Saint Edmund, Chingford
Communion: Mothering Sunday
The Fourth Sunday of Lent
Sunday 15 March 2026 10.00

The Gathering

A minister greets the people with these words

The Lord be with you
and also with you.

Gathering Prayer

Heavenly Father, we rejoice with thanks
for all those who have mothered us in our lives.
In a world that is broken and in need of your motherly love,
please use us to aid others as you do us in providing
comfort, nurture, protection and support.
We ask that you grow us as carers to those who need us,
so that we might celebrate your goodness together
even through our own brokenness.
Amen.

Introit Hymn

Let love be real, in giving and receiving,
without the need to manage and to own;
a haven, free from posing and pretending,
where ev’ry weakness may be safely known.
Give me your hand along the desert pathway,
give me your love wherever we may go.
Still be my friend, my critic and my lover.
Don’t make me change, don’t make me strange,
but let me grow.

Let love be real, not grasping or confining,
that strange embrace that holds yet sets us free;
that helps us face the risk of truly living,
and makes us brave to be what we might be.
Give me your strength when all my words are weakness;
give me your love in spite of all you know.
Still be my friend, my critic and my lover.
Don’t make me change, don’t make me strange,
but let me grow.

Let love be real, with no manipulation,
no secret wish to harness or control;
let us accept each other’s incompleteness,
and share the joy of learning to be whole.
Give me your hope through dreams and disappointments;
give me your trust when all my failings show.
Still be my friend, my critic and my lover.
Don’t make me change, don’t make me strange,
but let me grow.

Prayer of Preparation

God our Father, as Pharaoh s daughter noticed the needs
of a small child alone in the reeds,
so help us to notice those areas of our own lives
needing care and attention.

Therefore, let us confess our sins, seeking the embrace of God s forgiveness and peace.

Prayer of Penitence

We have failed to nurture the needy,
Lord, have mercy.

We have failed to make space in our lives for the broken-hearted.
Christ, have mercy.

We struggle to forgive those who have withheld their love from us.
Lord, have mercy.

Absolution

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
rejoices at repentance and declares his acceptance.
The dead are alive; the lost are found.
His goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life,
and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Amen.

The Collect

God of compassion,
whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary,
shared the life of a home in Nazareth,
and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself:
strengthen us in our daily living
that in joy and in sorrow
we may know the power of your presence
to bind together and to heal;
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.
Amen.

Old Testament Reading

A reading from the book of Exodus.

Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him for three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.

The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. This must be one of the Hebrews children, she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh s daughter, Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you? Pharaoh s daughter said to her, Yes. So the girl went and called the child s mother. Pharaoh s daughter said to her, Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages. So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, because , she said, I drew him out of the water.

Psalm

Psalm 34:11-20

R Come children, and listen to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Come, my children, and listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is there who delights in life
and longs for days to enjoy good things?

R Come children, and listen to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from lying words.
Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

R Come children, and listen to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous
and his ears are open to their cry.
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.

R Come children, and listen to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

The righteous cry and the Lord hears them
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and will save those who are crushed in spirit.

R Come children, and listen to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Many are the troubles of the righteous;
from them all will the Lord deliver them.
He keeps all their bones,
so that not one of them is broken.

R Come children, and listen to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

New Testament Reading

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Colossians.

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Gradual Hymn

Now thank we all our God,
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things hath done,
in whom his world rejoices;
who from our mother’s arms
hath blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours to-day.

O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessèd peace to cheer us;
and keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son, and him who reigns,
with them in highest heaven,
the one eternal God,
whom heaven and earth adore,
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Glory to you, O Lord.

Standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Hilda Gilbert

Affirmation of our Faith

Do you believe and trust in God the Father,
source of all being and life, the one for whom we exist?
We believe and trust in him.

Do you believe and trust in God the Son,
who took our human nature, died for us and rose again?
We believe and trust in him.

Do you believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit,
who gives life to the people of God
and makes Christ known in the world?
We believe and trust in him.

This is the faith of the Church.
This is our faith.
We believe and trust in one God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

These responses may be used

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

And at the end

Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

We Share God’s Peace

God has called us to live in peace.

The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

We offer each other a sign of peace.

Offertory Hymn

Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy,
be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your bliss in our hearts, Lord,
at the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
your strength in our hearts, Lord,
at the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
be there at our homing, and give us we pray,
your love in our hearts, Lord,
at the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
your peace in our hearts, Lord,
at the end of the day.

We Offer Our Gifts To God

This prayer is said

Bless these gifts for our use and us to your service.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer – Version B (Lent)

The Lord be with you.
His Spirit is with us.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.

It is right to praise you, Father, Lord of all creation;
in your love you made us for yourself.

When we turned away
you did not reject us,
but came to meet us in your Son.
You embraced us as your children
and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

In Christ you shared our life
that we might live in him and he in us.
He opened his arms of love upon the cross
and made for all the perfect sacrifice for sin.

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

On the night he was betrayed,
at supper with his friends
he took bread, and gave you thanks;
he broke it and gave it to them, saying:
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.
Father, we do this in remembrance of him:
his body is the bread of life.

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine,
he gave you thanks, and said:
Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins;
do this in remembrance of me.
Father, we do this in remembrance of him:
his blood is shed for all.

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

As we proclaim his death and celebrate his rising in glory,
send your Holy Spirit that this bread and this wine
may be to us the body and blood of your dear Son.
As we eat and drink these holy gifts
make us one in Christ, our risen Lord.

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

With your whole Church throughout the world
we offer you this sacrifice of praise
and lift our voice to join the eternal song of heaven:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray

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

Breaking of the Bread

The president breaks the consecrated bread.

We break this bread
to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body,
because we all share in one bread.

Agnus Dei

We sing

Jesus, Lamb of God,
have mercy on us.

Jesus, bearer of our sins,
have mercy on us.

Jesus, redeemer of the world,
give us your peace.

We are Invited to Share Communion

This is the table,
not of the Church but of the Lord.
It is to be made ready
for those who love him
and who want to love him more.
So, come,
you that have much faith
and you who have little,
you who have been here often
and you who have not been for a long time,
you who have tried to follow
and you who have failed.
Come, not because it is I who invite you;
it is our Lord.
It is His will that those who want Him
should be here.

Everyone who normally receives communion is invited to do so.

Prayer after Communion

We thank you, Lord,
that you have fed us with this sacrament,
united us with Christ,
and given us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet,
prepared for all people.
Amen.

Notices are given.

Thanksgiving

For the mothering of mothers
and the mothering of fathers;
for the mothering of others:
Mother God,
we give you thanks.

For those who act as midwife
to our hopes,
for those who nurse us through our pain,
for those who nurture, strengthen and guide us:
Mother God,
we give you thanks.

For those who gently push us from the nest,
for those who welcome us home,
for those who become our family,
for the motherhood of the Church:
Mother God,
we give you thanks.

Hymn

Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.

Jesu, thou art all compassion,
pure unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
 
Come, almighty to deliver,
let us all thy grace receive;
suddenly return, and never,
never more thy temples leave.

Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above;
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.

Finish then thy new creation:
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee;

Changed from glory into glory
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.

The Dismissal

God of grace and compassion
your son, Jesus Christ was part of a family in Nazareth.
He knew the love of a mother and of a father
and by dying on the cross
brought us all together as new family.
help us in the Christian journey
to strive for that day
when the whole of humanity is one family
together in your church.
Amen.

The Blessing

May the Lord of all life bless your families:
grandfathers and grandmothers,
husbands and wives, sons and daughters.
Amen.

May the Lord of all life bless your communities:
friends and neighbours, colleagues and carers,
all who bring light to your life.
Amen.

May the Lord of all life bless your homes with love and hope,
peace and joy, patience and strength.
Amen.

And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with you and remain with you always.
Amen.

Organ Voluntary

Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is included in this service, is copyright The Archbishops Council (2000)

Other material from St Mellitus College, working with Mothers’ Union, and The Bishop’s Lent Appeal, Empower Marsabit.

The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches in the USA. Used by permission. All Rights Reserved.

Hymns
CCLI Licence No 1207856

Let Love Be Real, by Michael Forster, born 1946
© 1995, Kevin Mayhew Ltd

Now thank we all our God (Nun danket alle Gott), by Martin Rinkart (1586-1649), translated by Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878) Public domain

Lord Of All Hopefulness, by Jan Struther (1901-1953) © 1931, 1982 Oxford University Press

Love Divine All Love’s Excelling, by Charles Wesley (1707-1788) Public domain