Cathedral CORNERSTONE LENT/EASTERTIDE - MARCH/APRIL 2018

Transcription

1 Cathedral CORNERSTONE LENT/EASTERTIDE - MARCH 2015 LENT/EASTERTIDE - MARCH/APRIL 2018 Our Sunday School & Nursery The Sunday School program is alive and well at the Cathedral. This year we've seen a big jump in nursery numbers as Karen Cooper added a nursery program to the 9 a.m. service. Karen has run the nursery for over 30 years with a lovely routine of prayer, snack and story, followed by a craft and then free play. Inside Angels Among Us...2 Cathedral Planning Group...3 Where is Your Kingdom? Ella Black (top) and her sister Charlotte work on the Helping Hands craft in the nursery Craft, snack and talk at the big table in the six to 11 classroom. Charli has visited her grandmother, Sunday School teacher Gay Hauser. There are up to eight kids present for Karen's 9 a.m. children's program. Andrew Black led a survey last June to determine which service parents preferred. Essentially those who like the 9 want to stay there; those who like the 10:30 prefer that. The issue of increased programming at the 9 will be revisited as kids Holy Week & Easter Services...7 Mini Flea Market...8 Children s Page...12

2 Telling the story of the transfiguration with cutouts, a drawn mountaintop and a flashlight The curriculum for ages six to 11, taught by Elissa Barnard, Sarah Cooper and Gay Hauser, is based on Seasons of the Spirit, a lectionary-based, online ecumenical resource. There are exceptions. We spent a month this fall doing Moses which has a good narrative, paints a good picture of the Old Testament God and is full of references still used today. Outreach is built into the program. The annual Christmas bake and craft sale raised $280 for UNICEF, World Wildlife Fund and Phoenix House infant supplies. The kids select and vote on the recipients. The nursery-led program to collect infant supplies for young parents at Phoenix House is very much appreciated. Phoenix House's social development officer Robin Levy wrote an article about it for their newsletter. Bill Black, assisted by Denise Smith when he's away, leads a group of eight teenagers. They plus three alumni led the Christmas Eve service and administered communion and they will lead the Sunday School closing service. There are five candidates for confirmation. Karen Cooper's homemade play dough is always a hit in the nursery The baptismal cake designed by Karen and Sarah Cooper The nursery and 6 to 11 group joined forces at Christmas for an advent wreath lesson and in June for an Unbirthday celebration with white cake and ice cream cake to celebrate everyone's birthdays. This year we had a fun party on the occasion of the baptism of Sophia Black and her infant cousin Abigail Black with a special cross cake designed by Karen and Sarah Cooper. -Elissa Barnard Angels Among Us The Sunday School feted Sophia Black and her cousin Abigail Black on the occasion of their joint christening Ruth Ballah s crocheted angels grace the Cathedral s Christmas tree each year, just as they were available to all those who were at her recent Memorial Service. As lovely as Ruth s crocheted angels are, the Cathedral is blessed with living angels, some of whom we were happy to recognize and celebrate on Women s Ministry Sunday (the first Sunday in February), when we also welcomed the Rev. Lynn Uzans as Preacher for the 9:00 and 10:30 Eucharists. The Anglican Church Women Nova Scotia Board inaugurated the idea of a Women s Ministry Sunday a number of years ago as a way to recognize the ministry that women so often offer in the church and beyond, without CATHEDRAL CORNERSTONE MARCH/APRIL 2018 LEN T/EASTE RTIDE 2

3 any regard for recognition. In the early 1990 s, the Board initiated a Certificate of Recognition for parishes to have available to them for presentation to these living angels. It is with great pleasure that the Cathedral recently presented Certificates of Recognition to twelve amazing women, our angels: Marjorie Austin, Ruth Ballah, Mary Lib Bethune, Karen Cooper, Gay Dennis, Janet Hawkins, Catherine Holt, Alice Jessop, Jean Malloy, Sarah Spooner, Margy Withrow, and Maureen Yeats. While it was noted that these women contribute to the life of the Cathedral and the community in many different ways, we especially recognized how some of the certificate recipients ensure that the Cathedral congregation and visitors experience a spiritually enriching worship experience: Gay and Alice for the behind-the-scenes ministry of the Sanctuary Guild, a ministry of great joy that is often the hallmark of women s service to the church; Maureen as Sacristan, needleworker, and chorister; Mary Lib, Janet, and Jean for their loving attention to the flowers for the beautification of the Cathedral; and Margy for being a Licensed Lay Reader and Eucharistic minister, faithfully available for one or more services on Sunday and others during the week. All these women contribute significantly to the Cathedral as a place where God is worshipped with heart, mind and voice. Catherine is an official Cathedral Greeter par excellence and Marjorie is an unofficial greeter, as she seeks out those new to the Cathedral and engages them in conversation. Both, along with so many of the others that we recognized, really help the Cathedral be a place where strangers become friends. Sarah does any task asked of her and exemplifies the image of a living angel of self-offering. Karen s faithful attention to the Cathedral s nursery over many years, as well as her regular column in the Cathedral Cornerstone, exemplify the 2nd Mark of Mission: To teach, baptise and nurture new believers. How fortunate are our youngest disciples under Karen s careful tutelage. In recognizing Ruth and the many ways that she has contributed to the life of the Cathedral, we acknowledged that it would be hard to imagine the Cathedral without her. While we no longer see her, we will never forget her, as Ruth, like the other women we recognized, was a true Witness to the Gospel, the theme for Anglican Church Women this year. Here s to our many living angels at the Cathedral! -Cynthia Pilichos Our Cathedral Planning Group WHO? An ad-hoc group of eight or nine members of the congregation, including the Dean, the Rev'd Dr. Helen Ryding, Deacon Heather, Paul Halley, Cynthia Pilichos, Sheila Gordon, Marjorie Cooper, Elissa Barnard and Charlotte Cochran. Additional members welcomed. WHAT? To discuss and plan activities and events and to ensure that the congregation, the Diocese and the wider community are made aware of upcoming activities and events. WHERE? Activities/events usually occur in the Cathedral or the Anglican Diocesan Centre. WHEN? The group meets for approximately 2 hours four or five times from September to June. CATHEDRAL CORNERSTONE MARCH/APRIL 2018 LEN T/EASTE RTIDE 3

4 WHY? After the year-long celebration of our Cathedral's 100 th Anniversary in 2010 there was a desire that the momentum and excitement created during that year should continue. With its lovely interior, wonderful acoustics, and movable chairs the Cathedral was becoming recognized as a great venue for concerts, plays and other gatherings. As well, with the building of the new Anglican Diocesan Centre and its increased usage it became apparent that coordination of activities and events was needed. The intention is to give the congregation, the Diocese and the wider community advance notice of what's happening - and to avoid having two things competing for the same time and space. HOW? The group receives ideas and suggestions from members of the congregation about events they would be interested in attending, speakers they'd like to hear or topics of interest to be explored. Sometimes a member of the group will present an idea and take the lead but usually an idea is sent to the appropriate committee or existing group for them to consider implementation. This approach results in more creativity and increased involvement. The Cathedral's Communication Committee looks after promoting the event to the congregation, the Diocese and, if appropriate, the wider community. All of the above is centred on, and committed to, furthering the mission of the Cathedral Where strangers become friends, where Christ's peace and justice are sought, where God is worshipped with heart and voice. Where is your kingdom? Kingdoms have existed from the beginning of civilizations down to the present. In the beginning, kingdoms came into existence as a result of power, of one nation becoming supreme, and by expansion and war. Rulers were dominant and ruled as they wished. Yet, it was within kingdoms that advances in living were made and laws enacted to govern society. Today most kingdoms exist primarily in a formal sense without absolute power or authority as in the past. The kingdoms or monarchies in Europe are examples, such as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Our present Queen of England rules over territories, the Commonwealth, in a symbolic way, with the consent of these countries. She traces her descendency back to the early centuries in England, and to divine approval going back to biblical times. She is a symbol of unity for country and people. Where is your kingdom? Your home? The word 'kingdom', may refer to an area of authority or influence. So all Canadians are part of (the kingdom of) Canada, or a province. We all live under the influence of an authority. The Kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom beyond our world and universe. It has no physical boundaries, but appeals to man's inner life, to bring his thoughts and actions, his ethical life, under the guidance of God. In scripture we might think of the early tribes of Israel living amidst other nations and kingdoms around them. In the time of the kings of Israel, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were ruled by kings up to the Exile in 586 BC. These kings ruled under divine favor and were God's representatives on earth and were to rule wisely. CATHEDRAL CORNERSTONE MARCH/APRIL 2018 LEN T/EASTE RTIDE 4

5 The Kingdom of God claimed all people as its subjects, including the non-jews. The psalmist declared, 'the Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his Kingdom rules over all, (Ps. 103: 19). Like any kingdom the Kingdom of God depended on the response of the people for its effectiveness, although God was not dependent on anyone. So the Kingdom of God was in process from the time of Abraham on, to bring people under the influence of God, and to encourage them in their living. Where is your kingdom? In technology? With the coming of Jesus the Kingdom of God takes on new emphasis. Jesus came into the world to announce that the Kingdom was near, 'Repent', and become part of the Kingdom; if anyone believed in Jesus and his teachings they would become part of the same. And Jesus and his Father would come and be present with the believer. Jesus made known God's claim over his creation, encouraging people to come and learn about him. John's gospel indicates that believers are part of the kingdom now, but will experience the fullness of the same when they die and go on to heaven. Ironically the people in Jesus' time lived under (the kingdom of) Rome, while being encouraged to become part of God's Kingdom. There was an urgency in Jesus call to become part of the Kingdom. It was felt that the end of the world might not be far off, when judgement would take place and God's purposes would be realized. In the meantime people were to remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus. In addition, Jesus was aware of the attractiveness of the world, beckoning to the people. Indeed, the Kingdom of God would be at odds with life in the world. The challenges for believers were there, and have been part of the tension existing between the Spirit and the world up to the present. Today we live in a mixed society with many religions and philosophies which beckon to us. For the Christian it is important to see God's universal rule and not to be caught up in situations of the moment. Being part of the Kingdom can empower one to live in the world but not be part of a mindset and activities which can shut God out of one's life. This tension between the world and the Spirit may have been in the mind of Jesus when he called for repentance. For entrance into the Kingdom called for a changed life-style, for a way of life which could counter the pull of the world. And the Kingdom would act as a conscience for a cosmopolitan world, reminding people of some universal values, and the need for some restraint in human desires. The call of God was not to a life similar to that in the world. It would not necessarily enhance one's own desires and present way of doing things. Its aim was to promote God's wishes and purposes. The prophets reminded the people that God's ways were not the ways of the world. For God viewed creation as a whole and he responded in ways that were best for all people. And Jesus reminded his followers that not everyone would receive them and their belief with open arms. The impact of believing in Jesus could even cause some division within the family. Thus members of the Kingdom would be forced to balance the desires of the world with those of God. And they might face ridicule or even rejection for their faith. Where is your kingdom? In your financial affairs? The Kingdom is not only a possible risk or a responsibility for the believer; it is designed to promote God's interests. CATHEDRAL CORNERSTONE MARCH/APRIL 2018 LEN T/EASTE RTIDE 5

6 Yet, the faithful will experience the blessings of the Kingdom. First, one will not be alone in the world, but will be under the watchful eye of God, for each of us (he) is special in his eyes. Being part of the Kingdom can foster an inner acceptance of oneself, and a sense of well-being, allowing one to face each day with confidence. Indeed, one who lives by faith each day, using their talents and energies in a helpful way reflects his or her presence in the Kingdom. Hope for tomorrow allows one to set goals, and eternal life which is part of that hope assures one that life is precious in the sight of God; it will go on even if life in the now ends. One s soul with its expression of the self and its accomplishments in intangible ways will go on to a new life, lived in the presence of God. -The Reverend John Swain Our Cathedral s Annual Meeting Sunday April 15 th When an announcement is made for the Annual Meeting of a Cathedral, a Parish, a Deanery, or a Diocese, that is a signal for congregational members to try to attend. Our Cathedral Annual Meeting is an important assembly in the life of our community. Consider these words from the Book of Common Prayer s prayer on Page 680. O Almighty God, who hast built thy Church upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the head corner-stone; Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their doctrine.through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Our Annual Meeting has the duty to consider matters, both legal and formal. We also convene to learn about our ministries during the past year of We remember the Faithful Departed, those who have been Baptised and Confirmed, those Married in our Cathedral. The Guilds, the ACW, the Committees, the Choirs, the Sunday school and Nursery, and our Cathedral s Council and Wardens, the legacy of generous benefactors, the required preparation with discussion and acceptance of year-end financial reports, and our 2018 Budget. It is at this meeting, when we elect or appoint our officers (the Cathedral Wardens and Treasurer), members, and representatives to church government ministries. It makes senses to seek God s care so that we are saved from all error, ignorance, pride, and prejudice BCP p. 43 Annual Meetings in the Anglican tradition will sometimes record cordial Greetings to the Queen. At our Annual Meeting an opportunity is offered to extend sincere and grateful appreciation to the persons of our church family who serve generously in our Cathedral s faithful service. Greetings are also extended to our Diocesan Bishop, Archbishop Ron Cutler. -Kent Doe Easter Memorials For inclusion in our Easter bulletins, memorials must be received by Tuesday, March 27 th. Thank you for your cooperation. CATHEDRAL CORNERSTONE MARCH/APRIL 2018 LEN T/EASTE RTIDE 6

7 Holy Week and Easter Services at the Cathedral Monday, March 26 7:30am 7:00pm Tuesday, March 27 12:15pm 7:00pm Holy Week Ecumenical Service (followed by Continental Breakfast) Holy Eucharist & Reading of the Passion Narrative Holy Eucharist Wednesday, March 28 7:30am 7:00pm 9:00pm Great Litany sung by the Cathedral Choir Holy Eucharist Thursday, March 29 7:00pm Stations of the Cross Tenebrae sung by the King s Chapel Choir Maundy Thursday Commemoration of the Last Supper, stripping of the Altar and Vigil Good Friday, March 30 12noon Good Friday Liturgy Reflections on the Cross in Music and Prayer Holy Saturday, March 31 11:00am 8:00pm Devotions Easter Day, April 1 8:00am 9:00am 10:30am Great Vigil of Easter Holy Eucharist Holy Eucharist Holy Eucharist The Resurrection Mass for Easter with sax, drums, bass, piano, organ, and choir. Please join us in the Cathedral by the main doors at 1pm on Friday, March 23. Light Refreshments will be provided. Sign up sheet at main entrance. Please bring your scissors, instruction is available. Look forward to seeing you there, all welcome. Ecumenical Service with Continental Breakfast March 26 th Holy Week Monday at 7:30 am (Choir Stalls) Followed by Light Breakfast in the Great Hall 8 am. This is a wonderful way to begin your Holy Week Journey. Sign up sheet at Main Entrance if you can help with the food (suggestions, Tea biscuits, Muffins, Devilled Eggs, Mini Yoghurt, Orange juice, brown bread, Oat cakes, Cheese, Grapes, Butter, Jam, Milk, Cash donations) Donated food can be left in the Great Hall on Sunday, March 25 th clearly marked for the breakfast. Holy Week Ecumenical Services South-end churches invite everyone to attend joint Holy Week services. Services begin at 7:30am followed by a light breakfast at 8:00am. Monday, March 26: Cathedral Church of All Saints 1330 Cathedral Lane Tuesday, March 27: First Baptist Church, Halifax 1300 Oxford Street Wednesday, March 28: St. Mary s Basilica 5221 Spring Garden Road Thursday, March 29: St. Matthew s United Church 1479 Barrington St CATHEDRAL CORNERSTONE MARCH/APRIL 2018 LEN T/EASTE RTIDE 7

8 Mini Flea Market Help Wanted! Mark your calendars and plan to support the mini Flea Market, where the funds raised will be directed to the Cathedral s music program and our refugee family. Date: Saturday, April 28, with Friday, April 27 as the date to receive items and do set up / pricing Time: 10:00 12:00 on Saturday; drop-off on Friday, any time after 10:00 a.m. Place: Great Hall on both dates How you can help: 1. Save and donate good condition: household items, collectibles, books, jewellery, and accessories for the Flea Market. 2. Provide cookies for the Café. 3. Give time on Friday for set-up and pricing. 4. Give time on Saturday for the sale of the items. 5. Help with knock-down and removal of left-overs. 6. Sign up on the sheets at the Greeter Table. 7. Publicize the Flea Market. Any Questions? Contact: Cynthia ( or cynthia.pilichos@ns.sympatico.ca) or Margy ( or margy.rawdon@bellaliant.net) From Pancakes and Beans to Chocolates and Lilies Welcome to another Lenten season, also known as Quadragesima. For more than forty years, the East and West Christian Church s world view became engaged with the arrival of what many persons in our present circumstances call the digital age. An example to describe our blended world view can be found with our use of the radio. From a wilderness adventure to a cozy reading room, or even on a bed, the radio offers music, news, shows, to the listener. In our digital setting now, the announcers remind us that we can move from the radio s broadcasting to a visual format, like a You Tube version, a TV version, or we can click one or more devices for a twitter feed, a message on Facebook, or catch a radio station s many blogs. Some of us have an analogue watch where a small and large hand tells the time. Some of us have a digital watch that computes the time by precise numbers; recent innovation provides consumers digital time and much much more. Our choice and use of words contribute to our ways of understanding our personal and corporate lives. Poets and their craft are a valuable resource for personal spiritual and intellectual growth. Our Lenten experience includes words like: Penitence, Devotion, Fasting, Litany, Tenebrae, Triduum, Passion, Paschal, and Baptism CATHEDRAL CORNERSTONE MARCH/APRIL 2018 LEN T/EASTE RTIDE 8

9 As the Church proclaims the Good News of Jesus the Lord in this century, the proclamation now has additional help our bibles, our doctrines, our Christian scholars, our hymns, our traditions of East and West, our Book of Common Prayer, the various alternative books of worship, are all on the Internet. The digital age could be the Finger of God ( Ex 8:19/ Ex / Luke 11:20/) - Kent Doe Lent 4 We celebrate the precious gift of water; children will decorate with their favourite sea creatures and some special visitors arrive. Lent 5 We ask children (and adults!) to bring a stuffed animal to journey aboard the ark until Easter, a message of trust. Lent 6 (Palm Sunday) We seek YOUR help! We are asking everyone to bring two (matching) non -perishable food items to church. These will be placed around the ark (2 x 2). Following Easter these will be taken to St. Marks Food Bank - a visible sign of our commitment, compassion, and ability to be vessels of hope. Easter Day - God s promise revealed Our Lenten Journey The Ark is our image for this journey through Lent, and we are seeking your help along the way! Lent 1 We construct the framework of our Ark, the shape of things to come, as we journey together into Lent. Lent 2 We sign on for the voyage, our covenant to join together. Lent 3 God has a plan a purpose a direction to follow. From the Register Baptisms W. Abigail Black Sophia Black Burials Bernice Bignell Edward Lewis Ruth Ballah CATHEDRAL CORNERSTONE MARCH/APRIL 2018 LEN T/EASTE RTIDE 9

10 CATHEDRAL CORNERSTONE MARCH/APRIL 2018 LEN T/EASTE RTIDE 10

11 The Splendour of Venice Music for San Marco Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. Cathedral Church of All Saints, Halifax Based on the overwhelming response to their performances of Monteverdi s Vespers of 1610, director Paul Halley and the University of King s College Chapel Choir are turning once more to the Italian composer to present selections from his collection Selva morale e spirituale. Translated as a moral and spiritual forest, the Selva is Monteverdi s retrospective anthology of his sacred compositions, compiled at the end of his 30-year run as maestro di cappella at the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, and not long before his death in The various pieces, scored for a range of forces from one voice and continuo to triple choir with 12 instrumentalists and continuo, exhibit Monteverdi s wholly pioneering style in the then-emerging world of Baroque music. While the Vespers was Monteverdi s first major liturgical piece, composed just prior to his move to the Basilica of San Marco, the Selva is a stirring culmination of the brilliant musician s career. Contact Us: Cathedral Church of All Saints Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island Anglican Church of Canada 1340 Cathedral Lane Halifax, NS B3H 2Z (tel) (fax) cathedralchurch@eastlink.ca cathedraldean@eastlink.ca cathedralchurchofallsaints.com (web) Directed by five-time Grammy winner Paul Halley, this performance features the 24 choral scholars of the King s College Chapel Choir alongside 15 instrumentalists on period instruments, a cast of early music soloists from across Canada, and the boy sopranos of Capella Regalis Men & Boys Choir. Tickets are available for purchase on Ticket Halifax and at the King s Co-op Bookstore, ext CATHEDRAL CORNERSTONE MARCH/APRIL 2018 LEN T/EASTE RTIDE 11

12 Children s Page Easter Word Find What kind of music do bunnies like to dance to? A receding hareline. Hiphop! What do you call ten rabbits marching backwards? What do you call a rabbit who tells jokes? A funny bunny.