Today is Consecration Sunday for the Cathedral. For those of you who wish to continue with the lectionary journey through Mark’s Gospel, the passage set for today brings us to the end of chapter 6. Earlier in chapter 6 we have been introduced to Jesus’ rejection in his home town. Throughout his Gospel, Mark draws a clear contrast between the reception given to Jesus by the religious and political leaders and the reception given to him by the common people. In the previous episode of chapter 6, John the Baptist’s execution at the hands of Herod foreshadowed Jesus’ own painful death. Now, by way of complete contrast, we are shown how the common people flocked around Jesus, to the point that Jesus and his disciples had no leisure even to eat.
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 fan club. In today’s picture, from his book People Everywhere, Teddy Horsley joins a musical fan club.
Lord Jesus Christ,
the crowds came to meet you
and recognised your power.
Make yourself known to those who seek you today,
that your power may be recognised throughout the world;
for you are our God.
Amen.
Next Sunday our journey through Mark’s Gospel is interrupted by a reading from John’s Gospel. The lectionary switches our attention to John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand. The image to help us to prepare for next Sunday’s theme is world breads. You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources.
Prayer Requests
Would you like to submit a prayer request? You can do so through the prayer for Liverpool website.
Notice Sheet
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Exploring the Sunday Gospel – Seventh Sunday after Trinity