December Cathedral News

Ever since Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, humankind has thrown away priceless opportunities for self-improvement. Constructive criticism has been resented, ignored and rationalised away. It’s sometimes been regarded even as persecution. Think of how much personal development has been thwarted down the ages because constructive criticism was not heard or taken to heart.
The Church has always had to live with criticism, much of it constructive. This is not the same as raw opposition. An inability to hear and to act upon criticism has led to dullness of heart, and decline in spiritual integrity. There have been moments in history when an inability to listen has resulted in human tragedy as a confessing Church became cut adrift from a vocational obedience to God. This was true of the Church in Germany in the 1930s and in the Rwanda genocide in 1994. In more subtle ways it is true of a Church ministering today to a capitalist society which has become obsessed with personal choice and muddled by liberalism.

The constructive criticism that we face today is not primarily anti-religious. Atheistic signs on buses and billboards don’t count for very much. The constructive criticism levelled at the Church in our times is that we often appear not to have a concern for the things that matter to most people. Instead our concern is apparently for ourselves as we argue about sexuality and gender and authority within the Christian community. All this reinforces an increasingly popular view of religion as something private, a hobby for those who feel inclined towards it, and, at certain times of the year like Christmas, an opportunity to dally momentarily with familiar and reassuring diversions, such as Christmas lights, cards, carols and shows-with-a-touch-of-the-Christmas-story.

The weeks of Advent, with their sequence of readings and music, prepare us for a moment of profound self-examination. The Feast of the Incarnation demands a fresh look at our world; and a fresh imagining of the mind and the heart of the Creator and Redeemer. If God is with us (‘Emmanuel’), then what are the things that matter most to Him? If we don’t merely live for ourselves (the consumerist mandate of our age), then what do we live for? How might we bring our religious belief and practice to bear upon what appears to be of greatest importance in the world we inhabit?

So the constructive criticism that might be levelled is that we look for the wrong things in the wrong places. We are trying to answer questions which the rest of the world is not asking. If you want to conduct a quick ‘health-check’, take a long, hard look at your prayers. How often do you say them and in what form? What is the content? To what extent do you fall back on sweeping, generalities and clichés – ‘we pray for the sick and the hungry’, ‘we pray for world peace’? How informed are our prayers and do they articulate the deepest and most authentic longings of our hearts?

Here at the Cathedral it is important to remember that prayers offered in public worship are the prayers of the Diocese and not just of the congregation. This means more than simply mentioning the Bishop, or listing the name of the parish which is being remembered that day, important though that is. All that is being said and offered is the collective prayer of God’s people in the Diocese. And for that, we need to have some idea of the hearts and the minds of our people (in our churches and in the communities that they serve): what are their concerns, where are they hurting, or hoping, or supporting, or succeeding?

The mandate of Advent is to watch and wait in order that when the time comes, we may be found to be ready. The time in question is the unique moment in the story of salvation when God entered our human condition in human form, taking upon himself the concerns and the hopes of humankind. He not only showed us the way to our salvation; he is the Way. The power of Christmas for us Christians is the power of the moment. As individual believers and as a Church we have something to say, something to proclaim, something to share of the majesty of God’s love among us and within us

Let this Advent address and challenge all that is luke-warm about our faith. May we have the grace to receive constructive criticism and act upon it. May we face it not as something to be shrugged off, but as an opportunity for energetic, intelligent proclamation of God’s response to the things that matter to all God’s people, and not just to us.

Graham Smith

On 23 December, the Flower Guild will be decorating the Cathedral for Christmas; we need plenty of variegated or green Box (Buxus), some green or golden Leylandii and any other greenery that you might be thinking of pruning near that date. Contributions can be left in buckets near our shed on the east side of the Cathedral or I will arrange collection on 21 December. Thanks to everyone who has helped us this year by supplying greenery or allowing us into your gardens!

Gill McEwan (01603 502610)

This year the Cathedral has chosen to support the Diocese of Hpa-an in Myanmar (Burma) as its overseas recipient, and also local charity, the Benjamin Foundation.

Children in the remote hills of Hpa-an, on the Myanmar-Thai border, have limited access to education as there are no government-run schools in the area. However, the Diocese of Hpa-an has opened 13 primary schools in the biggest villages, providing access to education for some 600 students. The need for education is still great, with over 50 villages and a rapidly growing population, and the diocese is planning five more schools to meet this increasing demand. The Cathedral’s Christmas donation will go towards the building of an Anglican nursery school.

The Benjamin Foundation, based in North Walsham, was founded more than 15 years ago and exists to help people in Norfolk deal with many of the challenges that life throws at them; whether ‘everyday’ issues such as childcare or heartbreaking problems like abuse and homelessness. The charity provides a range of practical services, support and counselling which all aim to empower people and give them back a sense of hope and control. As well as practical solutions and services the team offers support, understanding and someone to lean on for people who, for one reason or another, are facing problems.

There will be displays in the Cathedral from mid-December giving information about both of these organisations. Please do take a look if you would like to learn more about their work.

The Cathedral will also be making a donation from the Advent Carol Service collection, on Sunday 29 November, to St Martin’s Housing Trust.
 

With the Hostry finally completed, a few Friends were able to have a preview before the public opening, and were all suitably impressed with its scale and design. What an asset it will be to our Cathedral, and how proud the Friends must feel having substantially contributed to it! We look forward to being able to use the building for many events in the future.

Our October lecture, given by Kate Adie, attracted at least 350 people – hardly surprising with such a famous name! - and use of the Cathedral nave meant that we could expand our audience beyond immediate Friends. Her talk, Women at War, emphasised the role of women in arms as early as World War I. Some of these movers and shakers were quite famous in their time, but are not generally known about today. Kate touched on her own experiences of war and candidly answered questions relating to the changing face of television journalism which today, even in news programmes, concentrates on entertainment rather than accuracy.  Our next lecture, The Painted Faces of Norfolk, to be given by art historian, Charlotte Crawley, will have been held just as this issue goes to press. It will be our first lecture in the Community Room of the new Hostry

I do hope that all Friends will have a lovely Christmas. 2010 will be the 80th birthday of the Friends, so we are looking forward to an exciting year.

Rosie Foottit

October 2009
Collections            3,027.40
Pledged donations 5,149.50

TOTAL                £8,176.90
 

Saturday 5 December, 1.00 pm onwards: Christingle
The Cathedral’s very popular Christingle Service returns with a Christingle Craft Trail from 1.00 pm to make your own Christingles and discover more about the meaning of this special service. A candlelit procession will form part of the Christingle Service which takes place at 3.30 pm, finishing with a visit to the living crib in the Cloister. All welcome.

Saturday 19 December
9.30 am - 12.30 pm: The Christmas Table
Make the perfect table centre and other floral decorations for Christmas with tutor, Christine Hewson. Cost £20, to include refreshments. For further details, contact Jill Napier - e-mail to communitylearning@cathedral.org.uk or tel: 01603 218321
3.30 pm: Cathedrals Express Carol Service
We will be welcoming visitors on the Carols Express steam train from London for a traditional carol service in the Cathedral. If you can help with welcoming passengers at Norwich station and guiding them to the Cathedral, please contact Jill Napier at Community Learning on 01603 218321.

Monday 21 December
3.30 pm: Community Carol Singing:
All are welcome at this informal and friendly carol singing event just before Christmas, compered by David Lowe, Master of the Music, with organ accompaniment from Tom Primrose, Organ Scholar. Refreshments will be available.

Jill Napier

Full details of these and all other services are on the weekly Music Scheme sheet on display in the Cathedral. Services are sung by the Cathedral Choir unless otherwise indicated. Please note that Evening Prayer will replace Evensong from Saturday 19 December to Wednesday 13 January. The Cathedral website (www.cathedral.org.uk) gives full details of all events and services.

Tuesday 1 December
1.15 pm Christian Meditation (St Catherine’s Chapel)
6.00 pm English Parish Churches - the next 1000 years
Lecture by Loyd Grossman (Hostry)
Tkts from Cathedral Shop Tel: 01603 218323

Wednesday 2 December
2.15 pm Pre-School Music Group (St Catherine’s Chapel)
7.00 pm Taverham School Carol Service

Thursday 3 December
2.00 pm The Light Dragoons Op Herrick Service of
Thanksgiving

Friday 4 December
10.00 am Library Quiet Day - to 4.00 pm (see page 11)

Saturday 5 December
1.00 pm Christingle Craft Trail (see page 6)
3.30 pm Christingle Service & candlelit procession

Sunday 6 December Second Sunday in Advent
8.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
9.15 am Holy Communion - St Mary in the Marsh
10.30 am Sung Eucharist
3.30 pm Evensong
6.30 pm Compline

Monday 7 December
7.30 pm Emergency Services Carol Service

Tuesday 8 December
1.00 pm Back to the future: liturgy and architecture for the
21st century”. Lunchtime lecture by the Revd Dr Peter Doll, Canon Librarian (Library)
1.15 pm Christian Meditation (St Catherine’s Chapel)
3.30 pm Langley School Carol Service
5.30 pm Evening Prayer
7.30 pm Marie Curie “Lights to Remember” Service

Wednesday 9 December
2.15 pm Pre-School Music Group (St Catherine’s Chapel)

Thursday 10 December
11.00 am Special Schools Carol Service
6.00 pm Christmas Shopping Evening plus guided tours
- 8.00 pm Tkts £5 inc refreshments from Cathedral Shop
Tel: 01603 218323

Friday 11 December
10.00 am Historic Christmas Fayre (Cloister Walks)
until 5.00 pm Admission £3, under 16s free
2.30 pm Norwich Lower School Carol Service

Saturday 12 December
10.00 am Historic Christmas Fayre (Cloister Walks)
until 5.00 pm Admission £3, under 16s free
3.30 pm Evening Prayer

Sunday 13 December Third Sunday in Advent
8.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
9.15 am Family Communion
10.30 am Sung Eucharist
3.30 pm Evensong
7.00 pm Norwich School Carol Service
12 noon Historic Christmas Fayre (Cloister Walks
until 5.00 pm

Monday 14 December
7.30 pm Hayley Westenra Winter Magic Concert
SOLD OUT

Tuesday 15 December
1.15 pm Christian Meditation (St Catherine’s Chapel)
7.00 pm Norwich High School for Girls Carol Service

Wednesday 16 December
2.15 pm Pre-School Music Group (St Catherine’s Chapel)
7.30 pm Hellesdon High School Carol Service

Thursday 17 December
7.00 pm Thorpe St Andrew School Carol Service

Saturday 19 December
9.30 am The Christmas Table workshop to 12.30 pm
(see page 6)
3.00 pm Cathedrals Express Steam Trains Carol Service
4.00 pm Evening Prayer (St Catherine’s Chapel)
5.00 pm Wedding (Presbytery)

Sunday 20 December Fourth Sunday in Advent
8.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
10.30 am Sung Eucharist
3.30 pm Evening Prayer
7.00 pm Christmas Procession with Carols

Monday 21 December
3.30 pm Community Carol Singing

Tuesday 22 December
7.30 pm Karl Jenkins Stella Natalis Concert
Tks from Cathedral Shop Tel: 01603 218323

Thursday 24 December
3.30 pm Christmas Procession with Carols
11.15 pm Midnight Eucharist of Christmas
Preacher: The Bishop of Norwich
Friday 25 December
8.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
10.30 am Family Eucharist of Christmas Day
Preacher: The Dean
12 noon Cathedral closed until 2.30 pm
3.30 pm Festal Evensong, Procession and Carols
4.30 pm Cathedral closes

Saturday 26 December St Stephen
9.00 am Cathedral opens
9.30 am Morning Prayer
10.00 am Holy Communion
3.30 pm Evening Prayer
4.00 pm Cathedral closes

Sunday 27 December First Sunday after Christmas -
the Holy Family
8.00 am Holy Communion (BCP)
10.30 am Sung Eucharist
3.30 pm Evening Prayer

Friday 1 January New Year’s Day
9.00 am Cathedral opens
11.00 am Organ Recital
12 noon Eucharist with hymns
4.00 pm Cathedral closes
 

We have received a request from our Church link with the churches in Koblenz in Germany. We are being asked by one of the pastors if there is a Cathedral family with a daughter of the same age as their daughter (13) who might interested in organising an exchange. If you are interested and would like to know more, please be in touch with Pastor Hajo Hermes hjhermes@rz-online.de or contact the family concerned directly: Pastor Uwe Hein, Bacharacher Str. 8, 55494 Rheinböllen. Tel: 06764 1275 E-mail: uwe.hein@ekir.de
 

Thanks to all who supported the Charity Fayre in November. The event raised £763 for three charities - Leeway Women’s Aid, the Hamlet Centre Trust and the Georgian Baptist’s Beteli Centre in Tbilisi which provides accommodation for the elderly as part of its work.

St Martin’s Housing Trust Street Collection, 5-24 December: If you feel able to give one or two hours to helping with the street collection, please contact Nick Williams - e-mail spinney72@aol.com or telephone the Housing Trust on 01603 667706.

Sylvia Dadd

Friday 4 December, 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. A quiet day based in the Cathedral Library. Two periods of reflection will be introduced by the Quiet Day Leader, after which you are free to make use of the Library, or any other space in and around the Cathedral. Tea/coffee will be provided; lunch will not be provided, but the Refectory is available, or you are welcome to bring a packed lunch.

Tuesday 8 December, 1.00 pm “Back to the future: liturgy and architecture for the 21st century”. Lunchtime lecture by the Revd Dr Peter Doll, Canon Librarian. Please note: this is a change from the talk originally advertised for this date.

Both events are open to all and free of charge (donations welcome). Please ring 01603 218 443 or email library@cathedral.org.uk to indicate your intention to attend.

Gudrun Warren
 

I am writing to let you know of a proposed study tour to Israel planned for late February/early March 2011.  It will be led by Jack Lawson who has a PhD in Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East. He has also visited, led groups and studied in the Middle East on numerous occasions. Jack is a member of the Cathedral congregation and is responsible for the continuing training of Methodist ministers in the District. I will be jointly leading the pilgrimage, acting as chaplain to the group and providing, as appropriate, moments of reflection and services in particular locations
 
The visit is scheduled to last 14 days (inclusive of travel to and from Israel), which will provide adequate time to see ancient sites as well as absorb the modern culture.  We will travel in both Israeli and Palestinian areas from as far north as Banias (Caesarea Philippi) and as far south as Masada and Hebron.
 
The tour is aimed at lay and ordained people, and particularly those who have never been to Israel (but not excluding those who wish to go again!).  The group will be limited to 40.  Please note: Those interested in going must be able to walk unaided at least 3 miles per day on uneven terrain.  This will be a very active tour.
 
Prices are being worked out at present, with the caveat that air fares are always subject to change, but we hope it will be in the region of £1200 per person.
 
Early in the new year (2010) there will be opportunities to attend meetings to learn more about the visit and further information will be available.  If you are interested, please let me know.

Richard Capper

Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 10 November are now available in the South Transept, incorporating a number of replies from grateful recipients of Charity donations, as the committee felt that this information would hopefully encourage more recommendations for future consideration by the Alms sub-committee. The Cathedral Christmas card will be available for individual greetings during the month. It was agreed that the Gift Aided donations will be given to the Centre for the Elderly in Georgia, which is struggling financially to accommodate a growing number of refugees from the surrounding area. A meeting of the Alms committee will be held early in January.

Michael Sargisson

This year’s Christmas stamps feature lovely stained glass window designs and you can pick up books of both 2nd and 1st class stamps when you visit the Cathedral shop to purchase your Christmas cards. Last dates for posting are 18 December and 21 December respectively.  We still have plenty of cards left if you haven’t started writing them yet!

This month we are stocking a beautiful new range of African jewellery including necklaces, bead bracelets and bangles, and we have lots of Christmas gift books at bargain prices, while stocks last.  Christmas chutney, mincemeat, fudge and biscuits are all available to purchase for your festive table, and we also have mulled wine and spiced drink sachets which make lovely winter warmers for cold evenings.

Tickets have now sold out for the Hayley Westenra concert, but we do still have a limited number of tickets left for Karl Jenkins on 22 December. Please pop in for more information or call 218323.

Jennie Smith

The Cathedal will be holding an exclusive festive event in conjunction with EDP Norfolk magazine from 6.00 to 8.00 pm on Thursday 10 December, The shop will be open for your Christmas purchases and festive music will be provided by the Norwich School band. Admission is by ticket only - £5 per person, to include Christmas refreshments. Guided tours of the Cathedral will also be available.

The following day, the Cloister Walks will be transported back in time for the Cathedral’s annual Historic Fayre which will be taking place over the weekend of 11-13 December. As usual, there will be a huge variety of unique and hand-made goods available to purchase from the costumed traders, and a programme of events including minstrels, dancing and storytelling. Opening times for the Fayre are 10.00 am - 5.00 pm on Friday and Saturday, 12 and 13 December, and 12.00 noon – 5.00 pm on Sunday 14 December.
 

Estates Office Closed 5.00 pm Thurs 24 December
(12 The Close) until 9.00 am on Mon 4 January

Cathedral Gift Shop
Christmas Eve Open 9.15 am - 3.00 pm
Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day
27 December Open 11.45 am - 3.30 pm
28 - 31 December Open 9.15 am - 4.00 pm
New Year’s Day Open 10.00 am - 4.00 pm

Cathedral Refectory
Christmas Eve Open 10.00 am - 4.00 pm
Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day
27 December Open 11.00 am - 4.00 pm
28 - 31 December Open 10.00 am - 4.00 pm
New Year’s Day Open 10.00 am - 4.00 pm

Cathedral Library
Closed from 4.30 pm on Tuesday 22 December until 9.30 am on Tuesday 5 January

The Hostry will be open every day over the Christmas period to welcome visitors to the Cathedral - except for Christmas Day and Boxing Day when access to services in the Cathedral will be via the North West and South doors.

Full details of all Christmas services are available on the Cathedral website, in our Christmas leaflet, and in the centre pages of this newsletter. The music scheme sheet will also be available nearer to Christmas and there will be a recorded message detailing the services and opening hours for anyone who contacts the Cathedral Reception (tel: 01603 218300) in the Hostry between Christmas Eve and Monday 4 January.

WEEK BEGINNING
06 Dec Canon McFadyen 01603 621570
13 Dec Canon Capper 01603 665210
20 Dec Canon Haselock 01603 218314
27 Dec Canon Haselock 01603 218314

Items for the January issue of Norwich Cathedral News must be received by 9.00 am on Wednesday 16 December

PLEASE NOTE THAT, WHEREVER POSSIBLE,
CONTRIBUTIONS SHOULD BE TYPED (Font Arial 16 pt) AND EMAILED AS AN ATTACHMENT TO:
astevenson@cathedral.org.uk

Otherwise, please address your contributions to
The Dean’s PA at No 12 The Close