Celebrant: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Gathering Music

Welcome

Faithful God, we gather from our scattered lives, to be renewed by your Holy Spirit.
Open our hearts and minds to listen for your voice as you reach out to us today.

[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: To God be the glory

To God be the glory, great things he has done!
so loved he the world that he gave us his Son.
Who yielded his life in atonement for sin,
and opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!
Let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus his Son;
and give him the glory, great things he has done!

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
to every believer the promise of God!
And every offender who truly believes,
that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Praise the Lord!  …

Great things he has taught us, great things he has done,
and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
but purer, and higher, and greater will be
our wonder, our rapture, when Jesus we see.

Praise the Lord!  …

Fanny Crosby (née Frances J. van Alstyne) (1820–1915)
CCL31580

Confession

O God, for the times when we have closed our eyes to what is good for us,
behaved in ways that dishonour who we were made to be
and ignored the value you have given us – forgive us for these choices,
for treating others and ourselves badly and, in doing so, mistreating you.
Restore us to peace and clarity, help us to re-assess where we are going;
open our minds to new ways of thinking and our hearts to your gentle leading.
Where we have rushed ahead, unprepared,
grant us renewed wisdom, a healthy view of ourselves and a place to pause to right ourselves,
so that we can be ready to follow you. In Jesus’ name.

[Silence]

Saviour, we know you hear us; you assure us of your love.
Your arms are open to us – our wounded hearts, confused thoughts and stumbling steps.
Thank you for being ready to embrace us, to set us upright where we have fallen.
Help us to go forward in freedom and faith.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

God of perfect wisdom,
we approach you acknowledging your holy love and your perfect intent for our lives.
We gather to discern, to hear your voice, to recognise your Spirit’s leading.
Give us ears to listen, we pray.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Psalm 1

Read by Ann Wilson

¹Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither –
whatever they do prospers

⁴ Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶ For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

NIV®

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

Luke 14: 25–33

Read by Bob Collard

The cost of being a disciple

²⁵ Large crowds were travelling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶ ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple. ²⁷And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

²⁸ ‘Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹ For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰ saying, “This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.”

³¹ ‘Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. ³³ In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

NIV®

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

Meditation

[Silence]

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 Robin Kyd

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: God is love: his the care

God is love: his the care,
tending each, everywhere.
God is love, all is there!
Jesus came to show him,
that we all 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;
humankind we can love;
thus may we Godward move,
finding God in others,
sisters all, and brothers.

Sing aloud, loud, loud! …

Jesus lived here for all;
strove and died, rose once more,
rules our hearts evermore;
for he came to save us
by the truth he gave us.

Sing aloud, loud, loud! …

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! …

Percy Dearmer (1867–1936, altered)
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

Cornerstone Youth: Sunday School

Sunday School in church resumes this Sunday (4 September 2022).

Bible Study with Revd Hannah Akibo-Betts: ‘The Gifts of the Spirit’

Our Wednesday evening Bible studies with Revd Hannah Akibo-Betts will resume on Wednesday, 14 September 2022. Further details will be sent to registered participants when they are available.

Interfaith Invitation

On behalf Zainabiya Islamic Centre I would like to invite you to our Interfaith programme at the Amphitheatre in Campbell Park this Sunday (4 September 2022) at 3.30 pm.

With the media full of stories of hardship and rise in the cost of living, it’s important to remember and draw attention to those who are challenging these narratives through positive action.

The programme will be:

2.30–3.30 pm – Procession from Church of Christ the Cornerstone 

3.45–4.45 pm – Interfaith Programme.

4.45 pm – Refreshments

Arif Master

Cornerstone Prayer Network

Prayer is central to our Christian fellowship. The Cornerstone Prayer Network is here for people who have asked us to pray for them. Please send your prayer requests to cornerstonechurch.prayernetwork@gmail.com and the details will be passed on to the members of the Prayer Network. If your prayer request is for someone else, please check with them before sending details to the Cornerstone Prayer Network.

If you would like to become a member of the Cornerstone Prayer Network, please send your details by email to cornerstonechurch.prayernetwork@gmail.com, or speak to June Halstead after a Service in the church.

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

Lord Jesus, we want to follow you, but we are pulled in many directions.
As we go from this place, help us to root ourselves in your word.
Give us the courage to speak truth to injustice,
that your kingdom may come and your will be done.

Amen

Hymn: O happy day, that fixed my choice

O happy day, that fixed my choice
on thee, my Saviour and my God!
Well may this glowing heart rejoice,
and tell its raptures all abroad.

O Happy day, O happy day,
when Jesus washed my sins away!
He taught me how to watch and pray,
and live rejoicing every day:
Happy day, happy day,
when Jesus washed my sins away!

O happy bond, that seals my vows
to him who merits all my love!
Let cheerful anthems fill his house,
while to that sacred shrine I move.

O Happy day, O happy day, …

’Tis done, the great transaction’s done! —
I am the Lord’s and he is mine;
he drew me and I followed on;
charmed to confess the voice divine.

O Happy day, O happy day, …

Now rest, my long-divided heart,
fixed on this blissful centre, rest;
here have I found a nobler part;
here heavenly pleasures fill my breast.

O Happy day, O happy day, …

High heaven, that heard the solemn vow,
that vow renewed shall daily hear,
till in life’s latest hour I bow
and bless in death a bond so dear.

O Happy day, O happy day, …

Philip Doddridge (1702–1751
CCL31580

Blessing

The Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,
teach you to walk in his way more trustfully,
to accept his truth more faithfully, and to share his life more lovingly;
that by the power of the Holy Spirit
you may come as one family to the kingdom of the Father.
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