Kairos News

The Kairos Eucharist of Thanksgiving and Blessing was held in Portsmouth Cathedral on Sunday 17th July. The congregation exceeded expectations and extra chairs were hastily provided.

We gathered to give thanks for the work done with Kairos, to ask God's blessing on us and the Kairos plans and to commit ourselves to their implementation.

Before the service began a group of musicians and singers provided informal worship, in which we were invited to participate.

The Deanery presentations were on show beforehand and were taken in procession to the Quire, where they were offered at the high altar, prior to the Eucharistic Prayer.

The preacher was the Revd Tom Stuckey, President of the Methodist Conference. His message was stimulating and he emphasised that the church has to change, in order to move forward.

Before the Eucharistic Prayer the congregation were invited to move from the Nave to the Quire and to sign themselves with water from the font as they passed by.

At the dismissal the Bishop used one of the prayers which had been written for the Stepping Out service of 2000.

During the singing of the final hymn, "Be thou my vision" the whole congregation led by the Bishop, Archdeacons and those carrying the Kairos plans processed out of the great West Doors, onto the Cathedral Green, for the final blessing. There we mingled, meeting old friends and acquaintances, enjoying the beautiful summer evening.

Margaret Symonds and Adina Burton