As we move ever closer to opening the Cathedral I am reminded, if I need reminding, of all those who volunteer in the Cathedral and in our country at large. Do you know that since we have closed the Cathedral building we have lost 15,000 volunteer hours and each of these hours represents a person we know and who has dedicated their time and talent to the Cathedral? According to the Volunteers Week website the estimates value of volunteers helping UK charities is 22.6 billion pounds. This is an enormous help to us and to other places that rely on volunteers. Being a volunteer helps us to give something back to society and to those places and charities that are important to us. And most of our volunteers say just how much they enjoy doing what they are doing for the cathedral and just how worthwhile they find that to be. Mahatma Ghandi once said: ‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.’ Jesus also taught us to be good Samaritans and to love and look out for our neighbours. Many thousands of people over the past months have volunteered to help others; whether it be picking up food, delivering prescriptions or just being there at the end of a telephone for support. We should be grateful to all these people who have gone the extra mile and who have looked out for their neighbour. I hope that as we begin to re-open different attraction and places of worship people will continue to give of themselves for the service of others. I know that I cannot wait to see and to welcome back our Cathedral volunteers many of whom give sacrificially to the Cathedral and I look forward to welcoming back the many who bring an energy to the place and energy that we have missed over the past three months. Dean Sue While you're here: Why not prepare for next Sunday's worship? Our preparation sheet for adults and for children can be accessed by clicking on the Resources tab of this website: https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html.
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I do not agree with the ‘truth’ that schooldays are the happiest days of one’s life. In my case my schooldays were a mixture exhilarating highs (almost exclusively on the cricket pitch) and stomach churning lows (almost always when examination results were posted). However there is no doubting that for me that time of my life left a lasting impression and in many ways helped to shape the direction in which I have travelled. I attended Merchant Taylors’ School Crosby (a few years below Canon Myles!) mostly in the 1960s when there were no such distractions as Ofsted or League tables. This meant that our masters had permission to be a little eccentric and many a lesson meandered into their war time reminiscences after, it has to be said, some encouragement from us boys! I was lucky enough however, to come under the influence of two very different, but to me equally inspiring RE teachers. They are both still alive and both later in their lives were ordained as priests. Between them they awakened in me an interest in Biblical theology and the necessity of making the connection between the written word and social justice. In their own way they ‘lived’ their subject. I am sure that I am not alone in being able to trace an interest or indeed a career back to my schooldays. Since being here at the Cathedral I have discovered what a wonderful place of education it is. Our Education department welcome children from across the Diocese and do sterling work with both primary and secondary schools. There is, however other, often unseen, teaching and learning going on that helps to shape lives. I was talking to a colleague the other day who told me of the precious time he had spent some years ago as an organ scholar and the children in the choir have a high quality musical education cleverly mixed with social activities. A teacher has it within their power to help those learning to love their subject and shape futures. It is a power with great responsibility because used poorly it can have the opposite effect. I believe that we are blessed that the adults who interact with the children in our care are talented and caring and are each day in different ways introducing them to our core values and helping shape their futures. Canon Bob While you're here: Why not prepare for next Sunday's worship? Our preparation sheet for adults and for children can be accessed by clicking on the Resources tab of this website: https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html. I have spent half the morning choosing psalms, hymns and readings. Early in my time as Precentor, I discovered the need to plan a full term ahead, so today found me working on the week which begins with ‘Stir up Sunday’ in late November. By the end of the week, I hope to arrive at Christmas! Experience has also shown that it is best only to work on just one week – any longer, and the precentor will lose concentration and end up creating a dreadful muddle. Each week requires three distinct tasks. First, to work through psalms, readings and holy days for each day of the week, following the Church of England lectionary. Next is to go through the Cathedral diary for these days with great care, to flag up if a service needs to be moved to a different location from normal because of school workshops or other events. With the weekly rota complete, it is ready to go off to Jayne and Nelson in the Dean’s office who will sort out ‘who does what’ at each of the daily services. The third task is to create the service scheme which eventually will include the choral music, once Lee has had the opportunity to work his magic. But first it falls to me to check that the psalms on the scheme match those on the weekly rota, to check who is preaching, and finally the bit I most enjoy - to choose the hymns. This year, of course, it all feels a bit odd. For the summer term, planned and mapped out in January, lockdown has turned it into a complete work of fiction. As I prepare for next term, I do so in the realisation that none of us can know what restrictions may still be in place for those months that lie ahead. I have sometimes quoted from the pulpit the old adage: ‘Do you want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans!’ All through our lives we find ourselves dealing with a God of surprises, a God who will use the unexpected – and sometimes the unwelcome – to draw us closer, to trust more, to love better, to be open to so much of what God yearns to give to us and do in us. So let us make our plans by all means, but let us refuse be held captive by them, knowing that the Lord of the journey is always beside us, offering new life to us, every step of the way. Canon Myles While you're here: Why not prepare for next Sunday's worship? Our preparation sheet for adults and for children can be accessed by clicking on the Resources tab of this website: https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html. It was great reading and hearing the reflections from Canon Leslie and Canon Neal yesterday – especially that of the wonder of Teddy Horsley on his trip to Aber falls! I have my own favourite spots that I like to visit – I am sure you all do too; and we hope and pray that it won’t be long before we can visit them again, safely. The place above is one of them and one I hope I will be fortunate to visit this summer – holidays and restrictions permitting. The Holy Island of Lindisfarne…..a place of wonder and beauty, peacefulness and prayerfulness. Home to such a wonderful part of our English church history and Christian calling. And even in this strange lockdown land, amid the blur the weeks seem to have become right now, (the endless life (for me) focused on computer screen and electronic devices), the God of love is still so much at work in such a wonderous way. And we must continue our prayers that the changes and opportunities brought, are grasped and held onto tightly in our new normal. For change must come from our thoughts and prayerful reflections on what is going on right now. For instance, in reflecting upon our vulnerability – that something so small and invisible can have such a vast impact on our global lives; highlighting how we can all be affected, are all vulnerable in the same way. In that sense the virus is a leveller – showing that across ‘boundaries’ of race, religion, class or creed….we are all one humanity, one race needing to draw together rather than separate in order to overcome the current challenge. We have witnessed that coming together in terms of an increased neighbourliness; increased care for one another through immense volunteering; the overcoming of problems of communication and care…because we have been forced into finding solutions, finding new ways. The God of love and care, the God of creativity and resourcefulness is at work right here, right now – not just in our own faith context, but in other faiths and none….that too should be something we reflect upon and wonder about closely. And we see in the world right now, in terms of response to a most shocking of incidents, how we as humanity want to live in peace with one another; to not have racial and other barriers; to have a love, care and respect for all persons. The outcry is real, it is vocal, it is loud….and we must pray that translates into a love for all, just as we as Christians are commanded to do. May that be taken up genuinely by world leaders – if they would perhaps listen more closely to the ones whom they actually serve. There is a lot to reflect and pray and wonder about in these times. So may our hearts this week continue the prayer journey; may our eyes, ears and minds be opened – just as they were for the first disciples in stepping out into the unknown….into a life they knew was changed forever from their following of God, through the gift and sacrifice of the Son and in the power of the Holy Spirit. May the gift of the spirit – freely given to the disciples, freely given to us – continue to guide us through these times; so the wonders that we may gaze upon and enjoy in the future are the wonders of God in nature….but so too, the wonders of God in all of us. With my love and prayers for you all; continue to stay safe…. Canon Mike While you're here: Why not prepare for next Sunday's worship? Our preparation sheet for adults and for children can be accessed by clicking on the Resources tab of this website: https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html. Trinity Sunday is the day when the Christian Church draws together everything it wants to say about God, about the nature of God, about the activity of God, and about how God is made known among us. Trinity Sunday is the day when the Christian Church stretches the boundaries of language to describe what is unseeable and to speak what is ineffable. Trinity Sunday captures the majesty, transcendence, and mystery of God the Father, who creates all that is, and who is revealed through creation and creativity. Trinity Sunday captures the humility, immanence, and mystery of God the Son, who brings salvation, and who is revealed through healing and restoration. Trinity Sunday captures the life-giving power and mystery of God the Holy Spirit, who sustains and nurtures our pilgrimage to sanctification, and who is revealed in the unfolding events of life. On Trinity Sunday we are invited to stop, to stoop, and to pay homage before the mystery of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. On Trinity Sunday we are invited to lose ourselves in wonder, love, and praise, and to join that eternal and unending song: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts’. In today’s image and picture Teddy Horsley is getting ready for the mood of Trinity Sunday by pausing at the foot of the Aber Falls, as the feeling of majesty, awe, and wonder overwhelmed him. Today Teddy Horsley invites you to bring that image with you as you prepared your hearts and your homes for participating in the Sunday Eucharist broadcast from Liverpool Cathedral. The image for next Sunday, when the Gospel reading is Matthew’s account of Jesus commissioning the twelve disciples, is friends. You can find out more about that theme here: https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html. We would really appreciate you letting us know how you are using these materials. Please send us your ideas and photos of the things you may create; email them to [email protected]. Last month I launched a national survey to explore how churchgoers are feeling during the lockdown. I hope that many people who visit this website today will be willing to participate in the survey. It is completely anonymous and confidential. Find out more here: https://tinyurl.com/ycsq9fy2. To learn more about Teddy Horsley, follow this link to his website: https://teddyhorsley.org/, and this link to his page on the St. Mary’s Centre website: http://www.st-marys-centre.org.uk/resources.html. We warmly invite you to join us for worship here: We invite you to further engage with us using the Breakfast and the Bible materials here:
Teddy Horsley sends his Trinity Sunday greetings to all. Canon Leslie May 2020 was the driest May on record and even in lockdown most of us have been able to get outside and enjoy the sun – some of us have even been able to get an impressive tan. Today is the 3nd day in a row that it has rained - Though you’ll see in the photo that our cathedral continues to shine in the sun even on a rainy day. Perhaps I am alone in welcoming the rain but it came as a blessed relief to me. The land was getting parched, the flowers were beginning to wilt and I was predicting a hose pipe ban by July. The rain has brought crisp fresh (perhaps a little bit too fresh!) air. I can see the grass getting greener already and the flowers on my patio are very grateful indeed. Ours is a lush and bountiful country and the diocese of Liverpool has some of the most impressive farm land in the northwest. I am sure the farmers were also grateful for some rain. But, this wet spell will have driven us indoors a bit more and it may be placing more pressure on us as we can’t share our domestic space with people outside our household. The burden of the lockdown, even if it has eased a little, is defiantly weighing heaving on me at the moment. So, my prayers this week have been about how I am asking God to help me sustain my mental and emotional health for the longer term. Even on rainy days, or gloomy days how will I remain optimistic and connected to God. How on sunny days will I keep my eyes on glory and not rely on my own strength to get me though. St Patricks Breastplate Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation. Canon Ellen While you're here: Why not prepare for next Sunday's worship? Our preparation sheet for adults and for children can be accessed by clicking on the Resources tab of this website: https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html. “Try a factory reset”, said the Customer Services person in her email. “ Turn it off at the wall. Leave it for an hour and then turn it on again. If it still doesn’t work, then come back to us.” I have to say that I was pretty sceptical when I read her words. The item in question was a fairly new (i.e., less than a year old) fridge-freezer from a well-known manufacturer. We were not long into lockdown and, one evening, we heard the alarm going off. That usually means that a door has been left open. But on this occasion, everything was securely shut. Yet, for some mysterious reason, the freezer temperature was going up, everything was defrosting and nothing I could do with trying to play with the settings was having any effect. There was no re-assuring sound as the pump and motor kicked in. Now what? Fortunately, our next-door neighbours came to the rescue by lending us an old spare freezer that they had in the garage, so we didn’t have to defrost too much. But what a palaver. An engineer was duly requested by email from the manufacturer as it was still within warranty. The next morning, the email from the manufacturer gave the answer above. Hey presto, their factory reset suggestion worked. To this day, I have no idea what happened, or why the brain of the fridge-freezer threw a wobbly and went into melt-down – literally! It is evidently our season for electrical malfunctions – I am sure that they can sense our stress and anxiety – just like the old photo-copier at work that I had to do battle with regularly. Since the fridge-freezer episode, we’ve had external computer speakers going on the blink. Our shower keeps tripping out the house electrics – but there is no sign of water in the shower control box. As I say, it’s a mystery! Things electrical and electronic tend to confound me. At least when I was trouble-shooting mechanical devices, in my days as an engineer, I could usually see or sense what’s going on. I knew the tricks of the trade – like putting a large screwdriver handle to my ear and listening through the metal blade resting on the machine housing to pick up for any clonking from the bearings. But with electrical items I find it very difficult to work out why it’s not funtioning properly. If you do get something moving with electrics then it’s generally catastrophic and involves a loud flash, a bang, smoke and an unpleasant smell! As I reflect on the ‘mystery’ to me of things electrical, I suppose that I am also reminded that, for many people, the whole sense of ‘church’ is a great mystery! In ‘normal’ times, and for those outside our circles, we seem to dress up in funny clothes, sing songs that don’t make sense to them, have bizarre rituals, mix with people with whom we would never meet in the course of daily life, and generally get up at unheard-of times on Sunday mornings when we could be lying in or going for a day-trip to somewhere nice. I know that I overstate the case and am exaggerating! Yet, the thing that has surprised me again and again over the years is that those who do come into our ‘courts’ are often struck by the very mystery of the place and what goes on here. Far from the mystery putting them off, it is the very thing that draws them in. Perhaps they too are looking for a ‘factory reset’ in their own lives and are really not sure how to do that? This Sunday is Trinity Sunday, when we make a point of recalling that, although God is one, God has three distinct ‘persons’, in the offical language. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit all work together in community but in different inter-connected ways. The Trinity too is a mystery! We can look for ways to explain it but cannot. Indeed, if we could, then what we would be left with would not, by definition, be God! However, God relates to us as Trinity as we encounter the beauty of the work of the Creator, the life-changing impact of the work of Jesus the Redeemer, and as we are sustained by God the Holy Spirit living within in us and those around us. Trinity Sunday is a good time for a spiritual ‘factory reset’, in fact. Why? Because our first response is not to try to explain or understand, but to stand in awe, allow God to re-connect us to his power, and to respond in worship and love. Just because he is ultimately ‘mystery’ doesn’t stop us from encountering this generous God, who knows and loves us more than we can ever imagine! So why don’t you, spiritually, follow the advice I had for my fridge-freezer? Unplug for a bit, sit still, and then re-connect to the power! Canon Neal While you're here: Why not prepare for next Sunday's worship? Our preparation sheet for adults and for children can be accessed by clicking on the Resources tab of this website: https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html. Last Sunday many of us enjoyed the annual Pentecost ‘walk’ between the two Cathedrals: two Cathedrals joined by a street named hope. The virtual service took us back to the origins of the walk and the visit of Pope John Paul II. It was a momentous occasion for the two Cathedrals, for the city and for the region. When you think of the history of this city and its sectarian divides, the walk of John Paul II, along Hope Street to Liverpool Cathedral, was a hope and a vision fulfilled for many people who had lived through the divides of religion and race in this city. As the events of the past week in America have proved, we cannot be complacent. We must continue to work together against injustice and racism in particular. The death of George Floyd in America has brought to the surface issues around racism. This issue is not just an American problem, but it is our problem too. It is for America and for us a matter of justice, of human dignity and respect. We are called by God to love our neighbour as ourselves. We are called to value every human being regardless of race, colour or creed. We are called to live together and to live in harmony. I hope and pray that peace may be found, that the voices of all those who feel disenfranchised because of the colour of their skin may be heard. Above all I pray for a world where we respect God’s creation and the people God has made. Loving God, you invite us to see your divine image and likeness in our neighbour. Help us to see all your creation, made in your image equal and free form racism and any form of injustice. Help us to challenge and uproot all form of racism in our world, in our society and in ourselves. Amen. Dean Sue and Canon Tony While you're here: Why not prepare for next Sunday's worship? Our preparation sheet for adults and for children can be accessed by clicking on the Resources tab of this website: https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html. ‘I was there’ is of course a catch phrase which refers to the fact that whenever there is a great occasion worthy of remembering there always seem to be far more people who claim to have been there as witnesses than could ever have fitted into the venue at the time! The wonderful ‘virtual’ Two Cathedrals Service of Hope last Sunday brought back memories of a couple of unforgettable moments when I can honestly say ‘I was there’. Firstly was that great event in 1982 when Pope John Paul 11 entered the doors of our Cathedral and processed the whole length to be greeted by Dean Edward Patey and Bishop David Sheppard at the Nave. Pauline and I were lucky enough to have tickets and although they were anything but ‘front row’ just being there was memorable enough. As a Curate at the Parish Church from 1978 to 81 I was part of a City Centre Ecumenical Team which offered a visible ministry to the city as brothers and sisters in Christ reflecting our different denominations in unity. The Pope’s visit to the Cathedral was a real symbol of hope as is the continuing relationship between the Cathedrals today. I was also ‘there’ a few years earlier when in 1978 Her Majesty the Queen visited and officially ‘opened’ the Cathedral. Not only was I there, I actually did the commentary of the occasion for Radio City. (I hope to goodness that there are no recordings of that particular piece of broadcasting history!) In contrast to the future visit of the Pope I remember it being full of pomp and ceremony as the building came into its own accompanied by the finest music. Interestingly in the afternoon Her Majesty visited the Roman Catholic Church of St Mary Highfield Street (now sadly demolished) where she actually spoke to me! Our Cathedral has provided the venue for many wonderful and memorable moments in people’s lives over the years and will do so long into the future. Millions will thank God and like me will gratefully claim’ I was there’. Canon Bob While you're here: Why not prepare for next Sunday's worship? Our preparation sheet for adults and for children can be accessed by clicking on the Resources tab of this website: https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html. When lockdown first began, there was little warning that the clergy were no longer expected to have access to their churches. I have only been inside the Cathedral a handful of times in the last 10 weeks. This troubled me for two reasons. The first was the state in which I had left my room! I had not had the chance to put things away and leave everywhere tidy. At home we used to joke when we were about to go away. We were anxious to leave the place tidy and clean in case we were burgled! I would not have liked a robber to see my room during those first few weeks of lockdown. The other worry was slightly more esoteric. Once we reached Easter Day, I felt uneasy knowing that the high altar in the Cathedral was still dressed for Lent. For me, this just added to the sense of desolation and abandonment. Last week I’m happy to say that both of these problems have been addressed. Half an hour in the office has allowed me to leave everywhere tidy, if still rather dusty. On Tuesday, Jack and I used our verger skills to change the altar frontal for ‘Ordinary Time’ which has now begun on the days after Pentecost. ‘Ordinary Time’ is not the most elegant phrase in the church calendar. Our Roman Catholic friends refer to the endless weeks of green which lie ahead as ‘the Sundays of the Year.’ After a brief flirtation with ‘Sundays after Pentecost’ during the era of the Alternative Services Book, we have happily returned to the Prayer Book custom of ‘Sundays after Trinity.’ Perhaps this year, we might designate much of the year as ‘Extraordinary Time.’ For half of Lent, the whole fifty days of Easter and now for who knows how many weeks after Trinity, our familiar patterns of worship and meeting together is not available to us. We miss sharing the sacraments, the daily offering of prayer and praise, the glorious music which graces the magnificent spaces of Giles Gilbert Scott’s great building, the welcome and hospitality we love to share with all who encounter the God who knows and loves them as they come through our doors. When we return, we must appreciate these gifts more and more. This time has been extraordinary not just through what we have lost, but also through the unexpected ways in which God has enriched and sustained us. I am thinking of the new ways we have found to worship and have fellowship, of how people in the Cathedral company, young and old alike, have shown care and concern for one another, and of the heroic front-line efforts of those who have sustained the vital work of Micah throughout this time. When all thy mercies, O my God, my rising soul surveys, transported with the view, I’m lost in wonder, love and praise. Canon Myles While you're here: Why not prepare for next Sunday's worship? Our preparation sheet for adults and for children can be accessed by clicking on the Resources tab of this website: https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html. |
supporting you during these uncertain times AuthorLiverpool Cathedral is a place of encounter. Built by the people, for the people, to the Glory of God Archives
September 2022
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Prayer for Liverpool
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Liverpool Cathedral is a place of encounter.
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