A separate video feed of the choir is available here.

Preacher: Revd Hannah Akibo-Betts
Celebrant: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga</>

Gathering Music

Welcome

Healing Lord, we come with wounds that often only you know;
we bring weariness and fears as well as hopes and aspirations.
Heal us and refresh us; restore your image in us.

Amen

[Silence]

Welcome to the house of God.
We have come from all the corners of the earth.

Welcome to the hospitality of God.
We come as we are; we bring our life, our stories, our journey.

Welcome, brothers and sisters.
We are the rainbow people of God.

Welcome, chosen people.
May God our companion bind us in his love.

Amen

Hymn: As the deer pants for the water

As the deer pants for the water,
so my soul longs after you.
You alone are my heart’s desire
and I long to worship you.

You alone are my strength, my shield,
to you alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart’s desire
and I long to worship you.

I want you more than gold or silver,
only you can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy-giver
and the apple of my eye.

You alone …

You’re my Friend and you’re my Brother,
even though you are a king.
I love you more than any other,
so much more than anything.

You alone …

Martin Nystrom (b. 1966)
CCL31580

Prayer of Approach

Let us praise the Lord.
Seek and be satisfied.
Proclaim his name for he will never fail us.
Let our hearts honour and worship him.

Amen

Confession

Lord, how the world needs your healing.
We think of the blight of plastic polluting our rivers and oceans,
or the distress of creatures on the verge of extinction,
the scars of climate change and the sufferings inflicted by conflict.
Forgive us if we unwittingly play any part in these things.
Show us what we can do to help bring change in the world.

Lord, hear us. Lord, mercifully hear us.

Lord, there are so many forms of pain and suffering.
How we need your healing hand.
Forgive us: when the pull of social media is so great that we stray into wrong territory;
for pain we inflict by choosing to follow our own paths and schemes;
or when we think ourselves to be better than others, or allow differences to separate us.
Your healing hands are always open.
Forgive us when we ignore them, whether through fear, ignorance or self-will.

Lord, hear us. Lord, mercifully hear us.

[Silence]

There is so much sin and pain in our broken world.
But when we journey with Jesus, we find forgiveness and healing.
We are all one in Christ Jesus, who has forgiven our sins and leads us into eternity with him.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Almighty, powerful God, who is full of compassion, who rescues us from danger,
who strengthens the weak, who feeds the poor:
we bow down and honour your name.

Almighty, powerful God, who brings hope and healing, who hears our cry,
whose heart feels our pain, who heals us inside and out:
we bow down and honour your name.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Psalm 42

Read by Brian Halstead

¹ As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
³ My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
‘Where is your God?’
⁴ These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Saviour and my God.

⁶ My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon – from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.

⁸ By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me –
a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God my Rock,
‘Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?’
¹⁰ My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
‘Where is your God?’

¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Saviour and my God.

NIV®

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Luke 8: 26–39

Read by Rosemary Goldie

Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man

²⁶ They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. ²⁷ When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!’ ²⁹ For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

³⁰ Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’

‘Legion,’ he replied, because many demons had gone into him. ³¹ And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

³² A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. ³³ When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

³⁴ When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, ³⁵ and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ³⁶ Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. ³⁷ Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ ‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over the town how much Jesus had done for him.

NIV®

This is the Gospel of Christ.
Praise to Christ our light.

Meditation

By Revd Hannah Akibo-Betts

Choral Response

Affirmation of Faith

We believe in the Creator:
the maker of all things

We believe in the Son:
the redeemer of our broken world

We believe in the Spirit:
The sacred wind that binds all things together in the family of God.

Creator Father, beloved Son and living Spirit.

Amen

Prayers and Intercessions

Led by David Chapman

The Peace

Peace to you from God, who is our Father.
Peace from Jesus Christ, who is our peace.
Peace from the Holy Spirit, who gives us life.

The peace of God be always with you.
and also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Hymn: Guide me, O thou great Redeemer

Guide me, O thou great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty,
hold me with thy powerful hand;
bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more. (×2)

Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through;
strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield. (×2)

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside,
death of death, and hell’s destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side;
songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to thee. (×2)

Welsh, Willian Williams (1717–1791) tr. Peter and Willian Williams
CCL31580

Holy Communion

The Thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation.
Through your goodness we have this bread to offer,
which earth has given and human hands have made.
It will become for us the bread of life.

Blessed be God for ever.

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation.
Through your goodness we have this wine to offer,
fruit of the vine and work of human hands.
It will become our spiritual drink.

Blessed be God for ever.

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.

Almighty God, good Father to us all, your face is turned towards your world.
In love you gave us Jesus your Son to rescue us from sin and death.
Your Word goes out to call us home to the city where angels sing your praise.

We join with them in heaven’s song:

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.

We bless the name of Jesus, bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh,
whose brokenness and suffering makes love real,
who on the night in which he was betrayed took bread,
gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying,

Take, eat. This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

After supper he took the cup saying,

Drink from this, all of you, this is my blood given for you.
Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me.

This is the mystery of our faith.

Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.

Therefore, as we eat this bread and drink this cup,
we acknowledge brokenness as a path to truth.
We long for the bread of tomorrow: eternally broken and so able to nourish.
We long for the new wine of the kingdom: continuously poured out that thirst may be quenched.

Send your Spirit on us now,
that by these gifts we may feed on Christ with opened eyes and hearts on fire.
May we and all who share this food offer ourselves to live for you
and be welcomed at your feast in heaven, where all creation worships you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit:

Blessing and honour and glory and power
be yours forever and ever.

Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

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

The Communion

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.

Amen

Post Communion Prayer

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

Notices

Send-off for Revd George Mwaura on his sabbatical

Sunday, 26 June 2022

Sunday, 26 June 2022 will mark the start of Revd George Mwaura’s sabbatical leave. We want to send him off with blessings – and a bit of a party. There will be a bring-and-share lunch after church, when we can share our family-favourite recipes from whatever is our cultural background in a wonderfully diverse buffet. Closer to the date we will be seeking volunteers for washing up!

The Ecumenical Council

YMCA MK – News

Photographs taken by our brilliant residents illustrating how they feel about living in our new campus form an exhibition that is part of ongoing research by the University of Northampton. ‘Photovoice’ is on show now at MK Gallery’s Project Space. In addition to viewing the photographs you can listen to recorded conversations with our residents to hear their personal stories. The aim of the exhibition is to help young people communicate the challenges they faced before living at YMCA, and the impact of the support they now receive.

📍  MK Gallery, MK9 3QA

📸 Photovoice will be exhibited until 26 June 2022.

Cheryl Montgomery

Climate Sunday

Sunday, 26 June 2022

Our worship on Sunday, 26 June 2022 will focus on the environment and Cornerstone’s commitment to become an Eco-Church. Over the next few weeks there will be information about what this means for all of us as a Congregation and as individuals. It’s also the Sunday when we will collect together our pumpkin seedlings!

Mark the date and make sure you come along.

Eco-Church Support Group

Offering

‘God loves a cheerful giver’

Thanks to your generous giving we can be an Oasis of Hope to Milton Keynes.

Please keep supporting our mission!

If you are at our worship service in the church building and would like to make an offering, please place your offering in the basket at the door to the worship area. If you can’t find it, please ask the stewards.

There are many different ways to give: online, telephone banking or by cheque. For more information how to give please visit the Cornerstone website (www.cornerstonemk.co.uk) or contact: steward.cccmk@gmail.com.

Thank you for your support. It is much appreciated.

Final Prayer

Come with us, Lord, in our brokenness and bring healing.
Come with us, Lord, into our divided world and unite us.
Come with us, Lord, and cast from us that which is not of you,
that we may live as your children in your world, today and always.

Amen

Hymn: When peace like a river

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea-billows roll;
whatever my lot you have taught me to say,
‘It is well, it is well with my soul.’
It is well with my soul;
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, if trials should come,
let this blessèd assurance control,
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul.
It is well …

My sin – O the bliss of this glorious thought –
my sin – not in part – but the whole
is nailed to his cross; and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my souls.
It is well …

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live!
If Jordan above me shall roll,
no pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
you will whisper your peace to my soul.
It is well …

But Lord, it’s for you – for your coming we wait,
the sky, not the grave, is our goal;
O trump of the angel! O voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope! blèssed rest of my soul.
It is well …

Horatio Gates Spafford (1828–1888)
CCL31580

Blessing

God be in your head, and in your understanding;
God be in your eyes, and in your looking;
God be in your mouth, and in your speaking;
God be in your heart, and in your thinking;
God be at your end, and at your departing.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you today and always

Amen

The Dismissal

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

Amen