Celebrant: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga
Preacher: Krou Assoua LLM

Gathering Music

Welcome

Come, let’s open our hearts and minds, and raise our voices in worship –
together, in this place, right now!

[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: All creatures of our God and King

All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voice and with us sing
alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam:
O praise him, O praise him,
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
ye clouds that sail in heaven along,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
ye lights of evening, find a voice:
O praise him, ….

Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
make music for thy Lord to hear,
alleluia, alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
that givest us both warmth and light:
O praise him, ….

Dear mother earth, who day by day
unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise him, alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow
let them his glory also show.
O praise him, ….

And all who are of tender heart,
forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye, alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
praise God and on him cast your care.
O praise him, ….

And thou, most kind and gentle death,
waiting to hush our latest breath,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou leadest home the child of God,
and Christ our Lord the wat hath trod:
O praise him, ….

Let all things their Creator bless,
and worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, Three in One.
O praise him, O praise him,
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

William Henry Draper (1855–1935)
based on St Francis of Assisi’s ‘Cantico do Frate Sole’
CCL31580

Prayer of Approach

The disciples told Thomas, ‘We have seen the Lord!’
But that wasn’t enough for Thomas;
he’d already missed out once, and he needed to see for himself.
We gather today, determined not to miss out on anything you have in store for us;
our doors and hearts are open to you, O Lord.
Risen Jesus, meet us here today. We need to meet you for ourselves. Come, Lord Jesus.

Amen

[Silence]

Confession

Lord, the disciples came together, even though they were afraid.
Forgive us for the times we keep ourselves to ourselves,
whether through fear, or any other reason.

Unlock our hearts to you, Lord.
May we stop doubting and believe.

The disciples weren’t trying to lock you out; they weren’t even expecting you.
Forgive us for the times when we, consciously or unconsciously,
try to keep you at a distance – when we just have ‘stuff’ that distracts.

Unlock our hearts to you, Lord.
May we stop doubting and believe.

Thomas really wanted Jesus to be alive, but he hung out for his own experience.
Forgive us for the times we take second-hand information
and miss out on the personal experience of the fullness of your presence.

Unlock our hearts to you, Lord.
May we stop doubting and believe.

Sometimes we do come, but without proper preparation,
rushing into your presence, and not thinking much about what will happen next.

Unlock our hearts to you, Lord.
May we stop doubting and believe.

[Silence]

Jesus freely gave the disciples power, through the Holy Spirit, to forgive people’s sins.
And we thank you, God, for the touch of your spirit in our lives,
the assurance of forgiveness when we truly repent.
We unlock our hearts to you, Lord.
You grant us your peace.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Father God, you are always there for us, whether we feel it or not.
Lord Jesus, you come to us today, and say: ‘Peace be with you’
we open our hearts and receive your perfect peace into our imperfect doubting lives.
Holy Spirit, you lead us to the fullness of joy; we can’t wait to experience you more.
Come, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Psalm 16

Read by Bob Collard

¹ Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
² I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.’
³ I say of the holy people who are in the land,
‘They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.’
⁴ Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
⁵ Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
⁶The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
⁷ I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
¹⁰ because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

NIV®

John 20: 19–31

Read by Stuart Kean

Jesus appears to his disciples

¹⁹ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

²¹ Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’

Jesus appears to Thomas

²⁴ Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’

But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’

²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’

²⁸ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’

²⁹ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’

The purpose of John’s gospel

³⁰ Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

NIV®

Meditation

By Krou Assoua LLM

[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 Rosemary Kearsey

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: Alleluia, sing to Jesus

Alleluia, sing to Jesus!
his the sceptre, his the throne;
alleluia, his the triumph
his the victory alone:
hark, the songs of peaceful Sion
thunder like a mighty flood;
Jesus out of every nation
hath redeemed us by his blood.

Alleluia, not as orphans
are we left in sorrow now;
alleluia, he is near us,
faith believes, nor questions how:
though the cloud from sight received him,
when the forty days were o’er,
shall our hearts forget his promise,
‘I am with you evermore’?

Alleluia, bread of angels,
thou on earth our food, our stay;
alleluia, here the sinful
flee to thee from day to day:
Intercessor, Friend of sinners,
earth’s Redeemer, plead for me,
where the songs of all the sinless,
sweep across the crystal sea.

Alleluia, King eternal,
thee the Lord of lords we own;
alleluia, born of Mary,
earth thy footstool, heaven thy throne:
thou within the veil hast entered,
robed in flesh, our great High Priest;
thou on earth both Priest and Victim
in the eucharistic feast.

William Chatterton Dixon (1817–1898)
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 for ever 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

Come to this table, not because you must, but because you may,
not because you are strong, but because you are weak.
Come, not because any goodness of your own gives you a right to come,
but because you need mercy and help.
Come, because you love the Lord a little and would like to love him more.
Come, because he loved you and gave himself for you.
Come and meet the risen Christ, for we are his Body.

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

Milton Keynes Food Bank

MK Food Bank continues to face an increasing demand for food from families who are struggling with the increasing cost of living. Cornerstone is a collecting point for donations of food. Please help the Food Bank by bringing donations of food and leaving them in the cupboard in Reception. You can bring in your donations at any time when the church building is open.

These are some of the items that are most needed:

• Tinned meat and fish
• Long-life milk
• Fruit juice and squash
• Cooking oil
• Jams, peanut butter, chocolate spread
• Dry or tinned pasta
• Pasta sauce
• Biscuits
• Tinned fruit
• Tinned vegetables (but not baked beans, which are currently over-stocked)
• Dried rice (500g)
• Rice pudding and custard
• Tea and coffee
• Tinned soup
• Savoury snacks and cereal bars

Visit the Food Bank website: https://mkfoodbank.org.uk/ to find out more about the Food Bank and how you can help.

Eco Church Activities

The Cloister Gardens

It’s Spring and time to look after our Cloister Gardens. We would like them to be as beautiful and wildlife-friendly as possible. After church at coffee on 16 & 23 April 2023 we shall be seeking ideas and volunteers to help. After 30 years the plants are looking tired and in need of refreshment! Please join in.

Climate change

How are you doing with your lifestyle changes in response to climate change? No action is too small to make a difference! We will be adding pledges to our Coat of Responsibility – you could add yours and we’ll all help with encouragement. The Coat will be on display from the week after Easter.

Cheryl Montgomery

Christian Climate Action: 21–24 April 2023 ‘The Big One’

Over the weekend 21–24 April 2023 there are plans for 100,000 people to descend on London to demand that our politicians take action on the climate emergency.

In a video the environmentalist George Monbiot explains why politics as usual is not enough and a mass movement is needed. You can view the video here: https://youtu.be/rLqR_wPt6R4.

The event is coordinated by Extinction Rebellion supported by over a hundred other organisations, including many more Christian groups such as Christian Climate Action, Christian Aid, CAFOD, Tearfund, the Iona Community, and A Rocha (the Eco Church project).

For more information see https://extinctionrebellion.uk/the-big-one/ and https://christianclimateaction.org/2022/10/22/the-big-one/.

Please consider joining this important action.

David Chapman on behalf of Cornerstone’s Social Justice Group
Contact 01908 666422 or email david@dachapman.free-online.co.uk

Daily Prayers for the Coronation of King Charles III

Prayer booklets of Daily Prayers for the Coronation of King Charles III from the Church of England (published by Church House Publishing) are available from the Cornerstone Shop at £1.50 a copy.

Don Head

Offering

Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, walk with us through this week,
support us when we try to see the truth in things that puzzle us.
Give us courage to search for answers,
and hold us in your unfailing and all-encompassing love, each and every day.

Amen

Hymn: Amazing grace

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, trials and snares
I have already come.
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me;
his word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.

John Newton (1725–1807)
CCL31580

Blessing

God grant to the living, grace;
to the departed, rest;
to the nation, peace and concord;
to us all your servants the promise of everlasting life,
light to guide us on our way,
courage to support us,
and your blessing to unite us in service to you our God
and this our country.
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