This week our hearts are full of sadness as we hear about acts of violent terrorism around the world. Our prayers are with the victims and their families. Perhaps we remember with Madeleine L’Engle that
It was a time like this,
War and tumult of war,
a horror in the air.
Hungry yawned the abyss-
and yet there came the star
and the child most wonderfully there.
During the next two weeks there will be both celebrations and times of sober reflection at the cathedral as we first celebrate the Reign of Christ the King this Sunday and then plunge into the great season of Advent next Sunday.
THE REIGN OF CHRIST THE KING – THE FEAST OF DEDICATION
There will be joyful services on Sunday when we remember our history and dedicate ourselves anew to serve Christ in glory. Patrick will set the tone for the 10 am service by playing the organ prelude “Majesté du Christ” by Olivier Messiaen.
On Saturday 28 we will continue the celebration of our community with a parish supper, cooked and served by parishioners (including Paul, Patrick and Rhonda). The menu includes Boeuf Bourguignon, vegetarian dishes, salads, special lemon butter potatoes and desserts. Entertainment will be provided by a young jazz group and there will be a fun silent auction being organised by the group working on the sponsorship of a refugee family. (see more information about the auction below) You are asked to make a donation to cover the cost of the dinner. Suggested $15 regular, $10 reduced (eg for students) and $5 for children.
The Silent Auction is being organised by Jan Jorgensen who is putting together a catalogue with photographs of all the items on offer. There are some great items at several price levels waiting for your bid. A few hard copies of the catalogue will be available for people to look at on Sunday and the catalogue will soon go on line. You will be sent the link and can make a bid on line until Friday evening at 6 pm. The bids already received will be shown at the supper on Saturday and of course overbids will be possible. You might want to have a phone connection to someone at the supper if you can’t be there in person! People making bids on line will pay on delivery. If your bid is successful at the supper, please pay with a cheque and take your reward home with you!
ADVENT
Advent begins on Sunday, November 29th, the day after the supper. There will be a Fair Trade Christmas Boutique from 11:00am to 3:00pm in the Atrium, held in collaboration with partners Dix Milles Villages St-Denis, Equifruit and A Heart For Syria. Find socially responsible Christmas gifts, fair trade handicrafts and decorations from all reaches of the globe together with an exciting selection of fair trade fruits and fair trade baked goods. All profits will go towards the Refugee Sponsorship Ministry of Christ Church Cathedral.
The evening service at 4 pm will be the glorious liturgy of readings and music for Advent, one of the finest and most important services of the church year.
There will be a number of thought-provoking and exciting events during Advent:
Ø Advent prayers for peace Tuesday nights in Advent (Dec 1, 8, 15, 22) from 5:45 to 6:00pm after Evensong. A time of quiet focused prayer seeking peace in the world and in our hearts
Ø Bible Study – From Advent to Easter: the story of Jesus’ life 16 Mondays, beginning November 30th and ending April 4th from 6-9pm in Fulford Hall. $100 includes suppers and participant’s book. Bursaries are available. To register contact Rhonda or call the office.
Ø All Creation Groans: a conversation about climate justice; Dec 2nd at 6pm in Fulford Hall. Join our three panelists, Deborah Tagornak, (Inuit activist), John Scott, (Convention on Biodiversity) and Henriette Thompson, (Public Witness for Social and Ecological Justice, Anglican Church of Canada) to discuss climate justice in both the local and global context with particular attention to the experiences and concerns of indigenous peoples. This is open to the public and free. Do encourage your friends to come.
Ø Evening Eucharist, Dec. 6 @ 6pm – Receive the Kingdom as a Child: The Feast of St Nicholas. Participants in the Liturgy Lab have prepared a service to help us encounter God’s Kingdom in our own vulnerability and in the world’s. All are welcome to this creative Advent service.
Ø Sing-Along Messiah – Hallelujah! Alléluia! Saturday 12th December 4:30pm. Add your voice to the crowd of singers who will be accompanied by an orchestra of young musicians from The Schulich Music School at McGill University and joined by professional soloists, all under the direction of Patrick Wedd. Reaching for the high notes in the Hallelujah chorus is a great way to glorify the Lord.
There is an exciting piece of news from Beth, a Cathedral member, which fits beautifully into our Advent celebrations. As many of you know she is an accomplished artist and writer as well as the publisher of a small press. Hot off Phoenicia Publishing is her latest book, “Annunciation”. Discover Mary as you’ve never known her — personal, accessible, very human, and quite modern — in a special new anthology of poems about the Annunciation, published and illustrated by cathedral parishioner Beth Adams, and including two poems by Vivian Lewin. Sixteen accomplished contemporary poets of different religious and cultural backgrounds were invited to participate, and the book also includes their notes about how they approached the topic. 10% of the profits will be donated for the benefit of refugees. Full details are on the Phoenicia Publishing website and shipping charges will be refunded or waived for all local orders.
Jonathan has great pleasure in inviting you to the L’Oasis Musicale concert this Saturday 21st November at 4:30pm presented by the pianist Alison Kilgannon. Surrounded by the beauty of European Gothic architecture, experience the evocative sensuality of French impressionism, the earthy rhythms of Hungarian folk tunes, and the passion of German Romanticism. Come and travel Europe through three masterpieces for solo piano! https://www.facebook.com/events/927218283983955/
Finally, on a more earthy note, here is an important message from Corporation. All existing parking passes will become obsolete at the end of December. New passes, costing $100, can be purchased from the vergers at the beginning of January 2016. Only people with new passes will be permitted to park in the cathedral forecourt after this date.
Wishing you a glorious Advent season.