Autumn Programme

‘Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favourable or unfavourable; convince, rebuke and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.’ (2 Timothy 4.2)

St Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy at a time of challenge to the emerging Church to encourage him to continue steadfast in faith and teaching not by turning the Church into an isolated enclave but by engaging generously with the world and its pressing needs.

That task is no less urgent in 2024 and we are very fortunate to welcome leading speakers and preachers to the Cathedral this autumn who are deeply involved in this work already.

Our autumn programme will allow our speakers to engage on matters of their expertise on politics, the environment and matters of justice and those who preach to engage with the words of scripture, mindful of the tradition we have received and using the reason with which God has endowed us.

The relationship between Scripture, Reason and Tradition is a particularly distinctive method of reflection within the Church of England and it has palpably lost none of its importance or urgency in our own generation.

Of the many great teachers of the Faith it is undoubtedly Lancelot Andrewes (who was Bishop of Ely from 1609-19 and then Bishop of Winchester until his death in 1626) who sums this up best for us here. He was renowned as a preacher and was a leading editor of the King James Version of the Bible. His personal collection of ‘private prayers’ which he used for meditation every day were drawn from all Christian ages and cultures.

We celebrate his Feast Day on Wednesday 25 September at Choral Evensong at 5.30pm when new Lay and Honorary Canons from around the diocese will be installed.

‘Be Lord within me to strengthen me, without me to preserve me, over me to shelter, beneath to support, before me to direct, behind me to bring back, round about me to fortify.’ Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626)

Prayer for the Season

I thank thee O my Lord, my Lord,
for that I am, that I am alive,
that I am rational:
for nurture, preservation, governance:
for education, citizenship, religion:
for Thy gifts of grace, nature, estate:
for redemption, regeneration, instruction:
for calling, recalling, my manifold renewed calling
for thy forbearance, long longsuffering towards me,
many times, many years, until now:
for all the benefits I have received,
for any good thing I may have done:
for the use of the blessings of this life.
And my hope of the enjoyment of good things to come;
for these and also for all other mercies
known and unknown
open and secret,
things I remember, things I have forgotten,
I praise thee, I bless thee, I thank thee,
All the days of my life.

Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626)

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