Service of the Word – Live Streamed – Sunday, 14 September 2025
Led by: Revd Dr Margaret Goodall
Gathering Music
Call to Worship
Amen
Greetings and Welcome
Opening Prayer
Amen
Hymn: Sing of the Lord’s goodness
Sing of the Lord’s goodness,
Father of all wisdom,
come to him and bless his name.
Mercy he has shown to us,
his love is for ever,
faithful to the end of days.
Come then all you nations,
sing of your Lord’s goodness,
melodies of praise and thanks to God.
Ring out the Lord’s glory,
praise him with your music,
worship him and bless his name.
Power he has wielded,
honour is his garment,
risen from the snares of death.
His word he has spoken,
one bread he has broken,
new life he now gives to all.
Come then all you nations, …
Courage in our darkness,
comfort in our sorrow,
Spirit of our God most high;
solace for the weary,
pardon for the sinner,
splendour of the living God.
Come then all you nations, …
Praise him with your singing,
praise him with the trumpet,
praise God with the lute and harp;
praise him with the cymbals,
praise him with your dancing,
praise God to the end of days.
Come then all you nations, …
Ernest Sands (1949–2016)
CCL31580
Thanksgiving and Confession Prayers
[Silence]
Kyrie
Absolution
Prayer of the Week
God of grace and mercy,
we thank you for disregarding our foolishness and teaching us your holy wisdom.
Instil in us the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus,
who rejoices whenever what was lost is found.
Amen
Scriptural Readings
1 Timothy 1: 12–17
Read by Robin Kyd
The Lord’s grace to Paul
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
NIV®
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn: Beauty for brokenness
Beauty for brokenness,
hope for despair,
Lord, in your suffering world
this is our prayer.
Bread for the children,
justice, joy, peace,
sunrise to sunset,
your kingdom increase!
Shelter for fragile lives,
cures for their ills,
work for all people,
trade for their skills;
land for the dispossessed,
rights for the weak,
voices to plead the cause
of those who can’t speak.
God of the poor,
friend of the weak,
give us compassion we pray:
melt our cold hearts,
let tears fall like rain;
come, change our love
from a spark to a flame.
Refuge from cruel wars,
havens from fear
cities for sanctuary,
freedoms to share.
Peace to the killing-fields,
scorched earth to green,
Christ for the bitterness,
his cross for the pain.
Rest for the ravaged earth,
oceans and streams
plundered and poisoned –
our future, our dreams.
Lord, end our madness,
carelessness, greed;
make us content with
the things that we need.
God of the poor, …
Lighten our darkness,
breathe on the flame
until your justice burns
brightly again;
until the nations
learn of your ways,
seek your salvation
and bring you their praise.
God of the poor, …
Graham Kendrick (b. 1950)
CCL31580
Luke 15: 1–10
Read by Pat Kyd
The parable of the lost sheep
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The parable of the lost coin
8 ‘Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.” 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’
NIV®
This is the Gospel of Christ.
Praise to Christ our light.
Sermon
By Revd Dr Margaret Goodall
Hymn: In the darkness of the still night
In the darkness of the still night,
in the dawning of the daylight,
in the mystery of creation,
Creator God, you are there.
In the breath of every being,
in the birthing and the growing,
in the earth and all its fulness,
Creator God, you are there.
In the homeless and the hungry,
in the broken and the lonely,
in the grieving of your people,
Creator God, you are there.
In the tears and in the heartache,
in the love through which we serve you,
in the anguish of the dying,
Creator God, you are there.
In our hearts and in our thinking,
in the longing and the dreaming,
in the yearning of our heartbeat,
Creator God, you are there.
In the love for one another,
in the sharing of our being,
in receiving and forgiving,
Creator God, you are there.
In our joys, our hopes, our healing,
in awakening to revealing,
in your call and our responding.
Creator God, you are there.
In our prayer and in our service,
in our praise and in out worship,
in your love that is eternal,
Creator God, you are there.
Margaret Rizza (b. 1929)
CCL31580
Prayers of Intercession
Led by Adrian Boynton
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
Sharing Peace
Notices
New Wednesday Bible Study:
‘Weakness Made Strong. the Stories of Moses and Rahab’
Starting Wednesday, 24 September 2025 at 7.00 pm by Zoom
If you would like an invitation to the Zoom sessions, please contact robin_kyd@yahoo.co.uk.
Fair Trade Fortnight Stall
Next Sunday (21 September 2025), in the Guildhall after the morning service
Come and see the range of ethical and fairly traded goods we have in stock or for order in the Cornerstone shop. Start planning your Christmas hampers!
Cornerstone is a Fair Trade Church. There will also be an opportunity to find out more about joining the team to promote and look after the Fair Trade offering at Cornerstone, particularly while Joy and David are away from 27 September to 4 November 2025. There are varied tasks which range in level of commitment from quick one-off every so often to the regular weekly or fortnightly.
Joy Chapman
Offertory Prayer
Gracious God, all abundance flows from your endless love.
We humbly present these offerings –both those given today and those already shared –
asking for your blessing as we build your kingdom through this church and beyond.
May these gifts serve your purpose and bring light to all corners of your world.
Hymn: The kingdom of God is justice and joy
The kingdom of God is justice and joy,
for Jesus restores what sin would destroy;
God’s power and glory in Jesus we know,
and here and hereafter the kingdom will grow.
The kingdom of God is mercy and grace,
the captives are freed, the sinners find space
the outcasts are welcomed God’s banquet to share,
and hope is awakened in place of despair.
The kingdom of God is challenge and choice,
believe the good news, repent and rejoice!
His love for us sinners brought Christ to his cross,
our crisis of judgement for gain or for loss.
God’s kingdom is come, the gift and the goal,
in Jesus begun, in heaven made whole;
the heirs of the kingdom shall answer his call,
and all things cry ‘Glory!’ to God all in all.
Bryn Rees (1911–1983)
CCL31580
Blessings
Amen
Dismissal
Church, go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ, we will.
Amen