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Tasmanian Anglican

December 2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Each year the following lines are placed in front of the Crib:

Welcome all wonders in one sight!
Eternity shut in a span.
Summer in winter, Day in night,
heaven in earth, and God in man.

 

From the Cathedral

 

 

The Cathedral Parish Magazine for December 2004 gives the details of arrangements for Advent and Christmas.

They are introduced in this way:

Before Christmas are appointed four Advent Sundays, so called because the design of them is to prepare us for a religious commemoration of the advent or coming of Christ in the flesh.

The readings for Advent, the writer continues

assure us of the truth of Christ's first coming, and as a proper means to bring our lives to the end and design of it

and concludes by saying that the readings

recommend to us the consideration of his second coming, when he will execute vengeance on all those who obey not his Gospel.

At least, the writer does not then wish everybody a happy season; perhaps the Dean was having a bad day.

During Advent 1904, the Bishop, John Edward Mercer, the great champion of social justice, gave a series of addresses for men on Sunday afternoons under the title The Golden Age, with weekly titles which make it clear that there was a strong social message in what he was to say.

The present Dean has been reliably informed that Christmas Day this year will be observed on December 25th and, accordingly, the preceding four weeks will be the season of Advent. As has been his practice since 1993 (his first year) the Dean will be giving a series of addresses on Sunday mornings at the 10 am Choral Eucharist.

This year's addresses have the cohering theme, and therefore title:

Stairway to Paradise (No, he won't be singing 'that' song; it would frighten the dogs.)

  • The first Sunday: Been there, lost that
  • The second Sunday: The builder and the architect
  • The third Sunday: First steps
  • The fourth Sunday: A light upon the mountain

And, finally, at the Solemn Eucharist

  • on Christmas morning: Getting the kid right

There will be Christmas services at the Cathedral again this year:

Christmas Eve

7 pm Service of Lessons and Carols, for choir and congregation

11 pm Blessing of the Crib and The First Eucharist of Christmas - the Mass of Midnight, Preacher: The Bishop

Christmas Day

7 am Eucharist, Fr Charles Whitton

8 am Eucharist with Carols, Fr Keith Downey

9.30 am Family Eucharist, Dr Christopher Newell

11 am Solemn Eucharist, Preacher: The Dean

The Mother Church of the Diocese sends loving greetings to all for a happy Christmas. We will be remembering especially those for whom Christmas will be a time when feelings of loss and alone-ness lessen the light, praying that they may nonetheless know the light of Christ which no darkness can totally overcome.