Led by: Revd George Mwaura

Gathering Music

Welcome

Call to Worship

Through every age and in every place, the Christ in whose name we gather
calls disciples with a simple invitation: Come follow me.
And where is it that we go with Christ?

Christ leads us among enemies and strangers, causing us to regard all persons as potential friends.
Christ leads us into uncharted places of spiritual wilderness,
where the Word and Will of God are the only reliable guides.

Christ leads us to love ourselves just so we might be found, just so grace might become real.
And Christ leads us to the apparent dead-end of a cross to reveal a highway to new life.
We gather to worship the Christ who leads.
May we gain the wisdom and courage to follow.

Amen

God of covenant and caring, you have placed us in a world of endless variety and fascination.
Keep our feet steady on the path and our hearts close to your purposes
so that we might be equipped for the journey and energized by your presence in our lives.
In Christ’s spirit, we pray

Amen

Hymn: In Christ alone

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this cornerstone, this solid ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! – who took on flesh,
fullness of God in helpless Babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
scorned by the ones he came to save
till on that cross as Jesus died,
the wrath of God was satisfied,
for every sin on Him was laid;
here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground his body lay,
light of the world by darkness slain,
then bursting forth in glorious day,
up from the grave He rose again!
And as he stands in victory
sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
for I am His and He is mine –
bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
this is the power of Christ in me;
from life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
can ever pluck me from His hand;
till He returns or calls me home,
here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!

Stuart Townend (b. 1963)
CCL31580

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession

Gracious and Holy God, on this Baptism Sunday, we gather with hearts full,
full of gratitude for your mercy and full of humility as we confess our need for your grace.
We thank you, O Lord, that you are the One who gathers your people from every place.
As you promised through the prophet,
you bring us out of our scatteredness and draw us back to yourself.
When we have wandered, you have pursued. When we have been far off, you have called us home.
We praise you for being a God who restores, who reclaims, who makes us your own.
Yet we confess, O Lord, that too often we cling to our old ways.
We resist your Spirit. We return to patterns of pride, fear, and self-reliance.
We confess that we have loved our comfort more than your calling,
our opinions more than your truth, our will more than yours.
Forgive us for the times we have lived as though we have not been washed,
as though we have not been made new.

Lord, renew in us the joy of our baptism.
Pour out your Spirit afresh on those being baptised today
and on all of us who remember your covenant promise.
Cause us to walk in your ways. Write your will upon our hearts.
Make us people who reflect your holiness, your compassion, and your truth in the world.

Amen

Lord, in your mercy, forgive what we have been
help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be.
Give us power to live as you have called us to live,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

[Silence]

Kyrie

Assurance and Pardon

Christ died for our sins. He made a full atonement for us.
We are forgiven and we have the promise of eternal life.
Feel that forgiveness in your heart. We are his children.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

God of covenant and caring, you have placed us in a world of endless variety and fascination.
Keep our feet steady on the path and our hearts close to your purposes
so that we might be equipped for the journey and energised by your presence in our lives.
In Christ’s spirit, we pray.

Amen

The Word

Ezekiel 36: 24–27

Read by Peter Mutuku Kioko

²⁴ ‘“For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. ²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws

NIV®

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

Hymn: Love divine, all loves excelling

Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.

Come, almighty to deliver,
let us all thy grace receive;
suddenly return, and never,
never more thy temples leave.
There we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above;
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.

Finish then thy new creation:
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee;
changed from glory into glory
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.

Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
CCL31580

John 3: 1–8

Read by Osazeme Osaghae

Jesus teaches Nicodemus

¹ Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’

³ Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’

⁴ ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’

⁵ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’

NIV®

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

Sermon

By Revd George Mwaura

[Silence]

Musical Interlude

Hymn: Lord of the Dance

I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
and I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
and I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth;
at Bethlehem I had my birth.

Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
and I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
and I’ll lead you all in the Dance, said he.

I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
but they would not dance, and they wouldn’t follow me.
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John;
they came with me and the Dance went on:

Dance, then, wherever you may be …

I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame;
the holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me on high,
and they left me there on a cross to die.

Dance, then, wherever you may be …

I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black;
it’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried my body and they thought I’d gone;
but I am the dance and I still go on.

Dance, then, wherever you may be …

They cut me down and I leapt up high;
I am the life that’ll never, never die;
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me:
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.

Dance, then, wherever you may be …

Sydney Carter (1915–2004)
CCL31580

Candidates come forward

Since your birth, God has been at work in your lives.
To those who come for baptism, God offers the gift of grace, by the Holy Spirit.
Now is the time for each of you to open your heart, to declare yourself a follower of Jesus,
and a faithful member of the Christian Church.
And so, I ask each one of you:
Do you turn away from all wrongdoing, every evil and all that denies God?

I repent of my sin and renounce evil.

Do you turn to God, trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord, the Way, the Truth and the Life?

I turn to God, believing and trusting in Christ

Do you seek the help and guidance of God’s Holy Spirit as you walk the way of faith?

In faith, I seek the Holy Spirit.

Will you obey Christ and serve him in the church and the world?

With his help, I will.

May the almighty God deliver you from the powers of darkness
and lead you in the light and obedience of Christ.

Amen

Affirmation of Faith

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen

Praise God who made heaven and earth,
who keeps promises for ever.

Blessing the Water

Blessed are you, Lord God of creation, whose spirit moved over the waters at the beginning of time.
In your goodness you give us water to sustain our lives and renew the earth.
May this water be for Joe and Gabriel the water of new birth:
Send your Holy Spirit that these young men, being born anew of water and the spirit,
may remain for ever in the number of your faithful people, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be honour and glory now and for ever.

Amen

Gabriel and Joe, you have come in response to the call of Christ
and the leading of the Holy Spirit to confess your faith in Christ.

Do you believe and trust in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
maker of heaven and earth, giver of life, redeemer of the world?

Candidates: I do.

Do you repent of your sins, turn away from evil, and turn to Christ?

Candidates: I do.

Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord?

Candidates: I do.

To godparents:

The Church receives these young men. Today we are trusting God for their growth in faith.
Will you pray for them, draw them by your example into the community of faith
and walk with them in the way of Christ?
We do.

Do you promise, trusting in God’s grace, to pray and care for Zola and Maliya
and support their families as you are able to?
We do.

To the Congregation:

As a community of faith, friends and family representing the whole Church of Christ,
do you welcome Gabriel and Joseph into the family of Cornerstone
and offer to provide them with the example of Christian faith
and the instructions of the good news of God’s love revealed in Christ whenever possible?
We do.

Baptism

The candidates are baptised in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The minister makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of each candidate, saying:

I sign you with the cross, the sign of Christ. He is yours and you are his.

When all have been baptised, the minister says to them:

Do not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified.

Fight valiantly under the banner of Christ, against sin, the world and the devil,
and continue as his faithful soldiers and servants to the end of your lives.

A candle is given to each of those who have been baptised with the words:

Receive this light of Christ. This is to show that you have passed from darkness to light.

Shine as a light in the world, to the glory of God.

Amen

Through baptism you have joined the family of faith.

We are all children of God – we welcome you!

Hymn: Lord, the light of your love is shining

Lord, the light of your love is shining,
in the midst of the darkness, shining;
Jesus, light of the world, shine upon us,
set us free by the truth you now bring us,
shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine,
fill this land with the Father’s glory;
blaze, Spirit, blaze,
set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow,
flood the nations with grace and mercy;
send forth Your word,
Lord, and let there be light.

Lord, I come to Your awesome presence,
From the shadows into Your radiance;
By the blood I may enter Your brightness,
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness.
Shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine, …

As we gaze on Your kingly brightness
So our faces display Your likeness.
Ever changing from glory to glory,
Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story.
Shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine, …

Graham Kendrick (b. 1950)
CCL31580

Welcome after the Commitment and Certificate

By Cheryl Montgomery

God welcomes with gladness all who turn to him, so we rejoice with you on this special day.
You have been baptised within the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church of Jesus Christ.
We are pleased to welcome you in the name of the Church of England, the Baptist Union,
the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church.
We look forward to sharing with you in mission, ministry and praise.

Amen

May God bind us together in love.
We promise you our friendship and prayer,
so that together we may share the light of grace in God’s world.

Blessings

May the Lord bless you and watch over you.
May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you,
may the Lord look kindly on you and give you peace as you grow.
May your feet always walk in righteousness.
Everybody say:

Amen

Prayers of intercession

Led by Don Head

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 and offertory – AGM

Annual Congregational Meeting 2026

Sunday 22 March 2026 after morning service in the Worship Area

Everyone is invited to this meeting, which will reflect on the church’s achievements in 2025 and look forward to our plans for 2026. The Annual Reports and Accounts 2025 have been circulated to all on the church mailing list. For those who aren’t able to view it on screen, hard copies of the booklet are available from the Reception desk. The Agenda for our Congregational Meeting on the 22 March 2026 together with the Minutes of last year’s Annual Congregational meeting, will also be available. If you have questions for the meeting, please contact me by email or in person after a Sunday service.

Election of two church representatives on Deanery Synod

Nominations are requested for two church members willing to be Cornerstone representatives on the Anglican Deanery Synod for the period July 2026 – May 2029. It involves attending three evening meetings a year at church venues across Milton Keynes. Our current representatives are Glynne Gordon-Carter (who is retiring) and Pat Kyd. If you are interested, please contact Pat Kyd by email pat_kyd@yahoo.co.uk or in church for a nomination form – you will need both a proposer and seconder who are church members. The election will be held at the Annual Congregational Meeting.

Pat Kyd, Church Secretary
pat_kyd@yahoo.co.uk

Journeying with Jesus – Week 5: ‘Saying thank you to Jesus’

We continue our Lenten Bible study this week looking at Luke 17: 11–19, where Jesus heals ten lepers, but only one of them comes back to thank him.

Pilgrims Together Banner and new electronic screens

You’ve probably noticed that our Pilgrims Together Banner is not in its usual place in the Worship Area. At the end of March electronic screens will be installed with one over the doors to the Guildhall.

We are looking at where to re-hang the Pilgrims Together Banner in the Worship Area. Ideas welcome.

Cheryl Montgomery

Vestry meeting: 12.00 noon Sunday, 17 May 2026

A Vestry meeting will be held on Sunday 17 May at 12 noon, following the morning Service. This meeting is to elect two additional people to join the Parochial Church Council (PCC) and to elect two churchwardens for the coming year.

If you are interested in joining the PCC or becoming a churchwarden, please contact me on annwilson.mk@googlemail.com You will need a proposer and seconder who are Church members and you can obtain the relevant paperwork from me.

Ann Wilson, Clerk to the PCC, Churchwarden

Offertory Prayer

Gracious God, all abundance flows from your endless love.
We humbly present these offerings before you. Those placed before your altar today,
and those given faithfully throughout the week,
whether shared in person or offered electronically, seen and unseen.
Receive them all as signs of our gratitude and tokens of our trust in you.
Bless these gifts and those who give them, that they may serve your purposes, proclaim your kingdom,
and reflect the generous love revealed to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Hymn: I, the Lord of sea and sky

I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin
my hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them,
they turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them?
Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them,
my hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide,
till their hearts be satisfied,
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

Dan Schutte (b. 1947)
CCL31580

Blessing

May the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus,
establish, strengthen and settle you in the faith:
and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
be upon you and remain with you always.

Amen

Dismissal

Friends, we go into the world in the power of the Spirit to fulfil our high calling as followers of Christ.

Amen, thanks be to God.