Sanctuary

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 46:10 - "Be still and know that I am God." However, most of the time, I don't take the time to just be still. Sometimes, in order for me to be still, I just need a special space and time to refocus and rejuvenate my soul.

Sanctuary, the Cathedral's Sunday evening service at 6pm, can give you that space and time to be still before the Lord. This hour is filled with serene stillness, soft peace, beautiful music, atmospheric incense, and glowing candles. It is a time for you to take yourself away from the world and focus your attention on the Most High God. It is a time for you to refocus and rejuvenate your soul. 

Below are some audio recordings from the Sanctuary service. May these recordings refresh your soul this week and give you a sense of peace.

Listen to Sanctuary

A Glimpse of God's Kingdom

          As with many other adult Americans this past Monday, I took some time to reflect on the events of September 11, 2001.  Aside from the shock, devastation, and number of people who either lost their lives or suffered injuries that day, what stood out in my mind were the people who reached out to help others in need. There were the churches, mosques, temples and private citizens who opened their doors, where not only survivors but also first responders and those seeking  their loved ones. There were citizens and emergency workers who rushed to the crash site in Pennsylvania in the hope of lending assistance to any injured. The same was true in Washington, D.C. In other parts of the country, people rushed to blood banks to donate blood, people flocked to churches to offer prayers. Hundreds of people across the continental states began making plans to go to New York to be of assistance. People left the comfort of their homes and families to spend  long exhaustive days in the wreckage searching for the missing.

          Over the past two or three weeks, we have watched with dread as the two hurricanes slowly made their way towards Texas and Florida. Even before the storms struck, people from nearby states were opening their churches and homes to people who would be needing shelter. As with 9/11, first responders from states near Florida and Texas made their vehicles and gear ready to go and offer aid. Utility workers left the comfort of their homes to travel southward to help with the restoration of power and water supplies. Nurses and doctors headed south to provide medical assistance. All the while, across the country, individuals sent money, clothing, food supplies and water to those areas affected by the Harvey and Irma. In hospitals and nursing homes, staff left their homes and families for days at a time because they would not leave their patients.

          As I have reflected on these tragedies the past few weeks, a recurring thought has come to mind: I have seen glimpses of God's kingdom in the sacrificial work of thousands of people trying to help strangers in their times of need. Is that not what Jesus calls us to do; to love our neighbors as we love ourselves? So I wonder, how much change could I bring about in this world if I were more diligent in helping others?

The Search For Meaning - Even In The Very Young - by Amanda Tudor

     On April 25, 1986 the Alpine village of Mogno was engulfed by an avalanche. The snow slide demolished the community’s focal point; the 17^th century church dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The community commissioned Mario Botta, renowned church architect, to design the new chapel. What’s probably not surprising to most is that his design aligned the new church spire with the exact spot of the nave of the former church. What the architect wrote about his design – that’s what caught my attention. He said, “The design arose from the

​....

need to bear witness to something greater than one’s own life and

​ [to]​

overcome the sense of loneliness that permeates modern society.

​"

     As I read the architect’s reflection on his design and this comment about this sense of loneliness that permeates our society, Godly Play popped into my mind. For those of you that are not familiar with Godly Play, it is our Sunday school curriculum for 3 year olds through 5^th graders and we have used this framework for over 25 years here at Christ Church Cathedral.      You see, I have been a Godly Play teacher for several years now and more recently I have been the lead teacher for the class of 3 & 4 year olds. Not only is the goal of Godly Play ​to ​help children (and me, as a teacher) learn to use religious language to know God and find direction in life; the language of Godly Play gives us a way to confront this sense of lonliness that permeates our society.  

     Now you might be saying, W​HOA.  What are you all doing on Sunday mornings!?  Let me reassure you - Godly Play provides a cornerstone in the lives of our children (and in me, as a teacher) and this work is vital to our spiritual growth!

     During Godly Play

we discover meaning

​through amazing stories.
W

e understand more clearly what it means to be free because we have been forgiven

​, and​

through God’s Grace,

​we ​

​can ​

forgive ourselves and

​forgive ​

each other

​.​

W

e

​actively talk about how

 we are not alone

​ -​

 God is with us!
W

e build our relationships of love and listening to each other and we know we don’t have to suffer in loneliness. 

​Every week we make time to sit together in silence, 

​because we are not 

able to understand why things happen the way they do, but we trust in God no matter what.

Godly Play transforms me every week and I am so thankful to be a part of it.

     If you have children in the Godly Play program and you’ve wondered, what exactly is going on in those classrooms, we want to invite you to join us in a few weeks for special orientation time. Please stay tuned for the date and time of an orientation.