Dear friends,
The Gospel this Sunday is that of Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast. As a child I always thought that the king in the story was particularly mean – he’d ordered his servants to gather in anyone they could from the streets, then was outraged when one of them was apparently not dressed smartly enough! I was also deeply confused, since Jesus was famously dismissive of those who prioritised being respectable and law-abiding over those who were genuine and faithful.
As many reading this may be aware, I was missing an important bit of cultural context – namely, that the guests from the streets would have been offered wedding robes upon entering, as a sign of respect for the king’s son. The invitation was universal, but the expectation was for an outward “conversion” from street clothes to formal attire.
God’s invitation to us is similarly universal – all of us, whatever our station, are loved and forgiven. But a conversion to the Way of Jesus Christ is not a one-off acceptance of an invitation, but a transformation – not of our outward appearance, but more deeply: our hearts, our minds, and our very lives. And this process takes longer than a wedding celebration – even one in the first century near east!
Revd Daniel Walters
Vicar, St Giles’ and St Margaret’s
P.S. Please send your items for next week’s notices to me at vicar@StGilesStMargarets.org by mid-day on Thursday.
P.P.S. If you’d like to be notified by email each weekend, please click or tap here to sign up.
Worship & Prayer
Sunday 11 October
19th After Trinity (Proper 23)
8.00am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (said, 1662 BCP)
10.30am – Parish Eucharist at St Margaret’s (sung, Common Worship)
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (sung, Common Worship)
3.30pm – Choral Evensong at St Giles’ (sung, 1662 BCP)
6.00pm – Taizé Service at St Margaret’s
Readings and Collect for 10:30am Services
Collect for the Nineteenth Sunday After Trinity
O God, forasmuch as without you
we are not able to please you;
mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit
may in all things direct and rule our hearts;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Bible Readings for Proper 23
- Old Testament: Isaiah 25.1–9
- Psalm: Psalm 23
- Epistle: Philippians 4.1–9
- Gospel: Matthew 22.1–14
Prayer Diary
Our prayer diary has now transformed into a daily prayer email. Same content as before, but instead of downloading a PDF each week, you will receive an email in your inbox at 6am each day – but only if you sign up for it!
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Next Sunday (18 October):
St Luke the Evangelist (Trinity 20)
8.00am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (said, 1662 BCP)
10.30am – Parish Eucharist at St Margaret’s (sung, Common Worship)
10.30am – Holy Communion at St Giles’ (sung, Common Worship)
3.30pm – Choral Evensong at St Giles’ (sung, 1662 BCP)
6.00pm – BCP Evening Prayer at St Margaret’s (said, 1662 BCP)
October’s “What’s On” leaflet
Download below, or pick up a printed copy from either church.
Support St Giles’ and
St Margaret’s
It often surprises people to learn that the parish churches of St Giles and St Margaret receive no regular funding from the Church of England or the Government. In fact, it is quite the reverse: the “parish share” payments we make to the Diocese not only pay for our clergy and essential services like legal, property, and safeguarding, but also help support churches in less affluent areas.
Following the disruption of the pandemic and major projects in both our churches, we are currently struggling to cover the day-to-day costs of running our parishes and maintaining our key work – including music, youth and family activities, and community care for the elderly.
Compared to many churches, we are fortunate to have additional revenue sources, and we are doing everything we can to minimise expenditure while maximising income (such as venue hires). However, for our churches to sustain what we currently offer – let alone expand – we rely on the regular support of our members and friends.
How you can help:
Please pray and reflect on whether you are able to support us regularly – or increase your existing contribution – via Direct Debit through the Parish Giving Scheme. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a huge difference.
Use the buttons below to log in or set up your regular gift – and if you need help, please contact our Benefice Manager, Anna:
Parish News
Oxford Half Marathon
Road Closures
Road closures for this Sunday morning (11 October) due to the Oxford Half Marathon may have an impact on your journey into church.
As always, the organisers have produced a handy leaflet explaining which streets will be closed and when. You can download it below:
Sponsor Jan!
Jan Palmowski of St Margaret’s Church writes:
I am running the Oxford Half Marathon for Michael Sobell House Hospice – my first ever Half Marathon! If you’d like to support this amazing place, I’d be grateful for donations:
Ewan Bleach returns…
…. to Jazz at St Giles’ with his superb ‘Fleeting Paradise Orchestra’ TOMORROW (Saturday 10 October) at 7.30pm ‘In Mystic Mood’. We last heard them in September 2024 and they are back stronger than ever.
Games Club
The next Games Club takes place TOMORROW (Saturday 10 October). It is open to all children in school years 3 to 6 (roughly 7-11 years old) – but spaces are limited and pre-registration is essential. Contact eva@stmargaretsoxford.org.
Sammy’s
Trip to Mascioni
A St Giles’ visit to the Mascioni organ workshop in northern Italy has been organised! 18–20 October 2026.
This will be a fascinating opportunity to see one of Italy’s most respected organ builders at work, learn about the craftsmanship and history behind their instruments, and find out more about the future instrument for St Giles’.
The trip promises to be both informative and enjoyable, with plenty of opportunities to explore, ask questions, and experience the world of organ building firsthand.
If you are interested in attending, please contact Nicholas Prozzillo.
More vacancies at The Gatehouse
The Gatehouse is advertising for two more roles: a Counsellor and a LEAF Project Worker: details are in the packs below (both have an application deadline of Friday 30 October) :
Children and Families at St Margaret’s
A message from Eva:
Working with children isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, even if you love having them as part of the church. If this is you and you’d still like to help, then I need a little group of people who can help me with preparing for our activities. It will mainly be cutting out cardboard or paper shapes. Nothing too strenuous and I’ll provide all the materials. Please do talk to me if you think you might be able to support the work in this way. Eva
Memory Café
Our next Memory Café will be on Wednesday 14 October at the St Margaret’s Institute.
If you know someone who might enjoy or benefit from coming along, or if you’d like more details, please contact St Margaret’s Parish Community Worker, Tricia Brant, on 07776 595456 or at triciabrant@stmargaretsoxford.org.
Community News
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is a major priority in our Benefice as we work together to keep everyone in our community safe. It is often said safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, thank you for the part you play. If you are concerned about a person’s or activity’s safety in our community, please contact our Parish Safeguarding Officers (details below) or the Diocesan Safeguarding Team (details below). We are greatly helped by many volunteers, thank you for your time, including for completing required DBS checks, safeguarding training and safer recruitment forms.
St Margaret’s Church PSO Becca Rose: safeguarding@stmargaretsoxford.org
St Giles Church PSO Lorraine Desai: safeguarding@st-giles-church.org
Diocesan Team 01865 208 295 safeguardingreferrals@oxford.anglican.org
Out-of-hours: Thirtyone:eight on 0303 003 1111 for confidential advice, guidance and support.
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