Today’s Gospel reading concerns Jesus’ celebrated teaching about the law of love. Mark’s Gospel sets the context as Jesus’ final days in Jerusalem before the crucifixion. During those days Jesus confronts three potentially controversial questions, a political question concerning the poll-tax, a theological question concerning the resurrection, and a legal question concerning the greatest commandment.  Jesus responds to the third of these issues by emphasising the law of love.  The first command is to ‘love the Lord your God’.  The second command is to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. 
 
For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited reflection on the image of sincere smiles. In today’s picture from their book, Exploring Buddhism, Rees and Sara celebrate their friendship with James and Hana with faces displaying sincere smiles.  
 
Lord God, 
we are created in your image. 
Give us grace 
to love you with all our heart, 
to praise you with all our soul, 
to trust you with all our mind, 
and to serve you with all our strength, 
that we may grow in your likeness, 
and love others in your name; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 
 
Next Sunday begins a new phase of the Church’s year. It is the Third Sunday before Advent. The Gospel reading reminds us of our call into discipleship, as we hear again how those first four disciples were called away from their trade as fishermen. The image to help us prepare for next Sunday’s theme is fishing nets. 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.  
 
You are warmly invited to join us in worship online. We are livestreaming our 10:30am service on both our Facebook and YouTube pages. To access the service on Facebook, follow this link to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolCathedral. To access the service on YouTube, follow this link to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/LiverpoolCathedral/videos.  ​

​Today’s Gospel reading, chosen by the Church of England to focus our attention on God’s generosity and on our response, is an intriguing narrative from Luke’s Gospel that is in neither Mark nor Matthew. As Jesus was making his way to Jerusalem (where he knew that he would be put to death), he was met by ten lepers. All ten lepers were healed, but just one returned to give thanks to Jesus. The one who returned was a Samaritan, a foreigner. Jesus’ reply to the Samaritan, ‘Your faith has made you well’ can mean more than simply healed from leprosy. All ten had been healed from leprosy, but returning to give thanks was of added benefit. The Greek could also be translated, ‘Your faith has saved you’. Bringing healing and salvation to the Samaritan prefigured in Luke’s Gospel opening the Kingdom of God to the Gentiles.
 
For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited reflection on the image of saying thank you. In today’s picture from the book, Harvest Thanksgiving, Aled and Sian are coming to the harvest thanksgiving service in their church to say ‘thank you’ to God for God’s generosity.
 
Generous God,
we receive your gifts with gratitude,
and we return with songs of thanks and praise.
Now stir our hearts to show our gratitude
by dedicating our lives and our resources
to your service;
today and everyday.
Amen.
 
Next Sunday’s Gospel reading returns to our systematic journey through Mark’s Gospel. Earlier in chapter 10 we have heard Jesus’ third prediction of his passion and death. Now Jesus explains clearly what it means to be Messiah. He came not to be served but to serve. The image to help us prepare for next Sunday’s theme is servant leader. 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.
 
You are warmly invited to join us in worship online. We are livestreaming our 10:30am service on both our Facebook and YouTube pages. To access the service on Facebook, follow this link to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolCathedral. To access the service on YouTube, follow this link to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/LiverpoolCathedral/videos. 

​Today’s Gospel reading has been chosen by the Church of England to focus our attention on God’s grace and on God’s generosity. Chapter 6 of Matthew’s Gospel, part of the well-known Sermon on the Mount, presents two memorable vignettes in which Jesus invites his listeners to look at the birds of the air and to consider the lilies of the field. For Jesus the birds of the air and the lilies of the field spoke clearly of God’s grace. God who provides generously for the birds and for the lilies provides with even greater generosity for the human race, created in God’s image.
 
For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited reflection on the image of birds. In today’s picture from the book Light, Aled and Sian see the squawking seagulls surprised by the bright flash of lightening. This is just one of the many images of birds that may spark our imagination.
 
God of grace,
you care for the birds of the air,
feeding and clothing them with your love.
Help us to know your love and care
that we may always place our faith in you;
for you are a gracious and generous God,
now and always.
Amen.
 
Next Sunday’s Gospel reading marks the second of two weeks when the Church of England is focusing our attention on God’s generosity and our response. Next Sunday’s Gospel invites us to reflect on a narrative presented by Luke. In that narrative ten lepers come to Jesus to seek healing. All ten are healed, and one returns to give thanks. The image to help us prepare for next Sunday’s theme is saying thank you. 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.
 
You are warmly invited to join us in worship online. We are livestreaming our 10:30am service on both our Facebook and YouTube pages. To access the service on Facebook, follow this link to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolCathedral. To access the service on YouTube, follow this link to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/LiverpoolCathedral/videos. 

Chapter 9 of Mark’s Gospel began with the revelation of Jesus as the ‘beloved Son’ on the Mount of Transfiguration and with the second prediction of Jesus’ passion and death. This is followed immediately by two controversies, the controversy about who is greatest among the disciples, and the controversy about who counts as a disciple.  In today’s passage Jesus affirms the exorcist who casts out demons in his name, even though this exorcist is working independently of the close band of followers.  The church, like Jesus, must be willing to recognise the activity of God in a wider context.
 
For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited reflection on the image of supporters’ clubs. In today’s picture from the book Exploring Sikhism, Rees and Sara are playing with their friends Sanjit and Yasmin who are Sikhs. They may belong to different religious traditions, but they share so much in common.
 
Lord Jesus Christ,
you welcomed all who worked through your name.
Help us to work with your followers
from other churches and other traditions,
that your kingdom may grow;
now and always.
Amen.
 
Next Sunday’s Gospel reading moves us away from the lectionary cycle to the first of two weeks when the Church of England is focusing our attention on God’s generosity and our response. Next Sunday’s Gospel invites us to reflect on Matthew’s teaching about how God cares for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. The image to help us prepare for next Sunday’s theme is birds. 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.
 
During the autumn we are reviewing the pattern of livestreaming services, and on Sunday 26th the team will be away from the Cathedral with the choir, for the annual visit to Colomendy, North Wales, so there will not be a livestream this week.
From next week the Sunday Eucharist at 10:30 am and Sunday Choral Evensong at 3 pm will be live-streamed again, from the Cathedral Facebook page and YouTube page.
To stream a service on Facebook, follow this link to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolCathedral. To stream a service on YouTube, follow this link to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/LiverpoolCathedral/videos.