Presiding Minister: Revd Hannah Akibo-Betts

Call to Worship

Jesus said, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’
We come trusting in God’s unfailing love to meet us where we are.

Jesus says, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel’ – but also said, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’
Through Christ we are guided and protected.

Jesus came that we may stay connected with him and have life abundantly.
We come with our strengths and weaknesses
to worship the One who guides, delivers and protects his Word to perform it.

Let us worship God.
We gather in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen

Greetings and Welcome

Opening Prayer

Father, we thank you that you watch over your Word to perform it.
You met and stood with Joseph and took him out of the well.
Jesus listened to the Syrophoenician woman and granted her needs.
Meet each one of us where we are this morning as we bring our worship.
Be in the challenges, traumas and joys of our lives; in Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen

Hymn: I know not why God’s wondrous grace

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
to me he hath made known,
nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
redeemed me for his own.

But, ‘I know whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that He is able
to keep that which I’ve committed
unto Him against that day.’

I know not how this saving faith
to me he did impart,
nor how believing in his Word
wrought peace within my heart.

But, ‘I know whom I have believed, …

I know not how the Spirit moves,
convicting men of sin,
revealing Jesus through the Word,
creating faith in him.

But, ‘I know whom I have believed, …

I know not when my Lord may come,
at night or noonday fair,
nor if I’ll walk the vale with him,
or ‘meet him in the air’.

But, ‘I know whom I have believed, …

Daniel Webster Whittle (1840–1901)
CCL31580

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Confession

Father, we thank you for the foundational incorporation of us in your redemptive plan.
Jesus, Lord and author of our lives; we thank you for your work on the Cross that brought us to you.
Forgive us when and where we have fallen below your standards for us.
We confess that we do not get it right.

In silence we make our personal confessions.

[Silence]

Kyrie

Lord have mercy.
Lord have mercy.

Christ have mercy.
Christ have mercy.

Lord have mercy.
Lord have mercy.

Amen

Words of Grace

Lord, we thank you that you hear our prayers.
As We accept your forgiveness help us not to keep making the same mistakes and wrong-doings.
In Jesus’ name we pray.

Thanks be to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Almighty God, you crossed the boundary to meet the Syrophoenician woman;
you met Joseph in, and took him out of, the well.
Be the bridge in places where we experience divisions in our daily lives.
Open our eyes to see your rescue plans for each of us in the circumstances and challenges of our lives.
Turn our ‘well’ experiences as pathways to your perfect will and plans for us
and give us the strength to wait and co-operate with you; in your name we pray.

Amen

Bible Readings

Genesis 45: 1–15

Read by Nerys Steeds

Joseph makes himself known

¹ Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, ‘Make everyone leave my presence!’ So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. ² And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.

³ Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph! Is my father still living?’ But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come close to me.’ When they had done so, he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! ⁵ And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. ⁶ For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no ploughing and reaping. ⁷ But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

⁸ ‘So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. ⁹ Now hurry back to my father and say to him, “This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. ¹⁰ You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me – you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. ¹¹ I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.”

¹² ‘You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. ¹³ Tell my father about all the honour accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.’

¹⁴ Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. ¹⁵ And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterwards his brothers talked with him.

NIV®

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

Hymn: Living Hope

How great the chasm that lay between us;
how high the mountain I could not climb.
In desperation, I turned to heaven
and spoke Your name into the night.
Then through the darkness, Your loving-kindness
tore through the shadows of my soul.
The work is finished, the end is written,
Jesus Christ, my living hope.

Who could imagine so great a mercy?
What heart could fathom such boundless grace?
The God of ages stepped down from glory
to wear my sin and bear my shame.
The cross has spoken, I am forgiven;
the King of kings calls me His own.
Beautiful Saviour, I’m Yours for ever:
Jesus Christ, my living hope.

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free!
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me!
You have broken every chain;
there’s salvation in Your name:
Jesus Christ, my living hope.

Then came the morning that sealed the promise:
Your buried body began to breathe;
out of the silence, the Roaring Lion
declared the grave has no claim on me.
Then came the morning that sealed the promise:
Your buried body began to breathe;
out of the silence, the Roaring Lion
declared the grave has no claim on me.
Jesus, Yours is the victory, whoa!

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free!
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me!
You have broken every chain;
There’s salvation in Your name:
Jesus Christ, my living hope.

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free!
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me!
You have broken every chain;
There’s salvation in Your name:
Jesus Christ, my living hope.

Jesus Christ, my living hope.
Oh God, You are my living hope.

Phil Wickham (b. 1984)
CCL31580

Matthew 15: 21–28

Read by Peter Steeds

The faith of a Canaanite woman

²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.’

²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, ‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’

²⁴ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’

²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she said.

²⁶ He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’

²⁷ ‘Yes it is, Lord,’ she said. ‘Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.’

²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed at that moment.

NIV®

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

Sermon

By Revd Hannah Akibo-Betts

Musical Meditation

Affirmation of Faith

We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who came that we might have life, and have it abundantly.
He lived among us, died for our sins, rose again from the dead, and reigns at the Father’s right hand.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with courage, guides us in truth,
and gathers the Church into one body.
We believe that God is with us in every circumstance, that Christ is our Shepherd and our Gate,
and that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

We believe in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen

Prayers of Intercession

Led by Maggie Kean

Sharing the Peace

Christ is our peace. Through him we are reconciled to God and to one another.
Brothers and sisters, may the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be always with you,
and also with you.

Let us send ‘Peace’ to the persecuted and war-torn areas of the world
as you agree with one another through Christ’s Peace.

Hymn: Jesus, our Redeemer
(There is a Redeemer)

There is a Redeemer,
Jesus, God’s own Son,
precious lamb of God, Messiah,
Holy One.

Thank you, O my Father,
for giving us your Son,
and leaving your Spirit
till the work on earth is done.

Jesus, my Redeemer,
Name above all names,
precious lamb of God, Messiah,
O for sinners slain.

Thank you, O my Father,
for giving us your Son,
and leaving your Spirit
till the work on earth is done.

When I stand in glory
I will see his face,
and there I’ll serve my King for ever
in that holy place.

Thank you, O my Father,
for giving us your Son,
and leaving your Spirit
till the work on earth is done.

Melody Green (b. 1946) vv. 1 & 2, Keith Green (1953–1982) v. 3
CCL31580

Preparation of the Table

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation
through your goodness we have this bread to set before you,
fruit of the earth and work of human hands.
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 set before you,
fruit of the vine and work of human hands.
It will become for us the cup of salvation.
Blessed be God for ever.

The Great Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you,
and also with you.

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

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

Father, we give you thanks and praise through your beloved Son Jesus Christ,
your living Word, through whom you have created all things;
who was sent by you in your great goodness to be our Saviour.
By the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh; as your Son,
born of the blessed Virgin, he lived on earth and went about among us;
he opened wide his arms for us on the cross; he put an end to death by dying for us;
and revealed the resurrection by rising to new life;
so he fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people.

Therefore, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven,
we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and saying:

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.

Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness;
grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will,
these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ;
who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks;
he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying:
‘Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’
In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks;
he gave it to them, saying:
‘Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’

Great is the mystery of faith:

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

And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross,
his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world;
rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory,
we celebrate this memorial of our redemption.
As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup
and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you.
Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom
all who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of all the saints,
may praise and glorify you for ever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord; by whom, and with whom, and in whom,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, 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

Breaking of the Bread

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in the one bread.

Invitation to Communion

Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Blessed are those who are called to his supper.
Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word, and I shall be healed

Meal is shared

Post Communion Prayer

Almighty and eternal God, may we who have received this eucharist
worship you in all we do, and proclaim the glory of your majesty.
Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Notices and Offertory

Revd Sarah Eden-Jones’s Induction Service

7.00 pm Monday, 28 September 2026

Our new Minister, Revd Sarah Eden-Jones, will be inducted by Bishop Dave, Bishop of Buckingham, at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone on Monday, 28 September 2026. The Induction Service is scheduled for 7.00 pm. The Service will be very well-attended, so you are advised to arrive in good time. This Service will be live-streamed.

Screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing Film

2.00–4.00 pm Sunday, 13 September 2026 at Cornerstone

You are invited to attend a free screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing Film about the risks to British life from ongoing damage to nature and to our climate. The film presents a clear, measured overview of how the climate and nature crisis is affecting everyday life in Britain – and what the evidence says about risks and responses. This screening is for members of the faith communities in Milton Keynes. The 45-minute film will be followed by a time of discussion.

Please book your free ticket using EventBrite by clicking here and registering: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/peoples-emergency-briefing-film-for-milton-keynes-faith-communities-tickets-1995450216313?aff=oddtdtcreator.

Revd George Mwaura, Chair, Churches Together in Milton Keynes
The Co-Convenors and Committee of Interfaith MK
Dr Stuart Kean, Convenor, MK Eco Church Network

Offertory Prayer

Gracious God, all abundance flows from your endless love.
We humbly present these offerings before you, those placed before your altar today
and those given faithfully throughout the week,
whether shared in person or offered electronically, seen and unseen.
Receive them all as signs of our gratitude and tokens of our trust in you.
Bless these gifts and those who give them, that they may serve your purposes, proclaim your kingdom,
and reflect the generous love revealed to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Hymn: Lord, for the years

Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided,
urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way,
sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided,
Lord of the years, we bring our thanks today.

Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us,
speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,
teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us,
Lord of the word, receive your people’s praise.

Lord, for our land, in this our generation,
spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care;
for young and old, for commonwealth and nation,
Lord of our land, be pleased to hear our prayer.

Lord, for our world; when we disown and doubt him,
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain;
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without him,
Lord of our world, we pray that Christ may reign.

Lord, for ourselves; in living power remake us,
self on the cross and Christ upon the throne;
past put behind us, for the future take us,
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.

Timothy Dudley-Smith (1926–2024)
CCL31580

Mission and Dismissal

Go forth in God’s strength and guidance, for God is with you wherever you go.
We will trust in the Lord and follow Christ.

Go forth to share the abundant life of Christ with the world.
Thanks be to God.

Amen

Blessings and Sending out

May the love of the Father enfold you,
the grace of the Son redeem you,
and the power of the Holy Spirit strengthen you.

And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us and remain with us always.

Amen

Church, go into the world to love and serve the Lord,
making disciples of all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

In the name of Christ.

Amen