​Today is the Second Sunday of Lent, the season of the Church’s year when we prepare for the events of Holy Week and Good Friday. It is a season of reflection and penitence. Today’s Gospel reading from Mark invites us to call to mind how Jesus foretells his death and resurrection to his disciples. In Mark’s Gospel Jesus begins to teach his disciples about his forthcoming crucifixion as soon as Peter has publicly acknowledged him as the Christ at Caesarea Philippi. There are two other predictions of the crucifixion later in Mark’s Gospel, each becoming more explicit and precise. On this first occasion the disciples fail to understand and the crowds are invited to take up their cross and to follow him.
 
For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited you to reflect on the image of the cross. Today’s picture of the wooden cross has been taken from the illustrated communion book, The Lord is Here!
 
Next Sunday, the Third Sunday of Lent, focuses our attention on how Jesus cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem. The image to help us prepare for next Sunday is spring cleaning. 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 Nelson.Pike@liverpoolcathedral.org.uk.
 
To find out more about the book, The Lord is Here!, please follow this link to the relevant page of the St. Mary’s Centre website: http://www.st-marys-centre.org.uk/resources/childrenandcommunion.html.
 
We warmly invite you to join us in worship online here: 

Do the little things….
 
Monday is St David’s Day. St David as I am sure you know is the patron Saint of Wales. Many of you will have visited the stunning Cathedral in the city of St Davids. St David was born on the south-west coast of Wales. We do not actually know the exact year when he was born, but it is believed to be sometime between 462 and 515AD.
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It is said that he went on a journey to Jerusalem and brought back a stone which now sits on an altar in St Davids Cathedral, which was built on the site of David’s original monastery. He died on March 1 589 CE and it is believed that his last words to his monks were: ‘be joyful, brothers and sisters. Keep your faith and do the little things that you have seen and heard with me.’

‘Do the little things’ is David’s wisdom for me as we continue to journey through both COVID 19 and Lent. It is so easy to become overwhelmed as we look at the needs of the world and as we work to build a better future.  It is, however, in and through the ‘little things’ that God’s love is evident in our lives.

 The life of Jesus and Jesus’ teachings are full of little acts of kindness as he healed the sick, forgave the penitent and raised the dead. It is in the small acts of kindness that big things emerge. Jesus uses the example of the mustard seed to teach us that that from a small seed will come a great tree and from small seeds of faith will come the Kingdom of God.

I was reflecting on this idea of something small developing into something so much bigger as I awaited my Covid vaccine this week. From a small amount of liquid injected into our arms comes an immunity which will be so much greater than one small drop of liquid.

Eventually one small drop of liquid will change the face of the way we live at the moment. Well it will in this country, but I wonder about the rest of the world and this got me thinking about how I could make a small act of kindness in gratitude for the vaccine and for the future it will bring.

I had heard previously that Christian Aid were working with the Diocese of Gloucester to enable people to give thanks for the relief and Blessing the vaccine has brought to so many people. The Bishop of Gloucester, the Right Revd Rachel Treweek has said: ‘the hope is that people will give generously to the work of Christian Aid from a place of thanksgiving. Whether people can give just a few pounds or a much larger sum, it will make a huge difference across the Globe’ (www.gloucester.anglican.org). A £20 gift can give clean water for 6 weeks in some African countries. If four of us gave £5 then from a small donation will come hope to so many people in the developing world and what a way to say thanks to God for the gift of a vaccine and for the freedom that will bring us.

If you wish to donate then please use this link https://events.tapsimple.org/page/christian-aid/we-are-thankful-for-our-vaccines.
 
Remember what St David said: Be joyful…Do the little things….

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.

Here is a prayer from the Anglican Communion:

“Saviour Christ, in whose way of love lies the secret of all life, and the hope of all people,  we pray for quiet courage to match this hour.  We did not choose to be born or to live in such an age;  but let its possibilities inspire us and its vigour renew us for your kingdom’s sake.  AMEN

It seems  so relevant for us as we live with COVID19.    The pandemic reminds us that we live in a global world with global issues.

So how do we respond to the challenge?   Especially as we go forward?    As my keep fit classes have been suspended  I have been following some online classes and the one instructor always asks the question “where is your challenge today -  it will be different today to yesterday and tomorrow”.     One day I feel inspired to do something, the next the ennui sets in ….  Common to us all I suspect as we live “in such an age”.   

I spent 5 years on an Anglican Communion working group on evangelism and discipleship,  over the time we met in various countries as we took turns to  host the group.  The visits consisted of a residential meeting to  work on our brief and finishing with each of us being allocated to a parish to  engage with the local  people in their mission and ministry.   

Two visits were particularly challenging for various reasons -  In Malaysia our residential meetings were in Kuala Lumpur and I was then posted to Ipoh with vibrant churches in a multi religious area where proselytizing,  as in the whole of Malaysia,  is forbidden.  As part of that we  spent time in  Kampung Jahang where the local ministers  reached out in practical ways to the villagers.    The time in Malaysia coincided with the  Anglican provincial gathering in Penang to which  we were invited.  It was on the theme of “Rising above the storm” as they engaged with the government in their views of Christianity.

In Kenya we  were initially  based in   Nairobi with armed guards protecting us,  we then moved to Limuru in the beautiful  highlands for our residential meeting.  The estate is  where in the 1950s  missionaries from England had established a farm growing vegetables.  To this day vegetables are distributed into the urban areas including Kibera where I was based for my parish experience.    The picture above is of an initiative to give people a  “cut and come again”  vegetable plant in a bag of soil to grow by their homes.   The family hosting me living near Kibera  had contracted malaria I had to be placed with a family living in Kibera which was certainly unplanned!   (the film “The Constant Gardener” was made in Kibera).

My hosts were generous and shared what they had with me -  giving me a gift of half a bucket of water to “bathe” with and a bed in the “guest room” which was outside in the courtyard that I shared  with visitors  who  came and went to lay down for a rest.   On my final night before flying home  the local bus station was attacked by bombers leaving many dead and injured so the night sky was full of  military aircraft -  I wondered if I would get home that day  - I did after multiple  stringent security checks  outside and inside the airport.   I made my way from Heathrow to Euston then up to Liverpool by train to arrive home where my husband was waiting for me with a hot bath, mug of coffee and a bacon sandwich.   

I continue to be grateful for the  experiences  and challenges that  I had and as one of life’s natural wimps I often had to pray for “quiet courage” to face some of the times -   I was exposed to people and situations that remain with me to this day  as I live a relatively privileged life. 

At a recent webinar on how we respond to COVID19 in our region, hosted by the University of Liverpool  (following conversations with the deans of our cathedrals),   the Bishop of Liverpool said:

“What we need is confidence  and the capacity to act, and our solidarity with the wider community rests of our credibility as people who say what they mean and do what they say”.

May we have the quiet courage to match this hour as we wait in these Lenten times to the promise that God so loved the world that he sent his only son to redeem us.

Canon Linda

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.

Today is the First Sunday of Lent, the season of the Church’s year when we prepare for the events of Holy Week and Good Friday. It is a season of reflection and penitence. Today’s Gospel reading from Mark invites us to call to mind Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness. All three synoptic gospels portray Jesus’ ministry beginning with a period of forty days in the wilderness tempted by Satan. Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark’s account does not describe the temptations experienced by Jesus. The temptations described by Matthew and Luke challenge Jesus to adopt a model of Messiahship which would win power, carry wide public appeal, and not lead to the inevitable cross on Good Friday. In one of these temptations Jesus is challenged to throw himself from the pinnacle of the temple. A Messiah who could survive such activities would be guaranteed a following.
 
For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited you to reflect on the image of showman. Jesus was being tempted to be a showman, but he resisted that temptation. Today’s picture from the illustrated communion book, The Lord is Here! focuses the note of penitence for the occasions when we have not made the right choices.
 
Next Sunday, the Second Sunday of Lent, focuses our attention on how Jesus foretells his death and resurrection to his disciples. The image to help us prepare for next Sunday is the cross. 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 Nelson.Pike@liverpoolcathedral.org.uk.
 
To find out more about the book, The Lord is Here!, please follow this link to the relevant page of the St. Mary’s Centre website: http://www.st-marys-centre.org.uk/resources/childrenandcommunion.html.
 
We warmly invite you to join us in for the live-stream of worship in the Main Space at 10:30 am on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolCathedral. 

​With Lenten greetings,
 
Canon Leslie

As we enter Lent, we are conscious of the deprivations we have already suffered in the past year. Life has changed for all of us; but sometimes we need to recall how lucky we are to live in a relatively stable society.  We can only imagine the tragedy that has befallen the Syrian people since our visit.  A fortunate few have managed to make it to the UK and some have become our acquaintances through the help we have been able to provide to Asylum Seekers through Micah Liverpool. As these families make a new life here, may they receive the kind of welcome we received in Damascus all those years ago.

Our hope this year is for the lifting of our restrictions so we can once again worship together in our Great Cathedral, share a drink together after worship and even embrace one another if we feel so inclined. It would be so good to meet together for meals in each other’s homes, cheer on our Football teams, hug our friends, parents, children and grandchildren and visit the sick in hospital. So many deprivations in our ways of interacting with each other which make the giving up of chocolate an insignificance.

Will we remember all these days when we learned how much we all depended on one another, how we needed to co-operate to keep each other safe. We needed one another to collect prescriptions and deliver food. We needed our clever scientists working tirelessly to develop vaccines and new life saving treatments. We needed those IT whizzes to keep us all connected and above all those dedicated front line workers who kept on going, despite the personal risks they faced, providing life-saving and palliative help to those who were so sick.

In the Seminar ‘Liverpool responds who cares’, hosted by the University of Liverpool and promoted by Bishop Paul and Archbishop Malcolm we were reminded of what we had learned through the pandemic. No man is an island and definitely, we are our brothers and sisters keepers. How can we respond as a City to our new reality? Can we develop a community where actions were focused on the common good of all?

Pray God we have learned how much we depend on one another and how important it is that we all work together for the common good of humanity. We need to get all the world vaccinated not just our own people. Our businesses need to think about the social value they create, not just consume world resources and focus on their own profit. We have some big collective challenges ahead.

So I pray that during this Lent, as we think of our Lord giving up everything for humanity by dying on a cross, we may prepare for a new way of living, which is not about how much we can take, but how much we can give.  May these days which we will remember all our lives, help us to create a more loving and interconnected community with self-giving love at its heart.

AMEN

Canon Andrew

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.

​All are welcome to join us for worship on Ash Wednesday using the pre-recorded service below led by Canon Philip. 

 (Photo by Monika Grabkowska on Unsplash. Thanks to Monika Grabkowska for sharing on Unsplash)

​Well, it’s another Shrove Tuesday and a gateway into our period of Lent.  I hope wherever you might be, you are able to enjoy some form of pancakes – perhaps like the ones in the photo above.  My culinary skills don’t extend to creating my own and taking a photo of them…..but we will see what the local store has in store, so to speak!  My favourite ‘topping’ is still one of the traditional ones – that of sugar and lemon!  What’s yours, I wonder?

I still can’t believe that nearly a year has passed in this strange place that we are in.  Thinking about it, Shrove Tuesday, made me reminisce to last year – when we held a Friends event in the cathedral in the evening together.  A fascinating talk was given by our good friend Zia Chaudhry (@JustYAMuslim), (director of the LJMU Foundation for Citizenship), on being “Just your average Muslim”, following his excellent book published under the same name. A great speaker and great questions, followed by great pancakes too which we thoroughly enjoyed alongside the lovely fellowship which so naturally comes from the Friends of Liverpool Cathedral. Sadly, as was the case back then, I had to leave early since I was booked on the 5:30 am train to London the next day, for media training with my institute, the British Institute of Radiology.  Although exhausting, one can actually yearn for such outings in these present times.

But these present times will not go on forever.  The gift of the vaccines, through the God given gifts of our global scientists, bring some light at the end of a very long tunnel.  A tunnel through which we have all been transformed, in some way or another, across the globe. Transformed in ways some of us could not have thought of this time last year; for some transformed into new ways of working and artistry, for some transformed in new experiences of technology and outreach; for some, sadly, transformed in ways we would not wish - through the loss of life and loved ones; through the change of livelihoods; through worries and anxieties which we must not overlook….but instead bring more fervently into our prayers.. 

The positive aspects of transformation, though, are there for all of us as Christians, to see and to witness to – sometimes even in the darker times.  It is one of the joys of our faith, the support and comfort which can come through the gift of the spirit – often expressed through our humanity, our hands, our words, our eyes.  Transformation of an inner self which allows us to cry out, Jesus is Lord; and to express his love for us through the gifts and talents that we have been given; through our care and compassion; through our outreach and outcry; through our prayers in joy and sorrow.  A transformation which can take place daily within our very selves when we wake with our Lord, dedicate the day and what is before us through prayer, ask for God’s guidance for every part of our day. 

Last Sunday’s gospel brought us Mark’s account of the transfiguration – Mark 9:2-9. When our Lord himself was transformed, transfigured before the eyes of faithful disciples Peter and James and John.  Lives which themselves had been transformed, no doubt, throughout Jesus’ ministry in Galilee and all the miraculous things they saw and encountered.  Transformed again there on that mountain top – where Jesus himself changes before their very eyes, and their ears ring with the divine approval of “This is my Son, the beloved; listen to him!”  Transformed again…..since from this point forward, Jesus’ focus is on Jerusalem, and the sacrifice he must make; to die for us, that our lives and souls may be transformed through eternal life.

So take us Lord and transform us, daily.  In these hard times, fill us each day afresh with your spirit – that from wherever we might be, we can see the needs of your creation around us; and others can see in us, the joy of faith and love and peace that comes through our Saviour Jesus Christ.  As we step forward, slowly, into a new place, a transformed place, may we continue to show your Good News to our neighbours and friends – that they may see you in us and we might see you in them.   

With my love and prayers for you all; God bless you and go gently…with the transforming love of God in your hearts. 

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.
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​Today is Transfiguration Sunday that draws to a close the Season of Epiphany. The Church’s Season of Epiphany is concerned with the theme of revelation, how the presence and power of God is made known through the person of Jesus. At the beginning of the Epiphany Season the voice from heaven spoke to Jesus at his baptism, ‘You are my Son’. Now at the end of the Epiphany Season the same voice speaks at Jesus’ transfiguration, but now to those who are with him, ‘This is my Son’. This time the divine revelation clothes Jesus, appropriately, with robes of pure and dazzling white.
 
For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited you to reflect on the image of wearing white. In today’s picture from their book Journeys, Aled and Sian are meeting the choir in St. David's Cathedral. Today the members of the choir are wearing white robes.
 
Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Lent when the Gospel reading focuses attention on Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness. Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan. Jesus was with the wild beasts, and angels waited on him. The image to help us prepare for next Sunday is showman. 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 Nelson.Pike@liverpoolcathedral.org.uk.
 
To read the entirety of the book, Journeys, please follow this link to the book on the St. Mary’s Centre website: http://www.st-marys-centre.org.uk/resources/Exploring%20Our%20World%20Series/Journeys/Journeys%20Short%202016%20WEB.pdf. In addition, for more adventures with Aled and Sian in the Exploring Our World series, follow this is link to the relevant tab of the Resources page of the St. Mary’s Centre website: http://www.st-marys-centre.org.uk/resources/Exploring%20Our%20World.html.
 
We warmly invite you to join us in worship online here: 

Photo by Kamil Szumotalski on Unsplash
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Today is World Day of the Sick. Its observance was started by Pope John Paul II as a way for believers to offer prayers for those suffering from illnesses. The day also coincides in the Catholic Church with the commemoration of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Pope John Paul II initiated the day in 1992 to encourage people to pray for those who suffer from illness and for their caregivers. The Pope himself had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s a year before, in 1991, and it is believed that his own illness was the impetus for his designation of the day.

This past year we have spent most of our waking hours thinking about and praying for those who have Covid 19 and for the frontline staff who care for them. Sickness and fear of illness has become the norm for many people. My heart goes out to all those medical staff who have spent the last year wearing PPE and battling to save people’s lives. I cannot imagine what it must be like to spend day after day in what can only be described as some sort of war zone.

What has become evident to me over the past year is the fragility of life and how much we take our health for granted, both physical health and our mental well-being. My prayer on this ‘World Day of the Sick’ is a prayer for healing and wholeness in all aspects of our lives. It is a prayer for physical health, for mental health and for a healthy way of living and being.

We live in environments that are not healthy, we live lives that run from one thing to the next, but if this past year has taught me anything it is to rest in the love of God. To be open to healing from within and to pray daily for the sicknesses in our world and for all those who work for healing, wholeness and peace. Above all it has taught me to be grateful for my health.
 
Let us pray:

Hear the prayer we offer for all your people.
Remember in your mercy those for whom we pray:
heal the sick, raise the fallen, strengthen the fainthearted
and enfold in your love the fearful and those without hope.
In the fullness of time complete your gracious work.
Reconcile all things in Christ and make them new,
that we may be restored in your image, renewed in your love,
and serve you as sons and daughters in your kingdom. Amen

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.

​Surely snowdrops are one of the great encouragers at this time of year? These in St. James Garden’s, adjacent to the Cathedral, are just coming out. Give them a bit of late winter sun and they open up in carpets under the bare trees. Enough to warm the hearts of all of us, and not just ardent ‘Galanthophiles’.
 
As we move out of the darkest quarter of the year and head towards Ash Wednesday (17th February) it’s a reminder that Spring is indeed around the corner. How we desperately need it this year? Perhaps more than ever! With it, we pray, is the promise of a ‘Springtime’ in our lifestyles and our souls, and a gradual emergence from the Covid-induced ‘stasis’ that we’ve been in for almost a year now. As part of this process, we want to encourage you to make something of Lent, which will enable us to focus on issues other than Covid; upon the God who is unchanging, even whilst our human world is undergoing such deep and lasting change.
 
The word ‘Lent’ is probably derived from an old Germanic term which has the same root as the word for ‘long’; refering to the lengthening of the days. That said, there is strong evidence that the word ‘Lenten’ has been in old English usage for many centuries, refering to the season between winter and summer. It may even pre-date the word ‘Spring’. Whichever, it is true that the days are noticeably lengthening now, and perhaps it is a good opportunity to allow more of the spiritual light of God’s love into our lives as we approach Easter.
 
With that in mind, may I encourage you to join us at the Cathedral for two special activities, both on-line? The first is the series of Lent Lectures that begins on the evening of Monday 22nd February, entitled ‘Liberty for the Captives’. The five lectures will run until Monday 22nd March. Subjects will include: looking back at the connections between Liverpool churches and the Transatlantic Slave-trade, our current partnerships with churches in Ghana and Virginia USA, modern-day forms of slavery and where we may, inadvertently, be contributing to them, and how we as Christians can seek to bring an end to enslavement in all its forms. Please visit the ‘Events’ section of our website for more information and how to join in.
 
The second Lenten activity will be a series of five Bible studies on the Old Testament book of Lamentations. These will be on Zoom, on Thursday lunchtimes, 1.00-2.00pm 25th February – 25th March inclusive. There is more information on the ‘Getting Involved’ section of our Cathedral website and then select the ‘Exploring Faith’ button. You can obtain the Zoom link by emailing me direct if you prefer. The book of Lamentations is not, at first glance, the most joyful and ‘spring-like’ book, containing as it does a series of five ‘dirges’!  They lament the fall of Jerusalem in the 6th century BC and the impending exile of God’s people to Babylon hundreds of miles to the East. And yet it does chime in with the sense of lament and exile that many of us are feeling. How can we ‘be church’ and ‘do church’ at the moment, when we cannot easily meet together, let alone sing hymns and songs to God? We seem to have lost so much. However, the book also contains some great affirmations of God’s faithfulness to his people, even in the darkest times. Lamentations 3:22-23 contains these words: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Many of you will recognise these as the inspiration for the hymn, ‘Great is thy faithfulness’. The book ends with a prayer of faith to God to restore and to renew, confident that he will indeed deliver on that impassioned plea. Again, surely, this has much to say to us today, as we seek lives that are restored to something like wholeness and fulfilment?
 
The beautiful snowdrops that we see poking up through the winter mud look delicate and frail. Yet, they are tough enough to stand up to the worst that the winter storms throw at them. Each one is tiny, and yet together they provide swathes of snowy whiteness that make a great impact on those who view them. They are also a tangible forerunner of the crocuses, daffodils and other Spring flowers that will soon brighten up our lives. Are they not an encouragement to each of us to poke our heads up bravely through the ‘mud’ of our current situation, believing that God will not test us beyond what we can endure? When we, together, seek to do that, rather like the hundreds and thousands of these little plants, we can bring a swathe of spiritual whiteness that will offer confidence and hope to a world shaken by the greatest storm in living memory.
 
Yes, Lent this year will not be like any Lent we have known. But if we are willing make something of it, then I believe that will help to awaken God’s spiritual springtime in our hearts, minds and lives.
 
With good wishes

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.