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

Gathering Music

Welcome & Call to Worship

Jesus said, ‘I am the living bread that comes down from heaven.
whoever eats of this bread will live for ever.’

Lord, give us this bread always.

Amen

Opening Prayer

In a world where so many people are driven by revenge, violence, intolerance and hurt,
we gather today to reflect on our own actions, to receive forgiveness,
and to pray for peace in our community.

Amen

Hymn: All my hope on God is founded

All my hope on God is founded;
he doth still my trust renew.
Me through change and chance he guideth,
only good and only true.
God unknown,
he alone
calls my heart to be his own.

God’s great goodness aye endureth
deep his wisdom, passing thought:
splendour, light, and life attend him,
beauty springeth out of naught.
Evermore
from his store
new-born worlds rise and adore.

Daily doth th’Almighty giver
bounteous gifts on us bestow;
his desire our soul delighteth,
pleasure leads us where we go.
Love doth stand
at his hand;
joy doth wait on his command.

Still from man to God eternal
sacrifice of praise be done,
high above all praises praising
for the gift of Christ his Son.
Christ doth call
one and all:
ye who follow shall not fall.

Robert Bridges (1844–1930)
CCL31580

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Mysterious God, we are drawn to you by your beauty
and your goodness, your love and your integrity,
and we enter your presence hungry to taste your good things.
You feed us with our daily bread, giving us bodily strength
and the pleasure of smell and taste, hunger and satisfaction.
And you satisfy another kind of hunger, for the things
of the Spirit, for acceptance, healing and forgiveness,
and for the strength to live in your grace.
You are the bread of heaven, and you feed us with
the food of eternity, connecting us to all that is,
that ever has been or ever will be.
So quieten our hearts as we worship you together,
so that as we listen to you and sing to you, pray to you
and seek your will for us, we may receive the nourishment
you offer us and go on to live our lives in the context of eternity;
and that everything we are and do may speak to others
of your love at the heart of the universe.

[Silence]

Assurance of forgiveness

Thank you, loving God, for the wonder of your forgiveness.
We know how much it cost you to forgive us:
nothing less than the death of your beloved son Jesus Christ on the cross.
We find it so hard to forgive the people who have wronged us
by what they have said to us or done to us.

Help us, dear Lord. Help us to forgive, as we have been forgiven in his mighty name.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Creator God, thank you for the freedom you have given to us all.
Forgive us for the times humankind has abused that freedom and caused hurt,
breeding resentment, anger, and revenge.
Help us to see again your love for us all
and to commit ourselves to seeing your kingdom come on earth as in heaven.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Psalm 130

Read by Martin Petchey

¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
² Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

³ If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
⁶ I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

⁷ Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
⁸ He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

NIV®

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

Hymn: Guide me, O thou great Redeemer

Guide me, O thou great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty,
hold me with thy powerful hand;
bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more. (×2)

Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through;
strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield. (×2)

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside,
death of death, and hell’s destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side;
songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to thee. (×2)

Welsh, Willian Williams (1717–1791) tr. Peter and Willian Williams
CCL31580

John 6: 41–51

Read by Adrian Boynton

⁴¹ Then the Jews there began to complain about Jesus. That was because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ ⁴² They said, ‘Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? Don’t we know his father and mother? How can he now say, “I came down from heaven”?’

⁴³ ‘Stop complaining among yourselves,’ Jesus answered. ⁴⁴ ‘No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me brings them. Then I will raise them up on the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets, “God will teach all of them.” (Isaiah 54: 13) Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. ⁴⁶ No one has seen the Father except the one who has come from God. Only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ What I’m about to tell you is true. Everyone who believes has life for ever. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Long ago your people ate the manna in the desert, and they still died. ⁵⁰ But here is the bread that comes down from heaven. A person can eat it and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Everyone who eats some of this bread will live for ever. This bread is my body. I will give it for the life of the world.’

NIV®

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

Meditation

By Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

[Silence]

Affirmation of Faith

We believe in the Creator:
the maker of all things

We believe in the Son:
the redeemer of our broken world

We believe in the Spirit:
The sacred wind that binds all things together in the family of God.

Creator Father, beloved Son and living Spirit.

Amen

Intercessions

Led by Robin Kyd

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

Notices

Welcome to the Family of God

We officially welcome Zoe Littlecott-Prado, who was baptised on Saturday, 10 August 2024 into the Family of God. We shared the joyful occasion with her parents: Chris, Sandra; Michelle her younger sister and her godparents Roy and Margaret Littlecott,

We are grateful to Revd Fran Vernon, who led the baptism preparations and took part in the service too.

Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Church bank accounts

Our new church bank accounts are now open. As mentioned at the recent Congregational Meeting, our main bank account is now with Unity Trust Bank. Please note that the old NatWest account is closing this week.

Our new Metro Bank account is also now open. The account details are:

Account name: Christ the Cornerstone Ecumenical Partnership
Account number: 54451865
Sort code: 23 05 80

A special ‘thank you’ to everyone who donates to us by standing order or electronic payment for changing your payments to the new bank accounts. Your help has been very much appreciated.

If you are new to the church and need information about the different ways you can make regular offerings, please pick up one of the leaflets in the Reception area.

Peter Cope

Wednesday Bible Study by Zoom

Last Wednesday we completed our study of St John’s Gospel. Our next study will be of the Book of Revelation, beginning on Wednesday, 25 September 2024 at 7.00 pm. More information will be available in September. If you have not yet joined these stimulating sessions and would like to join us, please send a request to robin_kyd@yahoo.co.uk to add your email address to the list of folk receiving the Zoom link.

Cornerstone Choir

Next weekend (17–18 August 2024), the Cornerstone Choir will be singing services in Gloucester Cathedral.

Adrian Boynton

Offertory

Prayers

Closing Hymn: To God be the glory

To God be the glory, great things he has done!
so loved he the world that he gave us his Son.
Who yielded his life in atonement for sin,
and opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!
Let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus his Son;
and give him the glory, great things he has done!

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
to every believer the promise of God!
And every offender who truly believes,
that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Praise the Lord!  …

Great things he has taught us, great things he has 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.

Praise the Lord!  …

Fanny Crosby (née Frances J. van Alstyne) (1820–1915)
CCL31580

Blessings

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.
Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger,
and wrangling and slander, together with all malice,
and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another,
as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Go in peace and may the blessings of God Almighty,
Father Son and the Holy Spirit rest and remain upon you all today and always.

Amen

Sending out

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

Amen