Holy Communion – Live Streamed – Sunday, 22 June 2025
Celebrant and Preacher: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga
Gathering Music
Welcome
Let us come to God, who is the same, yesterday, today and for ever.
Let us come to God, who makes all things new.
Let us be ready for the changes he has in store.
Lord God, we approach you today as your children and heirs, born into your family through faith.
Help us experience more of you, and learn how we might change for the better.
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 people that on earth do dwell
All people that on earth do dwell,
sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;
him serve with fear, his praise forth tell,
come ye before him and rejoice.
The Lord, ye know, is God indeed;
without our aid he did us make;
we are his folk, he doth us feed,
and for his sheep he doth us take.
O enter then his gates with praise,
approach with joy his courts unto;
praise, laud and bless his name always,
for it is seemly so to do.
For why? The Lord our God is good
his mercy is for ever sure;
his truth at all times firmly stood,
and shall from age to age endure.
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
the God whom heaven and earth adore,
from men and from the angel-host
be praise and glory evermore.
William Kethe (d. 1594)
CCL31580
Confession
For the times when we’re frightened to walk with Jesus, because we don’t know where he’ll lead us.
Forgive us, God, who always changes lives for the better.
For the times, when we are frightened to stay put and just want to escape,
Forgive us, God, who always changes lives for the better.
For the times, when we’re puzzled by the actions of Jesus or others,
Forgive us, God, who always changes lives for the better.
Loving God, you comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable;
forgive us and take away our fear and our complacency.
The Lord God, who commands all the unclean spirits to come out, has made us all one in Christ Jesus.
We are free indeed. Hallelujah!
We are heirs according to his promise.
We are free indeed. Hallelujah!
Jesus freed the man from the demons.
How much more can he make us free from our sins.
We are free indeed. Hallelujah!
Amen
Prayer of the Week
Lord God, thank you that you are always showing us new things in our world.
We remember rainbows after rain and the cleansing effect of a strong wind.
We think of a grimy world made white and pure by snow, and a beach washed clean by the tide.
Most of all, we thank you for the new start you gave the world in Jesus.
Amen
Ministry of the Word
Isaiah 65: 1–9
Read by Chibby Chima-Okoro
Judgment and salvation
1 ‘I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
I was found by those who did not seek me.
To a nation that did not call on my name,
I said, “Here am I, here am I.”
2 All day long I have held out my hands
to an obstinate people,
who walk in ways not good,
pursuing their own imaginations –
3 a people who continually provoke me
to my very face,
offering sacrifices in gardens
and burning incense on altars of brick;
4 who sit among the graves
and spend their nights keeping secret vigil;
who eat the flesh of pigs,
and whose pots hold broth of impure meat;
5 who say, “Keep away; don’t come near me,
for I am too sacred for you!”
Such people are smoke in my nostrils,
a fire that keeps burning all day.
6 ‘See, it stands written before me;
I will not keep silent but will pay back in full;
I will pay it back into their laps –
7 both your sins and the sins of your ancestors,’
says the Lord.
‘Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains
and defied me on the hills,
I will measure into their laps
the full payment for their former deeds.’
8 This is what the Lord says:
‘As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes
and people say, “Don’t destroy it,</span
there is still a blessing in it,”
so will I do on behalf of my servants;
I will not destroy them all.
9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and from Judah those who will possess my mountains;
my chosen people will inherit them,
and there will my servants live.
NIV®
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
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
Luke 5: 12–16
Read by Bob Collard
Jesus heals a man with leprosy
12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’
13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ And immediately the leprosy left him.
14 Then Jesus ordered him, ‘Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.’
15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their illnesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
NIV®
This is the Gospel of Christ.
Praise to Christ our light.
Meditation
[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 Don Head
Sharing the Peace
The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples and said,
‘Peace be with you.’
Then they were 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: King of glory, King of peace,
King of glory, King of peace,
I will love thee;
and, that love may never cease,
I will move thee.
Thou hast granted my request,
thou hast heard me;
thou didst note my working breast,
thou hast spared me.
Wherefore with my utmost art
I will sing thee,
and the cream of all my heart
I will bring thee.
Though my sins against me cried,
thou didst clear me,
and alone, when they replied,
thou didst hear me.
Seven whole days, not one in seven,
I will praise thee;
in my heart, though not in heaven,
I can raise thee.
Small it is, in this small sort
to enrol thee;
e’en eternity’s too short
to extol thee.
George Herbert (1593–1633)
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
Cornerstone Church Council
7.00 pm Tuesday, 24 June 2025 in the Small Hall
Among the items for discussion at this meeting will be the agenda for the next Congregational Meeting, on Sunday, 13 July 2025. Also on the Agenda at Tuesday’s meeting will be plans for the future of the Cornerstone website.
Pat Kyd, Church Secretary
New Bible Study Series: The Letter to the Ephesians
7.00 pm Wednesdays, 25 June, 2, 9, 23 & 30 July 2025 by Zoom
Ever wondered what it really means to be chosen, included, and equipped for a life that matters? Join us as we dive into Paul’s letter to the Ephesians; a message written to a city buzzing with ideas, ambition, and spiritual questions, not so different from Milton Keynes. For five weeks, we’ll explore big questions, discover surprising truths about identity and purpose, and tackle what it looks like to follow Jesus in the real world. Whether you’re new to the Bible or it feels like an old friend, this study is for you.
Curious? Come see what Paul’s ancient letter has to say to us today. Wednesdays @ 7.00 pm, starting 25 June 2025. All are welcome! If you would like to join us, but are not yet on the mailing list to receive the link to the Zoom sessions, please give your email address to Pat or Robin Kyd.
Revd George Mwaura
Visitation Implementation Oversight Group
Thank you for your prayers. We had a good meeting on Monday night looking at those few recommendations we are responsible for starting off (5, 6 and 8) and reflecting on those recommendations that others are responsible for, so that we can monitor progress over the coming fifteen months or so. This month we’ll be seeking out worshippers who have joined Cornerstone in the last twelve months to hear their first impressions. So, if that is you, please don’t be surprised if you get asked .
Carl, Grace, Philip and Ian
Revd David Moore
It is with great sadness that we learn of the death on Thursday, 19 June 2025 of David Moore, a very long-time member and leader of the Cornerstone community. As City Centre Chaplain to Milton Keynes, David was a key member of the Ministerial Team at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone. During a long and distinguished career as a Methodist minister David served in many communities from Bristol to the East End of London. He was also an accomplished artist and sculptor, whose works have contributed to the spiritual experience of many at Cornerstone. Please hold Dorothy in your prayers at this time.
Offering
Final Prayer
Lord, help us to recognise changes for the better in the world around.
Make us bold to face our fears so that we can reach out in love.
Be with us through the coming week as we go out wearing Christ’s coat.
Amen
Hymn: All my hope on God is founded
All my hope on God is founded;
he doth still my trust renew.
Me through change and chance he guideth,
only good and only true.
God unknown,
he alone
calls my heart to be his own.
God’s great goodness aye endureth
deep his wisdom, passing thought:
splendour, light, and life attend him,
beauty springeth out of naught.
Evermore
from his store
new-born worlds rise and adore.
Daily doth th’Almighty giver
bounteous gifts on us bestow;
his desire our soul delighteth,
pleasure leads us where we go.
Love doth stand
at his hand;
joy doth wait on his command.
Still from man to God eternal
sacrifice of praise be done,
high above all praises praising
for the gift of Christ his Son.
Christ doth call
one and all:
ye who follow shall not fall.
Robert Bridges (1844–1930)
CCL31580
Blessing
May the strength of God sustain us;
may the power of God preserve us;
may the hands of God protect us;
may the way of God direct us;
may the love of God go with us.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
rest upon you and dwell within you this day and evermore.
Amen
Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ,
Amen