Preserve, savour and enjoy
I was given the gift of a jar of this season’s honey during the week and it got me musing about symbols of fruitfulness and productivity. The co-operation between the natural world and humankind working together to bring forth the fruits of the earth.
It has been a tough week for our farmers, trying to gather in the crops amidst storms and torrential rainfall. As an enthusiastic grow-your-own gardener, I too was dismayed to find a burgeoning courgette plant snapped in two and the runner bean poles leaning at a precarious angle on my vegetable patch after the violent winds had passed through Lincoln.
As I pondered the jar of honey, it prompted me to dig out a favourite recipe for green tomato chutney. Judging by the autumnal feel in the air the vast quantity of unripe tomatoes I have cultivated from seed are unlikely all to successfully ripen this year. It also had me thinking about a couple of jars of preserves from years long past that sit stubbornly on a shelf. The marrow and ginger jam made from overgrown courgettes and the spicy runner bean pickle that turned out to be somewhat unappetizing! I am resolved to consign them to the bin and accept that I am never likely to enjoy them.
As we consider the harvest of this past year’s labour out on the fields and in our gardens, both the successes and the failures, it gives us an opportunity to evaluate what else we have found rewarding or frustrating in the year to date. What has been fruitful and rewarding? What would we want to bottle and preserve to savour and enjoy?
There have been many lessons of Covid-19 and the experience of lockdown. Not all of them are negative. New skills have been learnt. We have embraced modern technology. A greater sense of community has been cultivated – remember those conversations and check-ins with our neighbours as we stood on the doorstep to clap for carers. Spiritual resourcefulness and creativity in worship has deepened. We have learnt to talk about our personal struggles and name the challenges with mental health or loneliness. The opportunity to carefully meet with friends and loved ones has been a source of real joy and celebration. The environment has gained protection through our inactivity and lesser consumption of fuel and commodities. Inequalities have come into focus and been challenged. It is important not to lose this valuable insight.
I wonder what wisdom or gift of grace you would metaphorically place in a jar to label and preserve in the Autumn of 2020?
As we continue this long and difficult journey together, it is good to have in our inner storehouse provisions to sustain us, memories of love, hope and kindness to uplift us and the gift of an enduring faith to nurture us. Together I am sure we would produce a vast and glorious array.
Dean Christine
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Worship & Mission
Choral Evensong
We are delighted to announce that Choral Evensong will resume on Friday 18 September in the Nave at 5.30pm.
Subsequently there will be a service of Evensong every Tuesday and Friday. The remaining days of the week will be said Evening Prayer.
Given the guidance on the distribution of service booklets, the Order of Service will be uploaded onto our website together with details of music, psalms and readings.
Alternatively, please bring with you your Book of Common Prayer.
Orders of Service
You can download the order of service to your phone or tablet by scanning this QR code or the ones to be found in the nave during services. To scan the QR code open the camera app on your phone and point at the code. The phone should then recognise the code and take you directly to the orders of service.
Eucharist – 6 September
Next week, 6 September, we welcome The Very Revd Dr David Court, Acting Bishop of Lincoln to preach and preside at our 9.30am Eucharist.
Bank Holiday Monday
Morning prayer will be at 9am on Monday. Evening Prayer 5.50pm as usual
Choir
The full choir will resume singing at the 9.30am Eucharist from Sunday 13 September.
This will be reviewed at October half term and is subject to any sudden directions about a local lockdown.
Stillpoint
Stillpoint will meet on Saturday 5 September in the retro-choir from 9am to 9.45am. Entrance via the Judgement Porch.
This is a time of guided silent prayer where we can be aware of the presence of God. By being still before God we offer up ourselves, to listen to him, to gaze at the wonder and mystery of our world, to refresh and renew ourselves in his presence.
We wait in silence trusting that God is and that whatever life throws at us, whatever happens in our world, we are loved by God.
Led by Revd Ann Mazur.
Future dates for Stillpoint:
9.00am-9.45am.
Saturday 10 October
Saturday 7 November
Saturday 5 December
Saturday 9 January
Face coverings
Please remember that it is now mandatory to wear face coverings in places of worship. Thank you as always for your help and cooperation.
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Community
Travellers Choice
We’re delighted to share the news that Lincoln Cathedral has been awarded a Trip Advisor Travellers Choice Award. This is based on consistently positive visitor feedback over the past year and places the Cathedral in the top 10% of hospitality businesses around the globe.
Time capsule
There is still time to contribute to the time capsules which will be concealed within the Cathedral walls to mark the completion of the Old Deanery Visitor Centre.
The possibilities are endless and the more personal, imaginative and unique the contributions the better!
The capsule is quite small therefore please limit any written or drawn contributions to A5 size and any objects to approx. credit card size.
Contributions should be delivered by the 30 September 2020 by email to education@lincolncathedral.com, by post to the Chapter Office, 4 Priorygate, Lincoln, LN2 1PL or posting into the designated box within the nave of the Cathedral.
A Message from the Stewards
May we thank all of you who are able to join in worship at the 9.30 Eucharist on a Sunday for your co-operation and help that has enabled the service to run so smoothly.
We are conscious that the Nave is a large area, and we are aware of how far it is to walk from one end to the other. We are also conscious that some at worship are not as mobile as they would like to be, and walking distances is a struggle. If you are in that situation, may we ask you to consider sitting in the second and third rows of the congregation so that you do not have to walk so far to receive the Eucharist, and afterwards the Stewards will ensure that you can return direct to your chair rather than walking all the way round the Nave.
Alternatively, if you wish to take Communion, but are unable to walk to receive same, then the Clergy will be happy to bring it to you, but please indicate this requirement to a Steward. Thank you.
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Events
Lunchtime Concert
Local pianist Steven Billinger and Lincoln Cathedral Lay Vicar Nic Beemster will perform the song cycles “Songs of travel” and “The House of life” by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Organ Concert series
Tickets are now on sale for our series of organ concerts
For more information and to book tickets, please follow the link to each recital.
12 September: Jeffrey Makinson with Soprano, Laurie Ashworth
7 November: Colin Walsh
20 December: La Nativité du Seigneur, Colin Walsh
Flower Festival tickets now on sale
Tickets for Lincoln Cathedral’s Flower Festival – Vision 2021 – are now on sale.
Prices
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 30 August
Twelth Sunday after Trinity
Eucharist
Jeremiah 15: 15-21
Romans 12:9-end
Matthew 16: 21-end
Mattins
Jonah 3: 1-9
Revelation 3: 14-end
Evening Prayer
2 Kings 6: 24-25, 7: 3-end
Acts 18: 1-16
—–
Sunday 6 September
Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity
Eucharist
Ezekiel 33: 7-11
Romans 13: 8-end
Matthew 18: 15-20
Mattins
Jonah 3: 10- 4:11
Revelation 8: 1-5
Evening Prayer
Ezekiel 12: 21 – 13:16
Acts 19: 1-20
—–
Sunday 13 September
Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
Eucharist
Genesis 50: 15-21
Romans 14: 1-12
Matthew 18 21-35
Mattins
Isaiah 44: 24 – 45:8
Revelation 12: 1-12
Evening Prayer
Ezekiel 20: 1-8, 33-44
Acts 20: 17-end
