It is nine years since I moved into my present house in the Cathedral Close. One of the joys of living here has been the wonderful view from the top floor. On the one side is our glorious Cathedral, close up and personal; and from the opposite window there is the view of the River Mersey and the Wirral peninsular beyond. The houses in the Close were built in 1986, and my near neighbour, Mrs Joan Walters, was one of the original residents. Joan tells me how much the view has changed since those early days. At that time, there was a clear and almost uninterrupted view of the river. That view has slowly changed with the rebuilding and regeneration of much of the city centre. During the years I have lived here, the river has all but disappeared as high-rise buildings continue to change the townscape. One feature which hasn’t changed lies in the far distance: the hills of Wales. During the weeks and months when we were bidden to stay at home, the view of those majestic Welsh hills was for me a constant sign of hope. There is an old saying that if you look out and can see the Welsh hills, it is a sign that it is going to rain. If you look out and can’t see those hills, it’s raining already! Today we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus, a glimpse of glory given only to three of those who followed him. It is hardly an accident that this wonderful sacred moment should took place on a mountain. God’s glory was revealed there, and it was so wonderful and beyond words that Peter wanted to stay up there and build his three tents. But the glory was there for a moment, and what had to come next was a journey back down from the mountain, where the sick and the needy were waiting for Jesus to bring them hope and healing as he walked closer and closer towards the Cross. We need our moments of glory too, when we can be still and catch a glimpse, however fleeting, of the sheer wonder of God. But we know we cannot stay there. A world in need now summons us to labour, love and give; to make our life and offering to God, that all may live; the Church of Christ is calling us to make the dream come true: a world redeemed by Christ-like love, all life in Christ made new. Frank von Christierson (1900 – 1996) 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.
1 Comment
For 15 years I had the privilege of being Rector of Winwick which is on the edge of the Diocese just off the M62 close to IKEA. The church is dedicated to St Oswald and many local historians claim it is the place where he died in battle, fighting as a Christian king against the pagan Penda. We remember Oswald as a king and martyr but interestingly the early church historian The Venerable Bede portrays Oswald as ‘Saintly’ not because of the means of his death but because of his life! After a period of exile Oswald became king of Northumbria around 634 and requested help from the Iona community to spread the message of Christianity throughout his kingdom. Eventually Aiden was sent and Oswald gave him the island of Lindisfarne as a base for his mission and the home of his episcopal See. As the two of them travelled around his kingdom Oswald acted as Aiden’s interpreter since Aiden did not know English well and Oswald had learned Irish during his exile. As well as preaching Oswald gained a reputation as a man of compassion with a generosity to the poor and strangers. On one occasion at Easter Bede describes Oswald was sitting with Aiden and had ‘a silver dish of dainties before him’ when a servant whom Oswald ‘had appointed to relieve the poor’ came in and told him that a crowd of the poor were in the streets begging alms from the king. Oswald then immediately had his food given to the poor and even had the dish broken up and distributed. From this one story alone it could be suggested that Oswald had both recognised the need for a Foodbank and that the distribution of silver pieces at Easter was a forerunner to the practice of the monarch distributing Maundy Money as happens today. So my case is that a Christian King with a heart for mission and a record of responding to the needs of his subjects would make a fine Patron Saint for our nation. He was, at least English! 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 reading for this Sunday is Matthew’s account of Jesus feeding the five thousand. But it is worth remembering how Matthew sets the scene for this event. When Matthew closes the little Book of Parables at the end of chapter 13, Jesus finds out just how tough life can be. Jesus goes to his home town and he is not made welcome. Then as he leaves his home town sad news reaches Jesus about how John the Baptist had been murdered. Jesus goes off by boat to seek solitude. However, when he lands, instead of finding solitude, Jesus finds a huge crowd waiting for him. Jesus’ heart goes out to the crowd. He heals the sick. He feeds the hungry. The crowd experiences what life is like when God reigns. And the disciples have a full part to play in making all this work. For the Christian community the feeding of the five thousand looks forward to the Last Supper and to the Eucharist celebrated in our cathedrals and churches. 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 the picnic, just as Teddy Horsley is doing in today’s picture. Serious reflection on his experiences of picnics helped Teddy Horsley to prepare for his participation in the Eucharistic celebration. Next week the image to help us prepare for participation in the Sunday service, whether offline in the Cathedral or online at home, is gales, when the Gospel reading is Matthew’s narrative concerning Jesus’ stilling of the storm. 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 online by watching our pre-recorded service video that will go live at 10:30am: Teddy Horsley sends his Sunday greetings to all. Canon Leslie |
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
|
Prayer for Liverpool
brought to you from Liverpool Cathedral St James Mount Liverpool L1 7AZ |
Liverpool Cathedral is a place of encounter.
Built by the people, for the people, to the Glory of God www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk |