Reading scripture and liturgy in public is an honour that deserves our time and attention as it provides an opportunity for people to hear God’s word. Learning how to connect with those who are listening by speaking clearly and audibly helps people understand and make sense of what you are saying.
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Objectives
On completion of this course you should be able to:
describe practical steps to effectively read scripture and liturgy in public
identify the differences between ‘reading’ to yourself and ‘speaking’ in public
read effectively in public
9 am - 12 Noon, Saturday, 28 October 2017 Christ Church Cathedral, Corner of Church and Brunswick
There's no cost to register, but we do need to know you're coming
In a few weeks cathedral verger Hank Williams will fly to Atlanta to join the largest gathering ever assembled of vergers from the United States, Canada and throughout the world.
“People think vergers wear robes and process slowly around the nave, and that’s the extent of it,” Hank says with a smile.
Verger Conference 2017
As a verger for many years, he knows better. The position of verger goes back to at least the 1600s in the Church of England.
“Historically, vergers were responsible for the order and upkeep of the house of worship, including preparations for the liturgy, the conduct of the laity, and grave-digging,” he explains, adding the latter activity is, thankfully, not part of his role. “Today it’s a ministry of service and welcome.”
For example, the verger’s organizational, logistical and behind-the-scenes support allow the clergy more time for pastoral and sacramental responsibilities. He or she also help with special services, including seating arrangements, welcoming newcomers and visiting clergy, answering questions about the facilities, services and programs.
“At the Atlanta conference Oct. 12-15, some vergers will be new to the job and others much more experienced,” Hank notes. “Many work in smaller parishes, not only in cathedrals. Most co-ordinate with the altar guild. I know I couldn’t do my job without them!”
It will be a good chance to compare notes and share advice
Some vergers train chalice bearers, prayer intercessors and/or tour guides. Some check lighting and sound when setting up for the service, and some have taken first-aid training or made emergency measures preparations.
“It will be a good chance to compare notes and share advice,” Hank said, noting he is grateful to Bishop and Chapter and the Anglican Church Women’s Group at the cathedral for helping fund his trip to Atlanta.
“I really appreciate the opportunity to learn more about a ministry I find meaningful and spiritual,” he said. “I am looking forward to a keynote address by the presiding primate of the U.S. Episcopal Church who will highlight the ministry of the verger and its part to lead the church in the Jesus Movement.”
https://youtu.be/BDRCprbP01E
Hank, who enjoys singing, will also attend a festive choral eucharist and a choral evensong as well as other worship services and workshops.
Hank Williams
The 29th annual conference of vergers, whose theme is Draw the circle wider, features exhibits, a shop, and fellowship including a recognition dinner. It also has an unusual aspect. Registrants have been asked to bring basic supplies, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and socks to Atlanta. These items will be presented at the altar and donated to homeless people.
“Vergers will also get involved in a service project during the conference,” Hank said. “It could involve cleaning, painting, making sandwiches or other tasks to help Crossroads Community Ministries which assists homeless men, women and children in Atlanta. The ministry of hospitality we provide at our home churches will take on a special meaning there.”
The verger would be pleased to share highlights upon his return from the conference. Hank added he welcomes questions from congregation members any time, especially from anyone interested especially from anyone interested in helping occasionally with verger duties.
Bishop and Chapter met on Monday, 18 September 2017 with seven of ten members present. Minutes of 12 June 2017 were adopted. S. Dibblee was acting recording secretary. Director of Christian Formation Kurt Schmidt attended as an invited guest and lead the Chapter in a brief exercise focusing on the Gospel of the previous Sunday (Matthew 18:21–35).
• Application for a grant from the Diocesan Ministry Development Fund for part of staff formation position (12 months) was submitted and successful
• Work continues on report of “designated” funds and Cathedral trust funds
• A review/audit of Cathedral financials is to be conducted in the near future and at the end of each financial year
• The stipend of the Dean to be reviewed with recommendation for approval in December and annually following
• the Chapter chair of Hospitality/welcoming/membership remains vacant
• the Cathedral Restoration Fund has been invested in the Diocesan Consolidated Investment Fund (DCIF)
Items for Decision
1. By-Law modifications – several minor uncontentious modifications were proposed, discussed and adopted by those present. These include: additional Chapter member (secretary); Nominating and Executive committee chairs; minimum Chapter meetings per year; signing Officers of the Corporation; requirements for annual financial reporting; requirement for annual review of financials; various incidental changes/corrections. Other Chapter member votes and Bishop’s signature required before finalized
From the Dean
• Normal – pastoral and liturgical duties included weddings, funerals, pastoral visitations, diocesan and Cathedral meetings
• Purchases – laptop computer for the parish nurse, popcorn machine, purple (Lent/Advent) processional cope. The recent candle liquification project will be funded by way of a memorial donation
Discussion
No identifiable lead for organizing a harvest supper at this time
Reports
• Treasurer – financials to 31 August were discussed
• Communications – pleased with efforts to communicate 17 September worship/corn boil. Suggestions received re weekly email messages to congregational email subscribers
• Health and Pastoral Care – up-coming events include two health information sessions, Fit Club, perhaps other exercise options
• Property – Hall step repair to be completed; dip in street being currently repaired by the City; replacement of signs on the Green to be erected soon, Cathedral and Hall outside lighting now LED ($1000 annual savings)
• Mission Outreach – decision has been made to plan a mission to Belize early next year. Beverly Morell leader. Missioners needed.
Up-coming
ALPHA begins 27 September, weekly organ concerts, Godly Play 01 October, Life in the Eucharist begins 15 October
During the Season of Creation, Christians are called to pray and act as one. Please join us for this special time of song and reflection as we come together for our common home.
We will participate in reflections by:
Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby
Other Christian and environmental leaders
We will also listen to beautiful music written by the Taizé community in France. This unique ecumenical monastic order is home to more than 100 Protestant and Catholic brothers. The order lives in kindness, simplicity, reconciliation, and its songs are well-known.
This event will invite deeper communion within our Christian family and our Earth community. Please join us.
Date: September 19, 2017 Time: 12 Noon Place: Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton NB
Join us for an intergenerational ALPHA which began with an introduction on 27 September 2017 at the Cathedral Memorial Hall, 168 Church Street, 6:00 pm. Dinner is included! If you missed the first session, contact Cheryl Jacobs or (506) 459-5795 or by email cajacobs84 at gmail.com
Do you want to explore the Christian faith more, or do you have family or friends you would like to see do so? Alpha is an 11 week introduction to Christianity where all questions are encouraged. It is being offered this Fall on Wednesday nights starting September 27, from 6:00 – 8:30 pm, in the Cathedral Hall. Supper will be provided as well as simultaneous video and discussion sessions for adults and youth (12-20ish). Please register on a signup sheet at the back, online HERE, by calling (506) 459-5795 or by emailing cajacobs84 at gmail.com. All are welcome!
Some of us remember Enid Strict, the infamous and wildly popular “church lady” played by Dana Carvey on Saturday Night Live. Enid was a caricature of the busybody finger-shaking moralist no one would want to share a pew with.
September 3 2017 – Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
10.00: Choral Eucharist (BAS)
Missa Secunda – Hassler
Rejoice in the Lord alway – Anon. 16th century Psalm 105: 1-6, 23-26, 45b
645, 327, 431, 49, 330
Sonata No. 1 in F (1st movement) – Mendelssohn
September 10 2017 – Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
10.00: Choral Eucharist (BCP)
O sacrum convivium – Mudd
Darke in F
Psalm 139: 1-5, 12-18
Rise up, my love, my fair one – Willan
214, 614, 60, 497, 110
Fantasia on Wachet auf – Karg-Elert
September 17 2017 – Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
10.30: Eucharist on the Cathedral Green
SPECIAL ORDER OF SERVICE
September 24 2017 – Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Choral Eucharist (BCP)
A Prayer of King Henry VI – Ley
Missa Brevis III – Willan
Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45
Jesu dulcis memoria – Victoria
380, 259, 515,71,529
Psalm Prelude Set 2 No.3 – Howells
Christ Church Cathedral offered financial support to the mission to Boston in the spring of 2017. These are some of the reflections of the participants.
When Kyle McGraw signed up for a mission trip to Boston in May, he never dreamed it would get so personal.
But on the last day before leaving Boston, he found himself clippering and shaving the heads of five men who had come in off the street for $1 haircuts. Kyle is not a barber, but he saw that the clothing outreach centre where they were volunteering gave haircuts, and he asked if he could help.
“I’d never shaved anyone before but I said I’d give it a shot,” he said. “The whole week was surreal, but that moment was a highlight. We did a lot of hands-on work but this was extremely hands-on. It got personal really fast.”
Seeing the scars on the men’s heads led to personal questions and candid conversations. And doing the job correctly meant cradling their heads to get the angle right.
“I looked over and he had his hands on this guy’s head,” said Colin McDonald, director of youth and intergenerational ministries in the diocese and one of the leaders on the trip. “It reminded me of washing someone’s feet. It was so intimate. “A lot of people don’t like to touch homeless people.”
The Rev. Dan McMullen had a similar response: “Kyle was putting the most love and care into shaving this guy. He was doing it with so much care.”
It was a pivotal moment in the trip that saw 14 young people and leaders from the diocese pitch in amid the poverty, addiction, mental illness and homelessness the city of Boston deals with daily. In fact, the kids saw things they might never see in New Brunswick.
“We’re all small towners,” said Jessica Gowan, another leader on the trip. “We don’t have a lot of experiences. In Boston every second person walks up to you. Some struggled. We all did, but the point of the trip was to face struggles.”
The group spent each day volunteering at agencies that serve the needs of those at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. And every evening was spent discussing their day.
“Some of my favourite times were when we were debriefing at the end of the day,” said Jessica. “Seeing how the day impacted our young people.”
“What really moved me was seeing the young people serving hurting people they’d never met and would never meet again,” said Dan. “They were treating these people like they were serving Jesus.”
“Lord, show me the real Boston.”
On the first day, during a tour of Boston to get their bearings, the prayer on Colton Scott’s lips was “Lord, show me the real Boston.” That prayer was answered, and it made Colton, 19, angry. When you want to find them, the addicted, poor, sick, homeless and hopeless are hard to miss — and difficult to accept. “I can’t help them,” said Colton.
The missioners at St. Francis House day shelter in Boston. Back row, from left: Emma Ray Coulton, Jesse Galbraith, Colton Scott, Katrina Zinck, Nat Fetter, Dan McMullen, Dylan Nicoll, Gabe Gionet. Front row, from left: Kyle McGraw, Joe Duplisea, Jessie Gowan, Dimitra Bountalas, Kara Gallant and Colin McDonald.
“A sister, a nun who runs the Common Art Program (for people off the street to express their creativity), said ‘let that anger fuel you. You’re right to be angry.’ That stuck with me. It drives me to do more.” Colton came back home with a new-found skill he’s likely to use, since his summer job is in uptown Saint John. “I learned how easy it is to approach people,” he said. “They’re just people. I learned a lot more about myself than I did about Boston.”
During the previous six months, Colin worked with the young people to prepare them spiritually, using Lectio Divina, the ancient practice of reading small passages of scripture repeatedly while asking the Holy Spirit to reveal their meaning. He chose the book of Isaiah, “To answer the question, ‘why do we serve?’ If we are people who claim to follow Christ, we have to act in a similar fashion to him. Jesus quoted Isaiah a lot — feed the hungry, clothe the naked.”
So how did it go? “We knew these words and we saw them played out during the week,” said Colin. “We saw young people step up, be leaders, be engaged in their faith.” Each day, they cleaned, did yard work, pitched in at places that care for the all-but-forgotten of the city, and listened to the stories of despair, and in some cases, redemption — all of which had a profound impact on the kids.
“It was very emotional for them to leave a site, knowing these same people we spent the day with were probably on the streets sleeping, maybe getting arrested that night.” “The next step,” he said, “is to harness the lessons and emotions of the week and put them to work at home.”
“What does it mean here? How do we find opportunities?” he asked.
“There’s a challenge here for the church. We have this talented group of young people coming up and we have to make room for them. “They will find a way to serve God, and we have to make a place for them to do that.”
Giselle McKnight
Diocesan Officer of Communication
When entering the living spaces of Cathedral faces Sandra and Harry Palmer, its impossible not to immediately notice the beautiful and well-kept gardens surrounding their home. Clearly, gardening is a passion. They have many.
They are a couple who have discerned a call to keep us on track with volunteering for readings and serving in various ways in worship at the Cathedral.
Sandra and Harry came to the Cathedral in 2005, and say they found it a very welcoming place, and have remained. Prior to that, they lived and worked for many years in Perth-Andover NB. Harry was a principal of several schools, and Sandra a laboratory technologist in charge of the lab at the hospital there.
Flowers at the Palmer’s
Harry grew up mainly in Fredericton Junction, living with his Grandmother. His Father had died when he was only ten. His Mother worked full-time. He has many fond memories of the place and the people there. He went to Teachers’ College in Fredericton, and immediately upon graduation, was appointed principal of Perth-Andover Elementary School. Since that time he gradually took courses at the University of New Brunswick, and St. Thomas University. He holds a degree of master of education from the University of Maine. They moved about, Harry working in various positions and eventually retired from the same school where he began teaching. After retirement, Sandra and Harry moved to Fredericton.
Sandra was born in Quebec, growing up mainly in Saint John, NB. She graduated from Saint John High School, and then from the School of Medical Technology.
Sandra and Harry in the 2017 Photo Directory
Sandra and Harry met on a blind date, and were married 50 years go this September, by Canon Walter Bockus in St. George’s Anglican Church in west Saint John. They have three children – Andrew and Kara are twins, are both married and living in Nova Scotia, and Quispamsis, NB, respectively. Their youngest is Katherine, married to Andy Rogers, and also members of the congregation at the Cathedral. Three grandchildren in their family are all girls!
A candid shot
Harry has delved into his family history and has amusing stories to tell about his British ancestry and how they came to settle in Maugerville NB, after living abroad in India, with the military.
Their interests are many having participated in Alpha twice, and minister in several ways from the Cathedral. Harry recently became part of the Bishop and Chapter Christian Formation Committee and still teaches a course at UNB when asked. The garden stands out as evidence of a care and attention to what God has made.
When asked if they had any “Words of Wisdom,” they both chuckled. However, in their experience, they feel strongly that it is important to tell anyone who has had a strong influence on one’s life or career, to tell that person how they have affected them. It just might make their day (or be the encouragement needed to keep making a difference).
