Four events will close off August and then it’s on to a busy September.
Saturday August 22 at 4:30
L’Oasis Musicale presents On danse/Let’s Dance, featuring the famous Brahms Hungarian dances; ballets of Debussy and Gavrilin; the well-known Mozart Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and the less-known but very funny Jolly Caballero, performed by the piano duo “Sons d’Ailleurs. You can buy fair trade ice tea and chocolate at the beginning of the concert.
Speaking of music, you might be interested to know that by Wednesday each week, the cathedral music for the upcoming Sunday is posted online along with links to the composers, free online performances and more. There are also links to concerts in the cathedral. To receive weekly alerts: music.programme@hotmail.com
Sunday, August 23
2:00pm – Pain, partage et prière, the French Bible study and prayer group, will meet in the Hollis Lounge.
12 pm to 5:30 – Visit the Summer Fair Trade Bargains Kiosque on the Forecourt. Please be generous in supporting this event sponsored by the Social Justice Action Group in conjunction with Dix Mille Villages, with the aim of helping farmers and producers around the world raise their standard of living and get a fair deal for their products. Jonathan highlights one particular item from Northern Vietnam:
As well as the usual range of food, the Kiosque will feature craft items, such as a tablet sleeve hand-woven from hemp fibers by a cooperative of Hmong women living in Vietnam’s northern hills (was $40, now $10). The women harvest the plant, peel the fibres from the stalk, and spin them into threads that are then woven on a loom. Craft Link works closely with the Vietnamese Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi to preserve the traditional skills of ethnic minority craftspeople, by helping groups design new products and develop marketing opportunities. Artisans also receive tools, interest free loans, and literacy and training classes. Ten Thousand Villages provides ethical work opportunities for 60,000 artisans around the world.
Sunday, August 30
The last Sunday in August is a fifth Sunday so the Sunday School children will be helping us to worship in their inimitable fashion, introducing their We Sound Rubbish Sunday School Ensemble .
It will be a joyful service because the Summer Sunday School has been learning about the psalms by writing their own version, and setting it to the accompaniment of instruments they have made from recycled materials. Their inspiration has been Psalm 150 (Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!), and here is an extract of their version:
Praise God with feathered-block shuffles! Praise God with tinkling candlerines!
After the service, during coffee hour on the lawn everyone will have a chance to make their artistic contribution, led by Donna, to one of the large Bible story panels the Sunday School has been creating over the last 3 months.
What a wonderful way to bring August to a close!
As for September, there is so much happening that I will list the dates, but keep the details of most events for later newsletters:
Tuesday, Sept 1, Fulford Hall, 3pm to 5 pm, Dorie Cumming Tea party for seniors. Janet assures me that there will be Earl Gray tea in a silver tea pot and cucumber sandwiches. It is even possible that Patrick will be tickling the ivories. RSVP to the Cathedral office.
Wednesday, September 2nd, Hungry Minds Bible study and supper for students and young adults will resume. Speak to Rhonda.
Friday, Sept 4 All night event featuring works by John Cage. See the Facebook event for more details.
Thursday, Sept 10th at noon in Fulford Hall the PWRDF will hold a meeting giving information about the Fred Says “Veg Out” Fall programme. Details next week.
Sunday, September 13, the monthly meeting of the Social Justice Action Group (SJAG) will host a discussion about “Open Door” Restorative Justice. Peter Huish and Michele Rattray will speak to us about Montreal-Southwest Community Ministries and the CoSA Project (Circles of Support and Accountability) in the side chapel after the 10am Eucharist.
Saturday, September 19 Wayward Stories: A Biblical Storytelling Workshop – Join storyteller and facilitator, the Rev’d Lynn Uzans, for an entertaining and valuable workshop on Saturday, September 19th, 12-4pm in the Cathedral Undercroft. Free-will donation includes a light lunch.
Sunday September 20, (tentative date) 7 pm. The book group meets to discuss “Us Conductors” by Sean Michaels.
September 25 to 27, Les journées de la culture. Expect to hear a great deal more about the Cathedral’s participation. Contact Jeffrey Mackie or Ann Elbourne if you’d like to help.
And of course September 29, the induction of our new bishop Mary Gibson.
I will end with a wise prayer from St Anselm to help us ease ourselves into the maelstrom of September:
Come now, turn aside for a while from your daily employment, escape for a moment from the tumult of your thoughts. Put aside your weighty cares, let your burdensome distractions wait, free yourself for a while for God and rest awhile in him. Enter the inner chamber of your soul, shut out everything except God and that which can help you in seeking him, and when you have shut the door, seek him. Now, my soul, say to God, ‘I seek your face; Lord it is your face that I seek.’ Amen.
Anselm (1033-1109)