A separate video feed of the choir will be available here during the service.

Preacher:      Revd George Mwaura
Celebrant:     Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Gathering Music

Welcome

Gathering Prayer

We praise you, living God, for these days of Advent,
for the opportunity they offer to reflect on Scripture,
and to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of your Son.
As we set out on our journey, may we find a stillness that is your presence with us,
leading us on to Bethlehem where our spirits can soar towards the light of your eternal love,
revealed in the Christ Child.

Amen

Hymn: Hail to the Lord’s Anointed

Hail to the Lord’s Anointed,
great David’s greater Son!
hail, in the time appointed,
his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
to set the captive free,
to take away transgression,
and rule in equity.

He comes with succour speedy
to those who suffer wrong;
to help the poor and needy,
and bid the weak be strong;
to give them songs for sighing,
their darkness turn to light,
who souls, condemned and dying,
were precious in his sight.

He shall come down like showers,
upon the fruitful earth
and love, joy, hope’ like flowers,
spring in his path to birth:
before him on the mountains
shall peace, the herald, go;
and righteousness in fountains
from hill and valley flow.

Arabia’s desert-ranger
to him shall bow the knee;
the Ethiopian stranger
his glory come to see;
with offerings of devotion
ships from the isles shall meet,
to pour the wealth of ocean
in tribute at his feet.

Kings shall down before him,
and gold and incense bring;
all nations shall adore him,
his praise all people sing:
to him shall prayer unceasing
and daily vows ascend;
his kingdom still increasing,
a kingdom without end.

O’er every foe victorious,
he on his throne shall rest;
from age to age more glorious,
all-blessing and all-blest:
the tide of time shall never
his covenant remove;
his name shall stand for ever,
his changeless name of love.

James Montgomery (1771–1854)
CCL31580

Prayer of Confession

Forgive us Lord when we only want you to come on our terms.
We want to be at Bethlehem, but we don’t want the bother of the journey.
We want the word made flesh, but we don’t want the pains of labour.

We want reconciliation,
but we don’t want change.

We want resurrection,
but we don’t want the tomb.

We do want you to come,
Lord, but perhaps not just yet.

Forgive us, Lord, when we limit your coming and fix our terms.
Forgive us and bless us and come soon.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Loving God, you sent you Son to destroy the plans of the evil one
and to make us co-heirs of eternal life:
grant that we, having this hope, may purify ourselves even as he is pure;
that when he shall appear in power and great glory
we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom;
where he is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen

The Advent Candle is lit

Restoring in darkness

The light is with us even when we are witnesses in darkness.
We welcome the God who baptises and blesses, even in darkness.
In our dark world we are concerned about those whose baptism is tested in darkness,
who try to live truly and justly with all their being.
We light this candle for people living in darkness…
May this light banish the darkness for them.
May we take heart from their witness and travel with this light beyond the darkness.

As we light this Advent candle, may its flame be a light that shines for all to see –
a sign that Jesus is for all.
May we know God’s presence and power as we gather in the name of Jesus,
who is the light of the world.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Isaiah 11: 1–10

Read by Bob Collard

The Branch from Jesse

¹ A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
² The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him –
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord –
³ and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;

⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
⁵ Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash round his waist.

⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.</.span>

⁸ The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord<
as the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰ In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting-place will be glorious

NIV®

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

Matthew 3: 1–12

Read by Nerys Steeds

John the Baptist prepares the way

¹ In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ² and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ³ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.” ’

⁴ John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt round his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶ Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the River Jordan.

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptising, he said to them: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. ⁹ And do not think you can say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ The axe has been laid to the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹ ‘I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.’

NIV®

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

Meditation

By Revd George Mwaura

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 Rosemary Kearsey

The Peace

The Lord Jesus Christ, said:
I leave you peace, my peace I give you.
Lord grant us your peace.

The peace of the Lord be always with you.
and also with you.

Let us offer each other a sign of peace.

Hymn: On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry

On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s cry
announces that the Lord is nigh;
come then and hearken, for he brings
glad tidings from the King of kings.

Then cleansed be every Christian breast,
and furnished for so great a guest!
Yea, let us each our heart prepare,
for Christ o come and enter there.

For thou art our salvation, Lord,
our refuge and our great reward;
without thy grace our souls must fade,
and wither like a flower decayed.

Stretch forth thy hand to heal our sore,
and make us rise, to fall no more;
once mor upon thy people shine,
and fill the world with love divine.

All praise, eternal Son, to thee
whose advent set thy people free,
whom, with the Father, we adore,
and Holy Ghost, for evermore.

Charles Coffin (1676–1749)
tr. John Chandler (1808–1876)
CCL31580

Holy Communion

The Thanksgiving

As we come to this table, we are reminded that this is the table of Jesus Christ,
a banquet prepared for everyone.
All who seek to be nourished and sustained in the journey of faith,
all who seek wholeness and compassionate paths to peace and justice,
are welcome here.

[Silence]

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 be with you
and also with you.

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.

Blessed are you, Breath of peace, Giver of all life, Source of love that knows no boundaries.
Your song of wisdom rang out before the world began;
throughout the ages, your song of liberation has impregnated us with your hope for a world where:
those considered last and least are first and most;
violence is overcome by the power of your ancient love;
and, all siblings work together for peace.

You bring our longings to birth, and send prophets to awaken us to your approaching Advent among us.
We thank you for those who, like Mary, have the strength and courage
to give birth to your love in the world;
for those who, like the shepherds, dare to seek out the Child of Bethlehem;
for those who, like the wise ones, actively challenge violent and oppressive powers.

We praise you that your everlasting light is shown to us
in womb – and tomb,
in cradle – and cross,
in tenderness – and compassion.

We join in the Advent prayer of all your people, O come, Emmanuel:
O come, O come, Emmanuel, our King, our Teacher, our Hope and our Saviour.
Come and save us.

And, as we wait and watch for your coming among us, we proclaim your goodness.
At this time, we also remember all with whom you would have us share your feast.
We pray for:
all who are in sorrow or in pain…
all who are ill or alone…
all who are close to our hearts…
all our sisters who live with fear, oppression, or hunger…
all whose lives have been blighted by violence, racism, or poverty…
for all whom the world counts as last and least.
We pray for the church and its many ministries,
for nations as they strive for peace and justice,
for an end to violence against women.

God of hope, make this bread the means of our rebuilding,
this wine the medium of our transformation,
this table the foundation of our renewal,
and this community the place of our rebirth.

Amen

At this time, we remember Jesus, who on the night before he died,
took a loaf of bread, gave you thanks, broke it, and said,
‘Take and eat; whenever you do this, remember me.’
Likewise, after supper, he took the cup, saying,
‘This is the new covenant; remember me.’

Gracious God, Breath of peace, Source of love, we pray for your Spirit.

Make us, while many, one.
Make us, though broken, whole.
Make us, despite death, alive.

And so we pray:
Come, Holy Spirit, come.

And so we join with our brothers and sisters around the world in the prayer Jesus taught us:

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

Sharing the bread and cup

The body of Christ – the Bread of life.
The lifeblood of Christ – the Cup of blessing.

Let us eat and drink together for our strengthening in the faith, and for the sake of the world.

Prayer after Communion

We thank you, God, for breaking into our world and pouring into our lives and our experiences.
We thank you, God, for this meal of thanksgiving and the stories of love, grace, and hope that it tells.

Amen

Notices

Harvest Appeal

Thank you to all of you who supported our Harvest Appeal. The amount raised in support of the work here at Cornerstone was £1459.60.

Janet Trimnell, Stewardship Secretary

Cornerstone Christmas Appeal

Please collect your envelope!

We shall soon be launching our annual Christmas Appeal. This year the money raised will be shared between three charities: Advantage Africa, Citizens Advice Milton Keynes and the Winter Night Shelter. This Appeal is one of the ways we show our commitment to the outreach mission of Cornerstone.

This Sunday, if you are a church member, there will be an envelope addressed to you about the appeal. Please collect this from the entrance hall before you leave. If you can deliver any envelopes to people not at the service, that would be very helpful, and help save postage. Thank you!

We shall be posting envelopes to members we know cannot come into church at the moment.

Peter Cope

Easyfundraising

Thank you if you have signed up to easyfundraising. The latest payment from them is £116.50 for church funds. The total raised in this way now stands at more than £500.

If you shop online and are interested in helping to raise funds for the Church whilst you shop, please take a look at www.easyfundraising.org.uk and sign up. (For those who prefer privacy when shopping it is possible to be anonymous).

The church is listed as Church of Christ the Cornerstone-Milton Keynes.

Janet Trimnell, Stewardship Secretary

Could you help your neighbours by donating your energy rebate?

All households are due to get a rebate on their energy bills amounting to £66 per month for the next six months to help with the cost of living crisis. For many people this will be a vital contribution to help make ends meet. Some of us, on the other hand, are in the fortunate situation of being able to manage without it, and might consider donating some or all of the rebate to those is greater need. One way of doing this, which ensures that the money goes to those most vulnerable, is through the ‘Donate the Rebate’ website: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/donatetherebate.

Social Justice Committee

Hymn: O come, O come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here,
until the Son of God appear:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory o’er the grave:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, thou Lord of Might,
who to thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
in ancient times didst give the law
in cloud and majesty and awe:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

Latin Advent Antiphons
tr. J.M. Neale (1818–1866)
CCL31580

Blessing

Be people of peace.
Let peace live in your heart and share the peace of Christ with all you meet.
Share peace by acting out of compassion and not fear.
Share peace by listening to all sides of the story.
Share peace by praying for our world. In this Advent season, we need to see, feel, and share peace.
As you go out into the wonder of God’s creations, share peace and hope with those you meet.
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