Led by: Revd Dr Margaret Goodall

Hymns and Bible readings

Call to worship

Let us worship God, who draws us together.
Let us worship God who restores us to life.

Sing praises to the Lord, and give thanks to God’s holy name.
O Lord our God, we will give thanks to you for ever.

Let us worship God.

Prayer of the Week

God of the hungry times, God of the difficult times, God of all the times of our lives,
sometimes it’s difficult to understand the direction we need to go with all the choices we have.
So we ask for your guidance. We ask for wisdom; we ask for Spirit:
in our worship, in our work, in our choices, in our lives.
May it be so, loving God!

Amen

Bible Readings

Psalm 32

Read by Robin Kyd

¹ Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
² Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

³ When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
⁴ For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.

⁵ Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, ‘I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord’
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.

⁶ Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
⁷ You are my hiding-place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
⁹ Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
¹⁰ Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.

¹¹ Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!

NIV®

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

Matthew 4: 1–11

Read by Pat Kyd

Jesus is tested in the wilderness

¹ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’

⁴ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written:

‘“He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”’

⁷ Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’

⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ⁹ ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”’

¹¹ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

NIV®

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

Hymn: Praise to the Holiest in the height

Praise to the Holiest in the height,
and in the depth be praise:
in all his words most wonderful,
most sure in all his ways.

O loving wisdom of our God!
When all was sin and shame,
a second Adam to the fight
and to the rescue came.

O wisest love! that flesh and blood,
which did in Adam fail,
should strive afresh against the foe,
should strive and should prevail;

And that a higher gift than grace
should flesh and blood refine,
God’s presence and his very self,
and essence all-divine.

O generous love! That he, who smote
in Man for man the foe,
the double agony in Man
for man should undergo.

And in the garden secretly,
and on the cross on high,
should teach hi brethren, and inspire
to suffer and to die.

Praise to the Holiest in the height,
and in the depth be praise:
in all his words most wonderful,
most sure in all his ways.

John Henry Newman (1801–1890)
CCL31580

Hymn: Dear Lord and Father of mankind

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
forgive our foolish ways;
re-clothe us in our rightful mind,
In purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence praise,
in deeper reverence praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard,
beside the Syrian sea,
the gracious calling of the Lord,
let us like them without a word
rise up and follow thee,
rise up and follow thee.

O Sabbath rest by Galilee!
O calm of hills above,
where Jesus knelt to share with thee
the silence of eternity,
interpreted by love,
interpreted by love!

Drop thy still dews of quietness,
till all pour strivings cease;
take from our souls the strain and stress,
and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of thy peace,
the beauty of thy peace.

Breath through the heats of our desire
thy coolness and thy balm;
let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still small voice of calm,
O still small voice of calm.

John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892)
CCL31580

Hymn: Will you come and follow me

Will you come and follow me,
if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know
and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown,
will you let my love be known,
will you let my life be grown,
in you and you in me?

Will you leave yourself behind
if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind
and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare
should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer
in you and you in me?

Will you let the blinded see
if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free
and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean
and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean
in you and you in me?

Will you love the ‘you’ you hide
if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside
and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found
to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound
in you and you in me?

Lord, your summons echoes true
when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you
and never be the same.
In your company I’ll go
where your love and footsteps show,
thus I’ll move and live and grow
in you and you in me.

John l. Bell (b. 1949) and Graham Maule (b. 1958) Iona Community
CCL31580

Hymn: At the name of Jesus

At the name of Jesus
every knee shall bow,
every tongue confess him
King of glory now:
’tis the Father’s pleasure
we should call him Lord,
who from the beginning
was the mighty Word.

At his voice creation
sprang at one to sight,
all the angel faces,
all the hosts of light,
thrones and dominations,
stars upon their way,
all the heavenly orders,
in their great array.

Humbled for a season,
to receive a name
from the lips of sinners
unto whom he came,
faithfully he bore it
spotless to the last,
brought it back victorious,
when from death he passed:

Bore it up triumphant
with its human light,
through all ranks of creatures,
to the central height,
to the throne of Godhead,
to the Father’s breast;
filled it with the glory,
of that perfect rest.

Name him, Christians, name him,
with love as strong as death,
but with awe and wonder
and with bated breath:
he is God the Saviour,
he is Christ the Lord,
ever to be worshipped,
trusted and adored.

In your hearts enthrone him;
there let him subdue
all that is not holy,
all that is not true:
crown him as your Captain
in temptation’s hour;
let his will enfold you
in its light and power.

Surely, this Lord Jesus
shall return again,
with his Father’s glory,
with his angel train;
for all wreaths of empire
meet upon his brow,
and our hearts confess him
King of glory now.

Caroline M. Noel (1817–1877)
CCL31580

Notices

Journeying with Jesus – Lent Course 2026 – by Zoom

This Lent, step onto the road with Jesus. Join our six-week course Journeying with Jesus, based on the Diocese of Sheffield’s inspiring study through Luke’s Gospel. (Journeying with Jesus – The Diocese of Sheffield) Together we’ll explore stories of calling, healing, gratitude and transformation, discovering what it means to walk more closely with Christ in our everyday lives.

The course runs over six weeks, starting this week. Come and share in scripture, discussion, reflection and prayer, as we journey together towards Easter. All are warmly welcome; whether you’re a long-time disciple or simply curious to explore faith more deeply. 🌿✝️

Revd George

World Day of Prayer

2.30 pm Friday, 6 March 2026 at Christ the Cornerstone

The Milton Keynes Service this year will be held at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone. The material has been prepared by women from Nigeria. We invite everyone (men and women) who will be free on Friday, 6 March 2026 from 2.30 pm for about an hour, to join us for this Service. (Please note that this is an afternoon Service this year.)

We are also looking for people (readers and non-readers) to participate. If you would like to be involved, please contact Rosemary Kearsey (01908 373263 rosemary.kearsey@btopenworld.com) or Diane Phillips (aaronandalexsnan@hotmail.com).

Rosemary Kearsey