Imagine Christians from over 170 countries coming together in spirit, uniting on a common day to pray for relevant issues affecting women and children. This is a reality: the World Day of Prayer movement has been active for nearly 100 years.
The motto of the World Day of Prayer movement is Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action. Through our participation in the World Day of Prayer, we affirm that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence on the world.
A television broadcast of the World Day of Prayer will be available to watch in Fredericton on Friday, 04 March at 9:00 a.m., 5:00 p.m. and 10:05 p.m. on Bell Fiber TV channel 26 and Bell TV satellite channel 539.
Donations made online or by mail to Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada will help support women and children who are fighting injustice and abuse. Learn more at <wicc.org>.
The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement which brings Christians of many traditions together to observe a common day of prayer each year. Through preparation and participation in the worship service, we can learn how our sisters of other countries, languages and cultures understand the Biblical passages in their context. We can hear their concerns and needs and can join in solidarity with them as we pray with and for them. In this way, it is possible to enrich our Christian faith as it grows deeper and broader in an international, ecumenical expression.
During the Season of Lent, all members of the Cathedral congregation are encouraged to consider individual or small group study or reflection. The 40 days of Lent are an excellent time to take on a discipline of deeper reflection on the Christian life, growing personally in discipleship as well as helping us grow as a community of Christian faith. (See BAS p. 282 and BCP p. 612)
Listen to Kurt Schmidt speak about Ad-LENT-ures this year.
MONDAYS
Grace and Gratitude
Lectionary study with the Dean on the upcoming Sunday readings. 2:00-3:15pm, online or Cathedral Memorial Hall. RSVP to dean at christchurchcathedral.com or the Cathedral Office.
Lent us Pray
A five-part series of hands-on study and practice with various methods of prayer. Explore lectio divina, intercessory prayer, prayer with photography and poetry, the Psalms, and lament -- with a different local-expert facilitator for each session. Drop in to one, some, many or all! No RSVP needed. 5:30-6:30pm, Cathedral. **Please note that this time has been changed from the printed version.07 March: Kurt Schmidt, lectio divina; 14 March: Isabel Cutler, intercessory prayer; 21 March: Jill Dunderdale, photography and poetry; 28 March: Kurt Schmidt, praying with the psalms; 04 April: Cheryl Jacobs, lament.
TUESDAYS
Art & Faith
An Ignatian-flavoured contemplative consideration of select works of sacred art. Drop-in session hosted by Kurt Schmidt. 5:30-6:00pm, online via Zoom. Link through the Cathedral calendar.
WEDNESDAYS
Practicing Lament
Diocesan Lenten Study of the recent book by Rebekah Eklund. Led by Cheryl Jacobs and sponsored by the Diocese of Fredericton and Bishop David Edwards. 7:00-8:30pm, online via Zoom (beginning 9 March). Register here.
THURSDAYS
Virtual Taizé Thursdays
Ecumenical and contemplative service of worship that incorporates simple song, scripture and silence. 5:30-6:00pm, alternating online via Zoom (03, 17, 31 March, 07 April) and in-person/live-streamed from the Cathedral (10, 24 March). Link through the Cathedral calendar or Cathedral YouTube channel. Curious about Taizé? Read about an online session and in-person Taizé at the Cathedral.
The Power and the Glory
Study of the 1940 novel by Graham Greene. RSVP to host Alan Hall <alanwilliamhall at gmail.com> or the Cathedral Office. 7:00-8:00pm, Cathedral Memorial Hall Lounge.
FRIDAYS
Stations of the Cross
Various versions of the ancient meditation on the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross). 12:00 noon, Cathedral.
SUNDAYS
The Chosen
Intergenerational screening of the first season of The Chosen, the largest crowd-funded media project in history, about the life of Christ and the disciples. 6:00-8:00pm, Cathedral Memorial Hall. RSVP requested, and popcorn provided! Contact Kurt Schmidt <formation at christchurchcathedral.com> or the Cathedral Office.
Contact Facilitators and Join
Please contact the facilitators directly to: express interest / ask a question / register. Take special note of online options. Flexibility in schedules and locations may be possible within given restraints.
Geoffrey Hall: email or phone (506) 450-7761 or the Cathedral Office
Kurt Schmidt: email or phone (506) 259-3711 or the Cathedral Office
Cheryl Jacobs: email or phone (506) 459-5795 or the Cathedral Office
Alan Hall: email or phone (506) 443-0196 or the Cathedral Office
PHONE MINISTRY: 12 Things to Attend To in Phone Visits
So many of our parishioners and community members are suffering with isolation and loneliness right now. Making caring calls can make all the difference and brighten someone's day!
Held Wednesday, 26 January at 7 p.m., the session offered insights on some best practices related to phone ministry. The Rev. Bonnie Baird, Associate Priest at Christ Church, Dartmouth, shares, real-life examples and her passion for visiting with people over the phone. You'll be inspired and encouraged by her presentation.
This session is 1 hour and open to anyone.
Hosted by the Diocese's Creating Missional Communities Team (VSST).
The Mission and Outreach team of the Diocese of Fredericton continued its Christian Forum series with a most timely topic entitled COVID-19, Religious Freedoms & Christian Response.
Dr. Alan Sears, Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Education at the University of New Brunswick, was the speaker, his second time presenting for the diocesan Christian Forum. Alan’s main focus of study and research is citizenship, civic education and the intersection of religion and education.
To help combat the spread of COVID-19, governments worldwide have imposed stringent measures, including limits to public gatherings like religious worship services. Some have seen these rules as violations of their religious rights, and in response, have protested and even engaged in acts of civil disobedience. It is this backdrop that forms the context for Alan’s presentation.
The Sunday Paper is a new resource at the Cathedral as of the First of Advent 2021!
Each week, check the Quick Links of our regular weekly Friday email for links to current editions (or bookmark these in your web browser for quick access). The content will change each Friday, updated for the upcoming Sunday and prior to sending the email announcing the Sunday bulletin. These can be viewed or downloaded to a device or printed for use at home. (We'll plan on having a few paper copies at the Cathedral on Sundays.)
“The Sunday Paper is informal, whimsical, faithful to Scripture, and in dead earnest. It is not condescending or cute. It helps children to acquire a vocabulary of crucial Scriptural images, and to relate the Gospel to the Old Testament, the life of the Church, and their own lives.”
The original SUNDAY PAPER appeals to intermediate through junior high, and presents one lesson (usually the Gospel) as a two-line cartoon; the other readings, and the Psalm, are presented as single vignettes. The lessons are tied together with a short commentary.
THE SUNDAY PAPER JUNIOR is aimed at younger children (preschool through grade 3 or 4). The SUNDAY PAPER JUNIOR features one lesson only, usually the Gospel. THE SUNDAY PAPER JUNIOR offers big, bold artwork, a simple storyline, an activity page designed to stir children's imaginations and spirituality and that requires pencil or crayons only (no glue or scissors) and does not involve word games or other literacy-based activities. THE SUNDAY PAPER JUNIOR can be used in church, nursery, or classroom.
Visit the Sunday Paper website or Facebook page for more information and other resources from many sources for providing formation experiences, especially with children.
GivingTuesday - the world's largest generosity movement
GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement, taking place each year after Black Friday. The “Opening day of the giving season,” it’s a time when charities, companies and individuals join together and rally for favourite causes. In the same way that retailers take part in Black Friday, the giving community comes together for GivingTuesday.
GivingTuesday harnesses the potential of social media and the generosity of people around the world to bring about real change in their communities; it provides a platform for them to encourage the donation of time, resources and talents to address local challenges. It also brings together the collective power of a unique blend of partners - nonprofits, civic organizations, businesses and corporations, as well as families and individuals - to encourage and amplify small acts of kindness. Across Canada and around the world, GivingTuesday unites communities by sharing our capacity to care for and empower one another.
“We have two days that are good for the economy.
Now we have a day that is good for the community too.”
Listen to Kurt Schmidt speak on Sunday, 28 November 2021 about the 2021 ADVENT-ures.
Happy New Year! — The new Church year is upon us!
Why not add something to your devotional life to mark a fresh start?
Choose from the following list of diverse opportunities on the Advent weekdays to deepen your prayer or study or worship. You are encouraged and invited to add at least one new Advent-ure to your schedule!
MONDAYS
Christmas—The Day God Took off the Mask: Video series with Bishop Bill Hockin and friends. Talks & music, made available beginning at 12:00 noon on each of the first three Mondays of Advent. Details and YouTube link at billhockin.ca.
Waiting for God: Reflective study of Simone Weil’s essay, “Forms of the Implicit Love of God,” led by Alan Hall. In person, 7:00-8:00 p.m. in the Cathedral Sacristy. Please RSVP to Kurt Schmidt.
TUESDAYS
Art & Faith: Short guided meditation on a work of art related to the prior Sunday’s Gospel and in the tradition of Ignatian (imaginative) contemplation. 5:30-6:00 p.m. on Zoom. Link through the Cathedral Calendar or from Kurt.
THURSDAYS
Taizé worship: A simple and contemplative half hour of prayer, song & silence. 2 & 16 December on Zoom, 9 & 23 December in person and livestreamed in/from the Cathedral. 5:30 p.m. start. Link through the Cathedral Calendar or from Kurt.
FRIDAYS
Advent Lessons & Carols “miniseries”— UPDATE: The in-person versions scheduled for 10 and 17 December have been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts with our performers. View recordings from 2021 and 2020 on the Cathedral YouTube channel.
ONGOING / DAILY
Honest Advent: “Advent stations” art exhibit in the Cathedral, available for personal reflection & devotion, Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Sundays 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon. Images by Scott Erickson which consider the seasonal theme of the vulnerability of incarnation, and which respond to the question, “Is Christ’s incarnation still happening in our midst?”
Divine Office: Regular (and short!) weekdaily prayer opportunity in the Cathedral. Morning Prayer at 8:45 a.m., Evening Prayer at 4:45 p.m.
Holy Eucharist: Wednesday mornings, 10:00 a.m. in the Cathedral.
Questions or expressions of interest can be communicated to Cathedral Director of Christian Formation, Kurt Schmidt by email or by phone/text to (506) 259-3711. Thanks & Blessings!
The Cathedral Branch of Mothers' Union has advent wreath candles available for purchase again this year. Contact a branch member or the Cathedral office by email or phone (506) 450-8500.
Someone has asked: What is reverential capitalization?
Reverential capitalization refers to the practice of capitalizing words referring to the Divine in religious texts. Wikipedia defines it as “capitalizing religious words that refer to deities or divine beings in cases where the words would not otherwise have been capitalized.”
Interestingly, it was very popular in the last century, mostly in the 1960's and 70's and somewhat more so among Protestant Christian denominations but has fallen out of use in most formal publishing since then. We might note that most biblical translations do not employ reverential capitalization in their texts including the King James, the New International and the New Revised Standard (the preferred translation in most of the Anglican Church of Canada).
The Anglican Church of Canada 1938 Hymn Book did not utilize reverential capitalization for pronouns (eg he) or possessives (eg his) but often applied it to names referring to God (eg Master, Friend, the King, the Crucified). By the time of the publication of the current Canadian Anglican hymnal, Common Praise, 1998, the choice was quite obviously made not to reverentially capitalize and generally uses capitalization sparingly, more in line with the now more common practices of the bigger publishers.
The use of capitals in English sentences (except in the opening word) has diminished steadily during recent centuries, not least in words of sacred reference where the process has accelerated in the last few decades. In a compilation such as this, which draws on a number of sources representing different stages of linguistic development, some inconsistencies may appear. In general the following standards apply: the names of rites are not capitalized except in their titles and in references to their titles; in liturgical texts appropriate words in the titles of sections of liturgies are capitalized, but the functions they contain are not; Word is capitalized when it refers to Christ as the incarnate Logos, but usually not otherwise; traditional titles of Christ are capitalized, but metaphors applied to God, either as titles or attributes, usually are not, except in forms of address. Spelling in the Psalter has been adapted to the standard of the Concise Oxford Dictionary. (B.A.S page 928)
The logic behind not using it is that more does not necessarily mean better. The question should be: what results in more effective communication? Simpler style is often preferred for clarity. If half of a hymn or songtext, for example, is reverentially capitalized, the overuse of capital letters actually makes the text less readable and does little if anything to improve or make it more understandable. One author points out that “not using capitalization does indicate lack of reverence and that capitals do not mean respect in English anyway.
When the name of God is used, of course, it is still proper and preferred to use a capital letter as it is with any proper name. Many linguists and language scholars confirm that there are no firm rules in English and that it continues to be mostly a matter of style and primarily the preference of the writer.
Members of the Cathedral Youth Group (CYG) were happy to gather in-person on 17 October, after an extended summer break. About a dozen were in attendance; a combination of high schoolers, middle schoolers, and youth leaders, including three new members in Grade 6.
Returning members were very pleased to see one another again in the CYG circle after such a long time away. The group sang, prayed, played games, and discussed their goals, desires, and plans for the next few months.
Kurt Schmidt, Cathedral Director of Christian Formation, was pleased with the long-anticipated return, saying, "Thanks to all who helped make our Fall 2021 CYG Launch last Sunday such a lovely time together." He is especially appreciative of the assistance of several youth leaders, who have a great rapport with the kids.
CYG outdoor meetings earlier in the pandemic, distanced and bubbled.
At the gathering, he also unveiled a new feature... a location change! CYG has spent much of the pandemic meeting online, outside, in the Cathedral, and in the Main Hall. This fall, a decision was made to convert the Youth Room on the top floor of Memorial Hall into a workspace, allowing the Diocesan Synod Office to expand their daily operations. CYG is in the process of moving their materials to the ground floor and will be creating a gathering area on the stage. During their meetings, they will continue to use a variety of areas in the Cathedral and Hall that complement their activities, whether they be active, musical, prayerful, virtual, or culinary.
On 24 October, the youth returned to the Hall for pumpkin carving in the kitchen. They laughed and got messy, while making jack-o'-lanterns that won prizes for "(1) spookiest, (2) cleverest / creativest / wildest, and (3) youth-groupiest pumpkins."
The Youth Group will break for Halloween, resuming in November. Any interested young people in middle or high school are welcome to attend CYG, and all are warmly and formally invited. Spread the word! Contact Kurt for details, via email or phone (506) 259-3711.
Please note that proof of double vaccination or medical exemption for ages 12+ is required for indoor gatherings in the Cathedral and Hall, and masks are mandatory. Thank you for your continued cooperation and compliance on these fronts.
One of the less understood festivals of the Church is celebrated in the public participation of our children. Halloween sees children and adults carving pumpkins and placing them in living room windows, lighted by a candle. Halloween sees children, younger children especially, rummaging through cardboard boxes of old cloths, or trying on their parents’ clothing. Imagination takes over and really quite remarkable creations take life!
With a pillowcase in hand (I always used a big pillowcase myself), and a mask or some make-up to obscure recognition, children escape into the dark of the street. Accompanied by a parent, or in the company of friends, they begin their exploration of their neighbourhood. Doorbells are rung. A door is opened. Perhaps the person who answers will call them by name. And it’s great fun not to have been recognized! Especially if they have called the occupant by name, and they still weren’t recognized! They retreat down the walkway and head up the street to find another doorbell. With good and generous neighbours, pillowcases might end up half full by the end of the evening. Enough sweets to last a week or even longer, with careful management!
Tired after the excursion, the sorting of sweets, and perhaps the shrewd trading with brothers and sisters for favourites, ghosts, ghouls and hobgoblins turn in for the night, thinking that it’s all over.
It isn’t all over.
All Hallows’ Eve is the beginning of the observance by the Church known as All Saints’ Day. As a community of faith, we remember those of our number who have died, and as Christians have given us a focus in what we know as the Communion of Saints. The Scriptures proclaim, and the Creeds affirm, and we believe that those who have died in the faith of Jesus Christ continue in the fellowship we enjoy with God. In the Communion, we say that we join the company of “angels, archangels and the whole company of heaven.” In the most ancient of Christian hymns, we join our voices to sing, “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.” The Book of Alternative Services explains that the whole company of heaven means “all your saints who have served you in every age.”
It isn’t all over.
That includes the saints we know from early times, of course. But it also includes many more that remain unknown to us. There are, however, many saints who have served God in our age. They may include our grandparents, our parents, possibly our sisters and brothers. They may include our neighbours and our friends. Certainly, they include all that have been baptized and have died. Is it small wonder that they unwittingly wear their parents’ clothes? Is it small wonder that they search the trunk holding spats and dresses and wide lapel suit jackets; old felt hats and hats decorated with feathers? The joy and glee of costumed youngsters helps us reflect on our baptism and the special relationship and grace that are ours as God’s gift to us.
When we mistakenly limit the scope and the self-consciousness of Halloween and attribute the festival to the forces of darkness, we celebrate ignorance. Certainly, there are those who do not know the association of the Communion of Saints with the stealth of neighbourly visitation. It is our opportunity and responsibility to inform others that God’s grace fills our lives, and the lives of those who have gone before us, with the generosity and largesse mirrored by the pillowcases filled by neighbours.
We can choose to be superstitious. And that choice is made by many that wish to exalt the power of darkness. However, we have another choice: the recognition of the fellowship that is held up by Paul, when he wrote to the Church in Rome. “I am persuaded,” he wrote, “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-40
The motto of the World Day of Prayer movement is Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action. Through our participation in the World Day of Prayer, we affirm that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence on the world.
The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement which brings Christians of many traditions together to observe a common day of prayer each year. Through preparation and participation in the worship service, we can learn how our sisters of other countries, languages and cultures understand the Biblical passages in their context. We can hear their concerns and needs and can join in solidarity with them as we pray with and for them. In this way, it is possible to enrich our Christian faith as it grows deeper and broader in an international, ecumenical expression.
