A time to remember
There is no doubt that the year 2020 is, for better or for worse, going to be remembered! Pandemic, lockdowns, American presidential elections, Brexit and with our own personal traumas and ordeals the list goes on and on.
With the coming of November, we’re in the season of remembering. We have just had All Saints and All Souls and now we have Remembrance Sunday, when we remember those who gave their lives in war and we promise during the service that ‘we will remember them’.
To remember is to have a sense of identity, to know who we are and where we have come from, the good bits as well as the bad. Without the ability to remember we would all be stuck forever in the present and we all know how distressing it is to have a loved one whose memory is failing. The challenge we have is to make sure that our memories do not become too selective: that as individuals, groups and society we don’t cancel out what is perceived to be inconvenient, objectionable or unworthy. If we let our identity today be shaped by a remembering which is partial, limited or distorted, then we ourselves will become limited or distorted.
In the Eucharist we hear Jesus’ words, “Do this is in memory of me”; we do indeed remember but we also, by the grace of God, open ourselves to something wider and deeper, more profound and truer than just our immediate surroundings and ourselves. The self-giving love of Jesus is not simply something that happens once in the past: it is present with us as we share together in the bread and the wine, and it feeds us and prepares us – however bleak the present – for an exciting future.
JOHN PATRICK, SUBDEAN
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Worship & Mission
Lockdown at Lincoln Cathedral. A peaceful place for prayer and reflection
As England enters its second national lockdown from Thursday 5 November, Lincoln Cathedral will once again be open for individual private prayer only.
As part of the new government measures which have been introduced, public services are temporarily suspended, events are cancelled and tourist visits can no longer take place, however, live services from the Cathedral will be shared online to allow worship to continue.
The Very Revd Christine Wilson, Dean of Lincoln said that the Cathedral would continue to be a beacon of faith, hope and prayer within the city and the county.
“Once again we find ourselves unable to join with others in many aspects of our daily lives, but that does not mean that we face lockdown alone. A constant throughout this ever-changing and challenging year is the love of God, and we continue to seek new ways demonstrate this love and offer our ministry.
“There has always been a faithful community of prayer at Lincoln Cathedral and despite the tempestuous times we are currently navigating, we have seen this grow and become stronger this year. While we must temporarily stop public acts of worship, we remain committed to praying daily for the city, county and country.”
“I encourage everyone to look for ways to support those around them; in particular, we must remember the vulnerable and the isolated at this time. It is our continued love and support for each other which will help us all to move forward with faith and hope.”
Since the summer, a service of Holy Communion has been streamed live from the Cathedral every Sunday and has proved very popular, building a large audience from around the world. More recently Choral Evensong has been broadcast twice a week. From Thursday 5 November for the duration of the lockdown, Morning Prayer at 8am and Evening Prayer at 5.30pm will also be streamed live from Sunday to Friday.
The Very Revd Christine Wilson added, “Over the last few weeks we have been gradually increasing the number of services taking place in the Cathedral, and it has been heartening to take each step towards a full programme of worship. While there is naturally great sadness that we cannot continue to worship together in person at the moment, our priority remains the health and wellbeing of everyone in the Cathedral community, the City of Lincoln and beyond.
“We are fortunate to be able to stream our services and pleased to be able to keep the doors of the Cathedral open for private prayer.”
The Cathedral will be open between 10am and 3pm Monday to Saturday and 11.30 to 3pm on Sundays, for those wishing to pray, reflect and light candles. The first hour of opening is reserved for anyone who identifies as vulnerable. All visitors are asked to respect this and those who do not fall into a category that is considered vulnerable are requested to visit later in the day.
Duty Chaplains will be available during opening hours to respond to the pastoral needs of anyone visiting, whether they arrive seeking specific counsel or find that their visit prompts unexpected questions and feelings.
Additionally, the Dean’s Green on the northern side of the Cathedral will remain open between 10am and 4pm (11am-4pm on Sundays), offering a quiet, calm and peaceful place for all to enjoy a moment of reflection and calm.
Remembrance Sunday.
We Hope that you will be able to join us on Facebook as we live stream the service of Remembrance this Sunday (8 November). The service will begin at 10.45am.
Due to the Remembrance service, the Cathedral will open for private prayer at 1pm.
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Community
Barbara Wilson RIP
Barbara, a regular member of the 9.30am Cathedral Eucharist each Sunday, died after a short stay in St Barnabas Hospice on Saturday 31 October.
One-time secretary of the Friends of the Cathedral, Barbara was a pioneer roof guide and has served on many cathedral committees over the past 25 years.
Barbara’s funeral will take place on Friday 19 November at Lincoln Crematorium at 2.30pm.
Because of Covid-19 restrictions attendance at the ceremony will be limited. Those who would like to attend please register your intent with John Campbell by emailing wyverntalks@aol.com.
For those unable to attend, the funeral service will be live-streamed and you can access it using the details below.
https://www.wesleymedia.co.uk/webcast-view
Login: 55316
Password: gceecvtx
Britain’s Most Historic Towns
Lincoln Cathedral will feature in the first episode of the new series of Britain’s Most Historic Towns, on Channel 4 at 8pm on Saturday 7 November.
Cathedral Shop
While the shop in the Cathedral will be closed for the duration of lockdown, you are still able to buy online. New Christmas products have been added and there is a great selection of gifts for friends and family. www.lincolncathedral.com/shop
Provide, Protect, Preserve
Lincoln Cathedral has launched an urgent fundraising appeal to secure its future as a place of worship and as an international visitor attraction, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ‘Provide, Protect, Preserve’ recovery appeal has a target of £1.5million to stabilise the Cathedral’s finances.
If you are able to do so, please consider giving to the Provide, Protect, Preserve recovery appeal. To find out more or donate to the appeal please visit: https://lincolncathedral.com/recovery-appeal/
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Events
Flower Festival
Tickets for Lincoln Cathedral’s Flower Festival – Vision 2021 – are now on sale.
Adult – £15
Concessions – £13.50
Group (10+) – £12.75
Under 16 – FREE
There is also a preview evening on Wednesday 28 July, where visitors can enjoy drinks and canapés whilst getting the exclusive opportunity to see the beautiful blooms on display before the event open to the public.
Visitors are also invited to a ‘Musical Meander’ on Friday 30 July which will include musical accompaniment from a selection of talented musicians and tour around the Cathedral for guests to take in the colourful arrangements.
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Bible Readings
Sunday 8 November
Third Sunday before Advent
Eucharist
Wisdom of Solomon 6: 12-16
1 Thessalonians 4: 13-end
Matthew 25: 1-13
Evening Prayer
Judges 7: 2-22
John 15: 9-17
—–
Sunday 15 November
Second Sunday before Advent
Eucharist
Zephaniah 1: 7, 12-end
1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11
Matthew 25: 14-30
Evening Prayer
1 Kings 1: 15-40
Revelation 1: 4-18
—–
Sunday 22 November
Christ the King
Eucharist
Ezekiel 34: 11-16, 20-24
Ephesians 1: 15-end
Matthew 25: 31-end
Evening Prayer
2 Samuel 23: 1-7
Matthew 28: 16-end
