St Mary’s Wedmore

09/06/2026

Over the next few weeks we will be using material and reflections from the Pilgrim Places Holy Lives series
https://www.churchofengland.org/.../pilgrim-places-holy...
9 June is also the feast day of St Columba

O Lord, open our lips
All and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, creator of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your dawn renews the face of the earth
bringing light and life to all creation,
may we rejoice in this day you have made;
as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep,
open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
All Blessed be God for ever.

The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
All Amen.

Psalm of The Week - Psalm 98
1 Sing to the Lord a new song, ♦
for he has done marvellous things.
2 His own right hand and his holy arm ♦
have won for him the victory.
3 The Lord has made known his salvation; ♦
his deliverance has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.
4 He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness
towards the house of Israel, ♦
and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
5 Sound praises to the Lord, all the earth; ♦
break into singing and make music.
6 Make music to the Lord with the lyre, ♦
with the lyre and the voice of melody.
7 With trumpets and the sound of the horn ♦
sound praises before the Lord, the King.
8 Let the sea thunder and all that fills it, ♦
the world and all that dwell upon it.
9 Let the rivers clap their hands ♦
and let the hills ring out together before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
10 In righteousness shall he judge the world ♦
and the peoples with equity.

Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

Bible Reading - Luke 12.13-21

Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’ Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’

Reflection

Prayers

The Collect

Almighty God,
who filled the heart of Columba
with the joy of the Holy Spirit
and with deep love for those in his care:
may your pilgrim people follow him,
strong in faith, sustained by hope,
and one in the love that binds us to you;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

All Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Closing Responses

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
All Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.

06/06/2026

Good morning and welcome.

O Lord, open our lips
All and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, creator of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your dawn renews the face of the earth
bringing light and life to all creation,
may we rejoice in this day you have made;
as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep,
open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
All Blessed be God for ever.

The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
All Amen.

Psalm of The Week - Psalm 95

1 O come, let us sing to the Lord; ♦
let us heartily rejoice in the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving ♦
and be glad in him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is a great God ♦
and a great king above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth ♦
and the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it, ♦
and his hands have moulded the dry land.
6 Come, let us worship and bow down ♦
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For he is our God; ♦
we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
8 O that today you would listen to his voice: ♦
‘Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
on that day at Massah in the wilderness,
9 ‘When your forebears tested me, and put me to the proof, ♦
though they had seen my works.
10 ‘Forty years long I detested that generation and said, ♦
“This people are wayward in their hearts;
they do not know my ways.”
11 ‘So I swore in my wrath, ♦
“They shall not enter into my rest.”’

Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

Bible Reading - Luke 11.37-end

While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him; so he went in and took his place at the table. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you.
‘But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practised, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honour in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the market-places. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it.’
One of the lawyers answered him, ‘Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us too.’ And he said, ‘Woe also to you lawyers! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them. Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors; for they killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, “I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute”, so that this generation may be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation. Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.’
When he went outside, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile towards him and to cross-examine him about many things, lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.

Reflection

Prayers

The Collect

Almighty and everlasting God,
you have given us your servants grace,
by the confession of a true faith,
to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity
and in the power of the divine majesty to worship the Unity:
keep us steadfast in this faith,
that we may evermore be defended from all adversities;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

All Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Closing Responses

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
All Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.

04/06/2026

St Mary's Fairtrade Coffee Shop is back on Saturday morning.
Fairtrade Coffee and Tea
Homemade Cakes

9.30 a.m.-12 noon
See you there!

04/06/2026

O Lord, open our lips
All and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, creator of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your dawn renews the face of the earth
bringing light and life to all creation,
may we rejoice in this day you have made;
as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep,
open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
All Blessed be God for ever.

The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
All Amen.

Psalm of The Week - Psalm 95

1 O come, let us sing to the Lord; ♦
let us heartily rejoice in the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving ♦
and be glad in him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is a great God ♦
and a great king above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth ♦
and the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it, ♦
and his hands have moulded the dry land.
6 Come, let us worship and bow down ♦
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For he is our God; ♦
we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
8 O that today you would listen to his voice: ♦
‘Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
on that day at Massah in the wilderness,
9 ‘When your forebears tested me, and put me to the proof, ♦
though they had seen my works.
10 ‘Forty years long I detested that generation and said, ♦
“This people are wayward in their hearts;
they do not know my ways.”
11 ‘So I swore in my wrath, ♦
“They shall not enter into my rest.”’

Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

Bible Reading - 1 Corinthians 10.1-17

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.
Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.’ We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.
Therefore, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

Reflection

Prayers

The Collect

Lord Jesus Christ,
we thank you that in this wonderful sacrament
you have given us the memorial of your passion:
grant us so to reverence the sacred mysteries
of your body and blood
that we may know within ourselves
and show forth in our lives
the fruits of your redemption;
for you are alive and reign with the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Closing Responses

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
All Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.

02/06/2026

Good morning and welcome.

O Lord, open our lips
All and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Blessed are you, creator of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your dawn renews the face of the earth
bringing light and life to all creation,
may we rejoice in this day you have made;
as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep,
open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
All Blessed be God for ever.

The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
All Amen.

Psalm of The Week - Psalm 95

1 O come, let us sing to the Lord; ♦
let us heartily rejoice in the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving ♦
and be glad in him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is a great God ♦
and a great king above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth ♦
and the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it, ♦
and his hands have moulded the dry land.
6 Come, let us worship and bow down ♦
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For he is our God; ♦
we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
8 O that today you would listen to his voice: ♦
‘Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
on that day at Massah in the wilderness,
9 ‘When your forebears tested me, and put me to the proof, ♦
though they had seen my works.
10 ‘Forty years long I detested that generation and said, ♦
“This people are wayward in their hearts;
they do not know my ways.”
11 ‘So I swore in my wrath, ♦
“They shall not enter into my rest.”’

Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

Bible Reading -Luke 10.38-end

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’

Reflection

Prayers

The Collect

Almighty and everlasting God,
you have given us your servants grace,
by the confession of a true faith,
to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity
and in the power of the divine majesty to worship the Unity:
keep us steadfast in this faith,
that we may evermore be defended from all adversities;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

All Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Closing Responses

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
All Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.

21/05/2026

Morning Prayer is enjoying a shut down week from Saturday.
We'll be back with Morning Prayer live on Tuesday 2nd June at 9.00am.

21/05/2026

Summer Songs of Praise: Sunday 14th June 10am in St Mary's.
The five churches of the Benefice are coming together for a Summer Songs of Praise on 14th June and we would love you to vote for your favourite hymns so we can sing these. Here's a link to make your choices: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSwOU9Yu5GVJOLwGQ-_59nm0ictH6b8IOd7AgNNU4hRqDPOg/viewform?usp=header
Please vote ASAP so that the choirs have time to practise.

Please choose your three favourite hymns for our Songs of Praise service next month. You may also suggest one additional hymn of your own if you can't find the hymn you want on the list.

21/05/2026

Good morning and welcome.

Here's the Order:

O Lord, open our lips
All and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Send your Holy Spirit upon us,
All and clothe us with power from on high. Alleluia.

Blessed are you, creator God,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your Spirit moved over the face of the waters
bringing light and life to your creation,
pour out your Spirit on us today
that we may walk as children of light
and by your grace reveal your presence.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
All Blessed be God for ever.

The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
All Amen.

Psalm of The Week - 89 vv 1-18

1 My song shall be always of the loving-kindness of the Lord: ♦
with my mouth will I proclaim your faithfulness
throughout all generations.
2 I will declare that your love is established for ever; ♦
you have set your faithfulness as firm as the heavens.
3 For you said: ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one; ♦
I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
4 “‘Your seed will I establish for ever ♦
and build up your throne for all generations.”’
5 The heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, ♦
and your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones;
6 For who among the clouds can be compared to the Lord? ♦
Who is like the Lord among the host of heaven?
7 A God feared in the council of the holy ones, ♦
great and terrible above all those round about him.
8 Who is like you, Lord God of hosts? ♦
Mighty Lord, your faithfulness is all around you.
9 You rule the raging of the sea; ♦
you still its waves when they arise.
10 You crushed Rahab with a deadly wound ♦
and scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11 Yours are the heavens; the earth also is yours; ♦
you established the world and all that fills it.
12 You created the north and the south; ♦
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
13 You have a mighty arm; ♦
strong is your hand and high is your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; ♦
steadfast love and faithfulness go before your face.
15 Happy are the people who know the shout of triumph: ♦
they walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance.
16 In your name they rejoice all the day long ♦
and are exalted in your righteousness.
17 For you are the glory of their strength, ♦
and in your favour you lift up our heads.
18 Truly the Lord is our shield; ♦
the Holy One of Israel is our king.

Bible Reading -Luke 8.26-39

26 Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.
27 As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs.
28 When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me’-
29 for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.)
30 Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Legion’; for many demons had entered him.
31 They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.
32 Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission.
33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
34 When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country.
35 Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
36 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed.
37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.
38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying,
39 ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

Thy Kingdom Come Reflection

Prayers

Collect

O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Being made one by the power of the Spirit,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

All Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Closing Responses

May the Spirit kindle in us the fire of God’s love.
All Amen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
All Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.

19/05/2026

O Lord, open our lips
All and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Send your Holy Spirit upon us,
All and clothe us with power from on high. Alleluia..
Blessed are you, creator God,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your Spirit moved over the face of the waters
bringing light and life to your creation,
pour out your Spirit on us today
that we may walk as children of light
and by your grace reveal your presence.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
All Blessed be God for ever.

The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
All Amen.
Psalm of The Week - 89 vv 1-18
1 My song shall be always of the loving-kindness of the Lord: ♦
with my mouth will I proclaim your faithfulness
throughout all generations.
2 I will declare that your love is established for ever; ♦
you have set your faithfulness as firm as the heavens.
3 For you said: ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one; ♦
I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
4 “‘Your seed will I establish for ever ♦
and build up your throne for all generations.”’
5 The heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, ♦
and your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones;
6 For who among the clouds can be compared to the Lord? ♦
Who is like the Lord among the host of heaven?
7 A God feared in the council of the holy ones, ♦
great and terrible above all those round about him.
8 Who is like you, Lord God of hosts? ♦
Mighty Lord, your faithfulness is all around you.
9 You rule the raging of the sea; ♦
you still its waves when they arise.
10 You crushed Rahab with a deadly wound ♦
and scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11 Yours are the heavens; the earth also is yours; ♦
you established the world and all that fills it.
12 You created the north and the south; ♦
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
13 You have a mighty arm; ♦
strong is your hand and high is your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; ♦
steadfast love and faithfulness go before your face.
15 Happy are the people who know the shout of triumph: ♦
they walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance.
16 In your name they rejoice all the day long ♦
and are exalted in your righteousness.
17 For you are the glory of their strength, ♦
and in your favour you lift up our heads.
18 Truly the Lord is our shield; ♦
the Holy One of Israel is our king.

Bible Reading -Luke 8.1-15
Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.
When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: ‘A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.’ As he said this, he called out, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’
Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that
“looking they may not perceive,
and listening they may not understand.”
‘Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.
Thy Kingdom Come Reflection
Prayers
Collect
Almighty God,
who raised up Dunstan to be a true shepherd of the flock,
a restorer of monastic life
and a faithful counsellor to those in authority:
give to all pastors the same gifts of your Holy Spirit
that they may be true servants of Christ and of all his people;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Being made one by the power of the Spirit,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
All Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Closing Responses
May the Spirit kindle in us the fire of God’s love.
All Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
All Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.

16/05/2026

Good morning and welcome.

Through this time of Ascension to Pentecost we join the Global Wave of Prayer Thy Kingdom Come , using reflections written by Archbishop Sarah Mullaly. You can find all of these athttps://www.thykingdomcome.global/sites/default/files/2026-03/TKC%20Novena%202026%20DIGITAL_0.pdf

O Lord, open our lips
All and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Send your Holy Spirit upon us,
All and clothe us with power from on high. Alleluia.

Blessed are you, creator God,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your Spirit moved over the face of the waters
bringing light and life to your creation,
pour out your Spirit on us today
that we may walk as children of light
and by your grace reveal your presence.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
All Blessed be God for ever.

The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
All Amen.

Psalm 84

1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! ♦
My soul has a desire and longing to enter the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.
2 The sparrow has found her a house
and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young: ♦
at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
3 Blessed are they who dwell in your house: ♦
they will always be praising you.
4 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, ♦
in whose heart are the highways to Zion,
5 Who going through the barren valley find there a spring, ♦
and the early rains will clothe it with blessing.
6 They will go from strength to strength ♦
and appear before God in Zion.
7 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; ♦
listen, O God of Jacob.
8 Behold our defender, O God, ♦
and look upon the face of your anointed.
9 For one day in your courts ♦
is better than a thousand.
10 I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God ♦
than dwell in the tents of ungodliness.
11 For the Lord God is both sun and shield;
he will give grace and glory; ♦
no good thing shall the Lord withhold
from those who walk with integrity.
12 O Lord God of hosts, ♦
blessed are those who put their trust in you.

Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

Bible Reading - Luke 7.18-35

The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ When the men had come to him, they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” ’ Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’

When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.”
I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’ (And all the people who heard this, including the tax-collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism. But by refusing to be baptized by him, the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves.)

‘To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the market-place and calling to one another,
“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not weep.”
For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, “He has a demon”; the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.’

Thy Kingdom Come Reflection

Prayers

Collect for the Day

O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.

The Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Closing Responses

May the Spirit kindle in us the fire of God’s love.
All Amen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
All Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.