Being quiet and reflective is part of a Christian’s vocation, duty and joy. We are to “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10), indeed we might never know that God is God until we are still, quiet, attentive and listening in a way we have not done for a while. This is hard to do because we are not only busy, but have got used to our busyness and often wear it as an emblem of how busy we are… especially about God’s business.
The Cathedral has provided a number of days each year where we can be quiet and at ease in God’s presence. They were begun by Dean James Rigney in 2009 and will continue this year under the direction of Fr Glen Hughes and Fr Roger Sharr. Fr Glen is the former Parish Priest of Scone, now working in the school chaplaincy program and Fr Roger is the former parish priest of St. James’ Morpeth and has recently retired. He is doing a Ph.D. at the University of Sydney.
Timetable
10.00am Gather in the Warrior’s chapel
10.15am First Address
11.00am Second Address
12.00pm Angelus and final address
12.30pm Eucharist
Depart
Participants may pray in the Cathedral itself and throughout the grounds. All the alarms will be turned off for the duration of the Quiet morning.
THEMES FOR 2016
Saturday 13th February
Violence in Scripture
“I only attend to the NT. The Old testament is so violent.” This familiar cry is rather uninformed, and for sheer violence nothing quite beats the Crucifixion. This morning we reflect of the place of fury and passion in life with God. Are we, along with the Psalmist, allowed to be angry with God?
Saturday 12th March
The Spirituality of T. S. Eliot
Eliot was an adult convert to Anglicanism and a 20th century apologist for Christianity. His decision to become a Christian was the result of having looked “… into the Abyss”. Try to read Ash Wednesday and The Journey of the Magi in preparation.
Saturday 9th April
Adoration and Reverence
These words conjure up Church services, but what if their origin were primal – we must worship and revere in order to be human? … but sometimes it isn’t God we worship and revere.
Saturday 14th May
The Creed
What part of the Creed don’t you believe in? The Virgin Birth? The Double Procession of the Spirit from both the Father and the Son? Or none of it? So is the Creed a statement of personal faith or what the Church believes in? Is it a Statement of Perfection (what I ought to believe) or is it, like Scripture, a Canon or Guide? We shall explore this most familiar of doctrinal beliefs as though we were grown-ups.
Saturday 11th June
The Spirituality of Phillip Larkin
Phillip Larkin (1922 – 1985) was no Christian. He once described religion as “that vast moth-eaten musical brocade/Created to pretend we never die” Yet Christians don’t have a monopoly on spirituality, and Larkin’s insights into what it means to be human are extremely valuable. This is an essay in what spirituality looks like outside the Church.
Saturday 9th July
No Meeting – Glen in Brisbane.
Saturday 13th August
Mary for All Christians
Differing Church traditions have blurred our view of the place of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Christian faith. In this session we seek to rediscover Mary of Nazareth as seen in the Holy Scriptures – God Bearer, Disciple of Jesus and Servant of God.
Saturday 3rd September
The Saints Next Door
Reflecting on the life and work of some Australian saints; John Oliver Feetham, bishop and Bush Brother; Eliza Darling, pioneer social reformer in NSW, and Mother Esther, Founder of the Community of the Holy Name.
Saturday 8th October
McDonaldization and the Church
A reflection on the work of John Drane in examining the state and place of the Church in the post-modern world and practical theology in the Christian life. (Pre- reading if desired: After McDonaldization: Mission, Ministry and Discipleship in an age of Uncertainty – John Drane ISBN 978-0-232-52654-7)
Saturday 12th November
Hope in the End
Towards the end of the Church year, the Sunday Lections turn to the end times and judgement. This future time can seem bleak, violent and for many, distressing. Where can we find hope in the end, and how do we work for the coming Kingdom while we wait with anticipation?
Saturday 10th December
Quiet Amidst the Storm
In the midst of the silly season, we make a deliberate space to hear the quiet voice of God as we prepare for the Nativity of Our Lord. We focus on the birth narratives in the Gospel of St. Matthew.