Cathedral Extra. From the Dean... Advent & Christmas Contact. The Transitional Cathedral, Christchurch, New Zealand

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1 Cathedral Extra The Transitional Cathedral, Christchurch, New Zealand ChristChurch Cathedral Transitional Advent & Christmas 2017 Contact The Transitional Cathedral admin@christchurchcathedral.co.nz From the Dean... When W the Church celebrates Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus over 2000 years ago. Jesus was born in a stable in the town of Bethlehem in very humble circumstances, and the first to offer their worship were the shepherds who responded to a message from an angel who told them the Good News that a Saviour was born, the Messiah, the Lord. People have all sorts of ways of keeping in touch with this. Some people go on tours to the Holy Land to visit Bethlehem. They come back with n a t i v i t y scenes, figures of Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus which they set up in their living rooms. Some bring back other reminders of the Holy Land; water from the Jordan River, or a stone that might be incorporated into a church building. Christians have been making these kinds of pilgrimages for centuries and bringing back reminders of the story to help make it a present reality for us today. In this Cathedral there will be a crib scene for this very purpose, and the figure of the baby Christ-child will be placed in the crib scene during the Christmas Midnight Eucharist in communion with other Cathedrals and churches around the world. Bethlehem today is a very different place from that depicted in our carols and Christmas cards. It is surrounded by a wall designed to keep Palestinian people out of Israel. It has frequently been caught up in the violence of conflict in that part of the world. Modern day Bethlehem is a reminder that Jesus came into a world which is a difficult place, where there is injustice, misuse of power, violence, and where those who are powerless find themselves being expected to be submissive to those with power. This reflects the way many people of the world think the Church should be; compelled into submission. This is not the way of God. Jesus is the fullness of God revealed to us in a human life. He comes in vulnerability, as a helpless child, to be alongside us and to share our humanity. He invites us to follow him. He never attempts to force us to follow, but he comes as the fullness PO Box 855 Christchurch 8140 NZ Tel admin@christchurchcathedral.co.nz

2 From Page 1 of God s grace and love to win us over. He shows us that the God we worship and that Christians believe in refuses to come in force, but in humility and in love. Later on, Jesus will say, Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest." In the birth of Jesus, God takes these seriously and shows us what this looks like. God becomes a child for us, becomes as vulnerable as it is possible to be, so that we might know God s love. The carol, O little town of Bethlehem has this line in the first verse: the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. God is aware of the messiness Servers... Recently we presented our Cathedral Servers' team with Certificates and presented those who had progressed to he next level of proficiency with their new ribbons. We are immensely grateful to this group of yuoung people who assist with the Eucharist service every Sunday and other major services as required. Some of our senior members move on at the end of life and comes to be alongside us in our life s journey. God comes to confront the darkness that we face, to be with us as we cope with the messiness of life and difficulties we find ourselves is. God comes to open up a future laden with hope that is beyond our imagination; a future where there is justice and love. This Christmas, give your hopes and your fears to God. For Jesus is born to bring love into the world. He is with us and alongside us, working for love, peace and hope, that these gifts may be received in our hearts and in the hearts of every human being, so that all may know God s love. Dean Lawrence Kimberley of the year as they leave Christchurch to take up positions at university. We wish them well for their studies and whatever the future may hold. We are always on the look out for new servers. If you are currently in Year 4 or above we'd love to hear from you! Just contact Revd Ben Randall on assistantcurate@christchurchcathedral. co.nz Worship at the Transitional Cathedral SUNDAYS 8.00am Holy Eucharist 10.00am Choral Eucharist 5.00pm Choral Evensong WEEKDAY SERVICES Holy Eucharist at 12.05pm Monday (NZPB), Tuesday (NZPB, & prayers for healing), Wednesday (Celtic tradition), Thursday (in te reo Maori), Friday (NZPB) Saturday Midday Prayer Choral Evensong at 5.30pm (during school terms): Tuesday & Wednesday (with the full Choir); Thursday (with the gentlemen of the Choir) Choral Evensong at 4.30pm (during school terms): Friday (with the choristers of the Cathedral Choir) Weekday Services of Choral Evensong cease for 2017 on Thursday 16 December and resume on Tuesday 30 January 2018 at 5.30pm.

3 Advent & Christmas... Cathedral worship Sunday 19 November ~ Second Sunday before Advent Music: The Cathedral Singers Preacher: Marla Hughes Music: The Cathedral Singers Sunday 26 November ~ The Reign of Christ Preacher: Bishop Victoria Matthews Sunday 3 December ~ Advent with the Cathedral Grammar Junior School Nativity Play 2:00pm A Service to Commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Women in New Zealand 7:30pm The Advent Carol Service The Advent story in music and readings Sunday 10 December Sunday 17 December 8:00am Holy Eucharist 7:30pm The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Sunday 24 December ~ Christmas Eve 8:00am Holy Eucharist 6:00pm Preacher: Bishop Victoria Matthews Choir Carol Recital by The Cathedral 10:30pm Carol Singing 11:15pm The First Eucharist of Christmas Monday 25 December ~ Christmas Day 8:00am Holy Eucharist 10:00am Festival Eucharist 5:00pm Festal Evensong Sunday 31 December ~ Christmas 1 8:00am Holy Eucharist 5:00pm Choral Evensong (the first Evensong of the Naming of Jesus) Sunday 7 January ~ The Epiphany of our Lord Monday 8 January ~The Baptism of Jesus 12:05pm Holy Eucharist Sunday 14 January ~ Epiphany 2 Sunday 21 January ~ Epiphany 3 & Confirmation Preacher: Bishop Victoria Matthews Music: The Cathedral Singers Music: The Cathedral Singers Sunday 28 January ~ Epiphany 4

4 From the music dep t. Recently the Cathedral had a visitor from overseas who attended most of our choral services while here. This person, also a musician, was in touch with me prior to arriving, so I knew to be on the lookout for him for a catch-up on conversation. When we met up following the first evensong he attended, he simply beamed with joy about what he had just experienced in that service, particularly the sound of the boys voices together. He said he had not heard the pure sound of a choir like that in a long time. The unique sound of our Cathedral Choir that night had invigorated him, refreshed him, and elevated him. What is it about boys voices that is so appealing? Perhaps it is the fleeting nature of the individual voice itself. In the springtime we relish the sights and smells of new growth, particularly here in the Garden City. Perhaps we find springtime appealing because of its fleeting nature. Springtime won t last forever, so we consciously soak in as much of it as possible. The same is true of a boy s treble voice. A boy only gets to enjoy the use of that part of his voice for a few years, and then after a change, that voice is gone. Some of the best advice I ve heard is to live in the moment. That is particularly applicable to boys who sing and we who have the pleasure of hearing them. This past Sunday 12 November we had an Old Choristers Evensong, now an annual event in which we invite all previous members of the Cathedral Choir to relive their formative time as a chorister, choral scholar, or a gentleman in the Cathedral Choir. Thank you to all who have supported this event in singing or attending the service. As the reunion weekend has happened for two consecutive years now, it can be firmly labelled a tradition, and therefore we look forward to the third annual Old Choristers Evensong in November As Advent and Christmas get underway, I invite you to our Advent carol service on 3 December at 7.30pm and our Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols on 17 December at 7.30pm. In addition, the choristers will be singing carol recitals on 16 December (part of a celebration at Ara), 19 December (12.30pm in the Cathedral), 20 December (early afternoon in Ballantynes), and 21 December (5.30pm in The Piano). There is also a special fundraising concert on Sunday 10 December at 2.00pm featuring our Cathedral Choristers, soprano Juliet Reynolds- Midgley, and other talented youth from around Christchurch (tickets $20, available on Eventfinda and at the Cathedral). Please check our web page www. christchurchcathedral.co.nz for more info, and be sure to like our Facebook page (ChristChurch Cathedral Choir). Best wishes for a peaceful Advent and Christmas. John Linker, Director of Music Contact The Transitional Cathedral admin@christchurchcathedral.co.nz

5 Share thegift Juliet Reynolds-Midgley, soprano & exceptional young musicians: Maggie Ma, cellist Justin Hodges, violinist Cheena Rae, classical saxophonist Gabriel Baird, bassoonist Anna Maksymova, accompanist and the boy choristers of The Cathedral Choir with Brian Law Master of Ceremonies Sunday 10 December at 2.00pm at the Transitional Cathedral, Latimer Square $20.00 Tickets from Eventfinda ( and the Cathedral

6 You are invited to A Christmas Party for Cathedral Volunteers and Regulars Tuesday 28 November 2017 You are welcome to join us for 5.30pm Evensong. The Christmas Party follows at 6.15pm, in the Cathedral porch. The Christmas party is a start-of-season celebration. We cater for the party so you just need to come along and enjoy it. Your partners are welcome to attend with you. Please let us know if you will be there, to make it easy on Moveable Feasts who are catering for us. RSVP to Nicky by Wed 22 Nov volunteers@christchurchcathedral.co.nz Tel or The Cathedral and the Cathedral choir both have facebook pages. Like them to receive updates and news. Extra by Have you considered receiving EXTRA by ? There are many benefits. You ll receive EXTRA quickly and in full colour; save trees and assist the Cathedral budget. Just go to our website co.nz and click on the SIGN UP EXTRA button and follow the instructions - simple! But please let us know you have done it, so we can take you off the snail mail list! The Yarn every Saturday pm at the Transitional Cathedral Come and knit for the City Mission and other social agencies Bring your own project or knit for charity (wool & needles supplied) Building connections in our community

7 New Canons installed On Sunday 12 November, Bishop Victoria installed two new Canons on to the Cathedral Chapter. We welcome Revd Canon Mandy Neil and Canon Carole Muir (second and third from left on photo) to the fold as Diocesan appointees. Under the revised Cathedral Statute 2012, each will serve a three-year term which is able to be renewed. The Travels of Bartholomew Bear Bartholomew Bear is a new arrival at the Cathedral Shop. he is for sale, all ready packaged in a cardboard tube, ready to travel. The story of Bartholomew (or Bart) and his friends is printed on the tubes and we are encouraging those who buy Bart to post pictures of the bear as he travels to various parts of the world. So far, we have him outside the Cathedral and as far away as Kaikoura! We're hoping we will get more pictures as he travels further afield. Bart would make an ideal Christmas gift, and not just for children. We will keep you updated on his travels! The Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols Sunday 17 December Christmas at 7.30pm ChristChurch Cathedral Transitional

8 The CaThedral SingerS & CaThedral BraSS present... A Concert for Christmas MuSiC for advent & ChriSTMaS The TranSiTional CaThedral friday 8 december at 7.30pM MuSiCal directors lennox WilleTT & dave fiu organist paul BroWn FREE ENTRY The Cathedral Shop A wide variety of gifts and souvenirs featuring the Transitional Cathedral and the greater Christchurch and Canterbury area