Led by Revd George Mwaura
and Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Preacher: Revd George Mwaura

Gathering Music

Welcome

God has been with us through the week just gone, in all the joys and all the sorrows
Let us come together and worship God as creator and sustainer of all things,
and our constant companion in all things.

[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

Gathering Prayer

Almighty God, thank you for all the times and places where we have seen you at work this week.
Come and reveal yourself to us again now,
that we might be strengthened in our faith and renewed in our trust of you.

Amen

Hymn: Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine

Blessed 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;
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, …

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blest;
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love.

This is my story, …

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

Confession

Lord, we confess that we are quick to decide who are the weeds among us;
mostly, we think they are whoever is outside these walls,
and maybe one or two here with whom we disagree in some way.
We, of course, are wheat;
so, we raise ourselves high, while casting our brothers and sisters down in our harsh judgement.
Lord, you see the wheat and the weeds within each one of us,
the good and the bad battling for space to grow.

[Silence]

Forgive us, Father, for the less-than-Christian thoughts and attitudes
we allow to take hold of our souls,
smothering the good growth you have nurtured within us.
Help us to accept that we all have our failings,
and so it is right that we should all be given a chance,
for you are the only one who sees everything and is fit to judge.
We humbly ask your mercy, O Lord.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Loving and Living God, you let your sun rise on both the bad and the good.
Change our hearts and minds, so that we may learn to accept others with love,
as you have accepted us.
We pray that your Holy Spirit will grant our communities a sense of unity,
mutual respect and love as you have for us.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Psalm 86: 11–17

Read by Peter Steeds

¹¹ Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
¹² I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
¹³ For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.

¹⁴ Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
ruthless people are trying to kill me—
they have no regard for you.
¹⁵ But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
¹⁶ Turn to me and have mercy on me;
show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
just as my mother did.
¹⁷ Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

NIV®

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

Hymn: Faithful One so unchanging

Faithful One so unchanging,
Ageless One you’re my rock of peace,
Lord of all I depend on you,
I call out to you, again and again,
I call out to you, again and again’
You are my rock in times of trouble.
You lift me up when I fall down.
All through the storm your love is the anchor,
my hope is in you alone.

Brian Doerksen (b. 1965)
CCL31580

Matthew 13: 24–30

Read by Nerys Steeds

The Parable of the Weeds

²⁴ Jesus told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶ When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

²⁷ ‘The owner’s servants came to him and said, “Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?”

²⁸  “‘An enemy did this,” he replied.

‘The servants asked him, “Do you want us to go and pull them up?”

²⁹  “‘No,” he answered, “because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.”’

NIV®

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

Meditation

By Revd George Mwaura

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

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,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Amen

Hymn: Lord, the light of your love is shining

Lord, the light of your love is shining,
in the midst of the darkness, shining;
Jesus, Light of the World, shine upon us,
set us free by the truth you now bring us,
shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine,
fill this land with the Father’s glory;
blaze, Spirit, blaze,
set out hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow,
flood the nations with grace and mercy;
send forth your Word, Lord,
and let there be light.

Lord, I come to your awesome presence,
from the shadows into your radiance;
by the blood I may enter your brightness,
search me, try me, consume all my darkness.
Shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine, …

As we gaze on your kingly brightness
so our faces display your likeness,
ever changing from glory to glory,
mirrored here may our lives tell your story.
Shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine, …

Graham Kendrick (b. 1950)
CCL31580

The Peace

Peace to you from God who is our Father.
Peace from Jesus Christ who is our peace.
Peace from the Holy Spirit who gives us life

The peace of the God be always with you.
and also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Notices

Sunday School Summer Holiday

The Sunday School is now on holiday’ Sunday School will restart on Sunday, 3 September 2023. Activity packs are available for children to work on at their seats. Parents can choose that their children stay with them in the Worship Area, or, if they are unsettled, take them to the tables in the Cloisters and stay with them there.

Wednesday Bible Study: Parables of the Kingdom

Our Wednesday evening Bible Studies on the Parables of the Kingdom continue this week, led by Revd George Mwaura. Our parable this week is the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25: 1–13). We are also asked to compare this parable with Luke 21: 34–36 (‘Be on the alert’). If you haven’t previously joined in these Bible study sessions, but would like to receive invitations to these Zoom sessions please contact Robin Kyd (robin_kyd@yahoo.co.uk).

Pastoral Workers’ Support Group

The Pastoral Workers’ Support Group meets this week at 10.00 am on Friday (18 July 2023) in the church. All volunteers on Reception are also invited to attend these sessions of the Support Group.

MK Food Bank

If you would like to support the MK Food Bank, please remember that they collect food from Cornerstone regularly. If you are able to bring in some appropriate food, you can do this on any day of the week, including Sundays, and put it in the grey cupboard in Reception. The Food Bank is much in demand in these difficult times. There is always an up-to-date list of those items they are most in need of on their website: https://mkfoodbank.org.uk/.

Offering

Final Prayer

Almighty God, you are the creator and sustainer of all things and we put our trust in you.
Be with us in the days ahead, in all our joys and challenges.
Help us to remember that all things are yours and nothing can take us out of your hands. In Jesus’ name.

Amen

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 shall grow.

The kingdom of God is mercy and grace;
the captives are freed, the sinners find place,
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 (1911–83)
CCL31580

Blessing

God grant to the living grace, to the departed rest,
to the Church, the King, the Commonwealth and all people, unity, peace, and concord,
and to us and all God’s servants, life everlasting;
and the blessing of God almighty
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.

Amen

Dismissal

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

Amen