CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL An Episcopal Community in the Heart of Houston, Texas
APRIL 2016 CHRISTCHURCHCATHEDRAL.ORG
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Serving up gracious hospitality Tea sandwiches, deviled eggs, cheese logs, and cream puffs are the visible — and tasty — signs of a gracious hospitality committee working behind the scenes at the receptions that follow special-occasion services at the Cathedral (such as Evensongs or Confirmation). While their refreshments sustain those who attend the services, volunteers on the
Reception Committee also sustain their friendships through this church ministry. Members of the tight-knit group say their efforts are rewarding and fun, which is why they welcome sharing the experience with others interested in continuing the traditions. “The more hands, the merrier,” said Julie Thurmond, one of the regulars in the group,
RECEPTION, page 6
May Fete celebrates springtime, community Day’s events to include 1892 liturgy, parades, dancing, food, games, and more What comes to mind when you think of spring? Do you think of colorful flowers, bright green grass, and a beautifully sunny day? How about a celebration, a king and queen, and a maypole? It’s hard to believe it’s been another year, but May Fete, Christ Church Cathedral’s annual spring festival, is right around the corner. On May 1, the celebration will begin with a 10 a.m. service (combining the regular 9 and 11 o’clock services) that will offer a connection to traditions of the past. This opening worship service, in English, will feature the liturgy of the 1892 Book of Common Prayer.
This liturgical change will offer parishioners the exciting opportunity to sit in the pews and hear what those attending May Fete in 1899 might have heard. Following the morning MAY FETE Eucharist, the festivities Sunday, May 1 continue as we celebrate the 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. children of the Cathedral in the Bishop’s Courtyard. There will be the crowning of the May King and May Queen, and the Buckaroo Band will accompany the maypole dance. It will be a festival filled with good food, great friends, and lots of fun.
MAY FETE, page 8
The four names for the holy meal Last month, I gathered with two dozen Cathedral children and their parents for a Saturday “Instruction in Communion” class. The kids ranged in age from two to eight. Some had been receiving communion already, while others were waiting to receive until they’d been THE VERY REV. taught about the meanBARKLEY THOMPSON ing and mystery of the sacrament. The class was a joy for me. Our parish children were attentive and inquisitive. We focused on the church as family, baptism as entrance into the church (including a reenactment of the children’s baptisms, with much splashing of water), thanksgiving and forgiveness, and the celebration that comes when we meet Jesus in the bread and wine. I also taught the children four names for the holy meal, each of which emphasizes a different aspect of God’s truth: 1) “The Lord’s Supper” emphasizes the centrality of breaking bread with those we love. It also focuses on the simplicity of the holy meal, with bread made of simple grain and water, and with wine made of grapes and time. 2) “Communion” emphasizes that the holy meal is what draws us together each week, from every corner of the city. It binds us to one another and to Jesus, through the bread and wine, into one Body of Christ. 3) “Eucharist” is a Greek word meaning thanksgiving, and it emphasizes that our abundant gratitude toward God should be at the very heart of every prayer, every action, and our worship. 4) “The Mass” comes from the final phrase in the Latin Eucharistic prayer, which translates to “it is ended; go forth.”
NAMES, page 2