Cathedral News Sunday 15 March - Sunday 29 March
Gentle and Kind Questions about God and gender have received considerable attention within Christian theology in recent decades. Historically, where feminine imagery has been associated with God, this has most often been in connection with the Holy Spirit. Why? One reason is that, in Semitic languages such as Hebrew, the word for spirit is grammatically feminine. My own doctoral research was on womb imagery and the Holy Spirit in the early Syrian baptismal tradition—but I’ll leave that for another time! But feminine imagery has not been confined to the Holy Spirit. Mothering Sunday prompts us to reflect not only on human mothers, and Mary the Mother of Jesus, but also on what it might mean to speak of God as mother. A famous example comes from St Anselm of Canterbury, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109, who writes: Jesus, like a mother you gather your people to you; you are gentle with us as a mother with her children. Often you weep over our sins and our pride, tenderly you draw us from hatred and judgement. You comfort us in sorrow and bind up our wounds, in sickness you nurse us, and with pure milk you feed us. Jesus, by your dying we are born to new life; by your anguish and labour we come forth in joy. Despair turns to hope through your sweet goodness;
through your gentleness we find comfort in fear. Your warmth gives life to the dead, your touch makes sinners righteous. Lord Jesus, in your mercy heal us; in your love and tenderness remake us. In your compassion bring grace and forgiveness, for the beauty of heaven may your love prepare us. May I commend this as a text for prayer in the run-up to Easter, and also as we pray for Sarah Mullally as she prepares for her installation as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury.
Simon Jones, Dean
Worship and Mission Weekly service schedule Details of services and music can be viewed on the Cathedral’s website. Visit: https://lincolncathedral.com/worshipmusic/services-list Stillpoint This is a time of guided silent prayer to be still and aware of the presence of God. We meet in the Longland Chantry from 9.15am to 9.45am on the following Mondays: 13 April, 11 May Prayers for Healing and Wholeness Prayers for healing with the laying on of hands and anointing will be offered after Evening Prayer (which begins at 5.30pm) in St Hugh’s Shrine on the first Wednesday of each month. Preparing for Lent Lent books available in the Cathedral Shop: Doorways to Hope: Forty days of spiritual wisdom, by Christopher Chapman - “When so much seems to be falling apart, it is a struggle to find ground for hope. In forty daily reflections, Christopher Chapman explores the nature of hope and offers ways of cultivating and practicing it. Avoiding wishful thinking or ‘looking on the bright side’, he offers a hope rooted in a God whose dynamic, creative breath is always bringing the new into being.” Wardrobes and Rings: Through Lenten Lands with the Inklings by Julia Golding, Malcolm Guite, Simon Horobin - Journey through Lent with the Oxford Inklings, a group that included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, whose writings shaped modern Christian thought. Wardrobes and Rings provides daily readings and reflections, offering a creative, joyful perspective on faith and the journey to the cross.
Cathedral Lent Course Mondays in Lent, 4pm to 5pm in the Wickham Room, beginning Mon 23 Feb Join us for a 5-week course using Paula Gooder’s book Lentwise: Spiritual Essentials for Real Life - “As we journey through life, we face challenges - both big and small. What spiritual essentials will help us survive life’s storms? Lentwise is a five-session course which helps us to deal with the rigors of real life.” If you can, bring your own copy of the book, which can be bought in the Cathedral Shop. If you’d like to attend, please inform Canon Rowena or sign up here: https://lincolncathedral. churchsuite.com/events/yz9tkioy. Please note that you do not need to be able to attend every session to join in the class. Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross is a reflective journey to the cross using prayers, scriptures, and silence that helps us to connect our lives, our society and our world, with Jesus’s life and death, recognising his presence in our lives at all times. All are welcome to join us on the following Wednesdays at 4.30pm in the Nave: 25 February, 4, 11, 18 March. On Wednesday 25 March we will meet at 3.30pm. Additionally, there will be two evening services for Stations of the Cross in the Nave on Thursday 5 March, Thursday 26 March at 6.30pm. Entry and exit will be through the Galilee Porch.
Making Palm Crosses for Palm Sunday Join us in the south transept on Tuesday 24 March from 10am to 12noon as we make palm crosses for Palm Sunday. All are welcome to join us. No experience is required as there will be staff to show you how it’s done!
Community
Feast of the Annunciation Wednesday 25 March, 5.30pm We’ll be celebrating the feast of the Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary with a Sung Eucharist in St Hugh’s Choir. The service will be sung by the Cathedral Consort. On the same day, Sarah Mullally will be installed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. The Dean will be attending the service in Canterbury Cathedral. Please pray for Archbishop Sarah as she prepares for her installation and begins this significant new ministry.
Jeremy Wheeldon, Master of the Company of Ringers of Lincoln Cathedral, has had his name added to the wall of the Ringers’ Chapel, continuing a tradition that spans the centuries. Jeremy said, “It is such a great honour to see my name added to the wall in the Ringers’ Chapel, alongside such notable ringers, and to see this tradition continued. It’s incredible.”
Installation of Kevin Walton Saturday 25 April at 5.30pm All are invited to attend the installation of The Reverend Canon Dr Kevin Walton as Chancellor of Lincoln. There is no need to book a seat or let us know you’re coming, you can turn up on the day and to join us in welcoming him to Lincoln Cathedral. We look forward to seeing you.
Celebrating bellringers An unusual addition has been made to a 17th-century wall painting in Lincoln Cathedral.
It’s exceptionally rare to be making an addition to a historic wall painting, and we had to seek special permission and approvals to undertake this work, working closely with Jay and Nick Cox to ensure a beautiful addition to the Cathedral. Hear more about this amazing story on our website - https:// lincolncathedral.com/latest-news/ rare-update-to-historic-wall-paintingcelebrating-bellringers/
Minibus Driver Vacancy We have an exciting opportunity for a mini-bus driver to join our team at the Song School. You’ll help transport junior members of the Cathedral Choir to and from the Cathedral and their school during the working week, and occasionally to drive the choir to concerts in the county. If you’re interested in finding out more and applying, visit our website - https:// lincolncathedral.com/currentvacancies/ Become a Cathedral Steward Would you like to be a Cathedral Steward? Stewards attend every service to offer a friendly welcome and to invite people to join the services. They also perform additional tasks such as taking the collection and directing worshippers to communion. Alongside the vacancies we now have for Stewards, we are also introducing a new role: Assistant Steward. These Assistant Stewards would help only with the larger services which take place in the nave. If you are interested or would simply like to explore what is involved, our two Joint Head Stewards would be very happy to have an informal chat with you. There is no pressure; this is simply an open invitation. Please feel free to contact Di Kirk (Diana.Kirk@ lincolncathedral.com) or Caroline Dunn (Caroline.Dunn@lincolncathedral.com). Cathedral Chat Thursdays, 3.30pm – 4.30pm Fancy a coffee and a chat? Bump into friends old and new and join Rowena, our Canon Missioner, at our welcoming table at the Cathedral Café. No need to book, just turn up.
Help safeguard our choral heritage English sacred choral music is being proposed for Living Heritage recognition as part of the UK’s UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. If you would like to support this living tradition, please scan the QR code below for further information and to sign the petition.
LCCC’s Summer Outing Save the date - On Saturday 11 July, the LCCC will take their summer outing to visit Stow Minster. More details to follow. Come and Sing Oliver! Last Saturday, the Cathedral rang with energy and enthusiasm as we welcomed more than forty young singers to our Come and Sing Oliver! Children from across the area gathered for a series of lively workshops led by members of the Cathedral Music staff, exploring the much-loved songs from the musical Oliver!. Throughout the day, Cathedral Music staff worked closely with the children to develop confident, expressive performances, encouraging them to sing out, listen carefully to one another and perform with flair. The day culminated in an informal concert for family and friends, which showcased the remarkable progress the children had made in just a few hours together. It was a fitting celebration of their hard work — and a wonderful reminder of the power of singing to bring young people together.
Events Bach’s St John Passion Saturday 21 March, 7pm Experience the dramatic and emotional power of JS Bach’s mighty choral retelling of the last hours of Jesus’ life, in the intimate surroundings of St Hugh’s Choir, at the heart of Lincoln Cathedral. Performed in a concert setting by Lincoln Cathedral Choir in collaboration with the Byrd Consort. An exhibition of peregrine falcon photography Monday 23 to Sunday 29 March Bringing together the work of local wildlife photographers, this exhibition celebrates the peregrine falcons that nest high on Lincoln Cathedral and have become a familiar and muchloved part of its life. Curated by Bruce Hargrave and sponsored by LCE Lincoln, the display reflects years of careful observation of the birds and their seasonal rhythms above the cathedral precincts. The exhibition also marks the launch of a new book, Tales From The Towers, which presents a long-term photographic record of the cathedral peregrines. Subject to the breeding season being underway, a live feed from the peregrine nest webcam will be shown, and photographers involved in the project will be present at intervals to talk with visitors. Be a Chorister for a Day Saturday 9 May, 1pm Do you know a child who loves to sing? Join us at Lincoln Cathedral to ‘Be a Chorister for a Day’! This free event gives young singers a taste of what it is like to be a chorister at Lincoln Cathedral and is aimed at children aged 6 to 12 years old.
To book your place, please complete the form on our website - https:// lincolncathedral.com/events/be-achorister-for-a-day-2/ Special Summer tours This summer, enjoy our exciting new tours and uncover details about the Cathedral that are not often heard. Workshop Tour Step behind the scenes on a rare workshop tour and meet the stonemasons, joiners, glaziers, plumbers, conservators, and facilities team whose expertise sustains the Cathedral. Poetry, Prose and Passion Tour From Geoffrey Chaucer to Lewis Carroll, step inside the magnificent Lincoln Cathedral and journey through almost a thousand years of literary history. Tickets are now on sale, but spaces are limited and sell fast. Visit our website to find out more and to book your tickets https://lincolncathedral.com/cathedraltours/
For more details of forthcoming events and to book your tickets, go to our website at www.lincolncathedral.com/ events