Preacher: Revd George Mwaura

Celebrant: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Gathering Music

Welcome

Our God looks on us and loves us – come with thanks and praise.
Our God sees us and knows us – come in worship and adoration.
Our God leads us and cares for us – come to listen and go out in faith.

Amen

[Silence]

Welcome to the hospitality 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: Amazing grace

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

Confession

Lord, forgive us when we don’t see change as a positive thing;
when we try to hang on to things because we are used to them;
when we don’t acknowledge that we need change, and only you can do it.
Forgive us, Lord, help us to change and grow.

We often only look at outward appearance, make snap judgements,
reject someone on looks alone, see the negative and not the positive.
We might not cope with a change in circumstances.
We might try to change others but are not open to change ourselves.
Forgive us, Lord, help us to change and grow.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Restless God, we know that you never rest in your love and concern for all of creation.
We know that you ceaselessly search us out, calling us to be here together
in prayer and song and word.
We know that you do not rest until justice rains down on the earth and until mercy flows like a river.
We are your people, your community, your family.
Today we open ourselves to your restless Spirit
and live in expectation of your transformative work in our lives.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Exodus 22: 21–22 and Hebrews 13: 1–2

Read by Don Head

Exodus 22: 21–22

²¹ ‘Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.

²² ‘Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless

NIV®

Hebrews 13: 1–2

Concluding Exhortations

¹ Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. ² Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

NIV®

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

Matthew 2: 13–18

Read by Stuart Kean

The Escape to Egypt

¹³ When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’

¹⁴ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, ¹⁵ where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’

¹⁶ When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. ¹⁷ Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

¹⁸“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”

NIV®

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

Meditation

By Revd George Mwaura

[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 Glynne Gordon-Carter

The Peace

The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples and said, ‘Peace be with you.’
Then were they glad when they saw the Lord.

The peace of God be always with you.
and also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Hymn: Make me a channel of your peace

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring your love.
Where there is injury your pardon, Lord.
And where there’s doubt true faith in you.

Oh, Master, grant that I may never seek
so much to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness only light,
and where there’s sadness ever joy.

Oh, Master, grant that I may never seek …

Make me a channel of your peace.
It is pardoning that we are pardoned,
in giving to all that we receive,
and in dying that we’re born to eternal life (

Sebastian Temple (1928–1970)
from a prayer of St Francis of Assisi (c. 1183–1226)
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

Invitation

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

Wednesday Bible Study: St John’s gospel: Week 3
‘Healing and controversy’ (John 5: 1–47)

Theme: A Sabbath healing ignites conflict
Focus: Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath and his subsequent claims of divine authority.
Key verses: John 5: 17–18, 5: 24, 5 :39–40.

Study questions

Why did Jesus’ Sabbath actions provoke the Jews?

What does Jesus reveal about his relationship with the Father?

How does Jesus respond to those seeking Scripture-based eternal life?

‘Creation Cries Out’ Service and ‘Restore 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

General Election Hustings

Churches Together in Milton Keynes is promoting hustings with the parliamentary candidates for the General Election in each of the three Milton Keynes Constituencies. Hustings provide an opportunity for members of the public in a constituency to listen to and ask questions of the candidates.

The three hustings will be held on the following dates:

• Milton Keynes North Constituency: at SS Peter & Paul Church, Newport Pagnell on Tuesday, 18 June 2024, at 7.00 for 7.30–9.00 pm.
• Buckingham & Bletchley Constituency: at St Frideswides, Water Eaton on Sunday, 23 June 2024 at 4.00–5.30 pm.
• Milton Keynes Central Constituency: at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone on Wednesday, 26 June 2024 at 7.30 for 8.00–9.30 pm.

As you are aware Cornerstone is a church that is committed to voter registration and would like to encourage members to attend the hustings in their constituencies. We are also looking for volunteers to assist with the hustings that will be taking place at Cornerstone for Milton Keynes Central Constituency on Wednesday, 26 June 2024 at 7.00–9.30 pm to help welcome members of the public attending the hustings and to assist with serving refreshments before the hustings. Please contact David Chapman (david@dachapman.free-online.co.uk) or Stuart Kean (stuart.kean@gmail.com) if you can assist..

Cornerstone Church Picnic

Sunday, 21 July 2024 after the morning service in the Fred Roche Gardens

A Cornerstone Church Picnic will be held on 21 July 2024 after the Sunday morning service in the Fred Roche Gardens at the back of the church. The picnic will be an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the gardens and will be a fun time. If it is wet the picnic will be held in the Guildhall. Please do put the date in your diary as we hope as many people as possible will attend. Please will you let Christine Mwaura know if you’re intending to come to the picnic and also if you would be willing to help with organising the picnic.

Eco Church Core Group

Offering

Final Prayer

Thank you, Lord, that you love us and you can change us: help us to trust you this week.
Thank you, Lord, that you love this world and you can change it: help us to work with you this week.

Amen

Hymn: For the healing of the nations

For the healing of the nations,
Lord, we pray with one accord,
for a just and equal sharing
of the things that earth affords.
To a life of love in action
help us rise and pledge our word.

Lead us, Father, into freedom,
from despair your world release,
that, redeemed from war and hatred,
all may come and go in peace.
Show us how through care and goodness
fear will die and hope increase.

All that kills abundant living,
let it from the earth be banned;
pride of status, race or schooling,
dogmas that obscure your plan.
In our common quest for justice
may we hallow life’s brief span.

You, Creator-God, have written
your great name on all mankind;
for our growing in your likeness
bring the life of Christ to mind;
that by our response and service
earth its destiny may find.

Fred Kaan (1929–2009)
CCL31580

Blessing

God be in your head, and in your understanding;
God be in your eyes, and in your looking;
God be in your mouth, and in your speaking
God be in your heart, and in your thinking;
God be at your end, and at your departing.

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