Presiding Minister: Revd Dr Margaret Goodall

Introit

Call to Worship

May you, in company with all God’s people,
be strong to grasp what is the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love.

Ephesians 3: 18–19

Come, from your busy lives to a quiet time and place
Our souls thirst for some peace and quiet.

Come. Rest in the Lord who restores your soul.
Our lives need moments of rest.

Come and find the quiet centre. Be at peace.
Praise God who offers to us a shelter and a resting place.

Amen

Let’s join together in worship!

Hymn: Longing for light (Christ be our light)

Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people,
light for the world to see.

Christ be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has power to save us.
Make us your living voice.

Christ be our light! ….

Longing for food, many are hungry.
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others,
shared until all are fed.

Christ be our light! ….

Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others,
walls made of living stone.

Christ be our light! ….

Many the gifts, many the people,
many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
helping your kingdom come.

Christ be our light! ….

Bernadette Farrell (b. 1957)
CCL31580

Opening Prayer

Lord, we gather here this morning with lives that are filled with activity and movement.
Help us to let go of the hectic times and the stresses and find our rest in you.
Relax our spirits and refresh our souls.
Remind us that there will always be things to do and places to go,
but that we need the rest of spirit that you provide.

Amen

As we worship God,
let us take time to name the ways that we have fallen short, collectively and individually.
Trusting in God’s gracious mercy.

Lord God, we have judged others harshly, unfairly and casually.
We tend to focus on the sin, brokenness and foibles of others,
rather than on the growth and work we are called to.
We’ve made assumptions about what others want and need,
robbing them of the freedom to speak for themselves.
We’ve tuned out the voices bold enough to express views that are different from ours.
We’ve relied upon your grace, time and time again,
while hastily denying that you are eager to give it not only to us, but to our enemies, also.
Help us to see others as you see them; help us to see you with faith and trust.

Kyrie

[We make our own confession during the singing of the Kyrie.]

Words of Assurance

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
calling all to turn from sin, and live.

By the grace of God, your sins are forgiven.

Amen

Bible Readings

Romans 13: 8–12

Read by Kate Abrahams

Love fulfils the law

⁸ Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. ⁹ The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ ¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.

The day is near

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: the hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light.

NIV®

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

Matthew 18: 15–20

Read by Richard May-Miller

Dealing with sin in the church

¹⁵ ‘If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. ¹⁶ But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that “every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” ¹⁷ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

¹⁸ ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

¹⁹ ‘Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.’

NIV®

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

Hymn: Put peace into each other’s hands

Put peace into each other’s hands
and like a treasure hold it;
protect it like a candle flame,
with tenderness enfold it.

Put peace into each other’s hands,
with loving expectation;
be gentle in your words and way,
in touch with God’s creation.

Put peace into each other’s hands,
like bread we break for sharing;
look people warmly in the eye:
our life is meant for caring.

As at communion, shape your hands
into a waiting cradle;
the gift of Christ receive, revere,
united round the table.

Put Christ into each other’s hands,
he is love’s deepest measure;
in love make peace, give peace a chance:
and share it like a treasure.

Fred Kaan (1929–2009)
CCL31580

Sermon

By Revd Dr Margaret Goodall

Music for Reflection

A Creed

We are not alone; we live in God’s world.

We believe in God:
who created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus, the word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others by the Spirit.

We trust in God.

We are called to be the church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.

We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.

Intercessions

Led by Joy Enenche

Hymn: Alleluia, sing to Jesus!

Alleluia, sing to Jesus!
his the sceptre, his the throne;
alleluia, his the triumph,
his the victory alone:
hark, the songs of peaceful Sion
thunder like a mighty flood;
Jesus out of every nation
hath redeemed us by his blood.

Alleluia, not as orphans
are we left in sorrow now;
alleluia, he is near us,
faith believes, nor questions how:
though the cloud from sight received him,
when the forty days were o’er,
shall our hearts forget his promise,
‘I am with you evermore’?

Alleluia, Bread of Angels,
thou on earth our food, our stay;
alleluia, here the sinful
flee to thee from day to day:
Intercessor, Friend of sinners,
earth’s Redeemer, plead for me,
where the songs of all the sinless,
sweep across the crystal sea.

Alleluia, King eternal,
thee the Lord of lords we own;
alleluia, born of Mary,
earth thy footstool, heaven thy throne:
thou within the veil hast entered,
robed in flesh, our great High Priest;
thou on earth both Priest and Victim
in the Eucharistic Feast.

William Chatterton Dixon (1817–1898)
CCL31580

[During the hymn the collection is taken.]

Offertory Prayer

Lord and giver of every good thing, we bring to you bread and wine for our Communion,
gifts and lives for your kingdom.
Transform them through your grace and love, made known to us in Christ Jesus our Saviour.

Amen

The Peace

The Lord has made an everlasting covenant of peace with his people.

The peace of the Lord be always with you,
and also with you.

Let us offer a sign of peace to our neighbours.

Holy Communion

God 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 offer our thanks and praise.

Loving God,
you made this wonderful world for us to enjoy.
You made people to live for you and for one another.
You gave us Jesus to be our friend and bring us closer to you.
He died on a cross, but you raised him to life, to live with us for ever.

You send us your Spirit, and you bring us to this table so that we can share your love.

For all your goodness we give you thanks; and together we give you praise, saying:

Holy, holy, holy, God of power and might!
Heaven and earth are full of your glory !

Praise be to you, O Lord !

We gather at this table to remember that on the night before he died, Jesus had a meal with his friends.

He took a loaf of bread. After blessing it, he broke it and gave it to them, saying:
‘Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Each time you do this, remember me.’

Then, Jesus also took a cup. After giving thanks, he passed it to his friends, saying:
‘Drink. This cup, poured out for you, is the promise of God’s love.
Whenever you drink it, remember me.’

So, remembering Jesus’ death and celebrating his resurrection, we pray:

Lord of all life, help us to be your true disciples,
and work together for the day when your kingdom comes,
and justice, peace and mercy are seen in all the world.

Now send, O God, your Holy Spirit upon us and what we do here,
that we and these gifts, touched by your Spirit, may be signs of life and love to one another,
and to the world.

Blessing and honour and glory and power be yours, O Lord, 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 Breaking of Bread

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in the one bread.

Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life. Those who come to me shall not hunger, and those who believe in me shall never thirst.’

Draw near with faith.

The Communion is received

After communion we pray:

We thank you Lord,
that you have fed us in this sacrament, united us with Christ
and given us a taste of the heavenly banquet prepared for all people.

Amen

Notices

Cornerstone Baby and Toddler Group needs your help

Do you have a couple of hours to spare on Monday mornings? It needn’t be every week!

Toddlers start again on Monday (7 September 2026) after the summer break. It is a fabulous community, who meet each week in term time and have lots of fun. It’s a great way to start the week and is guaranteed to make you smile! Toddlers is an important part of the church’s outreach, creating an Oasis of Hope in Milton Keynes, but to continue we need some help – Urgently!

We are desperate for strong, active people to help bringing the toys down from the balcony 8.30–9.00 am. We also need some new people to support us during the session between 10.00 and 11.45 am.

Please get in touch with me or Joy Chapman and share this message with other people who may be interested.

Thank you, Nerys Steeds, njsteeds@icloud.com

Screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing Film

2.00–4.00 pm next Sunday (13 September 2026) at Cornerstone

You are invited to attend a free screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing Film about the risks to British life from ongoing damage to nature and to our climate. The film presents a clear, measured overview of how the climate and nature crisis is affecting everyday life in Britain – and what the evidence says about risks and responses. This screening is for members of the faith communities in Milton Keynes. The 45-minute film will be followed by a time of discussion.

Please book your free ticket using EventBrite by clicking here and registering: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/peoples-emergency-briefing-film-for-milton-keynes-faith-communities-tickets-1995450216313?aff=oddtdtcreator.

Revd George Mwaura, Chair, Churches Together in Milton Keynes
The Co-Convenors and Committee of Interfaith MK
Dr Stuart Kean, Convenor, MK Eco Church Network

Cornerstone Covenant Renewal Weekend

Saturday–Sunday, 19–20 September 2026

Our Sunday Service at 10.00 am on 20 September 2026 will be an All Age Covenant Renewal Service.
It will be followed by a Bring and Share Lunch.

If you are new to the Church of Christ the Cornerstone and would like to become a Church Member, please speak to Cheryl Montgomery, Pat Kyd, Peter Cope or Revd George and ask for a membership form.

Revd Sarah Eden-Jones’s Induction Service

7.00 pm Monday, 28 September 2026

Our new Minister, Revd Sarah Eden-Jones, will be inducted by Bishop Dave, Bishop of Buckingham, at the Church of Christ the Cornerstone on Monday, 28 September 2026. The Induction Service is scheduled for 7.00 pm. The Service will be very well-attended, so you are advised to arrive in good time. This Service will be live-streamed.

Let love be real, in giving and receiving

Let love be real, in giving and receiving,
without the need to manage and to own;
a haven free from posing and pretending,
where every weakness may be safely known.
Give me your hand, along the desert pathway,
give me your love wherever we may go.
As God loves us, so let us love each other:
with no demands, just open hands and space to grow.

Let love be real, not grasping or confining,
that strange embrace that holds yet sets us free;
that helps us face the risk of truly living,
and makes us brave to be what we might be.
Give me your strength when all my words are weakness;
give me your love in spite of all you know.
As God loves us, so let us love each other:
with no demands, just open hands and space to grow.

Let love be real, with no manipulation,
no secret wish to harness or control;
let us accept each other’s incompleteness,
and share the joy of learning to be whole.
Give me your hope through dreams and disappointments;
give me your trust when all my failings show.
As God loves us, so let us love each other:
with no demands, just open hands and space to grow.

Michael Forster (1946–2023)
CCL31580

Closing Prayers

You are God’s beloved people, refreshed, restored, forgiven and healed.
Go now into this world confident in the gifts God has given you.
Go to serve God’s people, bringing words of peace and hope to all whom you meet.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

God of healing and peace, as new creations in Christ may we go:
to witness to your power to renew us,
to overcome barriers that divide us,
and to show in our lives your reconciling love.

Amen

Blessing

May the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
rest upon you, remain with you, and all those whom you love, today and all the days of your lives.

Amen

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ.

Amen