Epiphany Procession

On Sunday at 5.30pm we shall be holding a special service to celebrate the arrival of the Magi at the Manger: The Epiphany Procession.

As the Bidding Prayer puts it:

We meet to celebrate the coming of Christ into the world. With the Magi we shall journey to Bethlehem to see the child Jesus; we shall honour in the infant king with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh; and we shall wonder at the manifestation of God in human form.

However, unlike the Magi, we shall not depart by another road nor shall we turn our attention to later moments in the life of Christ often celebrated in this season: the baptism of Jesus by John; the first of the signs of Christ at the wedding in Cana.

Instead we shall stay in Bethlehem, watching and waiting for the consequence of the visit of those Wise Men to Herod; we shall acknowledge the cruelty of power and the pain of grief; and we shall stand with all Holy Innocents past and present.

And, having journeyed to Bethlehem and remained in Bethlehem, we shall commit ourselves that, journeying on, God will take us and use us in God’s service; that God will open our eyes to see the divine glory; that God will equip us to bless all people made in the image and likeness of God; and that will encourage us to shine with the light of Christ in the darker places of our world.

With readings from the Hebrew Scriptures and the Gospel of Matthew, we shall hear again of the expected visitors bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh.

With music by Betty Jackson King, Peter Warlock, Peter Aston, Herbert Howells and Kenneth Leighton and singing the extra verses of 'We three kings' we shall mark the encounter and the impact of The Epiphany.

With silence and in prayer we shall remember The Massacre of the Innocents, past and present:

Heavenly Father,
whose children suffered at the hands of Herod,
though they had done no wrong:
give us grace neither to act cruelly
nor to stand indifferently by,
but to defend the weak from the tyranny of the strong;
in the name of Jesus Christ who suffered for us,
but is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Lots of incense will be used.

As always, everyone is welcome.

Dan Tyndall

19 January 2024

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Sermon on Sunday,10th August 2025

By matthew.buckmaster • August 10, 2025

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Interregnum Information

By Laura.Verrall-Kelly • August 7, 2025

Keeping You Updated During the Interregnum As I prepare to go on maternity leave at the end of August, I want to share some important updates regarding our Sunday Services and communication during the Interregnum period. We’ve taken time to consider what is sustainable and meaningful in this season of transition, and while some of the changes have been difficult, they are intended to ensure we can continue to worship together well. Service Changes 8am BCP Eucharist We’ve made the difficult decision to pause this service during the vacancy, following a PCC vote (with 3 votes against). This is due to the limited availability of clergy to cover two Eucharist services on a Sunday. We’re grateful that this decision has allowed us to secure strong cover for the other services. If you’re looking for an early service, the Cathedral offers Morning Prayer at 7.40am and BCP Eucharist at 8am. This change to the 8am will happen from the beginning of October. Mattins & Evensong These will continue with support from a growing team of Lay Leaders. If you're interested in helping lead, please speak to Simon Goodman. Please note: bespoke online orders of service will no longer be produced weekly. Instead, we will use a standard booklet and hymn book in church. Online viewers will receive a standard order of service plus a document with Bible readings and hymns. 10.30am Sung Eucharist Some small changes are being made to simplify things for visiting clergy: Notices will be read by a Church Warden, Duty Warden or Church Representative Communion distribution will return to queue formation A Gradual Hymn will replace the Responsorial Psalm - there is simply not the resource to produce a weekly or termly Psalm hand out in church. We’ll use a standard “Eucharist during the Vacancy” order of service (in booklet form), with hymn books provided in church. As with other services, online resources will mirror this setup. These changes to the 10.30am will happen from the 17th August. Christingle Service Due to the scale of this service and the planning it requires, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause it this year. Without full-time clergy to oversee preparations and lead the service, we don’t believe we can deliver it safely or well. We know this will be disappointing, but this service will be back. Ongoing Communication Thanks to Chris Duncan and Sam Love, we will continue to send out a weekly email during the Interregnum. I’m very grateful to both of them for stepping up to support in this way. We know some of these decisions may not affect everyone, while others may feel them more deeply. We don’t expect universal agreement, and that’s okay — your questions and thoughts are welcome and valued. All we ask is that feedback is offered with kindness and respect for those who have worked hard to make these plans in a short space of time. Thank you for being part of this community and for your ongoing support as we navigate this together.