Welcome from Kitty Price

I am rather fond of the country song ‘King of the road’, which I think has parallels with Christ the King. The song tells of homeless man who, although he doesn’t live a life of luxury, has freedom to roam. I think this is a version of the Christ the King style of kingship akin to Jesus himself. ‘And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”’

We are nearly at Advent, the start of the Church’s new liturgical year, but it doesn’t really feel as though the ‘happy new year’ greetings will be that cheerful. It is as though we have spent much of this year waiting. Waiting for the end of a lockdown, waiting for news of a vaccine, waiting to hear if GCSE and A level exams will take place next year, or waiting for a baptism, wedding or funeral.

Waiting is hard. It can feel like you are a windmill sail - one minute soaring in the sky and the next looming ominously towards the ground. Advent gives us the chance to wait well. As we proceed through the four weeks, we hear again the stories of the Patriarchs, Prophets, John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary.

It is a story of our people, told afresh each year, allowing us to notice different strands in the familiar story.

The prophets spoke of something they would not witness however long they waited. Mary waited during her pregnancy knowing that it would ultimately bring her sorrow. Simeon waited to meet the infant Jesus, saying to God to let him depart in peace after doing so. John the Baptist waited for people to realise that he was not the messiah, but Jesus. Jesus waited while his disciples slept, even though he knew he was about to be arrested.

Later in December we have the Advent antiphons to look forward to. They explore different names of Jesus:

O Sapienta - wisdom

O Adonai - leader

O Radix Jesse - root of Jesse

O Clavis David - key of David

O Oriens - morning star

O Rex Gentium - Oh king of the nations

O Emmanuel - Saviour, hope of the nations

While we wait, why don’t we pray more earnestly for wisdom, authentic leadership, putting Jesus at the forefront of our thoughts and decision making?

As we await his first coming as the infant king, Christ the king reminds us of his final coming at the end of time.

Kitty Price, Lay Reader

Kitty’s welcome can also be watched here.

Services and Worship

The Cathedral is unable to hold Public Worship from 5 November to 2 December due to government guidelines. We continue to be open daily for individual private prayer.

You can join us for daily services streamed online via Facebook Live, including our Sunday morning service at 9.30am during lockdown.

Find our latest information for visiting the Cathedral here.

Online Services

Many services from the Cathedral are broadcast on Facebook. We also broadcast Morning Prayer and Compline daily from the homes of our ministry team. Find out more about our online services here.

Please note: This Sunday’s 9:30am service for Christ the King will be celebrated according to the Book of Common Prayer

Orders of service can be found on the Resources Section of our website here.

Sunday Refreshments at 11.00 am via Zoom

Join us for our weekly Sunday Refreshments, hosted on Zoom from 11.00 am. Catch up with other members of the congregation and members of our ministry team. Please note in order to maintain security, information on how to join the Zoom call will be sent with our emailed notices. You can join our mailing list here.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81577318404?pwd=VFg0UFJsb2ZEeE1PTFZKbGhKTDlrZz09

Meeting ID: 815 7731 8404

Passcode: 141380

Prayers and Intercessions

We pray for all those affected by COVID-19.

We remember the following for whom prayer has been asked by members of the Cathedral Community: Bob, Derek, Nigel, Trevor, Izzy, Clare, Bishop Peter Hancock, Laurence, Sylvia, Andy, Michael, Sarah, Sheila, Hector, Jean, Michael, and all those in need.

We pray for those who have died recently: Manfred Schmidt, Elizabeth Robertson, Margaret Griffiths, and Robert Keown RIP.

To add someone to the prayer list, please email info@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk

In the notices this week…

Upcoming Services and Events

• Advent & Christmas at Portsmouth Cathedral

• Bible Discussion Group - Thursday 26 November

• Aled Jones live at Portsmouth Cathedral – Saturday 15 May 2021

Community News

• Vote for your ‘Pompey Heroes’

• Getting ready for Advent with the Portsmouth Cathedral Shop

• Culture Recovery Fund grant success

• Building works commence

• Cathedral Council

• Portsmouth Cathedral Development Trust meeting

• Friends of Portsmouth Cathedral mailing Foodbank collection point

• The Roberts Centre - Family Friends 2020

• Church Homeless Action Christmas Voucher Scheme 2020

• Independent Faith Engagement Review

Upcoming Services and Events…

Advent & Christmas at Portsmouth Cathedral

Christmas may be different this year, but Portsmouth Cathedral’s season of services, concerts and celebrations will bring comfort and joy however you choose to join us.

Portsmouth Cathedral will be shining a light in the darkness, with a range of beautiful services and seasonal concerts this December. Bringing families around the city together for celebration and worship, several of the Cathedral’s services continue to be streamed online for you to enjoy from the comfort of home.

Find out more here

Bible Discussion Group - Thursday 26 November

Our Bible Discussion Group continues – new members welcome. This week, please read John Ch. 3.  If you would like to look it up online, just go to bible.oremus.org and type in the reference.

The Zoom link will be sent out with the email version of the notices. You can sign up to notices here.  

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84896847678?pwd=cHh5N05WRU52bEp1bDF4ZXEwSkpXUT09

Meeting ID: 848 9684 7678

Passcode: 768427

Aled Jones Live at Portsmouth Cathedral – Saturday 15 May 2021

 Join Aled Jones as he embarks on a UK-wide tour, performing at many of the nation’s best-loved cathedrals, where he’ll be stopping off in Portsmouth this May.

Over his extraordinary 30 year career, Aled's outstanding performances have made smash-hit box office history. He is the original crossover star and has sung for the Pope and the Royal Family, received an MBE, released over 30 albums - with over 10 million album sales and counting - and has over 40 silver, gold and platinum discs.

Find out more here, and book tickets online with Ticketmaster

Community News

Vote for your Pompey Hero

During this year of challenges, loss, and disappointment, remarkable individuals from around Portsmouth have gone ‘above and beyond’ for neighbours, friends, and their communities.

We will be celebrating people’s everyday acts of kindness both big and small with ‘Pompey Heroes’, a special carol service for Portsmouth’s local superstars on Monday 21 December.

We’re encouraging our congregation and residents of Portsmouth to vote for their ‘Pompey Hero’. You can nominate frontline key workers or NHS staff, local volunteers, or simply helpful next-door neighbours. No matter how big or small, we want to celebrate the stories of kindness and honour those who have brought positivity and hope to our communities through this challenging year.

Nominees will be randomly selected to attend the service, which is in addition to the other five public carol services already announced.

Find out more and vote online here

Getting ready for Advent with the Portsmouth Cathedral Shop

Although the shop is currently closed due to lockdown restrictions, we will be operating a one-off Click and Collect service on a limited range of Advent products this week.

The list of products available is here.

Orders can be placed by emailing nicky.taylorroberts@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk by 5pm on Wednesday 25 November. You will then be sent details on how to pay on Thursday 26 November and your order will be available to collect on Friday 27 November between 10am and 2pm.  

The shop will reopen when the current lockdown restrictions are eased.

Culture Recovery Fund grant success

Portsmouth Cathedral are so pleased to have been awarded a grant from the ‘Heritage Stimulus Fund’, part of the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund from the Government aimed at helping organisations through the difficult circumstances present because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The grant will be used for vital conservation work on the North Quire aisle roof and the West-end towers, turrets, and finials. This work would not have been possible without this one-off grant from the Government.

More information here.

Building works commence

Following last week’s announcement of building work approved by Chapter, work has now begun on two of these projects. The South-West door was removed earlier this week for repair and it is hoped that this work will be complete by Christmas. On Thursday the construction of scaffolding for work being undertaken on the towers, turrets roofs and finials began. This work will be completed by 31 March 2021.

Foodbank Collection Point

You may not know but the Cathedral is home to a foodbank collection point, for the Roberts Centre. Donations of food and toiletries are particularly needed at the moment and greatly appreciated by those using the service.

Items currently most needed are:  tinned sweetcorn, carrots, potatoes; packet rice; biscuits; ravioli; spaghetti; cereal; long life milk; tinned potatoes; jars of sauces; pot noodles/microwave noodles/rice; baby wipes; toothpaste; shampoo.

Please bring your donations to the foodbank collection point in the Welcome Area during the Cathedral’s daily opening hours.

The Roberts Centre - Family Friends 2020

Our friends at the Roberts Centre run a brilliant project called Family Friends which some members of our community already support. The project invites people to support a family in need at Christmas. To find out more or get involved, email carole.damper@robertscentre.org.uk or visit The Roberts Centre website.

Church Homeless Action Christmas Voucher Scheme 2020

Churches from across Portsmouth will once again be joining to support those who are homeless. This year, inevitably, the project will be slightly different to meet the current needs.

Everyone is encouraged to pause and write a Christmas card to share a greeting of comfort and joy with someone in their street who they think might be alone for Christmas. In addition, it is hoped to link schools with care homes to send cards to all residents. Alongside writing cards, people will be encouraged to donate a gift voucher, card or cash to the scheme as in previous years.

More details will be released soon.

Independent Faith Engagement Review

The Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, has welcomed the opportunity for people nationally to respond to an independent review on Government engagement with faith communities, now and in the future.  The review, which predates the Covid-19 pandemic, will nonetheless inform how Government engages with faith groups during the Covid-19 recovery phase and beyond. 

The consultation lasts for four weeks, from Nov 13th until Dec 11th, and we are all encouraged to complete a survey which can be found here.

It takes about 15 minutes to complete, and can be done anonymously. 

Getting in touch

We know that this is a lonely and anxious time for many people. Please feel free to get in touch if we can help in any way, or if you just want to hear another voice!                                                  

The Dean: 023 9282 4400 or Anthony.Cane@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk

Canon Jo Spreadbury: 023 9275 2335 or Jo.Spreadbury@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk

Canon Kathryn Percival: 023 9289 2967 or Kathryn.Percival@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk

Cathedral Curate, Revd Catherine Edenborough: 023 9282 3300 extn 221 or Catherine.Edenborough@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk (Usual days at the Cathedral: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday)

Messages can also be left on the Cathedral phone system 023 9282 3300 or by email to info@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk or pastoral@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk.