WHERE?
At St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, 300 Great Western Road, Glasgow G4 9JB

WHAT?
The Open Silence is an invitation to anyone who would like to experience spending up to an hour in stillness with others on a Sunday night. It is an opportunity to be still and to draw breath. It aims to cultivate a knowledge of oneself and of God. The Open Silence is not a service; there will be no hymns, no readings, or spoken prayers. But there will be a brief introduction and short guidance that may help some to become comfortable and centre their thoughts. There will be opportunity for those who wish to move around to explore different styles of silent prayer in the special space that is St Mary’s Cathedral. Participants will be able to sit on chairs, pews, kneel on the heated floor or even lie down.

WHO
Christians of all denominations will be welcome, as well as those from other faith communities, and those who feel they have no faith. Some may be drawn because they are experienced in meditation, and some because they have never tried it. Some may have been attracted by the BBC series ‘The Big Silence’ and would like to try meditation for themselves.

HOW
Those wishing to come to The Open Silence should arrive between 7.45-8.00pm (though the church will be open before the service of choral evensong 6.30-7.20pm and some may value just listening to, or joining in with, that experience of musical worship). Booking is not required. There is no admission charge but a donation will be welcome to help cover the costs of this event.

For experiential sessions see also St Mary’s School of Spirituality. These are open to anyone interested and aim to facilitate learning and development of personal spirituality.

For further queries please email: office@thecathedral.org.uk or phone 0141 339 6691 and ask for Cedric.

Students@St Mary’s usually meets on Sunday evenings 7.30 pm (after Evensong) during undergraduate semesters.

25 Sep 2011: First meeting (introductions, with pizza)

2 Oct 2011: Munch and Music (more pizza, with Taize music)

9 Oct 2011: Lifelines (a desert-island style creative reflection on life influences and journeys)

16 Oct 2011: Soup Run (speaker followed by practical ‘soup run’ with the Simon Community)

23 Oct 2011: Prayer workshop

30 Oct 2011: Holy City (starts 6.30pm, at Renfield St Stephen’s, Bath St)

6 Nov 2011: Bible Study

13 Nov 2011: Dinner – Alternativity

20 Nov 2011: Campaigns and Cakes

27 Nov 2011: Holy City

4 Dec 2011: Carol Service

11 Dec 2011: Social

St Mary’s has a lively programme of Sunday morning events which take place between the Psalm and the Peace during the 1030 am Sung Eucharist.  This includes Godly Play, learning about the seasons of the Church Year, singing games with the choir and contact with the clergy.

Godly Play is an approach to Christian nurture and education that promotes knowledge, skills, empathy and spiritual growth; develops the needs of the whole child; provides a multi-sensory approach to learning; develops language and communication skills;  develops thinking skills; and provides depth and reflection in every session. Godly Play can help people of all ages see and do things differently.

Please contact the leaders via the Cathedral Office for more information.

BabySpace! Babies and infants are very welcome at St Mary’s. There is also a quiet space for parents to be with their children called BabySpace! This is in the small meeting room. It may be especially welcome during the sermon and intercessions. BabySpace! is equipped with live audio feed so the service can be heard. There are soft toys, a comfortable feeding chair and safe play space.   Picture Credit: Flavio Takemoto

Course for Enquirers….St Mary’s Cathedral regularly offers a course called The God Factor. This is a nine-week course designed for anyone with questions about the Christian faith and what it may offer to everyday life and to the world today. It is designed equally for people who don’t go to church, for people who do but find themselves exploring or re-thinking their faith, and for anyone interested. It is not high pressure sales, nor can we promise to have a clever answer for every question, but we aim to make it relevant and it can be fun.

There is food and a drink, a short presentation, and time for open discussion and questions in a small group. Participants set the agenda.  Venue: St Mary’s Cathedral. Cost: £3 per session to contribute towards the food and drink (first session free) or £20 for the whole course (concessions available). 

To book a place for the next course commencing 22nd April 2012 or to request more details phone 0141-339 6691, email: office@thecathedral.org.uk ,  or complete and submit the form below.