Trinity Sunday

26th May 2024

The Parish Eucharist

Welcome to Liverpool Parish Church. There has been Christian worship on this site since the 13th century and today we are still proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ in the centre of Liverpool.

All people are welcome in this place. At the Eucharist if you normally receive Holy Communion in your own church, you are welcome to do so here.

Babies and children are welcome in this church. If you feel they are unsettled, there is a small play area for them at the back of the north aisle. You would still be able to see, hear and participate in the service, but please rejoin the rest of the congregation when you are ready.

Sunday School Parents are welcome to stay with their children or to reclaim them at the end of the service.

Donations and Giving. We rely on generous individual giving for much of our income. If you are a UK taxpayer donations can be Gift Aided to provide additional benefit to the Church. If you worship here regularly then please consider joining the Planned Giving Scheme. There is also a contactless donation point in the Narthex.

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Calendar for the Week

Monday 27 May
09.00 Morning Prayer

Tuesday 28 May
09.00 Morning Prayer

Wednesday 29 May
09.00 Morning Prayer
12.15 Eucharist

Thursday 30 May
09.00 Morning Prayer

Friday 31 May
09.00 Morning Prayer
12.15 Eucharist
13.05 RC Mass
19.30 Bells

Saturday 01 June

Sunday 02 June
09.00 Morning Prayer
10.00 Parish Eucharist

Before the service

It is a great pleasure to welcome the Chamber Choir of St George's School, Windsor Castle and their Director of Music, James Wilkinson, who are joining with the Saint Nicholas' Singers to sing at this service.

Organ: Le Pere (from Méditations sur La Sainte Trinité) – Jean Langlais (1907-1991)

Opening Hymn

The bell rings and we stand, as we are able, and sing:

Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

Holy, Holy, Holy! all the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, Holy, Holy! though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy, there is none beside thee
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

Words: Reginald Heber (1783-1826)
Music: ‘Nicaea’ John Bacchus Dykes (1823-76)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Confession

Father eternal, giver of light and grace, we have sinned against you and against our neighbour, in what we have thought, in what we have said and done, through ignorance, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We have wounded your love, and marred your image in us. We are sorry and ashamed, and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and lead us out from darkness to walk as children of light. Amen.

We receive an absolution, assuring us of God’s forgiveness.

When Sunday School is meeting, a prayer is said with our young people at this point before they leave for their session.

The Gloria and Collect

The gloria is sung by the choirs this morning:

Gloria in excelsis Deo. Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te. Benedicimus te. Adoramus te. Glorificamus te. Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam. Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens. Domine Fili unigenite, Iesu Christe. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris. Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis. Quoniam tu solus Sanctus. Tu solus Dominus. Tu solus Altissimus, Iesu Christe.Cum Sancto Spiritu, in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.

[Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.]

(Music: Spatzenmesse – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-91))

Holy God, faithful and unchanging: enlarge our minds with the knowledge of your truth, and draw us more deeply into the mystery of your love, that we may truly worship you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Readings

(We sit)

First Reading (Isaiah 6:1-8)

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

The choirs sing Psalm 29:

  1. Bring unto the Lord, O ye mighty, bring young rams unto the Lord * ascribe unto the Lord worship and strength.
  2. Give the Lord the honour due unto his Name * worship the Lord with holy worship.
  3. It is the Lord that commandeth the waters * it is the glorious God that maketh the thunder.
  4. It is the Lord that ruleth the sea; the voice of the Lord is mighty in operation * the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.
  5. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedar-trees * yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Libanus.
  6. He maketh them also to skip like a calf * Libanus also, and Sirion, like a young unicorn.
  7. The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire; the voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness * yea, the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Cades.
  8. The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to bring forth young, and discovereth the thick bushes * in his temple doth every man speak of his honour.
  9. The Lord sitteth above the water-flood * and the Lord remaineth a King for ever.
  10. The Lord shall give strength unto his people * the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

Second reading (Romans 8:12-17)

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

(We stand)

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God, who was, and who is, and who is to come, the Almighty.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Please turn to face the Gospel reading (John 3:1-17)

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. Glory to you, O Lord

This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Fr Crispin Pailing

The Creed

(We stand)

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Intercessions

(please kneel or sit)

Any of the following may be used:

...mercy and grace We plead before your throne in heaven.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.

At the end:
...as we worship you, saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Amen.

The Peace

(We stand)

The Peace is introduced, followed by:

The peace of the Lord be always with you. And also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Offertory Hymn

How shall I sing that majesty which angels do admire?
Let dust in dust and silence lie; sing, sing, ye heavenly choir.
Thousands of thousands stand around thy throne, O God most high;
Ten thousand times ten thousand sound thy praise; but who am I?

Thy brightness unto them appears, whilst I thy footsteps trace;
A sound of God comes to my ears, but they behold thy face.
They sing because thou art their Sun; Lord, send a beam on me;
For where heaven is but once begun there alleluias be.

Enlighten with faith’s light my heart, inflame it with love’s fire;
Then shall I sing and bear a part with that celestial choir.
I shall, I fear, be dark and cold, with all my fire and light;
Yet when thou dost accept their gold, Lord, treasure up my mite.

How great a being, Lord, is thine, Which doth all beings keep!
Thy knowledge is the only line To sound so vast a deep.
Thou art a sea without a shore, A sun without a sphere;
Thy time is now and evermore, Thy place is everywhere.

Words: John Mason (c.1645-94)
Music: ‘Coe Fen’ Kenneth Naylor (1931-91)

The Eucharistic Prayer

A prayer is said over the gifts on the altar, to which we respond Amen.

The Lord be with you
and also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.

The seasonal part of the prayer follows and at the end the choirs sing:

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis.


[Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.]

(Spatzenmesse – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-91))

We pray for the Holy Spirit to transform us and the gifts, and then the words of Jesus at the Last Supper are recalled:

The following acclamation is then used:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus:
Dying you destroyed our death,
rising you restored our life:
Lord Jesus, come in glory.

The prayer continues with oblation and intercession, ending:

…all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us:

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Every time we eat this bread and drink this cup,
we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The choirs sing:

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. (x2)
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.
[Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. (x2)
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.]

God’s holy gifts for God’s holy people.
Jesus Christ is holy, Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

If you normally receive Communion in your own church then you are welcome to do so here, or you may prefer the priest to pray for God’s blessing on you. There are two standing stations for Communion in the centre but if you would prefer to kneel to receive Communion then please use the rail in the south aisle on the congregation’s left side.

Please indicate if you would rather receive a blessing. Gluten-free hosts are available.

During Communion

The choirs sing:

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.
[Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.]

(Spatzenmesse – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-91))

Hail! gladdening Light, of His pure glory poured, who is th’immortal Father, heavenly, blest, Holiest of Holies–Jesus Christ our Lord! Now we are come to the Sun’s hour of rest; The lights of evening round us shine; We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine! Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung With undefiled tongue, Son of our God, giver of life, alone: Therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own.

Words: John Keble (1792-1866) translated from an early Christian hymn
Music: Charles Wood (1866-1926)

Post-Communion Prayers

(We stand at ‘Let us pray’)

After the post-communion prayer we say together

You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ, and you have made yourself known in the breaking of the bread. Abide with us, we pray, that, blessed by your royal presence, we may walk with you all the days of our life, and at its end behold you in the glory of the eternal Trinity, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

Notices (please sit)

Please join us for refreshments after the service.

A collection is taken during the final hymn. Those preferring to donate online are invited to use the Donate button above, or our contactless donation point.

Final Hymn

Angel voices, ever singing
Round thy throne of light,
Angel harps for ever ringing,
Rest not day nor night;
Thousands only live to bless thee,
And confess Thee Lord of might.

Thou who art beyond the farthest
Mortal eye can scan,
Can it be that thou regardest
Songs of sinful man?
Can we know that thou art near us,
And wilt hear us? Yea, we can.

For we know that thou rejoicest
O’er each work of thine;
Thou didst ears and hands and voices
For thy praise design;
Craftsman’s art and music’s measure
For thy pleasure all combine.

In thy house, great God, we offer
Of thine own to thee;
And for thine acceptance proffer
All unworthily
Hearts and minds and hands and voices
In our choicest psalmody.

Honour, glory, might and merit
Thine shall ever be,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Blessèd Trinity.
Of the best that thou hast given
Earth and heaven render thee.

Words: Francis Pott (1832-1909)
Music: ‘Angel Voices’ - Edwin George Monk (1819-1900)

Blessing and Dismissal

(please stand)

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

…and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.

Organ: Fantasia in G BWV572 – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).

Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000. Hymns and other texts are reproduced under CCL licence number 556443 or One License licence number A-632593.