Christ the King

24th November 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 25 November
09.00 Morning Prayer

Tuesday 26 November
09.00 Morning Prayer

Wednesday 27 November
09.00 Morning Prayer
12.15 Eucharist

Thursday 28 November
09.00 Morning Prayer

Friday 29 November
09.00 Morning Prayer
12.15 Eucharist
13.05 RC Mass
19.30 Bells

Saturday 30 November

Sunday 01 December
09.00 Morning Prayer
10.00 Parish Eucharist
18.00 Choral Evensong

Before the service

Organ: Allegretto grazioso (from Six Pieces) – Frank Bridge (1879-1941)

Opening Hymn

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

Rejoice the Lord is King,
Your Lord and King adore;
Mortals, give thanks and sing,
And triumph evermore.

Refrain
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice.

Jesus, the Saviour, reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When he had purged our stains,
He took his seat above:

Refrain

His kingdom cannot fail;
He rules o’er earth and heaven;
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus given:

Refrain

He sits at God’s right hand
Till all his foes submit,
And bow to his command,
And fall beneath his feet:

Refrain

Words: Charles Wesley (1707-88)
Music: ‘Gopsal’ George Frederick Handel (1685-1759)

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

O King enthroned on high, filling the earth with your glory: holy is your name, Lord God almighty. In our sinfulness we cry to you to take our guilt away, and to cleanse our lips to speak your word, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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

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: Dom Gregory Murray (1905-92))

God the Father, help us to hear the call of Christ the King and to follow in his service, whose kingdom has no end; for he reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, one glory.

Amen.

Readings

(We sit)

First Reading (Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14)

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

The Saint Nicholas’ Singers sing Psalm 93:

  1. The Lord is King, and hath put on glorious apparel * the Lord hath put on his apparel, and girded himself with strength.
  2. He hath made the round world so sure * that it cannot be moved.
  3. Ever since the world began hath thy seat been prepared * thou art from everlasting.
  4. The floods are risen, O Lord, the floods have lift up their voice * the floods lift up their waves.
  5. The waves of the sea are mighty, and rage horribly * but yet the Lord, who dwelleth on high, is mightier.
  6. Thy testimonies, O Lord, are very sure * holiness becometh thine house for ever.

Second reading (Revelation 1:4b-8)

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

(We stand)

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Please turn to face the Gospel reading (John 18:33-37)

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 Bill Addy

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:

May your reign (kingdom / dominion / rule) come: Lord hear our prayer

At the end:
Loving God, you have taught us … To him be glory and power for ever 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

The God of Abraham praise who reigns enthroned above,
Ancient of everlasting days, and God of love:
Jehovah, great I AM, by earth and heaven confest;
We bow and bless the sacred name for ever blest.

The God who reigns on high the great archangels sing,
And “Holy, Holy, Holy,” cry, “almighty King,
Who was, and is the same, and evermore shall be.
Jehovah, Father, great I AM, we worship thee.”

Before the Saviour’s face the ransomed nations bow,
O’erwhelmed at his almighty grace for ever new;
He shows his prints of love-they kindle to a flame,
And sound through all the worlds above the slaughtered Lamb.

The whole triumphant host give thanks to God on high;
“Hail, Father, Son and Holy Ghost,” they ever cry;
Hail, Abraham’s God and mine, (I join the heavenly lays)
All might and majesty are thine, and endless praise.

Words: Thomas Olivers (1725-99) based on the Hebrew Yogdal
Music: ‘Leoni’ Hebrew melody notated by Thomas Olivers (1725-99)

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 Saint Nicholas Singers sing:

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis.
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.
[Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.]
[Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.]

(Missa Lauda Sion – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-94))

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:

Great is the mystery of faith:
Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.

The prayer continues with oblation and intercession, ending:

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

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven, 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 Saint Nicholas’ Singers 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

O God, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph into heaven: We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place where our Saviour Christ is gone before us. Amen.

Words: Collect for the Sunday after Ascension
Music: Henry Purcell (1659-1695)

Post-Communion Prayers

(We stand at ‘Let us pray’)

After the post-communion prayer we say together

We thank you, Lord, that you have fed us in this sacrament, united us with Christ, and given us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet prepared for all peoples. 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

To God be the glory! Great things he hath done;
So loved he the world that he gave us his Son;
Who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord! let earth hear his voice;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord! let people rejoice:
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give him the glory; great things he hath done!

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood!
To ev’ry believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Refrain

Great things he hath taught us, great things he hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our rapture, when Jesus we see.

Refrain

Words: Frances Jane Van Alstyne (1820-1915)
Music: ‘To God be the Glory’ George Washington Doane (1799-1859)

Blessing and Dismissal

(please stand)

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

God the Father, … Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen
God the Son, … right hand of the Father. Amen
God the Holy Spirit, … faithful servants of Christ the King. Amen

…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: Allegro Marziale (from Six Pieces) – Frank Bridge (1879-1941).

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.