Preacher: Revd George Mwaura
Celebrant: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Gathering Music

Welcome

Dear Lord, some of us come today in need of nourishment and refreshment,
some of us in need of company and friendship.
Some come with joy and hope to share.
Help us to all to join as one family, supporting each other, and praising and worshipping you.

Amen

[Silence]

Welcome to the house of God.
We have come from all the corners of the earth.

Welcome to the hospitality of God.
We come as we are; we bring our life, our stories, our journey.

Welcome, brothers and sisters.
We are the rainbow people of God.

Welcome, chosen people.
May God our companion bind us in his love.

Amen

Hymn: Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine

Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine:
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God;
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
visions of rapture burst on my sight;
angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour all the day long.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I on my Saviour am happy and blest —
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour all the day long.

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

Confession

Heavenly Father, we confess that we are so familiar with the stories in the Bible
that we take them for granted, failing to see them for the treasured tales that they are.

Lord, forgive us for failing to care for and to conserve the treasures of our faith
as a living tradition, not a rusty collection of old rituals.

We commit ourselves to continuing your story, the story of our faith,
with renewed life and vigour, passing on the things we have learnt
as true witnesses to your Word, faithful to our calling.

Amen

[Silence]

Into your arms we stumble again, O Lord;
your arms open in forgiveness of our foolishness and failings.
Thank you for calling us to be in your story,
and for forgiving us when we forget to play our part.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Gracious God, you inspire us with your Spirit,
granting wisdom, skill, and understanding to accomplish every good work you have prepared for us.
As you filled Bezalel and Oholiab with creative gifts for your sanctuary,
so fill us with your grace, that we may use our talents for your glory.
Remind us that we were once far off, but now, by your mercy, we are brought near through Christ.
Make us living examples of your handiwork, created anew in Jesus
for the good works you have called us to do.
Through him who unites us and gives life, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Exodus 35: 30–35

Read by Chibby Chima-Okoro

Bezalel and Oholiab

³⁰ Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, ³¹ and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills – ³² to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, ³³ to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. ³⁴ And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. ³⁵ He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers – all of them skilled workers and designers.

NIV®

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

Hymn: Every time I feel the spirit

Every time I feel the Spirit
moving in my heart I will pray.
Yes, every time I feel the Spirit
moving in my heart I will pray.

Upon the mountain, when my Lord spoke,
out of God’s mouth came fire and smoke.
Looked all around me, it looked so fine,
till I asked my Lord if all was mine.

Every time I feel the Spirit …

Jordan River, chilly and cold,
it chills the body but not the soul.
There is but one train upon this track.
It runs to heaven and then right back.

Every time I feel the Spirit …

African–American spiritual
CCL31580

Ephesians 2: 1–12

Read by Colin Ballard

Made alive in Christ

¹ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God –⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile reconciled through Christ

¹¹ Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ (which is done in the body by human hands) –¹² remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

NIV®

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

Meditation

By Krou Assoua LLM

[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

Prayers and Intercessions

Led by Robin Kyd

Sharing the Peace

The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples and said,
‘Peace be with you.’
Then they were glad when they saw the Lord.

The peace of God be always with you
and also with you!

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Hymn: Swing low, sweet chariot

Swing low, sweet chariot,
coming for to carry me home.
Swing low, sweet chariot,
coming for to carry me home.

I looked over Jordan and what did I see?
coming for to carry me home?
A band of angels coming after me.
coming for to carry me home.

Swing low, sweet chariot, …

If you get there before I do,
coming for to carry me home,
tell all my friends I’m coming too,
coming for to carry me home.

Swing low, sweet chariot, …

I’m sometimes up and sometimes down,
coming for to carry me home,
but still my soul feels heavenly bound,
coming for to carry me home.

Swing low, sweet chariot, …

African–American Spiritual
CCL31580

Holy Communion

The Thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation.
Through your goodness we have this bread to offer,
which earth has given and human hands have made.
It will become for us the bread of life.

Blessed be God for ever.

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation.
Through your goodness we have this wine to offer,
fruit of the vine and work of human hands.
It will become our spiritual drink.

Blessed be God for ever.

The Lord is here.
His Spirit is with us.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.

Almighty God, good Father to us all, your face is turned towards your world.
In love you gave us Jesus your Son to rescue us from sin and death.
Your Word goes out to call us home to the city where angels sing your praise.

We join with them in heaven’s song:

Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

We bless the name of Jesus, bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh,
whose brokenness and suffering makes love real,
who on the night in which he was betrayed took bread,
gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying,

Take, eat. This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

After supper he took the cup saying,

Drink from this, all of you, this is my blood given for you.
Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me.

This is the mystery of our faith.

Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.

Therefore, as we eat this bread and drink this cup,
we acknowledge brokenness as a path to truth.
We long for the bread of tomorrow: eternally broken and so able to nourish.
We long for the new wine of the kingdom: continuously poured out that thirst may be quenched.

Send your Spirit on us now,
that by these gifts we may feed on Christ with opened eyes and hearts on fire.
May we and all who share this food offer ourselves to live for you
and be welcomed at your feast in heaven, where all creation worships you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit:

Blessing and honour and glory and power
be yours for ever and ever.

Amen

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

The Communion

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.

Though we are many, we are one body,
because we all share in one bread.

Amen

Invitation

Come to this table, not because you must, but because you may,
not because you are strong, but because you are weak.
Come, not because any goodness of your own gives you a right to come,
but because you need mercy and help.
Come, because you love the Lord a little and would like to love him more.
Come, because he loved you and gave himself for you.
Come and meet the risen Christ, for we are his Body.

Post Communion Prayer

Eternal Father, we thank you for nourishing us with these heavenly gifts:
may our communion strengthen us in faith, build us up in hope, and make us grow in love;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Notices

Reminders: Membership Renewal and Stewardship Campaign

Thank you for collecting your envelopes letters about membership renewal and the stewardship campaign from Reception.

Here’s a reminder of what we’d like you to do after reading the information in your pack:

• Fill in your membership renewal form and let us have it back as soon as possible.
• Think about how much you can afford to give in regular freewill offerings.
• If you do on-line shopping, consider registering with ‘easy fundraising’.
• If you have any spare time, look at the opportunities for volunteering listed.

If you need any further information about anything that was in your pack, you are welcome to contact one of the Stewardship Group.

With many thanks,

Janet, Tabbie and Peter (Stewardship Group)

Milton Keynes Eco Church Network meeting

10.00 am – 12.30 pm next Saturday (11 October 2025) at St Mary’s Bletchley

The meeting will include the Eco Church Group at St Mary’s Church sharing their experiences of becoming a Bronze-level Eco Church and there will be a discussion on the theme: ‘From energy audits to action plans’. To register please complete this form: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mk-eco-church-network-visit-to-queensway-church-bletchley-mk2-2hb-tickets-1286509989009?aff=oddtdtcreator.

For more details contact Stuart Kean (stuart.kean@gmail.com).

Wednesday Bible Study:
‘Weakness Made Strong. the Stories of Moses and Rahab’

Week 3: Obedience in Weakness (Moses Steps Out and Rahab Acts)

Theme: Obedience doesn’t require perfection – just trust.

Key Scriptures: Exodus 5: 1–9 & 6: 1–12 (Moses confronts Pharaoh); Joshua 2: 15–24 (Rahab helps the spies escape).

If you would like an invitation to the Zoom sessions, please contact robin_kyd@yahoo.co.uk.

Sponsored Bible reading in aid of Church Funds

2.00–5.00 pm Saturday, 8 November 2025 on Zoom

Would you like to volunteer to read out loud from the Bible for fifteen or thirty minutes?

If so, we’d be delighted to hear from you! You can choose your favourite passages from the Bible to read and it would be great if you could collect some sponsors. The sessions will take place on Zoom, so you can read from the comfort of your own home, and others can join you to listen to inspiring words.

Please let Cheryl (chezmonty@gmail.com) or Peter (petercope26@gmail.com) know if you would like to take part. There will also be a signing up chart In Reception.

If you have a favourite Bible passage that you’d like someone to read for you, please let Cheryl or Peter know. Would you consider donating at least £5 for the privilege?

If you can’t take part on the day, please remember to sponsor your friends! More details of how to do this will be available next Sunday.

Last time we did this we raised over £1500 for church funds. Can we beat that this time?!

Thank you for your help and support.

Congregational Meeting

Sunday, 16 November 2025 in the Worship Area straight after Morning Service

Our next Congregational Meeting has been re-scheduled to Sunday, 16 November 2025, when we shall have an opportunity to hear the latest information about the Episcopal Visitation.

Offering

Final Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you that we have been able to gather as your family here today.

As we leave this place, may what we have learnt and shared remain with us.
Help us to treasure your story.
May our actions reflect your story and guide our lives, until we meet again.
In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen

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

Blessing

May the strength of God sustain us;
may the power of God preserve us;
may the hands of God protect us;
may the way of God direct us; may the love of God go with us
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
rest upon you and dwell within you this day and evermore.

Amen

Dismissal

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

Amen