Dear Friends,

We have just celebrated the great Christian festival of Pentecost when we remember, how, while people were going about their daily activities, preparing for the holiday, Christ's disciples were gathered together when God's Holy Spirit met them in a dramatic way and gave birth to the church. On that fateful day of Pentecost, the power of God came upon ordinary people, in an ordinary setting, but in an extraordinary way. Something new had happened, something that would change the world forever.

This month on June the 3rd at 7.30pm, here at St Mary's Church, the Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones, will confirm our candidates. Those of us who will be present at the service will be reminded once again of the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit as we hear Bishop James say, "Confirm, 0 Lord your servant with your Holy Spirit". We will pray for them as the Bishop lays his hands on their heads and asks God to make them strong in the Spirit. We will pray that the Holy Spirit will begin in them, his great work of re-orienting their lives from self to God. To make known to them the Risen and Ascended Lord.

Writing this letter to you I am also reflecting on the Ordination service that will soon take place in the Anglican Cathedral. Ordination is a powerful and moving occasion, as I am sure those of you who have attended such a service will know.

For me the most moving, meaningful and challenging moment comes in the part of the service when the Bishop stretches out his hands to those being ordained and says "we praise and glorify you Father, because you have formed throughout the world, a holy people for your own possession, a royal priesthood, a universal church." Then he, and fellow clergy, lay hands upon the ordinands head with the moving words "Send down the Holy Spirit upon your servant for the office and work of priest in your church." As I reflect on those words I am reminded of my own priesting, for it was at that moment that I suddenly sensed the solemnity within the ceremony. I was suddenly aware of the words of Jesus to St Peter to look after, to feed and to love his sheep.

In those words comes a calling to responsibility. In those words I am reminded of their poignancy, for surely that is the true calling of all who follow Jesus Christ, a calling to be a Royal Priesthood, a universal church, for God is calling each of us to be his priests in the world.

We talk today of a shared ministry but it's not a new concept, St Paul writing to the church at Ephesus, stated "Each of us has been given his gift to equip God's people for the work of ministry" Dr Runcie a previous Archbishop of Canterbury once said "The ordained priesthood exists, only for the building up of the priesthood of the whole church." Surely then each one of us, in turn, share the responsibility to be God's priests in the world; surely each one of us is addressed by Christ "how much do you love me?"; surely each one of us receives his call "feed my sheep."

The Holy Spirit has indeed been much in my thoughts this month, and the common strand running through all these events, has been the calling and empowering of people to work in the world for the Lord. God still wants his church to unite the world. He wants us, as his priests, to be his agents in the healing of creation. For this to be possible, it is my strong conviction that Jesus is calling to himself, those who are willing to dedicate their lives fully to him, to commit themselves to others out of love for him, and to present themselves as a living sacrifice for all that he wants to do in the church and the world today.

That is what discipleship is all about. That is what we, as Christians, are truly called to be.

Your friend and Vicar,