Two things have struck me in the news this week. The first was the woman from Leicester who on being interviewed felt that Leicester was being picked on because they were going back into lock-down after a second spike with Covid 19. The second piece of news came from Rugby (which of course is not far from Leicester) and the report about what this city council is doing because of the overwhelming amount of rubbish being left in parks and public spaces.
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These two pieces of news contrasted with a banner I saw at the Albert Dock which said ‘…looking out for each other is what Liverpool does’. This contrast made me reflect on the nature of human beings. We are naturally egotistical and we look after ourselves. We have seen this in action at the start of the pandemic when people were stockpiling pasta and toilet paper. We continue to see it as people rush to beaches in the hot weather and as they leave their rubbish in parks, on the beaches and in our streets.

But Liverpool in its statement ‘looking out for each other is what Liverpool does’ is asking us to stop, to think, and to act differently. Just like Jesus asked us to ‘love our neighbour as ourselves’ we are being asked to consider others.

As I continue to reflect on ‘looking out for each other’ I am reminded of a village called, Eyam in the Derbyshire Peak District, which self-isolated itself during the Plague of 1665 to avoid spreading the disease to neighbouring villages. They sacrificed themselves for 14 months and lost most of the villagers. They are an example of looking out for each other. We in Liverpool have our own examples of people looking out for each other. Kitty Wilkinson known, as the Saint of the Slums, during the 1832 Liverpool cholera epidemic offered her boiler to others so that could wash their infected clothes.

There are many more examples of people ‘looking out for each other’ during the past few months so let us not give in to our natural instinct of looking out for ourselves. Let us take our rubbish home and, if we are asked to go into a second lock-down, let us do it graciously knowing that we are saving others by doing so.

Jesus said: ‘Love Your Neighbour as Yourself.’

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.

I need to begin with a confession that I have waited over 40 years to get off my chest. In 1977 I was in a small smokey bar in Oxford when Liverpool were playing in the final of the European Cup. The match was being shown live on a small black and white television around which a large number of us were gathered.  As far as anyone in the bar knew I was Bob from Liverpool and therefore everyone was very happy for me as Liverpool were winning. Near the end Tommy Smith ( a particular villain amongst Evertonians) crashed in a spectacular header and the pub erupted. I was slapped on the back and drinks appeared from nowhere.

In my defence I never actually claimed to support Liverpool but shamefully I accepted the drinks without mentioning that my heart was in fact blue!

When I was nine my best friend’s dad had season tickets for Anfield. An illness in the family meant that for a number of months there was a ticket going spare. In those days and at that age going to a match was a really big deal and so I was thrilled to be asked to go along. However after the second game my friend’s father said to me on the way home that unless I started supporting Liverpool he would not take me again. I have often wondered how life would have been if I had taken him up on the ultimatum. Of course even for a nine year old it was completely out of the question and he was as good as his word never asking me again.

It’s not that I haven’t tasted the thrill of my team’s success. I went to every home game in the 1969 - 70 season when we won the Championship and gloried in the similar successes in 1984 – 85 (when the European Cup Winners Cup was also won) and 1986 – 87. There have been FA Cup wins and compared to most supporters I should be content with my lot.

However there has always been Liverpool in the background waiting to outdo and surpass any success that my team might achieve. More Championships (and now Premiership); more FA Cup victories; much more European success; more sensational comebacks; more triumphant bus journeys through town. For what it is worth I offer congratulations once again for this latest achievement.

Being an Evertonian may not be easy but I hope it is good for the soul and you never know we are not too far away from next season……………
 
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.

During these weeks of lockdown many of us will have had events and appointments cancelled in our diaries. This Tuesday, I should have spent the morning with the ten new priests who would have been ordained in the Cathedral earlier in June. Their ordination has had to be postponed.

I look forward to this day each year as we focus on their new role as president at the Eucharist which will be theirs following their ordination to the priesthood. Each of the newly ordained will have experienced their own unique journey as they have answered the call of God, and these will reflect the wide variety of understandings of priesthood and of the Eucharist which are all part of our heritage as Anglicans. While there are a good number of simple practical things I am glad to share with those coming new to the art of presiding, what makes our time together really worthwhile is if we manage to have trusting and honest conversation about the deep feelings, including doubts and fears, which they may bring to this moment of transition in ministry.  

I was ordained priest at the youngest possible age of 24. As I look back, I realise that ordination was only the beginning of a lifelong journey, rather than a moment of arrival. As the old hymn says, ‘experience will decide.’ God certainly uses the experiences of life to enable us to develop, change and grow, and this must surely include the mistakes we make. Hopefully we can learn from these too.

For now, our prayers are with those who are waiting to be ordained as priests and as deacons, and we ask that our faithful God will bless each of their journeys, every step of the way.

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.

Unbridled joy, some may say – certainly that’s the strength of feeling and emotion in acknowledging the stellar performance of Liverpool Football Club this season, to bring back the championship to Anfield after 30 years absence.  Tremendous work – and that’s coming from a supporter of another football team altogether!  But one has to honestly admire them – and what is still likely to be a record-breaking season for them; and likely many more to come under the inspirational managership of Jurgen Klopp.  As our own Liverpool Cathedral tribute was played so brilliantly by Dan Bishop; voiced by Dean Sue, Paul O’Brien and, in prayer, by our young choristers - and indeed as was sung by the Choristers of Great Britain last year at the cathedral…..“You’ll never walk alone”.  Something which, in essence as Christians we know through our faith – that we never walk alone; that Christ is always with us – that God is always calling all of us to walk a path with his Son Jesus Christ, in the power of the Spirit….a spirit that can bring amazing things to our lives when we follow His way.
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And that’s also another aspect of Joy which we often remember at this time in the church’s calendar, this season of Petertide.  For in this season, in most dioceses, those who have discerned a particular calling to follow Christ and have walked a pathway through learning and training, come to a special focus now when they are ordained Deacons.  It is a tremendous occasion; only in fact a nexus along a lifelong pathway, but one which often marks a point of inflection from a, quite often, long and difficult calling through life beforehand, to one of ordination and licensing to serve communities all around the country.  Sadly, within the current pandemic, that service in the cathedral could not take place – so the start is unusual, to say the least, for our 25 new curates in our diocese.  But we still hold them very much in our prayers for this new chapter for them – however it may have started.  For myself, it is indeed a joyous anniversary, for it was on this day in 2013 that I was ordained in Blackburn Cathedral and served my title there.  Even today, I am still amazed that God called me – then and calls me now - to serve in his name; a wonderful, humbling privilege. 

My calling was there throughout my entire life – one which I’d long felt was only a calling to serve my Cancer patients through my science.  So, to hear and begin to feel another additional calling was quite remarkable….and amazingly strong.  So much so that I resigned from my profession and head of service post at the Christie, to live and train fulltime down at Westcott House in Cambridge – which is where the above photo is taken.  That period of time was one of both joy and sadly sorrow, as many of you reading this will perhaps already know.  But God led me down a path which showed that my professional life in Science was not being replaced by a priestly ministry – but added to.  And so here am I - the priest and scientist serving before you.

So, there is much we might give thanks for now – but we must also be acutely aware of lives challenged and shattered in the current situation; for which joy is furthest from one’s mind.  We pray for the lives changed and which will never be the same again; that God still calls us all, in both our grief and joy, to be the wonderful, distinctive individuals we are.  Following that call, walking the way of Christ, enables God to work marvellous things both in us and with us, for the sake of others.  And that in itself is perhaps one of the greatest joys we might have, and also the greatest of responsibilities; that through the joy in us which comes from the power of the Spirit, we may serve and help others – so they will know perhaps in just some small way, they will never walk alone…..
 
With my love and prayers for you all, as always….
 
Canon Mike 

Keep celebrating! We're happy to share this video of the Cathedral choristers joined by choristers from around Great Britain singing, "You'll Never Walk Alone" at the Choristers of Great Britain Event on June 13, 2019. 
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At this point in the Church’s year the Sunday Gospel readings are inviting us to travel through Matthew’s narrative. In chapter 10 we are paying attention to how Matthew presents Jesus’ teaching to the original twelve disciples as they prepare to be sent out in his name. What Jesus said to them he says to me and to you today.
 
Jesus’ teaching to those disciples (and to me and to you today) is so important that our lectionary spends three weeks on Matthew chapter 10. On Sunday 14 June we were reminded that Jesus called each one of the twelve by name, just as he calls you and me by name. Our image that day was friends. We are called as friends into Jesus’ school of discipleship learning.
 
On Sunday 21 June we were reminded of two key features of our calling. We are called to put ourselves at risk (just as Jesus put himself at risk). God cares for us just as God cares for the sparrows. Our image that day was companion animals. We are called into awareness of God’s care for us.
 
Now on Sunday 28 June we are reminded of the importance of the welcome that we receive. The people who welcome those whom Jesus sends welcome Jesus himself. People who welcome Jesus welcome the Father who sent him. Our image today is welcome. In his book Teddy Horsley meets Jesus’ Disciples, Teddy Horsley meets with his friends in church and experiences the welcome extended to him.
 
Next week the reading from Matthew’s Gospel moves on to the next stage in Jesus’ journey and shows the contrast between John the Baptist’s way of life and Jesus’ way of life. Both are criticised by the people but for entirely different reasons. They accuse John of being possessed and Jesus of being a drunkard. In turn Jesus likens his critics to quarrelsome children playing in the market place. The image to help us to explore and to reflect on this theme is children’s games. 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.
 
The first results from the survey I launched to explore how churchgoers are feeling during the lockdown are now available on the website at York St John University: https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/coronavirus-church-and-you/. But the survey is still live and I would welcome further responses. It is completely anonymous and confidential. Find out more here: https://tinyurl.com/ycsq9fy2.
 
The photo above is taken from the cover of Teddy Horsley Meets Jesus’ Disciples, which you can read online here: https://teddyhorsley.org/other-stories/teddy-horsley-meets-jesus-disciples. To learn more about Teddy Horsley, follow this link to his website: https://teddyhorsley.org/. Check out his page on the St. Mary’s Centre website for more Teddy Horsley stories: http://www.st-marys-centre.org.uk/resources.html.
 
We warmly welcome you to join us in worship here: 

We invite your further participation with the Breakfast and the Bible materials here: 

​Teddy Horsley sends his good wishes to all.
 
Canon Leslie

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,
​the world, and those who live in it;
Psalm 24.1
 
This week I have spent a lot of time thinking about the environment and our sustainable goals. At its February 2020 meeting, General Synod members voted in favour of a revised date encouraging all parts of the Church of England to take action and ramp-up efforts to reduce emissions. So, the Church of England have committed to reducing our carbon emissions to net zero by 2030. The Diocese and Cathedral will need to play our part in meeting this goal - we started our work last year by gaining the Bronze Eco-church Award https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/ .

We have a long way to go and 10 years is a short time for us to work toward how we will meet this target – and I pray we will also be a Gold Eco-church by 2030 as well. It will be a group effort and I hope that in the next few months we will be able to form a new environment and sustainability group that will help to work together to initiate change and encourage others to join the efforts. We all have a responsibility to care for God’s creation and look after this beautiful world in our lifetime and contribute to its sustainability for our children and generations to come.

I was fortunate to receive a ‘growing pack’ from Faiths4Change  https://www.faiths4change.org.uk/ (see before and after pictures) which I planted out and in just a week the seeds had sprouted and the plants are flourishing…this is the miracle of God’s earth. What an amazing privilege to be able to see new life emerge from the earth. So, this week I am giving thanks for God’s creation, for its beauty and magnificence. I am also praying that we will meet these environment and sustainability targets.

Creator of our common home,
You fill the earth and sea and sky with life
Forgive us our neglect of your creation
The choking waste of our pollution
The damage done by careless habits
And our indifference to future generations.
Help us to amend our lives
To refuse more plastic if we can’t reuse it
To lift our voice for lasting change
And to live well and gently on the earth
To the glory of your Son, the living Word
Through whom you made this fragile world. 
Amen
Rt Revd Steven Croft 

Canon Ellen 

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.

Congratulations Liverpool Football Club!

What a great day for Liverpool. Here is our gift to you and the city.

​Be patient
Be Kind
Be Responsible
 
It was with great excitement that I listened to Boris Johnson on Tuesday as he gave his statement about opening pubs and restaurants, but that is not what really interested me, it was the opening of hairdressers that really lifted my mood. I immediately rang my hairdresser and got no response. Later that evening the salon rang to say that they will ring me with an appointment.
 
As the day wore on and as I listened to comments about the opening up of the economy with all the benefits I was also aware of the other voice that kept saying the pandemic has not gone away.
 
As I walked down to the Albert Dock the following morning I was continuing to reflect and pray and I saw a sign asking people to give way to others on paths and in the bottom left hand corner were the words:
Be Patient
Be Kind
Be Responsible.
 
I think these are keys words, as we move towards July 4. Key words for us to reflect upon. Be patient, be kind and be responsible are the gifts of the spirit for this present time. I was so impatient to want to get my hair cut that I had to be the first in line. I was certainly not patient, was I responsible? Was I kind?
 
The Cathedral is I hope being patient and kind and responsible, as we have agreed that we will not open the main body of the Cathedral until July 19. July 19 is Consecration Sunday and we want to walk into the Cathedral on that Sunday morning with joy, thanksgiving and gratitude. We want people to come in to the building knowing that they are safe and knowing that they will encounter a space that reflects God’s love and majesty.
 
So as we continue to journey through this pandemic remember, BE PATIENT, BE KIND, BE RESPONSIBLE to others and yourself. In the words of Christ, love your neighbour as yourself.
 
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.

It is an obvious truth that each one of us has a different relationship with our Father. I am aware that some of you reading this will have experienced enormously painful experiences and do not wish to reawaken long dealt with memories. Others, especially given present circumstances, will be feeling the sharp pain of bereavement and our hearts go out to all of those in mourning. Others, like me will have benefitted from a close and loving relationship.

My dad was born in 1919 which meant that he had barely left school before being called up at the beginning of the Second World War. He served as a Captain in the Artillery in the Indian Army in Burma. I can’t begin to understand how those years must have affected him but I suspect his lifelong enjoyment of whiskey and water may have had its origins in the jungle. Another consequence was the cementing of a bond of friendship with a group of ex school friends for the rest of his life. They all played cricket at the same club and watched rugby together at Waterloo. They were all Free Masons at the same Lodge and met up most lunchtimes at a variety of ‘Gentlemen’s Clubs’ in town. Dad was as reluctant to talk about his memories of the war as he was about his faith. However if asked he would confidently declare ‘Church of England’. I sometimes think that the Church of England have left people like my dad behind.

Dad taught me a love of sport and ingrained in me a sense of right and wrong and the need to look out for others. At his funeral the general sentiment was that ‘He was a gentleman’ and I think he would have approved of that. Of course we did not always agree; the first swear word I ever heard him utter was directed at the television during a party political broadcast by Harold Wilson!

I found it really hard to watch him grow old and diminish and writing this brings back feelings of gratitude, love, mixed with regret. At the end of the day, however if my children remember me with the affection I have for my dad I shall be satisfied.
 
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.