Third Sunday of Easter

4th May 2025

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 05 May
09.00 Morning Prayer

Tuesday 06 May
09.00 Morning Prayer

Wednesday 07 May
09.00 Morning Prayer
12.15 Eucharist

Thursday 08 May
09.00 Morning Prayer

Friday 09 May
09.00 Morning Prayer
12.15 Eucharist
13.05 RC Mass
19.30 Bells

Saturday 10 May

Sunday 11 May
09.00 Morning Prayer
10.00 Parish Eucharist
11.45 Fire alarm test

Before the service

Organ: Grave and Adagio (Sonata No.2 in Cm) – Felix Mendelssohn (1809-47)

Opening Hymn

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

Christ is the King, O friends rejoice!
Brothers and sisters, with one voice
Make the world know he is your choice: Alleluia.

O magnify the Lord and raise
Anthems of joy and holy praise
For Christ’s brave saints of ancient days: Alleluia.

They with a faith for ever new
Followed the King, and round him drew
Thousands of faithful hearts and true: Alleluia

O Christian women, Christian men,
All the world over, seek again
The Way disciples followed then: Alleluia.

Christ through all ages is the same;
Place the same hope in his great name,
With the same faith his word proclaim: Alleluia.

Let Love’s unconquerable might
God’s people everywhere unite
In service to the Lord of light: Alleluia.

So shall God’s will on earth be done,
New lamps be lit, new tasks begun,
And the whole church at last be one. Alleluia.

Words: George Kennedy Allen Bell (1883-1958)
Music: ‘Vulpius’ (Gelobt Sei Gott) Melody from Melchior Vulpius’s Gesangbuch (1609) Harmonised by Henry George Ley (1887-1962)

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

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

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

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))

Risen Christ, you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope: strengthen us to proclaim your risen life and fill us with your peace, to the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

Readings

(We sit)

First Reading (Acts 9:1-6)

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

The cantors sing Psalm 30:

Please repeat the response after the Cantors and after each section:

  1. I will exalt you, O Lord, because you have raised me up * and have not let my foes triumph over me. [R]
  2. O Lord my God, I cried out to you * and you have healed me.
  3. You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead * you restored me to life from among those that go down to the Pit. [R]
  4. Sing to the Lord, you servants of his * give thanks to his holy name.
  5. For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, his favour for a lifetime * Heaviness may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. [R]
  6. In my prosperity I said, ‘I shall never be moved * You, Lord, of your goodness, have made my hill so strong.’
    7.Then you hid your face from me * and I was utterly dismayed. [R]
  7. To you, O Lord, I cried * to the Lord I made my supplication:
  8. ‘What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? * Will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?
  9. ‘Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me * O Lord, be my helper.’ [R]
  10. You have turned my mourning into dancing * you have put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness;
  11. Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing * O Lord my God, I will give you thanks for ever. [R]

Second reading (Revelation 5:11-14)

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

(We stand)

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us: so let us celebrate the feast.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Please turn to face the Gospel reading (John 21:1-19)

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 Yazid Said

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:

Lord hear us Lord graciously hear us
We pray to the Father. Hear our prayer.

At the end:
… One God, now and forever. 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

I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth;
At Bethlehem I had my birth.

Refrain:
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.

I danced for the scribe and the pharisee,
But they would not dance and they wouldn’t follow me.
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John—
They came with me and the dance went on.

Refrain

I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame;
The holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me on high;
And they left me there on a cross to die.

Refrain

I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black—
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried my body and they thought I’d gone;
But I am the dance and I still go on.

Refrain

They cut me down and I leapt up high;
I am the life that’ll never, never die;
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me—
I am the Lord of the Dance said he.

Refrain

Words: Sydney Carter (1915-2004)
Music: Shaker melody, adapted by Sydney Carter (1915-2004)

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 Cantors sing:

Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
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.

(Mass of Glyn Rhosyn – Meirion Wynn Jones (born 1972))

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 are yours, O loving Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

Rejoicing in God’s new creation 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.

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.

The cantors sing:

Jesus, Lamb of God: have mercy on us.
Jesus, bearer of our sins: have mercy on us.
Jesus, redeemer of the world: give us your peace.

Alleluia. Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

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

Day by day, dear Lord of thee three things I pray: to see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day.

Words: Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)
Music: Martin How (born 1931)

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

We have a gospel to proclaim,
Good news for all throughout the earth,
The gospel of a Saviour’s name:
We sing his glory, tell his worth.

Tell of his birth at Bethlehem,
Not in a royal house or hall,
But in a stable dark and dim:
The Word made flesh, a light for all.

Tell of his death at Calvary,
Hated by those he came to save,
In lonely suffering on the cross:
For all he loved, his life he gave.

Tell of that glorious Easter morn,
Empty the tomb, for he was free:
He broke the power of death and hell
That we might share his victory.

Tell of his reign at God’s right hand,
By all creation glorified:
He sends his Spirit on his Church,
To live for him, the Lamb who died.

Now we rejoice to name him King:
Jesus is Lord of all the earth.
This gospel message we proclaim;
We sing his glory, tell his worth.

Words: Edward Joseph Burns (Born 1938)
Music: ‘Fulda’ Sacred Melodies (1815) William Gardiner (1770-1853)

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 the peace of Christ. Alleluia, Alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, Alleluia.

Organ: Allegro maestoso e vivace and Allegro moderate (Sonata No.2 in Cm) – Felix Mendelssohn (1809-47).

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.