Nativity Notes
June 7, 2019
From the Dean
Imagination


The physical landscape of my growing up years was beautiful. The wooded pathways carved along the hillside overlooking the river. The soft bed of what was the gravity railroad that so perfectly weaved its way through miles of beautiful trees and soft echoing creeks. The carefully and beautifully landscaped cemetery behind my home, surrounded by gorgeous stone perimeter, and inside lush mature trees and wildflowers. This was the landscape that invited my undeveloped thoughts, the questions forming in me I dared not say out loud. The testing of my confidences and dreams, the intimacy I yearned for that could only be present through imagination.

In this landscape, I imagined myself Moses, with the power of God within to part waters below. In this landscape, I imagined myself superman, able to fly up high over the hills that made this place the intimate womb of my maturing. In this landscape, I imagined love, and peace, and strength in a time and place that were unsettled in my household, and in the world. I imagined a future, though no words could describe it. I imagined safety, peace, acceptance for who I was and how I wanted to be loved. I imagined a space and place that belonged only to me (I had three brothers) and a lover I would recognize as the one who made me. 

Imagination is a gift children naturally possess. Too quickly the structures of a world-view built around the expedient journey toward “adulthood”, productivity, and measurable outcomes, seduce us away from imagination.

Only with imagination are we allowed to go to the places the world is structured to keep us from. How can we possibly love a seemingly un-loveable world without imagination? How can we possibly overcome limited responses to complex concerns without imagination? How could we possibly have any other response to fear, greed, consumerism, commoditization, then to exert power, build walls, and hoard resources, without the liberating potential of imagination? How could we possibly experience true love; true love, without imagination?

Somehow I fantasize that when the disciples were divorced from the physical presence of Jesus and that absence grew only fear in them, that Jesus resurrection appearances were his reminder to them to “use their imaginations”. I fantasize too that this is truly the gift of the promised Holy Spirit, the encouragement to live a life with imagination. 
Sunday Bulletin For those of you worshiping with us via Livestream, below please find the Sunday bulletin.
Pentecost—Come Holy Spirit Come!  Sunday, June 9th at 10:00 a.m. Bishop Kevin Nichols Presiding for Baptism, Confirmation, Reception. Pentecost cake fellowship to follow. (There will be an 8:00 a.m. service that day as well.)
Hoagie Sale Fundraiser  The Thresholds group is holding their final fundraiser for their service trip to Navajoland in August. On Sunday, June 9th, Thresholds will be collecting orders for hoagies from Island Expressions after the Sunday services. Hoagies will then be delivered to Nativity on Sunday, June 23rd for pick-up.
Cathedral Night at Iron Pigs Friday, August 23, 2019 (Gates open at 5:45 PM) at 7:05 PM the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs take on the Wilkes Barre RailRiders. Tickets are $10 per person and include field level seats and $2 concessions. For ticket reservations, please contact the church office at 610-865-0727 or teisenreich@nativitycathedral.org. Please make checks payable to the church and note “Iron Pigs” on the memo line. Deadline July 17, 2019.
The Philia Book Club is officially on summer break. We are reading Rules of Civility by Amor Towles over the summer. We will meet on Thursday, September 19, in Room 23 at 11:00 a.m. to discuss it. Bring your lunch! You may also want to read Buddha In The Attic by Julie Otsuka. We will discuss this one in October. For the September meeting also bring along a list of the books you have read during the summer break. It should be interesting to see what we have read. Come join us! Bring your reading list. We would love to hear about what you read. Have a safe and wonderful summer.
The Exploring Christian Literature Book Club is on summer break! We will meet on the Third Wednesday of September at 1:30 to 3:00 in the Goodwin Room. We will be discussing: The Power of Love by Bishop Curry and The Universal Church by Richard Rohr. Don’t finish the book! Come anyway. Don’t read the book. Come anyway. You never know what you will learn. Book Choices: October - Eager To Love by Richard Rohr; November - Come help us choose November’s book.
Monday Flower Group Volunteers Needed  The Monday flower group is looking for volunteers for a few months of the year. Please call Angelica Baez for more information at 610-509-0659 or email at angie73@rcn.com . Each Monday a volunteer from the group produces and delivers a beautiful arrangement from the Sunday altar flowers to our hospitalized parishioners.
Parishioners in the Hospital  If a family member is hospitalized, please contact either the clergy or leave a message with the parish office (610-865-0727) informing us of who is in the hospital and at which hospital.
Cathedral Schedule


Friday, June 7
10:00 AM Nativity Staffs the Thrift Shop
12:00 PM Cathedral Office Closed

Saturday, June 8
9:00 AM Altar Guild Prep – Cathedral
9:30 AM Confirmation/Reception Rehearsal - Cathedral
10:00 AM Thrift Shop open until 1 PM
10:00 AM Confirmation/Reception Brunch - Dining Room
5:00 PM The Feast | Celtic Eucharist - Cathedral

Sunday, June 9
8:00 AM Holy Eucharist - Cathedral
10:00 AM Holy Eucharist, Baptism, Confirmation, Reception & Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows - Cathedral (Reception following - Sayre Hall)
11:30 AM Camp Meeting - Good Shepherd Chapel

Monday, June 10
9:00 AM Flower Arranging for Hospital Visitations - Sacristy
3:15 PM Private Tutoring - Dining Room

Tuesday, June 11
1:00 PM Al-Anon Meeting - Room 21
1:30 PM History Group - History Room
7:00 PM Yarns of Love - Dining Room
7:00 PM Property Committee Meeting - Conference Room

Wednesday, June 12
9:00 AM Holy Eucharist & Healing - Good Shepherd Chapel
10:00 AM Nativity Staffs the Thrift Shop
1:15 PM Yarns of Love - Dining Room
6:30 PM New Bethany Ministries Parenting Class - Good Shepherd Chapel, Nursery

Thursday, June 13
10:00 AM Nativity Staffs the Thrift Shop
10:00 AM Diocesan Finance Committee Meeting - Room 23
7:00 PM S-Anon - Room 21

Friday, June 14
10:00 AM Nativity Staffs the Thrift Shop
12:00 PM Cathedral Office Closed



Cathedral Church of the Nativity
321 Wyandotte Street | Bethlehem PA 18015
Copyright © 2018 The Cathedral Church of the Nativity, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because of your affiliation with the Cathedral Church of the Nativity.