Dear friends

May is going to be a momentous month. The Coronation will be a historic moment in the life of our nation and we are asked to reflect on our history, celebrate who we are and look to the future.

With the Coronation Service His Majesty will be anointed as King. It will be rooted in tradition and be steeped in Christian Symbolism.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have asked us to pray that this might be a moment for the nation and many others round the world to encounter the person of Jesus Christ, the servant King and to hear His call to each of us to serve others

As we prepare for the King`s Coronation we are asked to serve others, connect with our neighbours and give thanks to god for the wonderful unity we find in the great diversity of our nation The weekend is built on the themes of community, faith and service.

If you have not received a copy of the “Daily Prayers for the Coronation” prepared by the Church of England, there are a few copies left, either pop into St Mary`s or get in touch and we will send one to you. Within this, there have been prayers about service, dedication, religious freedom and the environment.

On the Coronation weekend, there will be a vigil at 6pm at St Mary`s on the 5th which will be a reflective service and the church will be open until 9.30 for private prayer and then on Sunday 7th May there will be a service of celebration followed by fizz.

Then from the 9th to the 13th May, Eurovision comes to Liverpool – love it or hate it – it is a time for Nations to come together and for us to pray. There is an art installation at Liverpool Cathedral called “Izyum to Liverpool” which is a multi channel video installation showing the experience of many as they escaped from Ukraine (1-19 May).

On 18th May we celebrate Ascension Day (Acts 1 6-11) Before Jesus ascended, he told his disciples that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit and would be witnesses to the ends of the earth. Sometimes we are so concerned with mundane things that we fail to grasp God`s loving purpose for the whole of creation. Sometimes we need to grow into a new expanded vision of God. Then ten days later we celebrate Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Between those two dates there is “Thy Kingdom Come” which is a global prayer network. The theme this year is “Praying and living the Kingdom” Prayer makes such an enormous difference and often it is how we love and act, that shows people about Jesus.

God, send your Holy Spirit, restore our faith, renew our vision, redirect our action, that we may follow you into new adventures and know your blessing. Amen

Love Christina