Christ Church Cathedral An Episcopal Community in the Heart of Houston, Texas
January 2014 christchurchcathedral.org
Epiphany gifts, given and received During the Epiphany season we read the rather mysterious account of wise men in the East who follow a star to the Christ child in Bethlehem. The wise men give the child gold, frankincense and myrrh. The word “epiphany” means “revealing,” and in their choice of gifts, the strange men from the East reveal to us just who this child is to them. The Very Rev. Gold is not a gift that Barkley one gives to a baby. Thompson But it is a gift that one presents to a king. Frankincense — that sweet-smelling incense that is burned even to this day before altars in churches just like this one — is a gift given to a priest. And myrrh is anointing oil, a solemn gift given to a prophet, signifying that he is anointed to speak God’s word. It is also the oil for anointing the dead, signifying that the prophet is almost assuredly the target of those who would deny God’s word. King, priest, prophet. When the three men look at the child Jesus, this is what they see. Upon leaving Bethlehem, the wise men give Jesus their greatest gift. Knowing that Jesus’ mission in the world depends upon them, they risk everything by defying King Herod. Rather than turning Jesus in to Herod (who seeks to kill Jesus), they leave town a different way. They change direction. How far do we travel in our lives to kneel at the feet of Jesus? Do we set anything else aside, as the wise men set aside their entire lives, to make such time and room? What do we bring him? Are our gifts perfunctory and frivolous, meaningless bobbles offered with little care or forethought? Or, do we set before Jesus the best of us: our passions, our love, our resources … all to acknowledge that he
Gifts, page 8
The members of the Cathedral Treble Choir sing at worship services and concerts throughout the year and will travel to New York this summer to perform at Carnegie Hall.
Treble Choir builds young voices At just 12 years old, Liam Berney is considered a veteran in the Cathedral Treble Choir. Now in middle school, Liam joined the choir when he was just a third-grader, and he will continue to sing soprano as long as his voice cooperates. “It is a lot of fun as long as you work hard and want to have fun,” Liam said. “The best part is when we actually get to sing. Sometimes the songs are really touching and beautiful. You feel really proud once you finish performing a song.” Established in 2006, the Cathedral Treble Choir is directed by Marianna Parnas-Simpson and comprised of up to 30 boys and girls
from ages 9 to 15. There is no cost other than travel expenses and hard work. The group practices every Tuesday from 5–7 p.m., but extra study is often required at home. Liam’s mother, Becky Stevens, says the children’s pride in a solid performance is visible from the audience. “When I see the kids perform, the joy on the kids’ faces and the joy on Marianna’s face is absolute magic,” she said. Stevens is a member of the adult Cathedral Choir, and traditional Episcopal and Anglican music is one of the main reasons she became affiliated with the church. “I wasn’t really raised in a faith until I
Treble, page 8
Kicking off a year of celebrations In 1839, Christ Church was organized as one of the first churches in the three-yearold city of Houston. The year 2014 marks the 175th anniversary of our historic parish and we will celebrate in many ways over the course of this year. This month we begin the first in a series of Bulletin articles authored by George Hawkins highlighting Cathedral
history culled from our parishioners’ reminiscences. Next month everyone will have the opportunity to share their Cathedral stories when we begin an oral history story project. Thanks to Jeanne Roth and Dorothy Knox Houghton, the Cloister Gallery exhibit during the month of March will feature some of
175th, page 3