Today is Consecration Sunday for Liverpool Cathedral, the annual festival and celebration of consecration of the (partly constructed) cathedral in 1924. The Gospel reading is John’s account of Jesus’ cleansing the temple in Jerusalem. In John’s account, Jesus made a whip of cords, overturned the tables of the money changers, and rebuked those who were selling doves for sacrifice, saying ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace’.

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 house of prayer. In today’s picture Teddy Horsley is on his way to join us in Liverpool Cathedral.

Lord Jesus Christ,

you entered the temple in Jerusalem

and restored it as a house of prayer.

Shape this house of prayer in our city

to be a place of encounter,

for all people;

for you are our God,

now and always.

Amen

Next week, the Sixth Sunday after Trinity, the Gospel reading takes us back to our journey through Luke’s Gospel, with the disciples requesting Jesus to teach them to pray. In response Jesus teaches them what we have come to know as the Lord’s Prayer. The image to help us prepare for next week’s theme is prayer. You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources.

Preparation Resources

Family Resources