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

Preacher: Revd George Mwaura
Led by Revd George Mwaura and Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Gathering Music

Welcome

Gathering Prayer

Loving God, we thank you for sending us your Son, Jesus.
Help us to see that he shared this earthly life fully,
its joys and sorrows, triumphs and defeats, bliss and pain.
May we draw comfort from the knowledge that he is with us in good times and bad,
and understands all our experiences.

Praise to you, O Christ.

[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: Breathe on me, Breath of God

Breathe on me, Breath of God;
fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love,
and do what thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
until my heart is pure,
until with thee I will one will,
to do and to endure.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
till I am wholly thine,
until this earthly part of me
glows with thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, Breath of God;
so shall I never die,
but live with thee the perfect life
of thine eternity.

Edwin Hatch (1835–1889)
CCL31580

Confession

Dear Lord, we come before you now, all of us knowing something of the tragedy of loss.
It can hit in many different ways.

There are times when we are sunk so deep in our sense of loss and isolation
that we can’t see beyond it.
Times when we don’t want to let anyone else in, keeping everything bottled up inside – even our tears.
Times when we are unable to reach out to others, even when they share the same grief.

Forgive us, Lord.
Grant us your peace and compassion.

There are times when we try to rush ourselves, or others, through the emotions of grief.
Not giving much needed space.

Forgive us, Lord.
Grant us your peace and compassion.

There are times when we can’t see how anybody else’s loss can possibly be as bad as ours.

Forgive us, Lord.
Grant us your peace and compassion.

[Silence]

Lord God, you know every thought of our heart, and every breath we take.
You know when we truly see the light, the error of our ways.
You know when we are just totally overwhelmed.
You know all this, yet you still love us, and have the power to free us from our sins.
We bow our heads and accept your loving forgiveness, Lord.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Loving and Living God, as we enter the season of your passion,
we pray that you will liberate us from all that binds and traps us.
Give us the courage to unbind ourselves from our resentments and fears
and to walk free in the knowledge that you love us just as we are.

For loving the world so much that you came to live on earth, thank you Lord.
We thank you, Lord Jesus.
For loving people so much that you wept when your dear friend died, thank you Lord.
We thank you, Lord Jesus.
For loving me so much that you hold me in your hand and call me by name, thank you Lord.
We thank you, Lord Jesus.
Guide us on to love you, your world, each other and to love ourselves, to your glory, and praise.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Ezekiel 37: 1–14

Read by Nerys Steeds

The Valley of Dry Bones

¹ The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. ² He led me to and fro among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. ³ He asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’

I said, ‘Sovereign Lord, you alone know.’

⁴ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones and say to them, “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! ⁵ This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. ⁶ I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. ⁸ I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

⁹ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.” ’ ¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army.

¹¹ Then he said to me: ‘Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.” ¹² Therefore prophesy and say to them: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. ¹³ Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. ¹⁴ I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.” ’

NIV®

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

Hymn: It is a thing most wonderful

It is a thing most wonderful,
almost too wonderful to be,
that God’s own Son should come from heaven,
and die to save a child like me.

And yet I know that it is true:
he chose a poor and humble lot,
and wept and toiled and mourned and died,
for love of those who loved him not.

I cannot tell how he could love
a child so weak and full of sin;
his love must be most wonderful,
if he could die my love to win.

I sometimes think about the cross,
and shut my eyes, and try to see
the cruel nails and crown of thorns,
and Jesus crucified for me.

But even could I see him die,
I could but see a little part
of that great love which, like a fire,
is always burning in his heart.

It is most wonderful to know
his love for me so free and sure;
but ’tis more wonderful to see
my love for him so faint and poor.

And yet I want to love thee, Lord;
O light the flame within my heart,
and I will love thee more and more,
until I see thee as thou art.

W. Walsham How (1823–1897)
CCL31580

John 11: 1–45

Read by Peter Steeds

The Death of Lazarus

¹Now a man named Lazarus was ill. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ² (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay ill, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) ³ So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is ill.’

⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, ‘This illness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.’ ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed where he was two more days, ⁷ and then he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judea.’

⁸ ‘But Rabbi,’ they said, ‘a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?’

⁹ Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the day-time will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. ¹⁰ It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.’

¹¹ After he had said this, he went on to tell them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.’

¹² His disciples replied, ‘Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.’ ¹³ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’

¹⁶ Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

¹⁷ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸ Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. ²⁰ When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

²¹ ‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.’

²³ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’

²⁴ Martha answered, ‘I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’

²⁵ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’

²⁷ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she replied, ‘I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’

²⁸ After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. ‘The Teacher is here,’ she said, ‘and is asking for you.’ ²⁹ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹ When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’

³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ³⁴ ‘Where have you laid him?  he asked.

‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied.

³⁵ Jesus wept.

³⁶ Then the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’

³⁷ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’

Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ ‘Take away the stone,’ he said.

‘But, Lord,’ said Martha, the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days.’

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’

⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth round his face.

Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’

⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

NIV®

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

Meditation

By Revd George Mwaura

[After the Meditation we sing 3 times:]

Chorus: Because He lives

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
and life is worth the living just because He lives.

Bill Gaither (b. 1936)
CCL31580

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

Intercessions

Led by Adrian Boynton

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

Hymn: Put peace into each other’s hands

Put peace into each other’s hands
and like a treasure hold it;
protect it like a candle flame,
with tenderness enfold it.

Put peace into each other’s hands,
with loving expectation;
be gentle in your words and way,
in touch with God’s creation.

Put peace into each other’s hands,
like bread we break for sharing;
look people warmly in the eye:
our life is meant for caring.

As at communion, shape your hands
into a waiting cradle;
the gift of Christ receive, revere,
united round the table.

Put Christ into each other’s hands,
he is love’s deepest measure;
in love make peace, give peace a chance:
and share it like a treasure.

Fred Kaan (1929–2009)
CCL31580

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
and desires we live reconciled lives
with the earth and all its inhabitants.

May the peace of God be always with you.
and also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Notices

Support Earth Hour

8.30–9.30 pm Saturday, 25 March 2023

Earth Hour is an annual event organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), when people and organisations all over the world switch off their lights at home for one hour ‘to help raise awareness on the most urgent issues facing our planet.’ As part of our activities as an Eco Church we would like to invite Cornerstone members, if they can, to participate for one hour on Saturday, 25 March 2023 from 8:30 pm until 9.30 pm. This would involve switching off some lights and devices and taking time to pray. In addition, WWF has provided a list of things that people could do during the hour: https://www.earthhour.org/.

Stuart Kean on behalf of the Eco Church Group

Looking forward to a Fair Trade Easter

Please continue to support Fair Trade with your purchases. You have heard that Traidcraft has gone into administration after over forty years of helping small-scale producers overseas to receive a just income for their labours and develop their businesses sustainably for the planet. Due to that work, there are now many brands carrying the Fair Trade mark available in supermarkets and elsewhere and this is very important for products such as coffee, tea, chocolate (cocoa) and bananas, which crops are all very vulnerable to extreme climate change events.

The Cornerstone Shop will continue to sell a variety of Fair Trade goods and will shortly receive a supply of Meaningful (Real) Chocolate Easter Eggs. Order forms are available at Reception and will be circulated by email, or if you dare you can wait and buy them off the shelves!

Joy Chapman (cjoy.chapman9@gmail.com; mobile 07854 762676)

Christian Climate Action: ‘The Big One’

21–24 April 2023

Over the weekend of 21–24 April 2023l there are plans for 100,000 people to surround the Houses of Parliament to demand action on the climate emergency. The action is supported by a very wide range of Christian and secular organisations. See the Christian Climate Action website for more details: https://christianclimateaction.org/2022/10/22/the-big-one/.

There will be lots of people from Milton Keynes taking part in ‘The Big One’ at various points over the weekend, including, hopefully, Cornerstone members. Joy and David Chapman will be going down on Friday, 21 April 2023, and will attend the ‘No Faith in Fossil Fuels’ Service at St John’s Church in Waterloo, being put on by Christian Climate Action, Christian Aid, CAFOD, Tearfund, the Iona Community, A Rocha, and many more Christian Organisations, at noon. (See: https://christianclimateaction.org/2023/03/08/no-faith-in-fossil-fuels-service/).

Please consider joining this important action as part of Cornerstone’s Eco Church commitment. For more information, and to say you are going, please contact Joy or David on 01908 666422 or email david@dachapman.free-online.co.uk.

David Chapman

PCC Information

The Anglican congregation has confirmed that the PCC members currently in office are to continue in post for the coming year, as will the Churchwardens. The Deanery Synod representatives will also continue for another term.

Ann Wilson, PCC Secretary

Cornerstone weekly Notice Sheet

This Notice Sheet provides information to the members of our Congregation about the Sunday services, as well as advance notice of services and events at Cornerstone and elsewhere that may be of interest to Cornerstone folk. In order to allow sufficient time for the compilation, printing and distribution of the weekly Notice Sheet, please ensure that all Notices and other information, especially information relating to the Sunday services, are sent to our Administrator, Mark Okor (admin@cornerstonemk.co.uk) and to Robin Kyd (robin_kyd@yahoo.co.uk) by the close of the working day on Wednesday. Thank you very much.

Robin Kyd

Cornerstone mailing list

We have an electronic mailing list containing over two hundred email addresses, to which this Notice Sheet is sent in electronic form, as well as online service sheets for those who wish to watch live streams of Cornerstone services, and other information that is of interest. If you are not already on the Cornerstone mailing list, but would like to be, please send a request by email to robin_kyd@yahoo.co.uk and I will add your email address to the Cornerstone mailing list.

To comply with data-protection requirements, the email addresses in the Cornerstone mailing list are not shared with anyone. Also, these contact details are quite separate from the information held on the Cornerstone Membership list.

Robin Kyd

Offering

Final Prayer

Lord, be with us on our journey of life.
As we travel with you in the coming days
may we share your love and compassion with those we meet whose path is hard.
Transform us, and transform them, with your life-giving love.

Amen

Hymn: Ye that know the Lord is gracious

Ye that know the Lord is gracious,
ye for whom a corner-stone
stands, of God elect and precious,
laid that ye may build thereon,
see that on that sure foundation
ye a living temple raise,
towers that may tell forth salvation,
walls that may re-echo praise.

Living stones, by God appointed
each to his allotted place,
kings and priests by God anointed,
shall ye not declare his grace?
Ye, a royal generation,
tell the tidings of your birth,
tidings of a new creation
to an old and weary earth.

Tell the praise of him who called you
out of darkness into light,
broke the fetters that enthralled you,
gave you freedom, peace and sight:
tell the tale of sins forgiven,
strength renewed and hope restored,
till the earth, in tune with heaven,
praise and magnify the Lord.

C.A. Alington (1872–1955)
CCL31580

Blessings

May God the Father prepare your journey,
Jesus the Son guide your footsteps,
the Spirit of Life strengthen your body,
the Three in One watch over you,
on every road that you may follow.

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

Dismissal

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

Amen