A recording of the service is available here:

Celebrant: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Preacher: Krou Assoua LLM

Introit

Welcome

Prayer of the Week

Hymn: Forty days and forty nights

Forty days and forty nights
thou wast fasting in the wild;
forty days and forty nights
tempted, and yet undefiled:

Sunbeams scorching all the day;
chilly dew-drops nightly shed;
prowling beasts about thy way;
stones thy pillow, earth thy bed.

Shall not we thy sorrows share,
and from earthly joys abstain,
fasting with unceasing prayer,
glad with thee to suffer pain?

And if Satan, vexing sore,
flesh or spirit should assail,
thou, his vanquisher before,
grant we may not faint nor fail.

So shall we have peace divine;
holier gladness ours shall be;
round us too shall angels shine,
such as ministered to thee.

Keep, O keep us, Saviour dear,
ever constant by thy side;
that with thee we may appear
at the eternal Eastertide.

G.H. Smytten (1822–1870) and Francis Pott (1832–1909)
CCL31580

Gathering Prayer

Almighty and ever living God,
you invite us deeper into your world,
your people, your Lent.
May this time be one of outward focus;
seeking you in those we often ignore.
Help us live a Lent focused on freedom,
generosity, and encounter.
Give us hearts hungry to serve you and those who need what we have to give.

Amen

[Silence]

The Confession

Remember, Lord, your compassion and mercy
which you showed long ago.
Do not recall the sins and failings of my youth.
In your mercy remember me, Lord, because of your goodness.

[Silence]

Lord Jesus, you opened the eyes of the blind,
healed the sick,
forgave the sinful woman,
and after Peter’s denial confirmed him in your love.
Listen to my prayer: forgive all my sins,
renew your love in my heart,
help me to live in perfect unity with my fellow Christians
that I may proclaim your saving power to all the world.

Amen

Bible readings

1 Corinthians 9: 19–20

Read by Cheryl Montgomery

Paul’s use of his freedom

¹⁹ Though I am free and belong to no-one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.

NIV®

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

Mark 16: 12–20

Read by Rosemary Goldie

¹² Afterwards Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. ¹³ These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

¹⁴ Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

¹⁵ He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. ¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸ they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on people who are ill, and they will get well.’

¹⁹ After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. ²⁰ Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

NIV®

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

Meditation

By Krou Assoua LLM

Choral Reflection: Be thou my guardian and my guide

An 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

By Maggie Kean

The Peace

Jesus says,

‘Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid.’

The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.

Offering

Holy Communion

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 be with you
and also with you.

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.

Father, you made the world and love your creation.
You gave your Son Jesus Christ to be our Saviour.
His dying and rising have set us free from sin and death.
By your Holy Spirit you make us your friends.
And so we gladly thank you,
with saints and angels 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.

We praise and bless you, loving Father,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord;
and as we obey his command
send your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts,
that broken bread and wine out-poured,
may be for us the body and blood of your Dear Son.

On the night before he died he had supper with his friends
and taking the bread he praised you.
He broke the bread, shared it with them and said,
‘Take, eat; this is my body, which is given for you;
Do this in remembrance of me.’

When supper was ended he took a cup of wine.
Again he gave you thanks, shared it and said,
‘Drink this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and many for the remission of sins.
Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’

So, Father, as we remember all that Jesus did,
we plead with confidence his sacrifice made once for all upon the cross.
Bringing before you the bread of life and cup of salvation,
we proclaim his death and resurrection until he comes in glory.

Great is the mystery of faith:

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

Lord of all life, help us to work together for that day
when your kingdom comes and justice and mercy will be seen in all the earth.

Look with favour on your people;
gather us in your loving arms
and bring us with all the saints
to feast at your table in heaven.

Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit
all honour and glory are yours, O loving Father,
for ever and ever.

Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray:

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 one bread.

Take this bread:
share this wine.
In these Christ comes to us with love from God.

The gifts of God for the people of God.

Amen

Prayer after Communion

Lord Jesus Christ,
we thank you that you have satisfied
our hunger and our thirst
with living bread and living wine
Go with us now,
and help us to share what we have received,
so that those we meet
may glimpse a little of your love
and through coming to know you
find nourishment for their souls.

Amen

Notices

Hymn: Lord, your church on earth is seeking

Lord, your church on earth is seeking
your renewal from above;
teach us all the art of speaking
with the accent of your love.
We would heed your great commission:
sending us to every place —
preach, baptise, fulfil my mission,
serve with love and share my grace.

Freedom give to those in bondage,
lift the burdens caused by sin.
give new hope, new strength and courage,
grant release from fears within:
light for darkness; joy for sorrow;
love for hatred; peace for strife.

In the streets of every city
where the bruised and lonely dwell,
let us show the Saviour’s pity,
let us of his mercies tell.
In all lands and with all races
let us serve, and seek to bring
all the world to render praises,
Christ, to you, Redeemer, King.

Hugh Sherlock (1905–1988)
CCL31580

The Blessing

God, go with us in our journey of Lent
revive us when we grow weary,
direct us when we go astray,
inspire us when we turn back.

Keep us traveling ever-onwards,
a pilgrim people,
looking to Jesus Christ,
who has run the race before us,
and who waits to welcome us home.

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

Amen

The Dismissal

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Amen

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The following musical items, which could not be included in the Service, are available here:

The Lenten Prose – Hear us O Lord have mercy upon us

Attende Domine, composed in the 10th century by Mozarabs, Iberian Christians living under Arab Islamic rule in Al-Andalus.

Choral Reflection – His yoke is easy and his burthen is light

Words from Matthew 11:30 from HWV 56 the oratorio ‘Messiah’ composed by Georg Friederich Händel.

Postlude – O for the wings of a dove

from the cantata “Hear my prayer” MWV B 49 composed by Felix Mendelssohn.