0904-parish-post-.pdf Here is the April edition of our monthly magazine which includes dates and times of our Easter Services.

Here’s an excerpt from a book I’m glancing over: it paints a picture of small groups that I find attractive. Do you like the sound of this? Every follower of Christ needs such a supporting environment. Food for thought!

“I’ve just come from a small group gathering where real life was being shared, lived, prayed and planned, and where both emotions and intellect were challenged. It is a typical Christian small group. The reason we gather is to experience life together, expecting Jesus Christ to be present and participate. We gathered in the home of a group member. We met for two hours. One couple was traveling on vacation and not able to be present. We prayed for their safety and rest. One spouse was not there. She was studying for exams. We prayed for her health, endurance and clarity of mind. One man just found out he may lose his job of twenty years. We prayed for him to experience God’s purpose and vocation. Another couple revealed that they were having some of the best years of their lives. We thanked God for the grace of their lives together. A woman described her frustration because her new business was so slow in getting started. We prayed for her to have patience and perseverance. As we told our stories, shared our pain, assessed our common humanity, dreamed, hoped, held hands, and gave each other hugs of greeting and goodby, we thanked God for the freedom and opportunity to gather as friends in face-to-face relationships, to speak the truth, to demonstrate love and to share faith in Christ. Nothing spectacular happened. But heaven was clearer. God was closer. And Jesus was more real. Thank you, Lord, for a small group of real people who love me.”

Gareth Weldon Icenogle, Biblical Foundations for Small Group Ministry : An Integrative Approach (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1994).

Following a phone call from a person present near the meeting of the Southern Trust today, the dean was asked to ring the cathedral bell 34 times (once for each person involved/resident at Skeagh House) following the news that Skeagh House is not to be closed. Please await further confirmation before discussing this with residents, but it looks good!

Well done the Trust!

090322-notice sheet.pdf This is the Notice Sheet for Mothering Sunday 22nd March 2009

The Concert

I am so very happy to report that last night’s concert, in support of the Sudan Emergency Relief Appeal was a toe tapping success.  At the end of the night donations totalled £570 with some more promised.  The ‘prize’ for the farthest travelled for the concert was a lady from Dundalk, who had made a point of including the concert in her trip to Dromore. The adult performers will hopefully forgive specific mention here of the young performers in the programme.  The audience was suitably hushed for a young singer and our two young harpists (brother and sister, accompanied by mum and dad), all parishioners of Dromore Cathedral.  There was appreciative clapping and toe tapping for the Irish Dancers from St Colman’s whose colourful dress and cheerful smiles put ‘mine hostesses’ best suit and cheeriest demeanour to shame.

The evening was opened and closed by Dromore’s own Cow Pats who as ever gave crowd pleasing renditions of traditional favourites such as “Whiskey in the Jar”.  During a short interval the catering team managed to serve supper to over one hundred people and have it all cleared away before the first note was played in the second half of the evening.  The support team for the evening ensured a pleasant welcome at the door, help with finding a seat and then like magic cleared the seats away at the end of the evening. It was encouraging to see so many of the Cathedral’s younger members there as part of the support team and thankfully few had school the next morning.  Our sound team ensured that all the wonderful instruments were heard to their best advantage.  Harps, flutes, mandolin, banjo, piano, and accordion were all a wonderful mix of sound, enriched by the voice of someone who was singing in public for the first time.  The trouble with singing beautifully in public the first time is that it ensures that it will never be the last!

We had a solo male artist singing ‘Danny Boy’.  This can be a difficult piece but it was note perfect and sung with feeling last night.  Having accompanied the solo singer, the pianist himself played to the again hushed audience and a few “Isn’t that lovely?” comments were heard up at the front.  A lone piper played the evening out and ‘pipey’ was paid with the traditional ‘wee dram’.  ‘Pipey’ and he who paid the piper were brothers from Armagh and Ballymena respectively.  Earlier in the evening the brothers, hats adorned with shamrock, strayed from the traditional feel with an old Hank Williams number “”I Saw the Light”.  This has a ‘gospel’ feel to it  and is a particular favourite of mine.   The Cow Pats closing number was a departure from ‘traditional’ as well, however “Ghost Riders in the Sky” is ‘traditoinal’ for them!

On behalf of the Sudan Support Team I would like to thank all who gave freely of their time last night and extend those thanks to all who came along to the event.  This was the last event to raise funds for the Emergency Appeal as conditions in Sudan are calmer now, though still uncertain.  The rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army remain a threat so there is a need for our continued prayers and for our practical and financial support.

Celebration of Life of St Patrick

Throughout the evening, music and dance was interspersed with the readings from “St Patrick’s Confession” which is held to have been written towards the end of his life.  This seems to be one of the few reliable sources to which we can turn to discover what Patrick the man believed, what he taught and what he practised in his everyday life.  A self-confessed humble, unlearned man, one does wonder what he would have made of the event last night in celebration of his life.  It would probably be safe to say however that he would approve of an event which aimed to alleviate the suffering of his brothers and sisters in Christ in Sudan.  As they listened to the readings, it was hoped that the audience would keep Patrick in their minds eye.  Patrick, returning to Ireland in a little wooden boat over the rough Irish Sea, a slave no more.  Returning to those who had once held him captive.  Returning to the land of his slavery to spread the Gospel of Christ.

090315-notices-2pub.pdf This is the News Sheet for Sunday 15th March.

090308-notices.pdf Here they are! Enjoy!

Dromore Cathedral’s Sudan Support Team is having a concert on St Patrick’s night 17th March to raise funds for the ongoing emergency relief in Sudan.  This is the 3rd such concert over recent years, so it’s almost an annual affair. The concert is in Cathedral Hall, Church Street, Dromore 7.45 for 8pm sharp with a suggested donation of £5 (to include light supper).  There are a couple of hours of a wonderful mix of all things traditional music wise assembled and there are dancers on their way as well.  Every entertainer is special, but it’s noteworthy that Dromore’s own Cow Pats are opening the show.

One of the team, who was reared on music writes today:

“Regarding St Patricks Night Concert.  Dromore Cathedral Hall.  7.45 for 8pm sharp!

The day planned for the delivery of invitations to all the places of worship in Dromore has arrived.  I woke at 6am.  No military campaign could match my mental planning so I hope it all pays off!

7am: Today would have been my beloved grandmother’s birthday and I am forgoing my usual ‘trip to the grave’ and lunch with my 2 remaining female relatives on Nanny’s side, to give out the invitations.  She wouldn’t mind I know and indeed would have delighted in my all my tales of how my life has been going recently.

Back to the campaign.  It stalled slightly due to the unearthly hour at which I arose.  I crept around downstairs, making sure not to wake the whole house.  Wouldn’t do to annoy the hubby.  He was to be my accomplice with engine running as I darted from church to church.  Do you know I feel like a child on Christmas morning.  Is it time yet? Is that Daddy’s foot on the floor, can I get up now?  This must be what our poor wee dog goes through every morning.  As soon as our foot touches the floor she’s up the stairs.  Used to go like a rocket she did, but now old age and exploding girth has meant it’s a plod up to see who made the noise and will they let her onto the bed or put her out.

9am:  And so here I sit and wait in ‘the downstairs room’.  As usual I’m surrounded by half a dozen books and here I regularly fall asleep surrounded by them and all the associated writing paraphernalia.  Some day I’m going to impale myself as I sleep on the many pointed pencils I keep.  I daren’t close my eyes today in case I miss a few hours daylight.

This morning in particular I give thanks for my grandmother’s Christian witness, a sure foundation for my own Christian life.  I give thanks for all the people involved in getting the planned concert organised.  I notice particularly that in the Cathedral’s Daily Prayer Guide, the Girl’s Brigade is specifically mentioned for prayer today.  I give thanks and pray for them.

10.40am:  And still no foot on the floor.  What am I to do, I can’t roam the streets in my dressing gown. I’ll give it ‘till 11am and then start making a few quiet noises, drop a pencil, send the dog upstairs to waken the sleeping master. “Go see Daddy” usually does it.  Meanwhile I do a bit of homework for my course, do a bit of my Lenten reading about Jesus, read Spurgeon.  Oh where is a ‘phone call or a knock on the door when I need one.  I hear the recycling lorry, the dogs barking!  That should do it.  Thankyou doggie.  Success!

10.46am: Phase 1 of the campaign swings into action.

3pm: Mission accomplished.  Well almost. I had a few old addresses, no post boxes, no numbers on doors, country roads that simply seemed to end and roadworks.  I did however knock on one door expecting a member of the cloth, only to be greeted by a work colleague.  Bit taken aback, case of a double life?   No, one of the old addresses I was talking about.  Still I had a nice chat and invited him to the concert.

Hope to see you there too! Lynn”

Group Study Materials March 09: 1 Timothy

Group or personal bible study materials on 1 Timothy are available here. Groups meet on 10th March at Brackenridge, and 18th March at Magherabeg. Contact the office for more details.

A number of you have been reading Lynn’s blog which has just finished. Here we attach a word file and pdf file of the full set, kindly edited for publication by Lynn, with two photographs of her in action at the Car Wash mentioned in the blog.
Enjoy! Be challenged! Be changed!

The Blog (Doc)

The Blog (pdf)

A Welcome Cuppa

Happy Feet