Category Archives: Worship
Pandemic Orange Level at the Cathedral – January 2021
Orange Level Recovery
At 11:59 p.m. on 26 January, 2021, Zone 3 (Fredericton and area) will return to the Orange Level of the New Brunswick Pandemic Recovery Plan.
In-person worship at the Cathedral will resume and Memorial Hall will reopen to the public. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Monday to Friday.
Pandemic precautions outlined in the latest revision of the Cathedral Pandemic Operational Plan (20 January 2021) will be followed. These include:
- Worship gatherings are limited to 50 individuals
- Meetings are limited to 25 individuals
- 2 metres of physical distance between bubbles is required
- Face masks are mandatory indoors and out at all times (with an exception for “performers or officiants whose activities require vocalization” while maintaining 4 metres of physical distance between bubbles)
Please note that during the Orange Level, we are strongly encouraged to limit contact outside of single household bubbles, especially in confined spaces. Please continue to pray for those who are at risk and those providing care and helping to keep us safe.
Worship reservations
With current limits of individuals, worship reservations are required. Reserve online by visiting Cathedral Signups by 8:00 p.m. on the previous day. Telephone reservations are needed in real time (not by voicemail). If reserving by telephone, please contact the Cathedral Office (506) 450-8500 during office hours, 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon, Monday to Friday.
Pandemic Red Level at the Cathedral
19 January 2021
Dear Friends,
You'll note that as of midnight tonight (Tuesday) the Province of New Brunswick announced that Zone 3 (Fredericton Region) is being moved to the Red Level of pandemic restriction.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province's chief medical officer of health, says Zones 1, 2, and 3 – Moncton, Saint John, and Fredericton -- will move to the red phase as of midnight on Tuesday. Zone 4 will also remain in the red phase, meaning more than half of the province will be in the highest level of pandemic restrictions. CTV News
We continue to pray for all in leadership and especially for those who work in the health care professions. Remember also those who will feel the impact of these restrictions. Reach out to and communicate with others in safe ways and let's move through these current challenges with the knowledge that the Holy One is with us, that there is light and that this crisis will end.
What does the Red Level of Alert mean for us?
1. The Red Alert Level does not permit public, in-person worship. Holy Eucharist tomorrow (Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.) and Sunday at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. are cancelled. We will live stream from the Cathedral beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, 24 January (the Third Sunday after Epiphany). Visit our YouTube Channel. 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship will continue as a live stream until the level of alert changes. If you know of someone who does not receive e-mail, please communicate this information to them as best you can.
2. The Cathedral Office will be closed to the public during the Red Alert level. Please don't hesitate to contact the office or the Dean by email or telephone if you have need.
3. Please note that during both the Red and Orange Alert Levels, visitations at hospital are not possible, with the exception of special circumstances. Returning to the yellow level will make visits possible again with restrictions. At all times It is important that you let us know if you or a family member is or is going to be admitted to hospital. The hospital no longer routinely shares information about patients with the clergy or our hospital visitors.
Watch the Cathedral website and your email for updates when they are available.
Geoffrey Hall
Dean of Fredericton
I’m told I can’t sing
For many of us one of the significant losses during necessary safety restrictions during the current pandemic is singing.
At the Cathedral, we're fortunate that we've been able to strike a safe balance so as to have music continue to be a part of worship even though we've not been singing as congregations since last March. The size of our worship space and a less than mainstream direction from New Brunswick Public Health about a safe exception for leaders and performers means that even if we can't all sing, we can listen. We can follow the sung texts at least in our minds, maybe even hum along a bit and remain within safe practice.
Find here some reflections offered several weeks ago by Cheryl Jacobs about how "being asked not to sing" might be an opportunity to expand our outlook and our attitudes.
Yes, in these odd and tragic times, we in the congregation at corporate worship have been asked not to sing. This is a disappointment for many of us. Perhaps, however, it is an opportunity to consider and expand how we worship during a hymn or song.
Here are some thoughts:
- Say the words, perhaps working on doing so from memory. Memorizing scriptural words and truths through song is good for our minds and our spirit as we hide God's word within us (Psalm 119.11).
- Pray the words - in praise or for yourself, our church, or someone who comes to your mind.
- Meditate on a phrase or verse. Those who are singing on our behalf can worry about all the words and we can focus on a particular aspect of God's love and grace, or our response to that.
- Worship with your hearing, pondering the words of James that we should always be quick to listen and slow to speak (1.19).
- Worship with other parts of your body: tap your feet (Jeremiah 31.13), or extend or raise your hands (Psalm 134.2). Give thanks that there will again be a "time to dance."
Cheryl Jacobs
I'll bring you more than a song
For a song in itself
is not what you have required
You search much deeper within;
you're looking into my heart.
"When the Music Fades" (The Heart of Worship) Matt Redman
Happy anniversary, Thomas!
This January, Cathedral Organist and Director of Music Thomas Gonder is celebrating the one year anniversary of his arrival in Fredericton. As we reflect on the blessing of his music ministry during this most unusual year, we thought it appropriate to look back on this interview originally published in the NB Anglican shortly after Thomas' arrival in our city.
[Photos and text by Gisele McKnight, 2/18/2020]
Cathedral welcomes new music director
Some call it happenstance. Others call it God’s hand.
Thomas Gonder believes it was definitely God’s hand that brought him to Fredericton — specifically to Christ Church Cathedral as its new director of music. He began his role here in early January.
Thomas, 48 and originally from London, Ont., lived in Toronto for more than 12 years, working as an organist in Anglican Churches. His path to New Brunswick began last summer, when he was invited by Leo Marchildon to perform at St. Dunstan’s Roman Catholic Basilica in Charlottetown.
A lifelong Anglican, Thomas decided to make the trip really count. He’d always wanted to visit Christ Church Cathedral in Fredericton.
“I’d seen pictures, so I thought, ‘why not see if I can play there,’” he said. “Might as well make the trip more worthwhile.”
So he wrote to then-director of music, David Drinkell, who extended a hearty invitation. Thomas spent four or five days in the city, and loved every minute.
“I played an organ concert here on a Saturday night,” he said. “There were about 100 people there. I thought I might get 20.”
But while preparing to return to Toronto, he realized he didn’t really want to leave.
“I was overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers, the enthusiasm people have for music,” he said. “I was surrounded by trees instead of condos.
“When I went back to Toronto, I sank into a bit of a depression. I felt as if I really connected to this place in a specific way — not just with the Cathedral, but with the whole city. I crave nature and I couldn’t find that in Toronto.”
The sad and untimely death of David Drinkell later that fall opened up an opportunity that Thomas did not see coming. He’d struck up a Facebook friendship with Elspeth, David’s wife, and had lively correspondence with David. Now he realizes his August visit to the city was all God’s plan, not his. When the vacancy appeared, he felt he had to apply.
With an offer in hand, Thomas left St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Islington, in the Diocese of Toronto, to direct music in his first cathedral, and he couldn’t be happier.
“The draw to come here was irresistible,” he said. “I didn’t need this job. I had one I really liked, but I had to take this chance.
“I was growing so weary of Toronto — the cost of living, the hustle and bustle, the noise — it became too much for me. It was wearing down my senses.”
Now he walks to work via Odell Park, and revels in the bird song and the smell of trees, things he has sorely missed for many years. Moving to a new city in the middle of winter isn’t ideal, he said, but he’s enjoying the nature, the people and the work.
“I feel like it’s healing me,” he said. “Now that I’m here, all those feelings I had are confirmed.”
THE PEOPLE
What Thomas has found so far is a group of people — the choir and the 11:45 worship band — who are enthusiastic and skilled.
“I get to work with such a terrific choir,” he said. “And the 11:45 worship band is so talented. Everyone has made it very easy for me. I feel no stress.”
He’s also thrilled to return to his roots, “being able to play all aspects of Anglican liturgical music. I feel like a kid again!”
His great love of church music began when he was 10 years old, joining the choir at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
“It was a revelation, if 10-year-olds can have revelations,” he said. “I’ll never forget that moment.”
THE PLANS
He describes himself as a concert organist and liturgical musician, and he aims to put those talents to good use. As for the work, he’s got big plans.
At St. Matthews, he and the parish replaced the organ through a vigorous fundraising campaign and he hopes to use that experience here. The Christ Church Cathedral organ was last rebuilt in 1981, and Thomas believes it’s overdue.
“The goal is to renovate this instrument,” he said. “It’s showing wear and tear. Oddly enough, it’s a bit big for its environment. I think it needs to be reimagined for the space.”
Thomas sees that as a long-term project of up to 10 years, but in the end, “this could be the finest instrument in the Maritimes.”
He also sees a great deal of potential in the Cathedral itself: a beacon of inspiration for the diocese, a centre for arts and culture, a dynamic music program to share with the community.
“My goal is to make the Cathedral what most cathedrals have been for centuries — a centre for the arts,” he said.
Recently, as he listened to Dean Geoffrey Hall preach, he was struck by the sermon’s theme: ‘hearing the call, answering the call.’
“I had no urgency to leave my job, but I had to answer the call,” he said.
Reprinted from nb.anglican.ca
Video Project – December 2020
Since March 2020 the Cathedral has provided a combination of video recording and live streaming Sunday worship. Live streaming Sunday and special worship events are well ‘attended’ with the number of views this fall ranging between 50 and 75 per service. The November worship during Covid orange had 117 views and the fall ordination had 146. Comments and feedback indicate that the streaming is very much appreciated by those who do not attend every week (allowing others a chance to attend with the 50 or 80 maximum) and those who do not feel comfortable worshiping in person. The live streams keep Cathedral people engaged, nourished, and feeling a part of the church community.
This is an investment in the wider Cathedral community and an outreach tool
We believe that video streaming should be part of the Sunday routine in the future, recommend that and request the funding for purchase and installation. This is an investment in the wider Cathedral community and an outreach tool that will appeal to those not currently part of a church family. To date, we have used a web camera and computer belonging to Peter Jacobs. Video editing, when it has occurred, again has used personal computers. There has been a steep learning curve regarding pricing and determining the specifics, but it has been successful, and we have used what we have learned to create this proposal. We want to proceed quickly in order to provide a higher quality solution which will be simpler to provide as soon as possible. To date Peter Jacobs and Kirsten McKnight have been operating the live stream, but we would add to those numbers and create a sign-up category to ensure each event is covered.
Contributions toward this project are welcome. Label "Audio/Visual" as an envelope offering or use the convenient GIVE NOW option on the Cathedral Facebook page or Online Giving page on our website.
Read the entire project proposal here.
| Unit Price | Total | ||
| 1 | Video switcher, recorder and Streaming encoder | $1,319 | $1,319 |
| (4 HDMI Channel, Stream to Ethernet, Record 4 channels) | |||
| 2 | PTZOptics PTZ Camera 30X optical HDMI, SDI 1080P | $2,499 | $4,998 |
| (Pan - Tilt - Zoom camera remotely controlled-no Operator) | |||
| 2 | PTZOptics camera stand | $125 | $250 |
| 1 | PTZOptics ElectronicPTZ Camera 4K Optics two SDI outputs | $689 | $689 |
| 1 | Basic 1080P camera | $300 | $300 |
| 2 | Video Signal Converter | $85 | $170 |
| 1 | HDMI audio interface (HDMI in - out, Audio out) | $70 | $70 |
| 1 | Dell HDMI monitor for Switcher display | $300 | $300 |
| 1 | SSD USB external drive | $200 | $200 |
| 1 | Dell Desktop computer with Video Editing capability | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| 1 | Dell HDMI monitor for Computer | $300 | $300 |
| 1 | Cabling and mounting hardware | $500 | $500 |
| Sub-Total | $10,296 | ||
| Tax | $1,544 | ||
| Total | $11,840 |
Blue Christmas 2020
Join us at Christ Church Cathedral on Monday, 21 December, at 7:00 p.m. for a Blue Christmas.
Visit the Cathedral Signup or contact the Cathedral office Monday to Friday, 9:00 - 12 Noon, to reserve your spot.
T
he idea of a “Blue Christmas” may be new to you. Behind it is the intention to provide a quiet, contemplative time of worship as an alternative to the more traditional gatherings at this time of year as a way to care for those who are sad or struggling while all around us are getting caught up in Christmas celebration.
In the northern hemisphere, these worship opportunities are also known as prayers on “the Longest Night.” Both tend to be held around 21–22 December -- the winter solstice when the earth tips farthest away from the sun and evening creeps in as early as it ever does.
We acknowledge many during this season who are struggling with different kinds of pain and loss at the moment. Whether this year you’re feeling the loss of a loved one, separation from family due to pandemic restrictions or other reasons, the holidays in any number of ways are going to be especially challenging this year, or if you would like to be part of an effort to prayerfully support those who are feeling this way, the Blue Christmas is for you. Many in our local community are saying they are just ‘not feeling very Christmassy’ this year.
Behind it is the intention to provide a quiet, contemplative time of worship
On the evening of December 21st, we’ll quietly recognize the coming of the baby in the manger, a fact of history. The incarnate One can easily be dismissed as irrelevant especially when our hearts are heavy. But most especially we’ll consider the way the God of love comes too in the midst of the mess and pain we know in our everyday lives and the lives of those around us.
Tips about reading scripture in worship
“The way in which you read something can really change the way people hear it.”
That's a comment from The Rev. Chris Roth of the Anglican Diocese of Calgary who recently put together a half-hour You Tube video to discuss reading scripture in worship. He explains what is read and why during worship (Old Testament, psalms, epistles, gospel), and he offers several useful tips for readers.
“The most important thing is to be heard clearly and to take your time to speak the words in a way that shows you understand what you're reading and in a way that your tongue doesn't trip over the words,” Rev. Roth says.
He urges readers to know their text extremely well. “Practise the text many times and always do it aloud,” he advises. “Know the meaning as best you can. You should be able to tell somebody else what the story is about.”
To learn the context of a scriptural passage, he suggests consulting montreal.anglican.org/comments which provides the meaning and importance of each entry in the Anglican three-year cycle of readings.
He says a reader can also use a good study Bible to learn what a passage is about. “If you're confused, it will come across to the congregation,” he cautions.
“Avoid reading too quickly or too quietly or in a flat monotone,” he advises.
It's very important to read with feeling, he says, because it will help the congregation to understand the words. For example, is a passage you're practising sad or joyous? “Match your tone to the mood of the story,” he says.
Readers can stumble over unfamiliar words or place names. Rev. Roth recommends checking proper pronunciation on www.biblegateway.com and speaking the name confidently during worship. Mark up your page to be sure you remember the correct pronunciation.
It's also important to know how to use the microphone properly, make sure your printed reading is actually at the lectern before the service, and to pause briefly before you begin and when you finish a passage.
In his video, Rev. Roth says that scripture is a highlight of worship, along with the sacrament of the eucharist.
“So, be heard clearly, take your time, know your text really well, and say the words with feeling to show that you understand them,” he sums up.
-- by Ann Deveau
Season of Creation 2020 – Jubilee for the Earth
Each year, the ecumenical steering committee that provides this Season of Creation Celebration Guide suggests a theme. The 2020 theme is Jubilee for the Earth. Climate change is a result of the intersection of greed, inequality and destruction of God’s earth. The theme of Jubilee for the Earth” reflects those three interlocking themes. Jubilee is a time to renounce overconsumption and economic systems based on constant economic growth at the cost of the Earth and those who are poor. Jubilee is a time when those who have consumed the most must make restitution to those who have suffered the most. Jubilee is a time of rest for the land from constant exploitation, to restore ecosystems and people.
The concept of Jubilee is rooted in the holy wisdom that there must exist a just and sustainable balance between social, economic and ecological realities. When one variable is exploited to maximize growth of another, the whole system will eventually suffer. When one part of the Earth community is stressed, every part is affected. In 2020, the novel coronavirus pandemic demonstrated this reality on a global scale. While the experience of living with the COVID-19 outbreak points back to this need to maintain justice, the lessons that we learn may point us towards the need for a Jubilee and motivate us to restore balance to the very systems that sustain life.
And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to your family. (Leviticus 25:10, NRSV)
Julilee means “a ram’s horn.” It was blown at a time of universal redemption. The year of Jubilee involved release from indebtedness, when injustices of the past fifty years were to be restored. It was also a time for rest for the land. The theme of Jubilee has clear links to the root paradigms fueling unjust exploitation, such as neoliberal and capitalist approaches to the world economy. It brings together the need for a prophetic voice on climate injustice and actions for the restoration of the Earth. The theme of Jubilee affirms the need for equality, justice and sustainability, and a transition to sustainable economies. It honours the Jubilee 2000 Campaign, which successfully called for an amnesty on debt for global South countries and redistribution of wealth. And 2020 marks 50 years since the first Earth Day when the environmental movement was born.
A Climate Emergency
We are in the midst of a climate emergency. Several studies have indicated that the world is nowhere near meeting pledged emission reduction rate targets. The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report highlights that “only with rapid and far-reaching” transitions in the world economy, on a scale and at a rate without historical precedent, can the 1.5°C limit be achieved. It is therefore a time to reconcile ourselves with creation through concrete repentance and urgent action.
The Season of Creation is a time to acknowledge that tipping points are being reached, threatening the lives of the most vulnerable and putting the lives of future generations in jeopardy. As people of faith, we are being called to stand up against
climate injustice in prophetic ways.
The theme of Jubilee affirms the need for equality, justice and sustainability
The Season of Creation 2020 will also be an important moment for the Christian family to raise a united voice for rapid and radical ambitious action ahead of the 26th annual United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) to address the climate crisis.
COP 26 is particularly significant, as parties are due to announce how they will implement the Paris Climate Agreement (and whether they will fall short). It is a time when faith communities are called to support and challenge their countries’ leadership to implement visionary and significant goals. It is also a time when we must listen to the prophetic voices of young people.
Then you shall have the trumpet sounded loud; on the tenth day of the seventh month—on the Day of Atonement—you shall have the trumpet sounded throughout all your land. (Leviticus 25:9, NRSV)
Prophetic call of hope
As people of faith we are called to sound a voice of hope, like the Jubilee. We lament, for everywhere we hear the groaning of creation. So we act as carriers of creation, and we sound the horn of hope, for the Earth and all they that live in it belong to the Lord. We know that God has promised the renewal of this Earth.
During this critical and trying time, we acknowledge our role as people of faith in sounding hope amidst this current crisis and affirm ourselves as prophetic witnesses. Jesus has given us a choice between God and Mammon. For the sake of the Earth
and all creatures, we have no choice but to pursue Justice (Micah 6:8).
Season of Creation 2020 is an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of Jubilee today, especially in the lead-up to COP26. How will we, as persons and as the Church:
- Recognize God’s ownership of the whole earth, and all our ‘possessions’?
- Release what we have back to God, both spiritually and practically?
- Recognize our total dependency on God and his creation?
- Receive God’s provision, in patience and trust?
What does it mean for the church to declare ‘the year of the Lord’s favour’? How can we glorify God for the hope we have in Christ, who restores and redeems the Earth? What changes will we see for those who are poor, and the land we enslave? We are far from a picture of Jubilee provision. As God’s Earth suffers, God’s people suffer also. Season of Creation 2020 encourages churches and Christians to participate through:
- Prayer: including praise for God’s provision, repentance for our greed and complicity in the suffering of Earth and our neighbours, intercession for those vulnerable to climate chaos, and releasing all we have back to God
- Practice: auditing our own mistreatment of the Earth, and committing to new practices individually and as worshipping communities
- Advocacy: encourage states to ensure that climate justice and steps to a green economy are part of the COVID-19 economic recovery plans
- Action: participate in civil action to put pressure on Governments to produce ambitious national targets (NDCs) for COP26
Season of Creation 2020 Prayer
Creator of Life,
At your word, the Earth brought forth plants yielding seed
and trees of every kind bearing fruit.
The rivers, mountains, minerals, seas and forests sustained life.
The eyes of all looked to you to satisfy the needs of every living thing.
And throughout time the Earth has sustained life.
Through the planetary cycles of days and seasons,
renewal and growth, you open your hand to give creatures our food in the proper time.
In your Wisdom, you granted a Sabbath;
a blessed time to rest in gratitude for all that you have given;
a time to liberate ourselves from vicious consumption;
a time to allow the land and all creatures to rest from the burden of production.
But these days our living pushes the planet beyond its limits.
Our demands for growth, and our never-ending cycle of production and consumption are exhausting our world.
The forests are leached, the topsoil erodes,
the fields fail, the deserts advance, the seas acidify, the storms intensify.
We have not allowed the land to observe her Sabbath,
and the Earth is struggling to be renewed.
During this Season of Creation,
we ask you to grant us courage to observe a Sabbath for our planet.
Strengthen us with the faith to trust in your providence.
Inspire us with the creativity to share what we have been given.
Teach us to be satisfied with enough.
And as we proclaim a Jubilee for the Earth,
send Your Holy Spirit to renew the face of creation.
In the name of the One
who came to proclaim good news to all creation, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Visit seasonofcreation.org
Summer Music – Sally Dibblee, Luke Noftall, Thomas Gonder
A Summer Music noon-hour concert by Sally Dibblee, soprano, Luke Noftall, baritone and Thomas Gonder, organist.
If you were unable to join us live, watch HERE
Donations to the Cathedral Organ Restoration Fund are both encouraged and welcome. A tax receipt will be issued immediately for online donations.