There’s an old saying that says “everything old is new again.” We see this all the time in fashion, music, and advertising, just to name a few. Retro uniforms/helmets in sports are another instance where the old becomes new. I bring this up because starting September 10 we will be bringing an “old” tradition back to the Cathedral—receiving wine from the common cup. With the exception of recent diocesan services, we have not served wine from the common cup in over three years at Cathedral services. I realize three years is not very long in church time, but I believe COVID has made us feel like it’s been even longer than three years. I feel now is a safe time to offer this way of receiving once again. If you have been to a recent diocesan service, you have already seen how we have handled having both intinction and common cup options available. Wine by intinction will be offered at the main rail and wine by common cup will be offered at the chapel rail. If over the first few Sundays, we find that more people want to receive by common cup I will switch locations. I realize the “old” way was to either drink from the cup or intinct in the same cup, but I wanted to keep intinction only an option in case anyone might feel uncomfortable dipping their wafer in the common cup chalice. Of course, we can always adjust as needed. I ask for your patience as we work to find the best way to accommodate everyone’s wishes.

Also on September 10, we will switch service music, Prayers of the People, and Eucharistic Prayer as is our custom from season to season. This isn’t a season change, but because the season of Pentecost is so long, I like to break it up a bit by making these changes for the second part of the season which leads us up to Advent. The old, once again, becomes new. 

Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.

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