Christine Wilson, Dean John Patrick, Subdean Philippa White, Succentor
Since I arrived in October it has been one long sequence of seasons and celebrations. From the Kingdom season filled with remembrance and commemorations there followed in quick succession the expectation of Advent, the joy of Christmas, the wonder of Epiphany, the scrutiny and discipline of Lent, the glory of Easter and the exuberance of Pentecost. As we pass Trinity Sunday we finally enter what is described as Ordinary Time. The temptation is to rest up and take the view that we have a long period of time when nothing much happens. Ordinary time is sometimes described as the green and growing period of the liturgical year. It is the time when we focus on the teachings and ministry of Jesus. If we address the long stretch of Sundays after Trinity with this in mind, it becomes an opportunity to deepen our roots in order to be fruitful and productive ready for harvest.
When I was parish priest I discovered a creative tool for sharing the power and richness of the Christian story and tradition with children (and adults). Godly Play encourages curiosity and wondering. It speaks of the dynamic of beginnings and endings as the circle of the seasons unfold. It presents the liturgical year as a cycle that rehearses the grand meta-narrative of God’s involvement throughout time and history in an ongoing and unfolding drama.
A wonderful description of the story of salvation comes in the words of a Roman Catholic evangelist, Marc Cardaronella. He speaks of how humankind has journeyed from Godly riches to rags and back again and describes the account and message of Jesus Christ as the vehicle to understand who you are in this world and what you’re meant to be.
Godly Play uses the parables, sacred story-telling and liturgical symbols to encourage growth in wisdom and in encounter with God. Through questioning, testing and engaging with theories and ideas, critical thinking is developed. In the interaction with the accounts of God and God’s people, both memory and expectation invite us to discover our contribution to God’s loving involvement in the world. Fear not! I am not about to introduce Godly Play to the cathedral congregation. Rather I invite you to use the long days of the summer months to contemplate and listen to God. In this green and growing season let us explore how wonder, curiosity and holy reading can deepen our faith and stimulate our own sense of creativity and imagination.
Only this week Archbishop Justin Welby spoke about the problems of growing religious illiteracy in society. Our ability to expand and articulate our own understanding of faith is a much needed gift to share with a world that continues to lose sight of identity and meaning as a people cherished by God, made in God’s image and likeness, each with a purpose and a contribution to make. Ordinary time is a call to explore, to grow and to serve God in the everyday activity of our world.
Christine Wilson, Dean
Organ Concerts Saturday 17 June – Colin Walsh. 7pm in The Nave. Lincoln Cathedral’s own Organist Laureate Colin Walsh will be showcasing his favourite compositions on the Father Willis Organ. Colin was has been called “one of the finest Cathedral Organist in Europe” and is world renowned, his performance promises to be amazing and every year receives rave reviews. For further information and tickets please visit www.lincolncathedral.com Tickets are priced at £6 per person.
Heritage Skills Festival 23rd and 24th June 2017 For the very first time the City of London Livery Companies and Lincoln Cathedral are joining together to celebrate traditional crafts and skills essential to the preservation of the Cathedral and other ancient buildings. There will be displays both inside the Cathedral and on the East Green. There will be a special Evensong at 17:30 on Friday 23rd June followed by an Organ Recital by the Lord Mayor of London at 18:30.
2017 Lecture Series. Wednesday 28 June – The Reverend Canon Dr Mark Hocknull Jekyll & Hyde Lecture. 7:30pm in the Chapter House. The Civilised and The Savage: What Victorians Thought about Human Nature. This lecture will draw on sources from the 19th century to reveal the ideas of civilisation and humanity that lie behind Stevenson’s tale. It will explore story of the teenage Jemmy Button, who was ‘civilized’ and returned to his native land as a Christian missionary. Both Jekyll & Hyde lectures will feature extracts from the Theatre in the Nave production.
2017 Lecture Series. Wednesday 5 July – The Reverend Canon Dr Mark Hocknull Jekyll & Hyde Lecture. 7:30pm in the Chapter House. Redeeming Mr Hyde: The Battle Between Good & Evil in us all. Stevenson grew up in Edinburgh, in the 19th century a profoundly serious and Calvinist city. His father was an engineer and his mother came from a long line of Scottish Presbyterian ministers. These twin influences of science and faith are very clear in the book and this lecture will explore the theology & science that lies behind Stevenson’s story. Both Jekyll & Hyde lectures will feature extracts from the Theatre in the Nave production. For further information and tickets please visit www.lincolncathedral.com Tickets are priced at £6 per person.
Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical. Tuesday 22 August – Friday 1 September. 7pm in the Nave. When the Cathedral announced the follow up production to Jesus Christ Superstar was to be Jekyll and Hyde, more than a few eyebrows were raised. It was a bold choice perhaps, but absolutely in keeping with the Cathedral’s Christian purpose. Jekyll’s division of himself has a great deal in common with the apostle Paul’s description of the split in his own personality which Paul believes is common to us all. We have limited tickets available – please visit www.lincolncathedral.com for further details and tickets. Tickets start from £22 per person.
Handel’s Messiah Saturday. 25 November 2017 at 7pm in The Nave. The Lincoln Cathedral Choir are returning with their performance of this incredible piece of music, accompanied by the Lincoln Chamber Orchestra in the Nave of the Cathedral. The acoustics in the Nave are perfect for such a performance where one of the most famous pieces of choral music, the Hallelujah Chorus, will shine. For further information and tickets please visit www.lincolncathedral.com Tickets are priced from £18 per person.
Cathedral Choir – The Director of Music, Aric Prentice is looking for volunteers to drive the Cathedral Choristers Minibus at the following times; 8.30-9.30am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings – 3.15-4.30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons. The minibus can be driven on a regular driving licence and any potential drivers must be willing to undertake an enhanced DBS check. For insurance purposes volunteer drivers would also need to be under the age of 70. If you would be willing to help or would like to discuss the role, please contact Rachel Woodward, Volunteer & HR Officer volhrofficer@lincolncathedral.com, Telephone: 01522 561618
Mrs Christine Talbot, Chairman of the Lincoln Area Committee of The Fabric Fund Council writes: We are organising “A Strawberry & Champagne” Evening in the Subdean’s Garden by kind permission of the Revd Canon John and Mrs Patrick on the evening of Friday 14th July 2017 from 6pm to 8pm. Tickets priced at £10 per person are available from Mrs Christine Talbot either after coffee in the Chapter House at the Sunday 9.30am Sung Eucharist, or alternatively telephone 01522 790691 to reserve your ticket(s).
Bible Readings
Sunday 11 June Trinity Sunday
Sung Eucharist Isaiah 40.12-17, 27-end; 2 Corinthians 13.11-end; Matthew 28.16-end
Mattins Exodus 3.1-6, 13-15; John 17.1-11
Evensong Isaiah 6.1-8; John 16.5-15
Sunday 18 June 1st Sunday after Trinity
Sung Eucharist Exodus 19.2-8a; Romans 5. 1-8; Matthew 9.35-10.8
Mattins Deuteronomy 10.12-11.1; Acts 23.12-end
Evensong I Samuel 21.1-15; Luke 11.14-28
Sunday 25 June 2nd Sunday after Trinity
Sung Eucharist Jeremiah 20.7-13; Romans 6.1b-1; Matthew 10.24-39
Mattins Deuteronomy 11.1-15; Acts 27.1-12
Evensong I Samuel 24.1-17; Luke 14.12-24
