Led by: Revd George Mwaura

Greetings and Welcome

Call to Worship

Come, faithful watchers, and behold, your salvation is here!
We greet the wondrous Light, our Messiah, Christ the Lord.

We have waited and watched,
longing for God to show up and save us from the suffering and pain in our world.
We greet the wondrous Light, the fulfilment of our shocking hope.

We have waited and watched,
longing for peace to reign among us, a peace that removes unjust barriers,
frees us from sin, and binds us together as neighbours, family, and friends.
We greet the wondrous Light, the bringer of our just peace.

We have waited and watched,
longing for joy that is persistent in the face of the grief, lament, chaos, and oppression
that weigh on us day in and day out.
We greet the wondrous Light, the source of our fierce joy.

We have waited and watched,
longing to encounter the Love that transforms us,
the Love that is here among us, first as a babe in a manger,
then as a teacher, a friend, and our Saviour and yet to return as judge and King.
We greet the wondrous Light, Love Incarnate, who has come to save us and transform us.

Amen

Hymn: O come, All ye faithful

O come, all ye faithful,
joyful and triumphant.
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
come and behold him, born the king of angels:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.

God of God,
Light of Light,
lo! He abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
very God,
begotten not created:
O come, let us adore him, …

See how the shepherds
summoned to his cradle,
leaving their flocks, draw nigh, with lowly fear;
we too will thither
bend our joyful footsteps:
O come, let us adore him, …

Lo! Star-led chieftains,
Magi, Christ adoring,
offer him incense, gold and myrrh;
we to the Christ child
bring our heart’s oblations:
O come, let us adore him, …

Child, for us sinners
poor and in the manger,
fain we embrace thee, with awe and love;
who would not love thee,
loving us so dearly?
O come, let us adore him, …

Sing, choirs of angels,
sing in exultation,
sing all ye citizens of heaven above;
glory to God
in the highest:
O come, let us adore him, …

Yea, Lord, we greet thee
born this happy morning,
Jesu, to thee be glory given;
word of the Father,
now in flesh appearing:
O come, let us adore him, …

Latin (18th century)
tr. Frederick Oakeley (1802–1880) and others
CCL31580

Prayers of Confession

God of Light, we confess that we have gone astray and have left your Light.
We follow the dim lights of the world of success and fortune.
We follow the dim lights that call us to be more religious by following rules.
We follow the fading light of personal salvation.

[Silence]

Forgive us for not seeking the true Light of your Love for all the world.
Forgive us for not following the ways of Jesus, who commanded us to love one another.
Call us to be light bearers of love, compassion, and justice,
in which the mystery of your Love is revealed.

In the name of Jesus, the Messiah, we pray.

Amen

Lighting the Advent Candles

We light the candles for hope, peace, and joy.

[The first, second and third candles are lit.]

Before I was born the Lord called me.
In the shadow of his hand he hid me.

We light this candle to remember God’s love for the whole of creation.
God loves us into being and enfolds us safely for ever.

[Light the fourth candle.]

God is Love.
Whoever lives in love, lives in God and God in him.
Whoever lives in love, lives in God and God in her.

Prayer of the Week

Jesus, the Light of the World, as we celebrate your birth,
may we begin to see the world in the light of the understanding you give us.
As you chose the lowly, the outcasts, and the poor
to receive the greatest news the world had ever known,
so may we worship you in meekness of heart.
May we also remember our brothers and sisters
less fortunate than ourselves in this season of giving.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

2 Samuel 7: 1–11 & 16

Read by Nerys Steeds

God’s Promise to David

¹ After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, ² he said to Nathan the prophet, ‘Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.’

³ Nathan replied to the king, ‘Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.’

⁴ But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

⁵ ‘Go and tell my servant David, “This is what the Lord says: are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? ⁶ I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. ⁷ Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ ”

⁸ ‘Now then, tell my servant David, “This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. ⁹ I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. ¹⁰ And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people shall not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning ¹¹and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.

[…] ¹⁶ ‘Your house and your kingdom shall endure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.” ’

NIV®

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

Hymn: The Angel Gabriel from heaven came

The Angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
‘All hail,’ said he, ‘thou lowly maiden Mary,
most highly favoured lady.’
Gloria!

’For known a blessèd Mother thou shalt be,
all generations laud and honour thee
thy son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold;
most highly favoured lady.’
Gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
’To me be as it pleaseth God,’ she said,
‘My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name’;
most highly favoured lady.’
Gloria!

Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say
most highly favoured lady.’
Gloria!

Basque Carol
paraphrased by Sabine Baring-Gould (1834–1924)

Luke 1: 26–38

Read by Peter Steeds

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’

²⁹Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants for ever; his kingdom will never end.’

³⁴ ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’

³⁵ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷For no word from God will ever fail.’

³⁸‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her.

NIV®

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

Meditation

By Revd George Mwaura

[Silence]

Hymn: Tell out, my soul

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings, give my spirit voice;
tender to me the promise of your word;
in God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name!
Make know his might, the deeds his arm has done;
his mercy sure, from age to age the same;
his holy name, the Lord, the mighty one.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!
Powers and dominions lay their glory by.
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,
the hungry fed, the humble lifted high.

Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!
Firm in his promise, and his mercy sure.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
to children’s children and for evermore!

Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926)
based on Luke 1: 46–51
CCL31580

Intercessions

Led by Grace Hunting

The Peace

May the peace and the love of the Lord be yours this today and always.

May the peace of the Lord be with you,
and also with you!

Let us share a sign of peace.

Notices

Cornerstone Christmas Charity Appeal 2023

Please give generously to our Christmas Charity Appeal. Leaflets and donation envelopes are available in the reception area. The appeal is an opportunity for us, as Christians, to give to those locally and further afield who need us to be good neighbours to them.

The charities we are supporting this year are ‘Advantage Africa’, ‘Toilet Twinning’, ‘MK Money Lifeline’ and’ MK Act’. More information about these charities is available in the appeal leaflets.

To donate by cash or cheque, please use the appeal donation envelopes provided and return them at any service in the collection baskets. Please make cheques payable to ‘Cornerstone Christmas Appeal’.

To donate online or by telephone banking please use the following account details:

Sort code:                               23 05 80 (Metro Bank)
Account number:                    43302825
Account name:                        Cornerstone Christmas Appeal

Please make your donations by 31 December 2023. Your generosity will be much appreciated!

Christmas Appeal Committee

Donations for flowers at Cornerstone

We invite you to sponsor the flowers in the church on a Sunday – perhaps to mark a special occasion such as an anniversary or birthday, or in memory of a loved one. If you would like to sponsor the flowers, please contact us by leaving a message in the Cornerstone Flowers pigeonhole in Reception or email ratnadevi25@aol.com. A suggested donation of £20–£50 at the time of the request would be very much appreciated two weeks before the date the flowers are required.

To donate online or by telephone banking please use the following account details:

Sort code:                               23 05 80 (Metro Bank)
Account number:                    43302825
Account name:                        The Ecumenical Partnership of Christ the Cornerstone Milton Keynes
Payment reference:                Flower Fund, plus your name

Alternatively, a cheque or cash can be passed to either Katherine Wheldon or myself (Ratna). Please make cheques payable to ‘Church of Christ the Cornerstone’ with your name and ‘Flower Fund’ written at the back.

If you would like to contribute to the floral arrangements but do not wish to sponsor towards a particular Sunday, we are always very grateful for donations of any amount towards the flower fund.

Thank you! Ratna Devi

Closure of church building

The Cornerstone church building will be closed after Christmas until Friday, 29 December 2023, apart from Blood Donor sessions.

The Offering

Hymn: O come, O come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here,
until the Son of God appear:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory o’er the grave:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, thou Lord of Might,
who to thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
in ancient times didst give the law
in cloud and majesty and awe:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

Latin Advent Antiphons
tr. J.M. Neale (1818–1866)
CCL31580

Benediction

Friends, we have watched and waited with patience.
Just a little longer and the Light of the world,
in whom there is no darkness, will return as judge and King.
Go then in his peace and wait proactively.
And the blessings of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you today and always.

Amen