The Greeting
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The righteous will be remembered for ever; the memory of the righteous is a
blessing. Psalm 112: 6, Proverbs 10: 7

As we come to worship and praise
Father God, we welcome you!
As we come together in friendship
Father God, we welcome you!
As we come to listen and learn
Father God, we welcome you!
As we bring our worries and problems
Father God, we welcome you!
Lord, we invite you into our church,
We invite you into our minds
We invite you into our hearts.
Hymn 298 Tune Woodlands 712
Filled with the Spirit’s power, with one accord
the infant church confessed its risen Lord
O Holy Spirit, in the church today
no less your power of fellowship display

Now with the mind of Christ set us on fire
that unity may be our great desire
give joy and peace, give faith to hear your call
and readiness in each to work for all
Widen our love, good Spirit, to embrace
with your compassion all the human race
like wind and fire, with life among us move
till we are known as Christ’s, and Christians prove
We say sorry for the things we have done wrong
Almighty God, my heavenly Father, I am sorry for the things I have
done wrong this week, which have pained your heart of love. I am sorry
for the unkind things I have said or done, that have hurt my family and
friends. Forgive me Lord for the times I’ve let you down, or let myself
down, or let others down, and help me to be the best that I can be.
Amen.
We are forgiven
May the God of love forgive us,
lift our burdens from us,
heal and strengthen us by his spirit;
that we may journey in love
to live our lives freely and lightly, Amen.
The Collect
Almighty God,
who inspired your apostle Saint Peter
to confess Jesus as Christ and Son of the living God:
Build up your Church upon this rock,
that in unity and peace it may proclaim one truth
and follow one Lord, your Son our Saviour Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
We listen to the Bible

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the
church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword. After he
saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was
during the festival of Unleavened Bread.) When he had seized him, he put
him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him,
intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. While Peter was
kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.
The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with
two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the
door were keeping watch over the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord
appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke
him, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And the chains fell off his wrists. The angel said
to him, ‘Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.’ He did so. Then he said to
him, ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.’ Peter went out and followed
him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s help was
real; he thought he was seeing a vision. After they had passed the first and
the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It
opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a
lane, when suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said,
‘Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the
hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.’
This is the word of the Lord Acts 12: 1-11
Thanks be to God
Hymn 115 Tune St James
Thou art the way: to thee alone
from sin and death we flee
and they who would the Father seek
must seek him, Lord, by thee
Thou art the truth: thy word alone
true wisdom can impart

thou only canst inform the mind
and purify the heart
Thou art the life: the rending tomb
proclaims thy conquering arm
and those who put their trust in thee
nor death nor hell shall harm
Thou art the way, the truth, the life
grant us that way to know
that truth to keep, that life to win
whose joys eternal flow

A reading from the Gospel according to St Matthew
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his
disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some
say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of
the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’
Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And
Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and
blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you,
you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades
will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,
and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you
loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ Matthew 16: 13-19

What do we believe? (we say together)

We believe in God the Father, the source of all life, by whom every
family in heaven and earth has been created.
We believe in God the Son, our friend and brother Jesus, who lives in
our hearts through faith and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with his power,
and makes Jesus known in the world.
We believe and trust in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Hymn 584 St Andrew
Jesus calls us! O’er the tumult
of our life’s wild, restless sea
day by day his voice is sounding
saying “Christian, follow me!”
As of old apostles heard it
by the Galilean lake
turned from home and toil and kindred
leaving all for his dear sake
Jesus calls us from the worship
of the vain world’s golden store
from each idol that would keep us
saying “Christian, love me more.”
In our joys and in our sorrows
days of toil and hours of ease
still he calls, in cares and pleasures
“Christian, love me more than these.”

Jesus calls us! By your mercies
Saviour, may we hear your call
give to you our heart’s obedience

serve and love you best of all!
We say our prayers
As brothers and sisters in one loving family,
together let us pray to our heavenly Father:
Let us pray for our Christian faith to grow and be strengthened.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Let us pray for people who are imprisoned or made to suffer
because of their faith.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Let us pray for people who struggle with doubt and uncertainty
in their lives.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Let us pray for those whose lives are overshadowed by illnesses for which no
cure is known, wherever in the world they may be.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Let us pray for the gift of God’s peace
in our troubled world.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Loving Father, watch over your children gathered before you in prayer.
May our faith and trust in you grow more and more, day by day.
Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.
We make these prayers through Christ your Son,
who has taught us, when we pray, to say
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.

Hymn 295 Tune Warrington 457
Come, gracious Spirit, heavenly Dove
with light and comfort from above
come, be our guardian and our guide
o’er every thought and step preside
The light of truth to us display
and make us know and choose thy way
plant holy fear in every heart
that we from God may ne’er depart
Lead us to Christ, the living Way
nor let us from his pastures stray
lead us to holiness, the road
that we must take to dwell with God

Lead us to heaven, that we may share
fullness of joy forever there
lead us to God, our final rest
to be with him forever blest
We say together
Be with us Lord,
as we go out into the world.
May the lips that have sung your praises
always speak the truth;
may the ears that have heard your Word
listen only to what is good;
and may our lives as well as our worship
be always pleasing in your sight,
for the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
The Blessing
May the Father
from whom every family in earth and heaven receives its name,
strengthen you with his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith
and that, knowing his love, broad and long,
deep and high, beyond all knowledge,
you may be filled with all the fullness of God:
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be with you and remain with you always. Amen.