Led by: Revd George Mwaura
Preacher: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Gathering Music

Welcome

Call to Worship

Come, let us return to the Lord.
He invites all who love him to meet him here.

Though none of us in blameless and none of us is pure,
he calls us again, poor and rich alike.

Though his anger was raised against us,
he sends us his steadfast love.

Like the warmth of the dawn,
like rain after a drought,

with words both terrible and uplifting,
our God invites us here.

Amen

Hymn: Christ be our light!

Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people,
light for the world to see.

Christ be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has power to save us.
Make us your living voice.

Christ be our light! ….

Longing for food, many are hungry.
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others,
shared until all are fed.

Christ be our light! ….

Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others,
walls made of living stone.

Christ be our light! ….

Many the gifts, many the people,
many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
helping your kingdom come.

Christ be our light! ….

Bernadette Farrell (b. 1957)
CCL31580

Gathering Prayer

Merciful God, as we gather to worship, let us remember what Jesus did on the cross:
the love and compassion that was poured out for us.
You have invited us to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with you.
Help us to do this, in Jesus’ name.

Amen

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Lord, we thank you for what we know:
that we can turn to you at any time,
that we can share anything with you
and that we can ask and you will listen.
That our doubts and worries are as nothing compared with the certainty that you give in our lives.
Lord, the words of Scripture remind us that when you were angry with your people,
you punished them with death and exile.
We get angry too and take out our frustrations on others,
though we often feel no better for our actions.
Teach us that your anger comes out of love and not hate.
You never reject those you correct, but instead you heal and cleanse.

[Silence]

Turn our hearts back to love so that we may lay aside our anger
and learn to honour those who annoy us.
Even in the most difficult of moments may we find your calm and mercy
so that we can ask for forgiveness and start anew.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Merciful God who welcomes us all,
no matter who we are,
no matter where we are from,
no matter what we have done,
no matter what our successes or failures in life so far have been,
we gather together before you, as your children, knowing we are welcome.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Hosea 6: 1–6

Read by Stuart Kean

Israel Unrepentant

¹ ‘Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.
² After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.
³ Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.’

⁴ ‘What can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,
like the early dew that disappears.
⁵ Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
I killed you with the words of my mouth –
then my judgments go forth like the sun.</span

⁶ For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

NIV®

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

Matthew 9: 9–13

Read by Rosemary Goldie

The Calling of Matthew

⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’

¹² On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill. 13But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’

NIV®

This is the Gospel of Christ.
Praise to Christ our light.

Meditation

Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

[Silence]

Affirmation of Faith

Do you believe and trust in God the Father, source of all being and life, the one for whom we exist?
We believe and trust in him.

Do you believe and trust in God the Son, who took our human nature, died for us and rose again?
We believe and trust in him.

Do you believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit,
who gives life to the people of God and makes Christ known in the world?
We believe and trust in the Holy Spirit.

This is the faith of the Church.
This is our faith; we believe and trust in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen

Intercessions

Led by Maggie Kean

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Amen

Hymn: Christ is our king

Christ is our king, let the whole world rejoice!
May all the nations sing out with one voice!
Light of the world, you have helped us to see
that all men are brothers and all men one day will be free.

He came to open the eyes of the blind,
letting the sunlight pour into their minds.
Vision is waiting for those who have hope.
He is the light of the world.

Christ is our king, …

He came to speak tender words to the poor,
he is the gateway and he is the door.
Riches are waiting for all those who hope.
He is the light of the world.

Christ is our king, …

He came to open the doors of the gaol,
he came to help the downtrodden and frail.
Freedom is waiting for all those who hope.
He is the light of the world.

Christ is our king, …

He came to open the lips f the mute,
letting them speak out with courage and truth.
His word are uttered by all those who hope.
He is the light of the world.

Christ is our king, …

He came to heal all the crippled and lame,
sickness took flight at the sound of his name.
Vigour is waiting for all those who hope.
He is the light of the world.

Christ is our king, …

He came to love everyone on this earth
and through his Spirit he promised rebirth.
New life is waiting for all those who hope.
He is the light of the world.

Christ is our king, let the whole world rejoice!
May all the nations sing out with one voice!
Light of the world, you have helped us to see
that all men are brothers and all men one day will be free.

Estelle White (1925–2011)
CCL31580

Sharing the Peace

May the God of peace make you perfect and holy,
that you may be kept holy and blameless in spirit and body
for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Church, may the peace of the Lord be always with you.
and also with you

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Notices

Thank you!

On behalf of my entire family and myself I should like to thank you all for the lovely ceremony, made for my beloved sister Mercy.

Friends and family from abroad commented that it was a lovely ceremony, and we all felt that while Mercy couldn’t have all her family present, there were good friends to say farewell. Friends that are like family for us now.

Everything was lovely, it looked like it was professionally prepared. Thank you for the food, the flowers, the music, the prayers and, most of all, thank you all for making the effort to be there. Without you it would not have been a happy farewell.

Thank you
Mary and Fernanda and Family

MK Can!

Come along and find out more about MK Can

Alongside special guests and speakers MK Food Bank wants to invite as many businesses, community groups, charities and schools to learn about how we can work together to create MK Can, a World Record breaking attempt in Milton Keynes!

• Special guests and entertainment at the MK Rose
• How you can get involved
• MK Rose, Campbell Park 17:00 – 18:30

Details here: MK Can | Milton Keynes Food Bank (mkfoodbank.org.uk).

Church Picnic and Guided Walk

10.30 am Saturday, 15 July 2023 in Campbell Park

We are hoping to have a Church Picnic on 15 July 2023 from 10.30 am until about 1.30–2.00 pm in Campbell Park. It will include a Guided Walk through Campbell Park lasting about an hour. We need to have an idea of numbers so we can arrange enough stewards and helpers. The plan for the day would be:

From 10.30 am: arrive in Campbell Park
11.00 am – 12.00 noon: Guided Walk
12.00 noon onwards: Picnic and fellowship

Please note: No children without a parent. There are no toilet facilities in the park.

On this occasion you would bring your own picnic lunch and drink.

If you would like to take part, please clearly print your name and mobile phone number on the sign-up sheet in Reception.

Cheryl Montgomery, Eco-Church Group

Get out of your car and earn rewards!

Anyone who lives or works in Milton Keynes and has a smartphone can be rewarded just for walking, cycling, scooting or using public transport. Download the app from the GetAround MK website at https://getaroundrewards.betterpoints.uk/, register, and you’ll be earning ‘Better Points’ for every active and sustainable journey you make.

Offering

Hymn: Immortal, invisible, God only wise

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we raise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light;
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might –
thy justice like mountains high-soaring above
thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life thou givest, to both great and small;
in all life thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
and wither and perish; but naught changeth thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all laud we would render: O help us to see
’tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.

W. Chalmers Smith (1825–1908)
CCL31580

Blessings and Benedictions

May the love which overcomes all differences, which heals all wounds, which puts to flight all fears,
which reconciles all who are separated be in us and among us, now and always,
and the blessings of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be upon you this day and for ever more.

Amen

Dismissal

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

Amen