Jesus calls us to follow in his way, pilgrims on a journey. Just as medieval pilgrims found strength in numbers by travelling together, for any Christian there is strength to be found in travelling as part of the Christian community following Jesus’ way. This Lent we are exploring what it is to travel together, growing in faith and in discipleship. Growing God’s Kingdom, our mission plan, identifies these 4 values at the heart of who we are:
- Putting God first
- Celebrating God’s image in everyone
- Honouring all that God has given us
- Being a blessing to the world
The Lent book will challenge us to review how we are travelling on God’s earth, honouring all that God has given us. The preachers in Lent at the Sung Eucharist will include a reflection on their own journey of faith as part of the wider Christian journey. This will start, on the first Sunday of Lent, with an exploration of what putting God first, travelling well as a cathedral community looks like. In the evensong sermons curates from the diocese will reflect too on their journey of faith.
WORSHIP AND PRAYER:
Sermon series in Lent
Lent 1 March 1 Dean John and the Canon Treasurer, Andrew Kitchingman
Lent 2 March 8 Canon Michael
Lent 3 March 15 Canon Barry
Mothering Sunday March 22 A celebration of God’s mothering as we celebrate all mothers
Lent 5 March 29 Canon Ailsa
Palm Sunday April 5 Dean John
The Way of the Cross
On Fridays during Lent at 11.15am (followed by the noon eucharist) there is a chance to reflect prayerfully on what Jesus’ passion and crucifixion means to us. The leaders will be:
28 February Canon Wendy Wilby
6 March Revd Chris Cornwell
13 March Loretta Williams
20 March Canon Richard Cooper
27 March Yvonne Jefferies
3 April Canon Lynn Thorius.
Space for Grace
A quiet, candle-lit celebration of Holy Communion on Tuesday evenings (7.30-8pm) in the Chapel of the Resurrection creates a reflective space in Lent. Enter from the footpath on the south side of the cathedral near the east end.
Other opportunities for prayer
There is Morning Prayer each weekday at 8.30 am and Evensong at 6 pm Tuesday to Friday (plus Evening Prayer on Mondays at 6pm and Saturdays at 5.30 pm)
STUDY
Saying Yes to Life by Ruth Valerio, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book published by SPCK. Price £9.99 from the Cathedral Bookshop
Saying Yes to Life lifts our focus from natural, everyday concerns to issues that are having an impact on millions of lives around the world. It poses the question: are we travelling well on our world that God created? As people made in the image of God, we are entrusted to look after what he has created: to share in God’s joy and ingenuity in making a difference for good. Ruth Valerio imaginatively draws on the Days of Creation (Genesis 1) as she relates themes of light, water, land, the seasons, other creatures, humankind, Sabbath rest and resurrection hope to matters of environmental, ethical and social concern.
There will be DISCUSSION on the Lent book at 2 different times in the week: either on Wednesdays (following the noon eucharist and Lent Lunch in the Cathedral) or on Thursday evenings (8 pm in Thorpe Prebend over a hot potato supper).
If you are planning on coming, please sign the list by the notice boards in the south transept or email postmaster@riponcathedral.org.uk so that we know how many to cater for.
| Wednesday noon eucharist, Lent lunch and discussion afterwards in the Cathedral | Session led by | Title | Hot Potato supper on Thursday evenings
8 pm in Thorpe Prebend |
| 4th March | Revd Caitlin | Let there be light | 5th March |
| 11th March | Canon Ailsa | Let the waters be separated | 12th March |
| 18th March | Canon Barry | Let the land produce vegetation and let there be lights in the sky | 19th March |
| 25th March | Dean John | Let the waters teem with living creatures and let birds fly | 26th March |
| 1st April | Canon Michael | Let the land produce living creatures and let us make humankind in our image | 2nd April |
ACTION
Travelling well together, we offer this resource from the national Church: #LiveLent Care for God’s Creation a resource to enable us, each day, to reflect on our footprint on God’s earth through scripture with small but significant actions to help protect God’s world. Just £1.99, it is available from the Cathedral shop.