Welcome to our service, the theme is A recipe for prayer. Rev Stephen Haward MA is leading and Rev Jan Turner is preaching.

The service includes communion and we hope that you will join in at home, take a moment to prepare a drink and some bread before you start to listen.

The hymns are all available on YouTube.

HYMN Mission Praise 767 ‘Who is he?’
Benjamin Russell hardy (1833-67)

Welcome, Prayer, Church News, Reading – Matthew 6: 1 to 15

CALL TO WORSHIP please join in with the words in capitals
When all things change and human planning fails,
WE COME WITH JOY TO YOU, O LORD.
When spirits are low and all our minds confused,
WE COME WITH JOY TO YOU, O LORD.
‘For those who boast of empty things our God has put to shame,
LET EVERY TOWN AND VILLAGE RING WITH PRAISES TO HIS NAME;
The Lord is king, let the earth be glad, and  distant shores rejoice,
GIVE THANKS TO GOD, YOU FAITHFUL ONES, AND MAKE THE LORD YOUR CHOICE.’
AMEN.                                               
Psalm 97

HYMN Mission Praise 67 ‘Breath on me breath of God’
Edwin Hatch (1835-89) 

Communion

HYMN ‘Spirit of God, unseen as the wind’
Margaret Old, Skye Boat Song

Sermon, Act of Dedication and Blessing

SONG ‘Come, set your rule and reign’
Chris Llewellyn / Gareth Gilkeson / Will Herron

Matthew 6:1-15

Giving to the needy
6 ‘Be careful not to practise your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
² ‘So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Prayer
⁵ ‘And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

⁹ ‘This, then, is how you should pray:
‘“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.”
¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.