Celebrant: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga
Preacher: Krou Assoua, Licensed Lay Minister

Gathering Music

Welcome

As we receive, so may we give:
to the God who loves us, let us give our love;
to the God who pours out his heart for us,
let us pour out our hearts in worship.

[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: For the beauty of the earth

For the beauty of the earth,
for the beauty of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies,
Christ our God, to you we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon and stars of light:
Christ our God, to you we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind’s delight,
for the mystic harmony
linking sense to sound and sight.
Christ our God, to you we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
pleasures pure and undefiled:
Christ our God, to you we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For each perfect gift of divine
to our race so freely given,
joys bestowed by love’s design,
flowers of earth and fruits of heaven:
Christ our God, to you we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

F.S. Pierpoint (1835–1917)
CCL31580

Prayer of Approach

Lord, your abundant love calls us here.
Your faithfulness to all of creation brings us to our knees.
Your righteousness is higher than the highest points and deeper than the deepest depths.
To you we come, to you we pray, this and every day.

Amen

[Silence]

Confession

We confess to you our moments of doubt, of inaction, of falling short of what we know we can be;
moments when we have been unwilling to help others
because it was easier not to or we couldn’t be bothered.
In this moment of silence, we reflect on our failings and seek your forgiveness.

[Silence]

The Lord hears our prayer, never falters, or wavers,
but forgives us our sins, our failings, our faults and sends us on our way as forgiven people.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Almighty God, in Christ you make all things new;
transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Psalm 36: 5–10

Read by Peter Steeds

⁵ Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
⁶ Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
⁷ How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
⁹ For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.

¹⁰ Continue your love to those who know you,
your righteousness to the upright in heart.

NIV®

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

Hymn: Spirit of the living God

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mould be, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Daniel Iverson (1890–1977)
CCL31580

John 2: 1–11

Read by Nerys Steeds

Jesus Changes Water into Wine

¹ On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’

⁴ ‘Woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My hour has not yet come.’

⁵ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’

⁶ Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

⁷ Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim.

⁸ Then he told them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.’

They did so, ⁹ and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realise where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside ¹⁰ and said, ‘Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.’

NIV®

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

Meditation

By Krou Assoua, Licensed Lay Minister

[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 Joy Enenche

Sharing 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: You are the King of Glory

You are the King of glory,
you are the Prince of Peace,
you are the Lord of heaven and earth,
you’re the sun of righteousness,
angels bow down before you,
worship and adore – for
you have the words of eternal life;
you are Jesus Christ the Lord.

Hosanna to the Son of David!
Hosanna to the King of Kings!
Glory in the highest heaven,
for Jesus the Messiah reigns.

You are the one who conquered,
sin and death and pain.
You triumphed over Satan’s power
you rose to life again.
Now Lord you reign in glory
every knee shall bow – for
you have the name above all names;
you are Jesus Christ the Lord.

Hosanna to the Son of David! …

You are the King of glory,
you are God’s chosen Son,
you are the heir of everything,
you’re the Ever Living One.
Now we bow down before you,
worship and adore – for
you are exalted to God’s right hand,
you are Jesus Christ the Lord.

Hosanna to the Son of David! …

Mavis Ford (v.1), Loxley & Mavis Ford (vv.2 & 3) (1978)
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

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

A Call to Serve: Join Our Welcoming Ministry

Your presence can change lives at Cornerstone Church. We’re blessed to keep our doors open seven days a week, creating a sanctuary where anyone can find peace, connection, and God’s love. But we need dedicated hearts like yours to help us continue this vital mission.

Right now, we’re seeking compassionate souls to join our Reception team. This role is more than just greeting visitors – it’s about being the first warm smile someone sees when they’re searching for hope. With your gift of time, just a few hours weekly, you’ll help us maintain this sacred space while supporting the programmes that make our ministry possible.

We believe in nurturing our volunteers’ spiritual growth. As you serve, you’ll receive professional training and might discover a calling to expand your role into Pastoral Care, touching lives in even deeper ways. Our team members find profound fulfilment in being God’s hands and feet in our community, supported by monthly group meetings led by experienced mentors.

The rewards of serving are immeasurable – the joy in a visitor’s eyes when they feel truly welcomed, the peace of knowing you’ve helped maintain a house of worship, and the deep satisfaction of putting your faith into action. Whether you can offer time during quiet weekday mornings or busy evening hours, your service will ripple out to touch countless lives.

Ready to begin this rewarding journey? Please get in touch with Pat or Robin Kyd, Rosemary Keasey, or Diane Phillips to learn more about joining our Ministry Team. Your commitment to serve could be the answer to someone’s prayers.

A Concert for Peace

7.00 pm Sunday, 19 January 2025

As part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Churches Together in Milton Keynes is presenting this Concert for Peace, featuring two beautiful works: ‘Requiem’ by Sir John Rutter and the popular ‘Armed Man’ by Sir Karl Jenkins

Tickets at £22 and £15 (under 18years £5) are available from: boyntonmusic@btinternet.com; 07961 348697; https://tinyurl.com/2x8ymxv8 (fees apply); cornerstonemusicmk.co.uk. In aid of St Mark’s Meals and SieveMK Gateway.

Big Garden Birdwatch

24–26 January 2025

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is organising the annual Big Garden Birdwatch 24–26 January 2025. It is the world’s largest garden wildlife survey. Every year, hundreds of thousands of nature lovers take part, helping to build a picture of how garden birds are faring. Take time out to enjoy the amazing beauty of ‘the Birds of the Air’. For information about how to take part, check out the RSPB website: https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/big-garden-birdwatch/faqs.

Cornerstone Eco Church Group

Cornerstone Christmas Charity Appeal 2024

We are happy to let you know that our Christmas Charity Appeal this year has raised £3483.76. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to help raise this impressive amount. Our annual appeal is one important way that, as Christians, we show our concerns for others. We will be able to claim some gift-aid which we will add to the total. We’ll let you know how much we’re able to give to each of our chosen charities once the gift-aid has arrived. A huge thank you again for your generosity.

Christmas Appeal Committee

Lighting the Dome for a loved one – fundraising for church funds

Thank you to everyone who donated to ‘Lighting the Dome’ over the Christmas and New Year period. As a result, an amazing £1095 was raised for church funds. We’ll be able to add some gift-aid on to that as well. We are very grateful for your generosity.

Thank you! Ngiyabonga! Danke! Merci! Twatotela! Gracias! Tack! Dziekuje! Diky! Asante! Hvala! Diolch! etc!

Bishop of Oxford’s Visitation to Cornerstone

The Bishop of Oxford’s representatives completed their report on Cornerstone and presented it to Bishop Steven last month. This month Bishop Steven will be coming to Cornerstone to talk to us about the report.

7.00 pm Thursday, 23 January 2025

There will be a meeting of Bishop Steven with members of the Church Council, Trading Company, PCC, Ministerial Team and Cornerstone Trust where a presentation and preliminary discussion regarding the bishop’s visitation report and its recommendations will take place.

Sunday, 26 January 2025

The Bishop of Oxford will attend morning worship at Cornerstone on Sunday, 26 January 2025, and afterwards Bishop Steven will speak to the Congregation about the report.

Offering

Final Prayer

Generous God, we thank you for all the good gifts you give us.
Thank you for surprising us with your abundance.
Help us to share your love with people who might not be expecting it, this week.

Amen

Hymn: You shall go out with joy

You shall go out with joy
and be led forth with peace.
The mountains and the hills will
break forth before you;
there’ll be shouts of joy,
and all the trees of the field
will clap, will clap their hands.

And all the trees of the field
will clap their hands,
the trees of the field
will clap their hands
The trees of the field
will clap their hand,
while you go out with joy.

[Repeat]

Stuart Dauermann (1975)
CCL31580

Blessing

When we are together
we will remember what it is like to travel alone.
When we are alone
we will remember what it is like to travel together.
Wherever we are
we will remember God who always goes with us.

Lord, go with us now, this day and always.
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