Let us pray fervently for our Bishop and this new season of his life together with us.
Here is the link to attend online. The service will start at 10:00am Saturday 11 September 2021.
We will also be sharing the Livestream at St Mary’s, starting at 9:45m. Please remember to wear your mask. – Vanda
Message from the Vicar General.
You are invited to join us online for a celebration of the Holy Eucharist & The Installation of The Right Reverend Doctor Hummingfield Charles Nkosinathi Ndwandwe as the 11th Bishop of the Diocese of Natal… We will livestream on Saturday 11th September 2021 at 10am; from The Cathedral of the Holy Nativity, Pietermaritzburg.
Do join us!+++TO NOTE / PRACTICALITIES OF WORSHIP UNDER RESTRICTION: We are limited to x100 people “in person” for the Installation service. To this end, there will be 50 in the Cathedral – largely role-players, honoured guests, ACSA reps. And another 50 in the hall – Chapter, plus booked guests. Please remember that bookings are venue-specific, and those who gather should as far as possible “maintain the bubble” so as to observe the regulatory 50-person maximum.
Finally, we have endeavoured to make this celebration accessible to as many of our people as possible by live-streaming. It is our hope that, all around the Diocese of Natal, will join in online. + INTRODUCTION TO THE THEOLOGY OF THIS LITURGY.
The team tasked with the construction of this liturgy – directed by Bishop Nkosinathi and guided by the theology of the Anglican Communion – chose to use the language of installation rather than enthronement. We think it is important to make a distinction between the power wielded by a monarch and the pastoral oversight exercised by a bishop.
Near the beginning of this liturgy we will renew our baptismal vows. This is appropriate because baptism is the foundation for all Christian ministry including those who are called to serve as bishops. This celebration of Bishop Nkosinathi’s installation is thus simultaneously an opportunity for all of us to renew our baptismal vocation in service of the world that God loves.
The service of installation rightly takes place in the context of the Eucharist. Though we come together to welcome Bishop Nkosinathi in this place, our primary purpose for both gathering and going out as the people of God remains – as always – to enter ever more fully into the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a tender reminder, given that the Covid-19 restrictions of the past 18 months have meant that we did not worship in-person at all for half of that period. And, even now, we gather with very limited numbers. All of which means that we need to work much harder at re-membering our togetherness in and as the body of Christ (1Corinthians 10v16).
And so, as we gather today, we pause to look around… And we marvel at the variety of people together in this place – each one beloved of God. And, we remember that we who are the Body of Christ are united in our reception of the Eucharist. No matter how different we appear on the surface, or how physically separated we may be by a virus, this One Great Love gathers us into an unbroken unity. And it is good – very good!
