On the Shoulders of Giants - Reflection by Canon Bob

I wonder if I am the only person still in possession of these commemorative boxes of matches produced amongst other memorabilia to mark the Centenary of the Diocese in 1980. As you can see on one side are the pictures of all the Bishops stretching back one hundred years. If you look carefully you can see:

Charles Ryle, Francis Chavasse, Albert Davis, Clifford Martin, Stuart Blanch, and the then present Bishop, David Sheppard.

On the reverse are 5 selected Churches:
St Elphin, Warrington; St Paul, Southport; St Francis Kitt Green; Liverpool Parish Church, and of course the Cathedral.

If the Deans of Liverpool had been deemed worthy of note they would have been:
Frederick Dwelly, Frederick Dillistone, and Edward Patey. (The Cathedral was not consecrated until 1924)

For me all the names before David Sheppard and Edward Patey are historical figures known about only through reading biographies and yet each in their own time had great influence over both Diocese and Cathedral.

Of course a great deal of water has flowed since 1980 bringing with it 2 more Bishops and incredibly 5 more Deans. I have had the privilege of knowing all 7 of them to a greater or lesser degree and you will need to wait until I publish my memoirs to find out what I really think! However Bishops and Deans bare heavy responsibilities especially in times of uncertainty, and since 1880 there have been plenty of those. There will have been and always will be, different views and opinions about past and present. However it seems to me that both Diocese and Cathedral have been incredibly well served by those who have held high office in the past and do so today. They deserve our prayers as they exercise their ministry today standing, as they do, on the shoulders of giants.
 
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.