The Tew Benefice

Hymns Old and New

Introit                   212      Holy, holy holy

Gradual                442      Seek ye first the Kingdom of God

Offertory              227      I come with joy to meet my Lord ST BOTOLPH

Recessional         473    The Church’s one foundation

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God,

you are always more ready to hear than we to pray

and to give more than either we desire or deserve:

pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy,

forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid

and giving us those good things

which we are not worthy to ask

but through the merits and mediation

of 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.

Post Communion

God of all mercy,

in this eucharist you have set aside our sins

and given us your healing:

grant that we who are made whole in Christ

may bring that healing to this broken world,

in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hearken to Me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: Look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from whence ye are dug. The early Christians regarded the Book of the Prophet Isaiah foretelling the coming of the Messiah.. They looked for resonances with their experience of what Jesus said or what was written in the Gospel. The people of Israel were hewn out of the rock of Abraham and Sarah. The  followers of Jesus saw this reading as resonating with Peter as the Rock on which the church was built which would the be fulfilment of the of the prophecies in Isaiah 51

 Old Testament Reading

Isaiah 51:1-6

Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. ²Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, but I blessed him and made him many. ³For the Lord will comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places, and will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. ⁴Listen to me, my people, and give heed to me, my nation; for a teaching will go out from me, and my justice for a light to the peoples. ⁵I will bring near my deliverance swiftly, my salvation has gone out and my arms will rule the peoples; the coastlands wait for me, and for my arm they hope. ⁶Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and those who live on it will die like gnats; but my salvation will be forever, and my deliverance will never be ended.

Gospel Acclamation

 Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Alleluia

 Jesus needs to know, before His death, now imminent, whether His disciples had gained an insight into who He actually was. It was imperative that someone should recognise the truth of who He was in order for His work to carry on. It is interesting that he took them to an area not only scattered with temples of ancient Baal god worship; but also redolent of the imperial power of Rome for Herod had built a temple to Caesar here. So it is here that this penniless carpenter poses this deeply important question and demands a verdict. The responsibility Jesus lays on Peter’s shoulders is huge.

 Gospel

Matthew 16: 13-20

³Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷And 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. ¹⁸And 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. ¹⁹I 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.” ²⁰Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

 Introduction to the Peace

Christ is our peace.

He has reconciled us to God

In one body by the cross. We meet in his name and share his peace

For your prayers

Ryan Walker, Victoria Gibbens, Tim Mayne, Robert Mayne, Stewart Douglas

Notices

2 Sept 2026 2pm St Nicholas, Heythrop. Thanksgiving service for Elizabeth Bowden after previous private committal at Banbury Crematorium.

11 Sept 2026 2pm St Michael & All Angels, Great Tew. Thanksgiving Service for Frances “Fru” Beckford at St Michael & All Angels, Great Tew on Friday 11th September at 2pm. All welcome.