Saint Edmund, Chingford
All-Age Communion:
The First Sunday after Trinity
Sunday 7 June 2026 10.00

Hymn

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven,
to his feet thy tribute bring;
ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
who like me his praise should sing?
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.

Praise him for his grace and favour
to our fathers in distress;
praise him still the same as ever,
slow to chide, and swift to bless:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Glorious in his faithfulness.

Father-like he tends and spares us,
well our feeble frame he knows,
in his hands he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Widely as his mercy flows.

Angels, help us to adore him;
ye behold him face to face;
sun and moon, bow down before him,
dwellers all in time and space:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace.

The Beginning

In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

The Lord be with you
and also with you.

We Say Sorry

Father in heaven
we have not loved you
with our whole heart.

We have hurt you and others
with what we have said.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

We have hurt you and others
with what we have thought.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

We have hurt you and others
with what we have done.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

May the God of love
bring us back to himself,
forgive us our sins,
and assure us of his eternal love,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

We Sing A Song Of Praise – The Gloria

Glory to God, glory to God, glory in the highest.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory in the highest.
To God be glory forever.
To God be glory forever.
Alleluia, amen.
Alleluia, amen.
Alleluia amen,
alleluia amen.

The Prayer For The Week

O God,
the strength of all those who put their trust in you,
mercifully accept our prayers
and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature
we can do no good thing without you,
grant us the help of your grace,
that in the keeping of your commandments
we may please you both in will and deed;
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 the prophet Hosea.

I will return again to my place
until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face.
In their distress they will beg my favour:

‘Come, let us return to the Lord;
for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us;
he has struck down, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
Let us know, let us press on to know the LORD;
his appearing is as sure as the dawn;
he will come to us like the showers,
like the spring rains that water the earth.’
What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes away early.
Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
I have killed them by the words of my mouth,
and my judgement goes forth as the light.
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings.

New Testament Reading

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.

The promise that Abrham would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

Hymn

Will you come and follow me
if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know
and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown,
will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown
in you and you in me?

Will you leave your self behind
if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind
and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare
should your life attract or scare,
will you let me answer prayer
in you and you in me?

Will you let the blinded see
if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free
and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean
and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean
in you and you in me?

Will you love the ‘you’ you hide
if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside
and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found
to reshape the world around
through my sight and touch and sound
in you and you in me?

Lord, your summons echoes true
when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you
and never be the same.
In your company I’ll go
where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow
in you and you in me.

We Hear The Word Of The Lord
(Gospel Reading)

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

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’

While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.’ And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute-players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, ‘Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district.

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

Sermon – We Talk About What We Have Heard

Ruth Holmes

We Declare What We Believe

Let us declare our faith in God.

We believe in God the Father,
from whom every family
in heaven and earth is named.

We believe in God the Son,
who lives in our hearts through faith,
and fills us with love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
who strengthens us
with power from on high.

We believe in one God:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.

We Pray For The Church And For The World

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.

We offer each other a sign of peace.

Hymn

God is love: his the care,
tending each, ev’rywhere.
God is love all is there!
Jesus came to show him,
that mankind might know him:

Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud! loud! loud!
God is good! God is truth!
God is beauty! Praise him!

None can see God above;
all have here man to love;
thus may we Godward move,
finding him in others,
holding all men brothers:

Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud! loud! loud!
God is good! God is truth!
God is beauty! Praise him!

Jesus lived here for men,
strove and died, rose again,
rules our hearts, now as then;
for he came to save us,
by the truth he gave us:

Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud! loud! loud!
God is good! God is truth!
God is beauty! Praise him!

To our Lord praise we sing –
light and life, friend and king,
coming down love to bring,
pattern for our duty,
showing God in beauty:

Sing aloud, loud, loud!
Sing aloud! loud! loud!
God is good! God is truth!
God is beauty! Praise him!

We Offer Our Gifts To God

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

The Prayer of Thanksgiving

The Lord is here.
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.

Sing, praise and bless the Lord.
Sing, praise and bless the Lord:
peoples, nations. Alleluia!

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

Sing, praise and bless the Lord.
Sing, praise and bless the Lord:
peoples, nations. Alleluia!

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.

Sing, praise and bless the Lord.
Sing, praise and bless the Lord:
peoples, nations. Alleluia!

Sing, praise and bless the Lord.
Sing, praise and bless the Lord:
peoples, nations. Alleluia!

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.

Sing, praise and bless the Lord.
Sing, praise and bless the Lord:
peoples, nations. Alleluia!

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, holy,
holy Lord God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna, 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

Eternal Father,
we thank you for nourishing us
with these heavenly gifts:
may our communion strengthen us in faith,
build us up in hope,
and make us grow in love;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

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

Blessing

The Lord bless you and watch over you,
the Lord make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious to you,
the Lord look kindly on you,
and give you his peace;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.

Hymn

And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Saviour’s blood?
Died he for me, who caused his pain –
for me, who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
who can explore his strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
to sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
let angel minds enquire no more.

He left his father’s throne above
So free, so infinite his grace –
emptied himself of all but love,
and bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’tis mercy all, immense and free,
for O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
thine eye diffused a quickening ray –
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
my chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
that whispers all my sins forgiven;
still the atoning blood is near,
that quenched the wrath of hostile heaven.
I feel the life his wounds impart;
I feel the Saviour in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in him, is mine;
alive in him, my living head,
and clothed in righteousness divine,
bold I approach th’eternal throne,
and claim the crown, through Christ my own.

The Dismissal

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

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

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

Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven, by Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) Public domain

The Summons, by John Lamberton Bell (1949-) and Graham Maule (1958-2019) © 1987 WGRG, c/o Iona Community, Glasgow, Scotland

God Is Love His The Care, by Percy Dearmer (1867-1936) Public domain

And Can It Be That I Should Gain, by Charles Wesley (1707-1788) Public domain