CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL
  • HOME
  • WELCOME
    • Cathedral Notes/News/Events
    • Calendar
    • About >
      • A Message from the Dean
      • A MESSSAGE FROM OUR PRIEST ASSOCIATE
      • Columbarium
      • Clergy and Staff
      • Christian Formation >
        • Children's and Youth Program/Activity Registration
      • Ministries
      • Annual Parish Photo
      • Photo Galleries >
        • CATHEDRAL CELEBRATION 2019
        • ACOLYTE FESTIVAL 2018
        • CATHEDRAL CELEBRATION 2018
        • MEMORIAL LIST 2017
        • CATHEDRAL CELEBRATION 2017
        • THE STEEPLE >
          • Steeple Installation
          • Signing of the Steeple
          • Steeple Installation - VIDEOS
          • DRONE photos
          • SUNDAY EASTER2
          • THE STEEPLE - April 25, 2017
          • THE STEEPLE - May 3, 2017
        • Drone Photos
        • BISHOP CONSECRATION PHOTOS >
          • PRESIDING BISHOP MICHAEL B. CURRY
          • 07-24-2015 CLERGY EUCHARIST
          • 07-24-2015 CLERGY SPOUSE GATHERING
          • 07-24-2015 WILMER HALL DIOCESAN YOUTH EVENT
          • 07-24-2015 CONSECRATION REHEARSAL
          • 07-24-2015 CONSECRATION CELEBRATION - CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL
          • 07-25-2015 BISHOPS SIGNING AND SEALING
          • 07-25-2015 GROUP PHOTOS
          • 07-25-2015 THE CONSECRATION - Album 1
          • 07-25-2015 THE CONSECRATION - ALBUM II
          • 07-25-2015 THE CONSECRATION - LIVE STREAM
          • 07-25-2015 PARADE TO THE CATHEDRAL
          • 07-25-2015 CATHEDRAL RECEPTION
          • 07-26-2015 THE SEATING OF THE FOURTH BISHOP & RECEPTION
      • The Cathedral Chapter
      • THE CATHEDRAL CELEBRATES COOKBOOK
      • MASTER PLAN
    • Diocesan News >
      • CURSILLO
  • Worship
    • MEMORIAL LIST 2019
    • Cathedral Prayers
    • Ministers for this Sunday
    • Music >
      • Cathedral Choirs
      • Cathedral Organ Fund 2017-18
      • 2018-19 Concert Series
      • History of the Cathedral Organ
    • PULPIT TO PEW
    • Sermons YEAR C Dec 2018 - Nov 2019
    • Sermons YEAR B Dec 2017 - Nov 2018
    • Sermons YEAR A Nov 2016-17
    • Sermons YEAR C NOV 2015-16
    • Sermons YEAR B NOV 2014-15
    • Recorded Video Streams >
      • The Seating of the Fourth Bishop
      • 01-10-2015 Ordination of Daniel Andrew Wagner to the Sacred Order of Priests
  • Communications
    • MINISTRY ARCHITECTS REPORT
    • THE MESSENGER 2017 ISSUES
    • THE MESSENGER 2016 ISSUES
    • THE MESSENGER 2015 ISSUES
    • THE MESSENGER 2014 ISSUES
    • E-NEWS
    • VIDEOS >
      • ACOLYTE FESTIVAL 2018 - LIVE STREAM ARCHIVE
      • ACOLYTE FESTIVAL 2016
    • The Cathedral IN THE NEWS >
      • Sacred Spaces: Mobile's Episcopal Cathedral is a historic landmark with a voice
    • Resources
  • GIVING
    • ONLINE PLEDGE CARD
    • DOWNLOADABLE PLEDGE CARD
    • DIRECT DEPOSIT
    • ACS ONLINE GIVING
    • ANNUAL GIVING BEGINS >
      • UNDERSTANDING FUNDS AT CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL >
        • UNDERSTANDING THE OPERATING FUND
        • Dean Gibson's Lessons on Stewardship >
          • Stewardship Scripture
          • READ MORE ABOUT STEWARDSHIP
          • TEACHING OUR CHILDREN ABOUT STEWARDSHIP
        • UNDERSTANDING ALL OTHER FUNDS >
          • JOIN THE LEGACY SOCIETY
          • FRIENDS OF CATHEDRAL MUSIC
          • CATHEDRAL ORGAN FUND
      • COMPLETE A TITHING WORKSHEET >
        • PERCENTAGE GIVING CHART
    • STEWARDSHIP 2020
    • Capital Campaign
  • Contact
  • POINSETTIAS
  • CHRISTMAS AT THE CATHEDRAL

Worship Notes for the First Sunday of Lent...February 22, 2015

2/19/2015

0 Comments

 
This Sunday begins the five weeks of Lent that lead to Holy Week and Easter. As we heard in the exhortation on Ash Wednesday, in the Church the season of Lent has traditionally been a time of preparation and instruction for converts to the faith for baptism at Easter. For them, as for others who through their sins have been separated from the Body, Lent was a time of special discipline and penitence. It remains such a time for us, as we prepare ourselves for the new life that Easter will bring. 

Our worship during Lent has always been marked by a relative quietness and simplicity, allowing us to focus our hearts and minds on following in the way of Christ. You will notice the familiar service music from previous years, as well as the familiar lessons of the season. Our Flower Guild will mark our progress through Lent with altar arrangements that move from bare branches to buds to blossoms.

The most notable change in our Lenten experience this year will be the use of Rite One worship on Sunday mornings. This is not because Rite One is arguably more penitential or somber. Rather, it is because this form is an important part of our heritage as Episcopalians; it remains a part of our Book of Common Prayer, and we would be remiss to allow it to fall into such disuse that our children and newcomers to our tradition are not familiar with the beauty of its language and the depth of its expression of our faith. It doesn’t need to be relegated to an early morning service without music for “old-fashioned” Episcopalians! It belongs to us all. I hope that this five-week change will strike familiar chords with those reared on the 1928 prayer book. Above all, I hope that our younger members and those newer to our church will find in it enrichment of their faith and a deepening of their sense of our tradition and heritage. I will highlight a particular aspect of this rite in my notes and sermons each week.

On this first Sunday in Lent, we will begin with the Penitential Order. It begins with a responsorial version of the Decalogue. Then following a sentence of scripture, it concludes with the confession and absolution.

The lessons for this Sunday emphasize twin themes of Lent: patience and mercy. Patience is demonstrated in God’s continuing renewal of covenant with his people and in our own discernment, following Jesus’ way. Mercy is apparent in God’s dealing with Noah and in his sending of Jesus Christ to “suffer for sins once for all.” Even in Jesus’ time of temptation in the wilderness, the “angels waited on him.” As captured in Mark’s gospel, Jesus’ baptism, followed by his time in the wilderness and the beginnings of his ministry, again echo the themes of Lent: preparation for baptism and sharing the good news and concentration in examination of self. 

I hope that you will be present this Sunday to participate in this beginning of a holy Lent.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    The Very Reverend Beverly Gibson, Ph.D.,  Dean of the Cathedral

    LISTEN TO HER SERMONS


    Blog Archives

    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Copyright 2017 
Christ Church Cathedral
Site by Cindy McCrory/
Blue Room Photography
115 S. Conception St. 
Mobile, AL  36602
(251) 438-1822
(251) 433-3403 fax
Email Us
Sign Up for our E-Blasts
For Email Marketing you can trust.
Picture