwork which you can find here. 


Tidying up we found ... 

As you may remember we've recently had an upgrade on our IT system in the office which means that we've (well, other people, to be honest!) have been tidying up the files and folders on the old server. And amongst the files "Ruth's Marinades" was found. Click here to download a copy. It was compiled in 2006 by Anita Herod and contains 10 pages of recipes by Ruth Roche. We're not charging now and if you'd like to make a donation in memory of Ruth and in thanks for Anita, please click here 


Grant award 

I'm delighted to say that in recognition of the work we have done over the last year in partnership with the City Council, SMR has been awarded a significant grant towards our community work as a 'thank you' for all that has been done. Huge thanks are due to Rachel, David and all those who have worked with them, and to all those who have helped keep our community outreach team up and running this year. 


Laptops and Teachers 

To help bridge the digital divide, our community team is looking for more laptops and some teachers (online or social distancing). If you have a laptop less than 3 years old or some teaching skills please click here to let David know. Otherwise please help us raise the necessary funds for new laptops (c.£200 each) by clicking here. Thank you very much. 


SMR Online Shop 

Our online shop is now up and running with an efficient postal service to ensure everything arrives quickly. Check out the new book list here and buy them (as well as CDs and other gifts) in the shop here. 


Construction around Redcliffe 

The development known as Redcliffe Quarter (opposite the Co-Op on Redcliffe Street) is gone through a fairly substantial re-think. If you would like to see what is being proposed now and to make any comments click here. 


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




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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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