Canterbury at Cal

The Stations of the Cross was first laid out under the Emperor Constantine as a way of providing a pilgrimage through Jerusalem which either matched or approximated the final journey of Jesus from trial to execution.  Along the route, called the Via Dolorosa or Way of Sorrows, there are markers for various things which occurred such as Jesus encountering his mother or falling under the weight of the heavy cross beam on his back.

The Newman Center at Berkeley has organized a stations of the cross through the Cal campus beginning at Sather Gate and stopping at various locations retelling the painful and powerful story of a condemned man.  All are invited to participate.

St. Clement’s in Berkeley 12PM - 3PM music and meditation on the last hours of Christ.

www.stclementsberkeley.org  2837 Claremont Blvd.

All Soul’s Berkeley  9AM Communion from the Reserve Sacrament 10-12 sacrament of reconciliation (clergy will be on hand to hear confession) 12 - 3 Good Friday Liturgy with reflections 3-6 Reconciliation, 7:30 PM solemn liturgy with chanting of the Passion, veneration of the cross and communion from the reserved sacrament

Maundy Thursday is one of the nights of high liturgical drama in the Christian year.  In this night Christians remember Jesus eating a final meal with his friends before his betrayal, arrest and execution.  In this meal the conventional wisdom of the world was overturned when the teacher told his students that the leader must become as a servant and then washed the feet of those who had followed him.  Many parishes continue the custom of washing of feet.  Christians also remember that Jesus provided a new commandment (mandatum from which the name Maundy Thursday derives).  ”I give to you a new commandment, love one another.”  In the course of this final meal Jesus also instituted the primary ritual of the Christian faith, Holy Communion.  Many churches will have a simple meal which concludes in the holy meal of Communion.  Finally, following the divine liturgy, there is a symbolic “stripping of the altar” in which decorations are removed from the church as a reminder of Jesus’ own betrayal, stripping and humiliation as part of the crucifixion experience.

Episcopal Churches offering Maundy Thursday meals and liturgies are:

St. Clement’s 6:30 PM  2837 Claremont Blvd

All Soul’s 7:30PM  2220 Cedar Street

Good Shepherd 7PM   9th Street at Hearst

St. Alban’s  7PM   1501 Washington Street, Albany, CA

St. Mark’s  6:30 PM   2300 Bancroft Way

Tenebrae, from the Latin for shadows or darkness, is a Holy Week service which marks the seeming extinguishing of the light of Christ during the events of the passion.  Candles are gradually extinguished while psalms are sung along with readings from scripture.

Two Berkeley area Episcopal churches observe Tenebrae tonight:

Good Shepherd Berkeley 7PM

at the intersection of Hearst and 9th street   www.goodshepherdberkeley.org

St. Mark’s 7:30 PM

2300 Bancroft Way    www.stmarksberkeley.org

There will be no meetings of the Canterbury group during Spring Break (March 21-28).  Have a great Spring Break.  Don’t forget to sign up for the Episcopal Province VIII College Retreat March 26-28.

The facebook page is:  http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=prov+viii&init=quick#!/event.php?eid=316985342074&ref=mf

The website is: http://www.provinceviii.net/highered/

Each Thursday at 7:00 there is a prayer in the tradition of Taizé in the canterbury house.  This form of contemplative prayer comes from the community of Taizé in Burgundy, France.  Visited each summer by tens of thousands of young adults, the monastery of Taizé explores reconciliation, simplicity of life and contemplation of God as a community experience.  Visit the website at www.taize.fr

There is hospitality and refreshments following the prayer.

We will not have Taizé prayer on Thursday March 25 due to Spring Break at Cal.

Each week Canterbury continues a tradition dating back at least to the 6th century in which Christians sing the final prayers of the day known as Compline (from the Latin for completorium or completion).  Our community uses ancient melodies from eastern and western traditions combined with prayers developed by the Anglican Province of New Zealand.  The melodies ground us in our past while the prayers unite us with the ever expanding realities of faith in the world around us.

Each week there is a dinner and discussion about some topic of relevant interest to faith and society enlightened by music, video or in depth textual study.  Come join us - laughter, community, food and spiritual growth abound!

There are five Episcopal Churches in Berkeley each with a distinct style of worship.  The central worship act of the Episcopal Church is Holy Communion (also called the mass or Divine Liturgy).  The Episcopal Tradition has always allowed for diversity in how the mass may be celebrated.  Please join one of the churches on Sunday and join in the oldest act of worship for Christians - the breaking of bread and participation in the life of Christ.

St. Mark’s  www.stmarksberkeley.org 2300 Bancroft Way

Sunday 8AM and 10:00AM - the 10AM service draws on the choir of St. Mark’s and provides a rich musical experience.

St. Clement’s www.stclementsberkeley.org 2837 Claremont Avenue

Sunday 8AM 10:00AM  St. Clement’s features rich musical offerings while using traditional language based on the English Prayerbook of 1662 thus using some of the great spiritual poetry of English worship.

Good Shepherd Berkeley www.goodshepherdberkeley.org corner of Hearst and 9th Street

Sunday 11:00 AM  Good Shepherd is a small church with a close knit family feel.  The service is a mixture of solemn ritual and informality.  The congregation gathers around the altar for communion.

All Soul’s www.allsoulsparish.org 2220 Cedar Street

Sunday 8AM and 10AM  All Soul’s is a vibrant church with many young families.  The music is a mix of traditional hymnody and chant alongside of banjo’s and gospel tunes.

St. Alban’s Albany www.st-albans-albany.org 1501 Washington Ave

8AM and 10AM  St. Alban’s features standard Episcopal worship within the context of a diverse and caring community.  The community reaches out to the neighborhood and treats one another as a family.

There are five Episcopal Churches in Berkeley each with a distinct style of worship.  The central worship act of the Episcopal Church is Holy Communion (also called the mass or Divine Liturgy).  The Episcopal Tradition has always allowed for diversity in how the mass may be celebrated.  Please join one of the churches on Sunday and join in the oldest act of worship for Christians - the breaking of bread and participation in the life of Christ.

St. Mark’s  www.stmarksberkeley.org 2300 Bancroft Way

Sunday 8AM and 10:00AM - the 10AM service draws on the choir of St. Mark’s and provides a rich musical experience.

St. Clement’s www.stclementsberkeley.org 2837 Claremont Avenue

Sunday 8AM 10:00AM  St. Clement’s features rich musical offerings while using traditional language based on the English Prayerbook of 1662 thus using some of the great spiritual poetry of English worship.

Good Shepherd Berkeley www.goodshepherdberkeley.org corner of Hearst and 9th Street

Sunday 11:00 AM  Good Shepherd is a small church with a close knit family feel.  The service is a mixture of solemn ritual and informality.  The congregation gathers around the altar for communion.

All Soul’s www.allsoulsparish.org 2220 Cedar Street

Sunday 8AM and 10AM  All Soul’s is a vibrant church with many young families.  The music is a mix of traditional hymnody and chant alongside of banjo’s and gospel tunes.

St. Alban’s Albany www.st-albans-albany.org 1501 Washington Ave

8AM and 10AM  St. Alban’s features standard Episcopal worship within the context of a diverse and caring community.  The community reaches out to the neighborhood and treats one another as a family.