Dromore Cathedral

News Sheet for Sunday 20th May

The Ascension Day Communion Service has been moved from 10.30 am to 9.30 am on Thursday 17th May 2012.

This is due to a clash of dates in the rector’s diary and a change in staff holiday plans. We apologise for the change and short notice.

News Sheet for Sunday 13th May

Respected News Agencies are now carrying daily reports from South Sudan and Sudan of violence which observers say could see the descent into a situation of war.  Our link Diocese of Maridi in South Sudan is a long way from the unrest and we have no reason to believe that Bishop Justin, his family or ‘flock’ are in any danger.  Our sister Jane C is in regular contact with +Justin.

The Select Vestry at their first meeting yesterday appointed the following office bearers:
Honorary Secretary Mr Billy McCallum
Assistant Honorary Secretary Mrs June Reain
Honorary Treasurer Miss Nan McMurray
Assistant Honorary Secretary Deferred to Finance Committee

Meetings will be held on the Third Monday of the month where applicable and correspondence to the vestry should be sent via the Honorary Secretary c/o honorarysecretary@dromorecathedral.co.uk

May Parish Post

News Sheet for Sunday 22nd April

A  group of parishoners today braved the wet to walk barefoot, yes without shoes, up the avenue at Stormont Estate.  Well, the leaders and members of SNYF (Sunday Night Youth Fellowship) did, but the parishoners who were on the security team kept their shoes on.  It would probably be safe to say that not even Royalty would have the Avenue swept clean before they arrive, but a small band, concerned for the safety of thousands of feet, attempted to remove any dangerous objects beforehand.  The day was part of the Guinness World Record attempt for the LARGEST BAREFOOT WALK.  The walk was in support of TOMS “One Day Without Shoes”.  The current record for the Largest Barefoot walk stands at 2,500 people walking just one kilometre.  So, a stroll up the Prince of Wales Avenue at the Stormont Estate, to the statue (and back again) with all pinkies exposed hope to result in an entry into the world record books.  The more serious aim was to raise awareness for those who suffer from disease transmitted through the soil they have to walk barefoot on.  There was some sun, between the showers, and the day was a good chance to meet up with friends prior to Summer Madness, this year being held at Glenarm Castle.

Check out the photos below. (Thanks to J who took the photos!)

Today’s Easter Eve Morning Prayer at Dromore Cathedral drew to a close with a joyful singing of “Blessed Assurance”.  It started quietly, but gained in volume and by the end of it all there were hands raised in praise.  Those who could sing were asked to sing and those who couldn’t were just to shout “Amen” or “Hallelujah!” during the song. There were just voices, no instruments and surely it was more like that first Easter Eve.  A small group of Christ’s devoted followers, not really knowing what to do, but did what they knew.  They read God’s word and prayed.  Oh, and a song, one of the ‘old ones’. And there’s always a ‘cup o tea in yer han.”  Anyway, I jump ahead.

This year during Holy Week, just to see how it went, we met as a Church family to read Morning Prayer together at 8am.  There was another departure from the norm.  Our Church family don’t usually meet on the day after Good Friday but before Easter Sunday.  We leave Christ crucified and return for his resurrection.  But what happens in between? This year we met today, Easter Eve.  Each morning there was a short reflection, just picking up one or two particular thoughts from the set readings for Holy Week.

One of the recurrent thoughts which kept coming up was the faith of Christ’s disciples and Apostles and of his mother Mary.  They lived with Jesus, heard his teachings, saw the miracles, saw the healing and yet still didn’t understand.  Christ spoke directly to them, and still they didn’t understand.  Christ said that he would rise from the dead but still they mustn’t have understood or else they wouldn’t have run away or sat hopelessly near the tomb.

The reflections for Holy Week, by and large, flowed relatively easily but that was until the reflection for Easter Eve.  Why so?  Well, it was this bit about where Christ was between death and resurrection. The bit in the Apostles Creed which I’ve repeated since childhood, the bit regarding what I believe about the time between death and resurrection.  That, “He descended into hell.”

In my preparations I had a wealth of literature at my finger tips including “Creeds and Confessions of the Reformed Faith” and books about books about Creeds and Catechisms.  These enrich my private limited understanding immensely, but what of my public speaking? It all started to get too complicated.  But just because I don’t understand should I avoid it totally?  I decided just to be honest.

I know that for some of us, ‘creeds’ may have fallen out of fashion, so I was greatly reassured to come across (by accident) a book by a modern writer.  I often read the sermons and books by the ‘old preachers’ like Spurgeon so when I read the aforementioned book, I took heart.   “The Good News We Almost Forgot: Rediscovering the Gospel in a 16^th Century Catechism”  is by Kevin DeYoung and it is a commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism.  Now I know this is not the Catechism in my Anglican Book of Common Prayer (“A Church Catechism 1878, That is to say an instruction to be learned of every person before he be brought to be confirmed by the Bishop”) .  This prayer book also contains the Articles of Religion (“Agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops” etc 1562 ).

Rather, it is a particular part of the opening of this book which I want to draw attention to here.  “The chief theological task now facing the Western church is not how to reinvent or be relevant but to remember.  We must remember the faith once delivered to the saints.  We must remember the truths that spark reformation, revival and regeneration.”

In my opinion, not allowing ourselves to move on when we hit a stumbling block, or arguing about it means that we stay where we are.  We can’t move from belief, to values and then to action: action which spreads the Gospel and spreads Christ’s love as far as we can reach.

We left our reflection on where Christ was at, “WE BELIEVE”.  We believe and we are content, as even those who lived with Jesus and heard Him speak didn’t understand.

We moved simply to watching and waiting and praying and we read another of Fanny Crosby’s hymns.

“Jesus is passing this way, This way, today;
Jesus is passing this way, Is passing this way today

Is there a heart that is waiting, Longing for pardon today?
Hear the glad message proclaiming, Jesus is passing this way.”

We prayed for the volunteers in Dromore’s Mission 2012, we prayed that Christ would not pass us by.  We prayed that there would be a Revival in Dromore

I’ll finish here with the words of the old hymn we sang to close our time together.  I am going to put all the words in here in case you haven’t heard it before.  I think these are correct!  May you believe this Easter, even though, like me, you don’t always understand. God Bless, Lynn

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long;

this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight, visions of rapture now burst on my sight;

angels descending bring from above echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long;

this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, all is at rest; I in my Savior am happy and blest,

watching and waiting, looking above, filled with his goodness, lost in his love.”

AMEN!

Our series of services of Morning Prayer continues all Holy Week.  These are short services with no music lasting 30 to 45 minutes.  During Holy Week the service would suit all our adults who normally worship at 8.30am, 10am, 11.30am, 6pm and 8pm.  There is a short reflection at each service, just to focus our thoughts on the events leading up to Easter Sunday.

Wednesday 4/4/12, 8am Dromore Cathedral

Thursday 5/4/12, 8am Dromore Cathedral

Friday 6/4/12, 8am Dromore Cathedral

Saturday 7/4/12, 10am Clayton Hall (followed by coffee)