Led by Revd George Mwaura

Introduction

Call to Worship

From a world of choices we choose to spend time with God;
let us offer him what we have and who we are.
The consequence of our choice is that God meets us and speaks to us; let us not fail to listen.

Amen

Greetings and Welcome

Opening Prayer

God of each day and each moment, you call us to make choices
choices about how we will live, how we will use our time and resources,
who we will look out for, and what we will commit to.
As we come before you now, bless us with wise discernment and loving compassion,
that we may serve after the example of Jesus.

Amen

Hymn: Angel-voices ever singing

Angel-voices ever singing
round thy throne of light,
angel-harps for ever ringing,
rest not day nor night;
thousands only live to bless thee
and confess thee
Lord of might.

Thou who art beyond the farthest
mortal eye can scan,
can it be that thou regardest
songs of sinful man?
Can we know that thou art near us,
and wilt hear us?
Yea, we can.

Yea, we know that thou rejoicest
o’er each work of thins;
thou didst ears and hands and voices
for thy praise design;
craftsman’s art and music’s measure
for thy pleasure
all combine.

In the house, great God, we offer
of thine own to thee;
and for thine acceptance proffer
all unworthily
hearts and minds and hands and voices
in our choicest
psalmody.

Honour, glory, might, and merit
thine shall ever be,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
blessèd Trinity.
Of the best that thou hast given
earth and heaven
render thee.

Francis Pott (1832–1909)
CCL31580

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Lord God, we thank you that you have placed us in community.
Our lives are made up of clusters of different people; some we have no choice about.
But we thank you, Lord, that in you we can always choose how we react.
Today we choose your way of showing love to all.
We thank you, God of the people, that you are our king.
You can make us a community that is transformed by your love and our actions.
But sometimes, Lord, we haven’t always chosen wisely.
And sometimes we’ve had to live with the consequences.
Gracious God, we are here now to confess our bad choices.
We are so sorry, Lord, and we ask you to forgive us and help us to put things right.

[Silence]

Assurance of forgiveness

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse, nor will he harbour his anger for ever
he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Loving and merciful God, in your bountiful goodness, you nourish and sustain us with the bread of life.
As we journey through the challenges of this world, grant us the wisdom to discern your will,
the courage to follow your commandments, and the perseverance to abide in your love.
May we grow in holiness and be a light to those around us, that in all things, your glory may resound.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Cornerstone Gloria

Bible Readings

Psalm 138

Read by Veronica Fernandes

¹ I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the ‘gods’ I will sing your praise.
² I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.
³ When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me.

⁴ May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord,
when they hear what you have decreed.
⁵ May they sing of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord is great.

⁶ Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
though lofty, he sees them from afar.
⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
with your right hand you save me.
⁸ The Lord will vindicate me;
your love, Lord, endures for ever –
do not abandon the works of your hands.

NIV®

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

Hymn: All hail the power of Jesu’s name

All hail the power of Jesu’s name;
let angels prostrate fall;
bring forth the royal diadem
to crown him, crown him, crown him,
crown him, Lord of all.

Crown him, ye morning stars of light,
who fixed this floating ball;
now hail the Strength of Israel’s might,
and crown him, crown him, crown him,
crown him, Lord of all.

Crown him, ye martyrs of your God,
who from his altar call;
praise him whose path of pain ye trod,
and crown him, crown him, crown him,
crown him, Lord of all.

Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race,
ye ransomed of the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him, crown him, crown him,
crown him, Lord of all.

Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget
the wormwood and the gall,
go spread your trophies at his feet,
and crown him, crown him, crown him,
crown him, Lord of all.

Let every tribe and every tongue
to him their hearts enthral:
lift high the universal song,
and crown him, crown him, crown him,
crown him, Lord of all.

Edward Perronet (1726–1792) and others
CCL31580

Mark 3: 20–35

Read by Joy Enenche

Jesus Accused by His Family and by Teachers of the Law

²⁰ Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. ²¹ When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’

²² And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.’

²³So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: ‘How can Satan drive out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶ And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. ²⁷ In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. ²⁸ Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, ²⁹ but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.’

³⁰ He said this because they were saying, ‘He has an impure spirit.’

³¹Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.’

³³ ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ he asked.

³⁴ Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵ Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.’

NIV®

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

Meditation

By Revd George Mwaura

[Silence]

Choral Music

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 Grace Hunting

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

Notices

Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Unfortunately Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga has not sufficiently recovered to resume duty this Sunday. Please keep him in your prayers.

News from the Trustees’ council meeting

Tuesday, 28 May 2024

At the recent meeting of Trustees of Christ the Cornerstone LEP (CIO) we agreed on the following points:

• To launch a new Stewardship Campaign to improve the church’s finances, and to encourage members to give of their ‘time and talents’ in the church’s service. This will begin on Sunday, 22 September 2024, finishing on Harvest Sunday – 27 October 2024.
• The next Congregational Meeting will be on Sunday, 21 July, immediately after church service. There will be live-streaming for those at home and questions can be asked by phone. One topic will be introducing the Pastoral Representatives scheme, a sort of ‘church friend’ scheme which will bring us closer together as a church. Please bring any questions you might have about the scheme, which will be entirely optional.
• A review of the Oasis of Hope strategy will be undertaken, starting in the autumn, to plan how best to serve the influx of new residents expected in flats being built within Cornerstone’s parish.

Pat Kyd, Secretary to the CIO Trustees

Wednesday Bible Study: St John’s gospel: Week 2 ‘The first signs’

Theme: Jesus’ ministry begins: Water to wine, and new birth
Focus: Jesus’ first miracles and early encounters demonstrating his messianic authority.
Key verses: John 2: 11; 4: 25–36; 4: 42.

Study questions

What significance do Jesus’ first miracles hold?

How does Jesus describe the nature of salvation to the Samaritan woman?

What does it mean to worship God in ‘spirit and truth’?

‘Creation Cries Out’ Service and ‘Nature Now’ March

Saturday, 22 June 2024 in London

A Rocha UK is joining a coalition of nature organisations at a mass demonstration calling on politicians from all parties to act now for nature, people and climate. The ‘Restore Nature Now’ march being organised by many nature-focused NGOs at 12.00 noon on Saturday, 22 June 2024 in London. For more information about the march check this website: https://www.restorenaturenow.com/. Before the march, several Christian organisations will be organising a Service – ‘Creation Cries Out’ – at 11.00 am in Central London at Farm Street Church (Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception, Mayfair, 114 Mount Street, London W1K 3AH) to gather for reflection, liturgy and prayer before joining the main march from 12.00 noon. To find out more and to register, please follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creation-cries-out-service-and-march-for-nature-tickets-891545124467. Please let Stuart Kean know if you’re planning on joining the Service and/or the march.

Eco Church Core Group

Offertory

Prayers

Closing hymn: We have a gospel to proclaim

We have a gospel to proclaim,
good news for all throughout the earth;
the gospel of a Saviour’s name:
we sing his glory, tell his worth.

Tell of his birth at Bethlehem
not in a royal house or hall
but in a stable dark and dim,
the Word made flesh, a light for all.

Tell of his death at Calvary,
hated by those he came to save,
in lonely suffering on the cross;
for all he loved his life he gave.

Tell of that glorious Easter morn:
empty the tomb, for he was free.
He broke the power of death and hell
that we might share his victory.

Tell of his reign at God’s right hand,
by all creation glorified.
He sends his Spirit on his church
to live for him, the Lamb who died.

Now we rejoice to name him King:
Jesus is Lord of all the earth.
This gospel-message we proclaim:
we sing his glory, tell his worth.

Edward J. Burns (b. 1938)
CCL31580

Blessings

May God give us eyes of faith to see God’s way in the face of the many choices we face.
May God be in our choices and our plans. May God bless us and all those we seek to serve.
Go in peace and may the blessings of God Almighty,
Father Son and Holy Spirit be yours now and for ever

Amen

Sending out

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

Amen