There is one weekend in the year in the life of the Cathedral which is quite different from all the rest.

First there is the Annual Legal Service, taking the place of the Cathedral Eucharist. It is probably the most colourful service of the year with its processions, civic, academic, legal and judicial, with the judges ‘in full fig’ processing in their order.

The service is planned with help from a small working party, chaired by the High Sheriff. Early on we received strong advice to plan for a virtual service this year, months before there was any talk of 'tier 3'.

Since March we have become adept at producing recorded services, largely through the enthusiastic expertise of Dr Chris Newton. The various speakers were recorded one evening in the Cathedral and the music with the choir on another. The Bishop of Burnley sent us a recording of his thought-provoking sermon. Bishop Paul recorded the blessing, and Dean Sue the welcome and opening prayers.

Usually at the Legal Service, a guard of honour is formed by local uniformed organisations, and it was suggested that we might include promotional videos from the organisations, So, as the Cathedral choir sang the anthem, we were given a glimpse of the work of Scouts, Boys’ Brigade, Fire Service Cadets, and Guides.   

The service has been very well received and while everyone regrets very much not being able to come together in the Cathedral, we are glad that it has reached a whole new audience.

The second feature of this weekend is the Anniversary Organ Recital which takes place on the Saturday closest to 18th October, the day in 1926 when the Cathedral organ was dedicated. It is given by the Cathedral Organist, and this year it was decided to give it twice, on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, following Evensong. The second recital on Sunday 18th October happily co-incided with the fortieth anniversary of Ian Tracey’s appointment as Cathedral Organist, and we were delighted to commemorate this with thanksgiving during the prayers at Evensong.  Ian’s reputation as a recitalist is world class, and he continues to serve the Cathedral with great distinction. Ian is the driving force behind the appeal to restore the Grand Organ which began in 2007 and will hopefully be complete next Easter, after fourteen years of fundraising and hard work. Congratulations, Ian!

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.

I recently received an email which kindly recounted the effects our words can have on people, in so many different ways.  We have a very privileged position in that we have the opportunity to share our prayerful thoughts, reflections and our considerations of God’s Holy Word with you all, in public.  With that comes great responsibility – a responsibility which is revealed on the occasions we do get feedback on what we say.  Sometimes that feedback takes us by surprise, in ways which make our hearts glow and sadly sometimes in ways which don’t.  But God is good in all things, and the grace offered within the recent email was received gladly.  My heart glowed indeed – but just as much in humility that God has called me to be in such a position to serve others…..that is the greatest responsibility, the most wonderful of honours, for which I am truly humbled.

I got another response, from an individual I am not very familiar with, when I signed off a recent email with the phrase above – take care….and go gently.  It is not a phrase I use often; and I have to confess straight away that it isn’t of my own invention.  But it struck a chord with the recipient – one whose current life seemed just as hectic as mine, if not more so.  Such a chord that instead of trying to do everything, she did just that…go gently, and have some much-needed time to herself.  And just that response made me look again at the phrase; look into myself why I might have used it at this particular time.

Last week was in some ways the busiest of the last few for me – it included three consecutive afternoons of virtual, online conferences when I was either organising, introducing, chairing, speaking…..or actually doing all of those things!  As well as the current full online world of teaching and everything else.  It was busy for me, but given the current climate and shifting sands we continually have to navigate, I will admit in an instant, not nearly as busy, anxious or worrying as others are experiencing right now.  Although not as adept at the technique as I used to be, in the earlier part of my career, times like that when the pressure mounts, triggers a professional reaction within me which I learned in the first few weeks of my professional career. 

I may have shared this with you before, but soon after I started my first clinical post, I was called to an incident as the duty radiotherapy physicist.  I was unfamiliar with the background or even the detail of what was going on or, at that time, what had gone wrong.  But many had begun to let the stress of the situation get on top of them.  My response was to help establish a safe point, first and foremost, but then to try to bring calm to the pressured situation; a calm that would allow all of us to think more clearly and think through the problem.  The gentleness, the calm helped and all things worked well for the situation and, more importantly, for the patient.  Those moments live with you forever, and it’s something I’ve tried to exercise in the numerous extreme situations which have happened in my clinical career since then.

And perhaps I used it recently because that’s how I felt I needed to be, during that pressured week.  A constant gathering around just one computer screen with nobody else physically around, can feel very remote, detached, alone.  To go gently was what was needed, to bring calm and peace, to myself in order to continue through the week.  They are also perhaps attributes that we all need right now, I feel, when we are surrounded by the complexities of this pandemic and its effect on our lives.  Our prayers at our public services are often for wisdom in leadership – but they also acknowledge how incredibly difficult the decisions must be.  As a scientist, the first thing I know is that science is never as clear cut, decisive, or obvious as some may think.  Often there are a range of answers, a range of possibilities, understanding the uncertainty in our theories, measurements and conclusions, is the bedrock of good science.  Translating that into praxis which is multifactorial is immensely difficult, especially where lives and livelihoods lie so much in the balance.  Our prayers are therefore also for understanding, for the people whom all our leaders actually serve, for a calmness and gentleness to help to think more clearly, but with sensitivity too.  The equation which underlies the current situation has no definitive, single number as its result, so we too must apply that gentleness in reaction, and pass that on to others, through our faith, together with our care and outstretched hands.

So why the picture of the chapel of the holy spirit?  That answer is a simpler one – I like it!  It is a place where we conduct prayer, take the eucharist, reserve the sacrament, meditate, pray in silence, with music together or alone; a place where encounters have been had with individuals in really difficult situations – ones where gentleness in trying to understand how to serve and to help is much needed.  It perhaps gives an image of gentleness and peace that the Holy Spirit can bring, when it is needed most – like in these present times.  It personifies a calmness, a compassion, a love that I firmly believe Jesus brought through all his ministry – when he held out his hand to bring peace, to heal, to recognise, to love….to ultimately show in complete reality, that the Kingdom of God does indeed come near, when we are like that with others.  So may we, in these coming weeks, for the care and love of others, go gently….in Jesus’ name. 
 
With my love and prayers for you all, as always; take care….and go gently
 
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.

This Sunday the cathedral celebrates the Feast of St Luke the Evangelist. Unlike the other two synoptic Gospels (Matthew and Mark), Luke’s Gospel does not stop with the empty tomb or with the days immediately after the resurrection. Luke’s Gospel occupies not one book, but two. We know the second book as the Acts of the Apostles. For Luke the Ascension of Jesus acts as the hinge that holds the two books together. The distinctive message of Luke’s Gospel is that the good news about Jesus brings salvation to Jews and to Gentiles. The theme is set out clearly at the beginning of Luke’s Gospel in the Nunc Dimittis, the Song of Simeon when the infant Jesus is greeted.
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles:
and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
The theme is concluded in the Acts of the Apostles when Paul brings the Gospel to Rome at the centre of the known world.
 
This week the Gospel reading is Luke’s account of Jesus sending out the seventy to proclaim that the Reign of God has come near. For Luke the number seventy carried symbolic power as representing one messenger for each of the seventy nations of the world. To prepare for this Sunday’s service I invited those of you who want to do something beforehand to focus on the image of messengers. In today’s picture from The Lord is Here! Teddy Horsley and his young friends have settled down to explore the messages about the Reign of God.
 
Next week the image to help us prepare for participation in the Sunday service, whether offline in the cathedral or online at home, is feeling loved. The Gospel reading concerns Jesus’ summary of the law:
You shall love the Lord your God
You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
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.
 
If  you’d like to learn more about Teddy Horsley and his writings, visit his website: https://teddyhorsley.org/, or his page on the website of St. Mary’s Centre: http://www.st-marys-centre.org.uk/resources/TeddyHorsley.html.
 
We warmly invite you to join us in worship online here: 

Teddy Horsley sends his Sunday greetings to all.

Canon Leslie
​

On Wednesday the Cathedral tweeted out the following message: 

Moving into Tier 3 of COVID lockdown sets many emotions running: fear, anxiety, helplessness and hopelessness.   

Liverpool Cathedral, part of Liverpool City and region, was built by the people for the people. It is your Cathedral and it is a place of sanctuary for you the people of this city and region.  

As a place of sanctuary the Cathedral offers you space to come and reflect, to light a candle and to have a coffee in our beautiful new café in the Well of Liverpool Cathedral. 

As we move through these challenging times come and experience the peace of your Cathedral and as we look towards Christmas come and experience some comfort and joy. 

As I try to build on that statement and as I try to continue to reflect on the present situation and what the Cathedral can offer as a safe space, I am reminded that we are fragile human beings. I can only speak for myself, but this past week has brought me both joys and sorrows. I have found my mood go up and down and I have been aware of others around me doing the same thing. 

In a recent staff meeting I spoke to the staff about accommodating each other. We spoke about recognising that people’s mental health may well be all suffering at this particular time and consequently we need to look out for each other and support one another. 

One of the challenges of this pandemic is not to focus too inwardly, but to try and focus outwardly. I have tried to use the concrete image of masks to do this. I wear a mask to protect you and you wear a mask to protect me. Wearing a mask is not all about me, it is about us caring and looking out for each other. 

Liverpool Cathedral has a reputation for looking out for others. Our Micah charity is a good example of this. Also the whole vision of Liverpool Cathedral being a place of encounter is about looking outwards and welcoming the stranger.  

As stated in the tweet, Liverpool Cathedral is the people’s Cathedral. It is a big open safe place for people to come and encounter a sanctuary in these difficult times. It is a place to allow your mind to rest a while. It is a place to think of the other as well as oneself.  

It is a place for you. 

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.

God is the God of creation. Our God is a creator God, and God has fashioned us to be creative. The arts: visual, dramatic, musical, written – are ways we express beauty and joy. Whether we are the creators or receivers of art and culture this work enhances our lives, gives it colour, inspires hope and draws us into something of the very nature of God. Jesus was a teller of stories - a great gatherer of people in the creative endeavour of public speaking. I believe the creative work of the Holy Spirit keeps weaving beauty into our hearts and inspires us to seek splendour in the everyday.

I have missed going to exhibitions and the theatre, hearing live music, watching live comedy, seeing people dressed up and the visual excitement of street theatre and carnivals that usually are part of Liverpool life. Mark and I are still pretty much shielding and as such even the creative events that have opened up for many have not been possible for us. But, the written word, particularly poetry, has been a vital source of creativity for me during this time of uncertainty.

This poem is featured in the book that I have just launched. 12 Rules for Christian Activists: A Toolkit for Massive Change was written before covid-19. In it I explore what it means to be an activist – collaborating with a number of people from the Diocese of Liverpool, South Africa, USA and all over the UK. One of the chapters is about how we need to go gently though the world and tread lightly on the earth - being mindful of creation and the part we play in the ongoing gift of creativity. I wanted to share this poem by Wendell Berry with you this week.

I will be praying that each of us finds a small but significant times to enjoy being creative – times to take in the splendour of the God and of our wonderful ability to shape beauty. Also that there will be times when each of us can participate in the creative endeavour of God (even if we think we are not very good at it, or that it will never be shared with an audience).
  
How to be a Poet
(to remind myself)
Make a place to sit down.
Sit down. Be quiet.
You must depend upon
affection, reading, knowledge,
skill — more of each
than you have — inspiration,
work, growing older, patience,
for patience joins time
to eternity. Any readers 
who like your poems,
doubt their judgment.
Breathe with unconditional breath
the unconditioned air.
Shun electric wire.
Communicate slowly. Live
a three-dimensioned life;
stay away from screens.
Stay away from anything
that obscures the place it is in.
There are no unsacred places;
there are only sacred places
and desecrated places.
Accept what comes from silence.
Make the best you can of it.
Of the little words that come
out of the silence, like prayers
prayed back to the one who prays,
make a poem that does not disturb
the silence from which it came.
Wendell Berry
 
Canon Ellen
 
12 Rules for Christian Activists: A Toolkit for Massive Change is available in the Liverpool Cathedral bookshop – and you will get p&p free!
https://liverpool-cathedral.myshopify.com/products/4539843379309?variant=32084353908845

The Gospel for this Sunday follows on directly from last week’s reading from Matthew 21: 33-46. This week we focus on Matthew 22: 1-14. The context was set by Jesus’ teaching in the temple immediately after he had ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday and had cleared the money changers from their work. The chief priests and elders of the people are still feeling angry and Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion are only a few days away. Last week the parable of the vineyard drew on established biblical imagery that sees Israel as God’s vineyard. Last week Jesus was challenging his listeners to take care of that vineyard, or else to see it handed over to new management.
 
This week the parable of the invitations to the wedding feast uses established biblical imagery that sees the feast prepared for God’s people to welcome God’s Messiah. This week Jesus is challenging his listeners to respond to God’s invitation to recognise the Messiah or else to see the Messianic feast opened up to other guests. To prepare for this Sunday’s service I invited those of you who want to do something beforehand to focus on the image of party invitations. In today’s picture from The Lord is Here!, Teddy Horsley has accepted the invitation to feast with God’s people.
 
Next week the image to help us prepare for participation in the Sunday service, whether offline in the cathedral or online at home is messengers. Next Sunday we keep the Feast of St Luke the Evangelist. The Gospel reading is Luke’s account of Jesus sending out the seventy to proclaim that the Kingdom of God has come near. 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.
 
If you’d like to learn more about Teddy Horsley and his writings, visit his website: https://teddyhorsley.org/, or his page on the website of St. Mary’s Centre: http://www.st-marys-centre.org.uk/resources/TeddyHorsley.html.
 
We warmly invite you to join us in worship online here: 
​

Before the pandemic I worked in the Cathedral Archives with a team of Volunteers. We catalogued and organised documents, photographs and artefacts charting the building and the people who have contributed to the life of the cathedral. Since lockdown things have changed, I have only recently been able to return to the Archives in person. The team will not be back for some time.

During my absence from the cathedral I have continued to receive enquiries. People have taken the opportunity to spend time researching their family history. This can be helpful to the cathedral if the relative has been involved in the building of the cathedral – stone masons, carpenters, sculptors. Many of the enquiries relate to the Choir. A recent request was for a photograph of a chorister who held open the door of the Rankin Porch at the visit of Princess Elizabeth. We were able to provide a copy of the original photograph. Requests such as this add vital personal information to our Archives.

Recently Pat Starkey, a member of the team and I have been working remotely with a Postgraduate from Liverpool University via zoom to look at a future project with other students to complete an oral history of the cathedral with the University “ Making Liverpool Cathedral” which will look at interviewing builders, musicians, clergy, congregation, staff and  volunteers. It is an exciting project and will be a valuable resource for future research as we move towards the centenary of the consecration of our cathedral in 2024.

One of our largest collections in the Archives consist of paper copies of service sheets dating back to the consecration of the cathedral in 1904, the consecration of the Lady Chapel in 1910 and many other special occasions. We are grateful to those who had the foresight to start this collection and continue to keep copies of our present-day services. Over the years, styles have changed from simple typed sheets to ornate service sheets with designs by Edward Carter Preston. This affirms the vital place of worship in the life of the cathedral.

As we began to close our activities it was important to continue a pattern of worship in a new way. The Chapter began to embrace the use of technology to provide worship and met remotely via Microsoft teams – staying safely at home but still able to share the experience daily with colleagues. Members of the team learnt new skills as they moved forward. It was good to keep up the connections and see people daily on screen. Each meeting ended with a friendly wave to each other. A new tradition was born.

Moving forward the Prayer for Liverpool website was introduced with daily reflections from the Chapter. Services were extended to being streamed daily as well as the Sunday Eucharist so that our congregation and other supporters could join us at home. It has been such a blessing to be able to reconnect with all those who were missing their regular contact with the cathedral, the clergy, and friends. We have learnt new skills to make this possible and are grateful to those who already had I T skills.

As the lockdown was extended Cathedral Archivists across the country wondered how to record the events that were taking place in our cathedrals at this difficult time. Future generations will look back at 2020 and wish to know how we overcame the difficulties of continuing to provide worship during the pandemic. To provide this information a Digital Vault is being set up and each cathedral will have the opportunity to store their digital services and other items such as the Prayer for Liverpool reflections. I am very grateful to Chris Newton for helping me to Archive all the digital material from Liverpool and to all those who have contributed to services and reflections. Our record will be added to the National Archives at Kew and the North West Film Archive in Manchester for future researchers to access and we can continue to build up the Archives for future generations.

I wonder what enquiries will come to the Archive team in the future in relation to our activities in 2020. 

Canon Val

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.

One of the consequences of the blogs I have been inflicting upon you is that I am quite often greeted with questions about my family (as well as sympathy about my choice of football team!). We spent a week in Whitby with our daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren while Mark (our son who some of you know) and Hannah are expecting their second child NOW!

New life, renewed hope. 
 
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.

​The Gospel for this Sunday continues directly from last Sunday’s reading. In Matthew 21: 33-46 Jesus tells the parable of the vineyard. Jesus is teaching in the temple and the chief priests and elders of the people are listening to him and still feel angry about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as Palm Sunday riding on a donkey and about how Jesus kicked the money changers out of the temple. The parable of the vineyard draws on established biblical imagery that sees Israel as God’s vineyard. Jesus is challenging his listeners to take care of that vineyard or else to see it handed over to new management. The parable of the vineyard presses the case for responsibility or for change. The parable annoys Jesus’ listeners even more.
 
Reinterpreted for today this parable of the vineyard reminds us of our responsibility to care for the vineyard with which God has entrusted us. To prepare for this Sunday’s service I invited those of you who want to do some thinking beforehand to focus on the image of vineyards. In today’s picture from Exploring the Parish Church, Sara and Bethan are reminding us of the close link between the vineyard, the grapes, and wine prepared for the Eucharist.
 
Next week the image to help us prepare for participation in the Sunday service, whether offline in the cathedral or online at home, is party invitation. The Gospel reading is Jesus’ parable about the King who invited guests to come to his son’s wedding banquet. 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.

We warmly invite you to join us in worship on line here:

​One of the things I was doing before Covid 19 was on our radar was trying, as it were to put my life in order, and by that I mean sort out my Will. As many of you know I am single and I don’t have a lot of money, but what I do have, I want to give to the right people and the right charities after my death.  I don’t want my family and friends having to deal with my end of life without clear instructions.

October is Free Wills Month. Free Wills Month ‘brings together a group of well-respected charities to offer member of the public aged 55 and over the opportunity to have their simple Wills written or updated free of charge by participating solicitors in selected locations across England, Northern Ireland and Wales’ (www.freewillsmonth.org.uk). 

The web-site goes on to say a written Will ensures that your wishes are respected. It also avoids difficult decisions and legal complications for your loved ones after your death. Free Wills Month allows you to provide for family and friends and to provide for your favourite Charity, like Liverpool Cathedral.

Giving, as St Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians is a privilege. We give to God because God first gave to us. All that we have is not ours, but it is on loan to us from God. The whole Bible describes what God has done for us. God created humanity, God gave us a wonderful world to live in. God has done so much for us. What we have, we ought to give back to God.

One of the prayers that I miss saying regularly in the service of Holy Communion is:
Yours Lord is the greatness, the power, the glory, the splendour and the majesty. All things come from you O Lord, and of your own do we give you.

God has given us life’s blessings, God has made us stewards of them, and we should use our time, talents and money for his service.

If you are going to take advantage of Free Wills Month to either write or update your Will then please do consider giving to Liverpool Cathedral. As the Free Wills Month website says:
A gift in your will costs you nothing now but makes a difference for years to come.

Dean Sue
​
You can download the legacy pack by using this link: Download our Legacy Pack now.  or you can visit our page on https://www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk/home/leave-a-gift-in-your-will.aspx