Weoley Hill Order of service Sunday 16 August 2026
Led by Ann Evans
Welcome and notices given by Elder on duty
Call to Worship
Come let’s worship God from the very heart of our being. Let us be open and respond to him, with all we are, and all we hope to be.
Loving Lord, we come to you today with open hands and hearts, minds and ears, to receive all you have for us. We come in love, we come just as we are, we come in anticipation. Meet with us, we pray.
Amen.
Hymn 647 In Christ there is no east or west
Opening prayers
Come, bring your needs before our Sovereign Lord. Feel his refreshing dew fall upon our spirits as we offer true worship from the heart.
Father God of all Mercy, in your generosity you gave your Son Jesus to unlock our hearts and bestow the promise of everlasting life. Jesus, you blessed us by your loving grace, filling us with your healing love. Holy Spirit, you continue to bless and anoint us, drawing us into closer harmony, in adoring worship.
Merciful God
Glorious Saviour
Anointing Holy Spirit
We love and adore you.
Father, life is far from easy at times. We can experience pain in various forms - through humiliation, rejection, or prejudice. Words can be like arrows piercing the heart. Actions can inflict wounds that can fester. Father, you offer everyone forgiveness. Please help us to forgive others. It can feel hard to forgive those who hurt us, but you can lead us in the process. Help us also to forgive ourselves,
when we have been the ones inflicting pain.
Forgive us. Cleanse us. Draw us closer.
Give us healthy hearts and minds
that reflect you in all we say and do. Amen.
Assurance of forgiveness
Jesus, you came in love, showering us with goodness despite our wrongdoing. You shed your blood to atone for our sins and reconciled us to the Father. Through your loving grace and mercy, you freely bless us with forgiveness.
Amen.
Sharing Good News
LYCIG (Leading your church into growth) Prayer said together
God of Mission,
Who alone brings growth to your Church,
Send your Holy Spirit to give,
Vision to our planning,
Wisdom to our actions,
Joy to our worship
And power to our witness.
Help our church to grow in numbers,
In spiritual commitment to you,
And in service to our local community,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reading(s) Genesis 45:1-15, Matthew 15:10-28
Hymn 84 ‘Forgive our sins as we forgive'
Reflection Forgiveness & reconciliation
Hymn 564 Jesus, Lord, we look to thee
Prayers for the people
God of peace, we pray from the heart for those impacted so terribly by violence and conflict... those places that make the headlines and those that are forgotten... remembering especially children traumatised by all they have seen and all they have lost. We pray for those who are displaced because of civil war and we remember especially the people of Sudan in their desperation and their suffering... The news reports numbers but you Lord know each person's name and the hopes of their hearts.
Loving God, hear our prayer.
God of all creation, we pray from the heart for those impacted by severe weather and ongoing drought... for the people of China with floods and those affected by the earthquake in Colombia, for those across Europe and Canada whose lives have been devastated by wildfires, for farmers in this country and the firefighters risking their lives day after day...
Loving God, hear our prayer.
God of the young and the old, we pray from the heart for those waiting for exam results, for those who will be delighted and are confident about their next steps and those who will be devastated and feel lost... We pray for all young people struggling to find their place in the world... and we pray for those who feel their life is slipping away... for those who are forgotten now they are older, for those who have lost their independence... and for those struggling to come to terms with diminishing mobility and declining health....
Loving God, hear our prayer.
We pray from the heart for families that are estranged, for those whose families have been torn apart by violence, deceit or betrayal... for those who have family members struggling with addiction... and or those struggling with debt... We pray for those who have had someone close to them go missing, for those who hope for news day after day... and for those who, for whatever reason, have found themselves alone and in crisis...
Loving God, hear our prayer.
Finally, we pray from the heart for our own families, our friends and all those we worship alongside and pray with and for... We pray for our companion animals and the natural world that enriches and inspires us... We pray for those who guide and shape our daily lives... and for those with the responsibility of shaping the life of our church, and our nation... We pray for those we encounter in shops and in our local communities... and for those who have no-one to pray for them by name.
Loving God, hear our prayer and may the hearts of all we have prayed for be touched by joy, hope and courage in Jesus' name, Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Offertory dedication
To the God of us all; the God who gives, and wills all people freedom; we pray that our daily giving and receiving, may be like this offertory, not tired habit or empty duty alone but prompted and steered by celebration of the love of Christ. Amen
Hymn 353 There’s a wideness in God’s mercy
Blessing
Let us continue to hold before God the things we care about deeply, asking for his Spirit’s wisdom and guidance as we act and respond with generosity and love
Amen.