Led by Revd George Mwaura

Hymns and Bible readings

Prayer of the Week

God of steadfast love, you call us to be rooted in Christ and to trust in your generous care.
Grant us grace to grow deep in faith, to seek you in prayer, and to ask boldly for what we need.
May your Spirit nourish us, so that we overflow with thankfulness and share your gifts with the world.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Hymn: Seek ye first the Kingdom of God

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God,
and his righteousness,
and all these things shall be added unto you;
allelu, alleluia.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
allelu, alleluia.

Ask and it shall be given unto you,
seek and ye shall find.;
knock and itshall be opened unto you;
allelu, alleluia.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
allelu, alleluia.

We shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of God;
allelu, alleluia.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
allelu, alleluia.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
allelu, alleluia.

Karen Lafferty (1948–2013)
CCL31580

Hymn: What a friend we have in Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear –
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged: take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness – take it to the Lord in prayer!

Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge! Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there.

Joseph Scriven (1819–1886)
CCL31580

Hymn: I am a new creation

I am a new creation,
no more in condemnation,
here in the grace of God I stand.

My heart is overflowing,
my love just keeps on growing,
here in the grace of God I stand.

And I will praise you, Lord,
yes, I will praise you, Lord,
and I will sing of all that you have done.

A joy that knows no limit,
a lightness in my spirit,
here in the grace of God I stand.

(Repeat ×3)

Dave Bilbrough
CCL31580

Hymn: Father, I place into your hands

Father, I place into your hands
the things I cannot do.
Father, I place into your hands
the things that I’ve been through.
Father, I place into your hands
the way that I should go,
for I know I always can trust you.

Father, I place into your hands
my friends and family.
Father, I place into your hands
the things that trouble me.
Father, I place into your hands
the person I would be,
for I know I always can trust you.

Father, we love to see your face,
we love to hear your voice.
Father, we love to sing your praise
and in your name rejoice.
Father, we love to walk with you
and in your presence rest,
for we know we always can trust you.

Father, I want to be with you
and do the things you do.
Father, I want to speak the words
that you are speaking too.
Father, I want to love the ones
that you will draw to you,
for I know that I am one with you.

Jenny Hewer (b. 1945)
CCL31580

Hymn: God on the Mountain

Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain
and you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known.
But when things change and you’re down in the valley
don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone.

For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley.
When things go wrong, He’ll make them right
And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times
The God of the day is still God in the night

You talk of faith when you’re up on the mountain,
talk comes so easy when life’s at its best.
Now it’s down in the valley of trials and temptations:
that’s when your faith is really put to the test.

For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley.…

Bill & Gloria Gaither (2005)
CCL31580

Bible Readings

Colossians 2: 6–19

Read by Pat Kyd

Spiritual fullness in Christ

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

⁹ For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. ¹¹ In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

¹³ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴ having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Freedom from human rules

¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸ Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. ¹⁹ They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

NIV®

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

Luke 11: 1–13

Read by Robin Kyd

Jesus’ teaching on prayer

¹ One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’

² He said to them, ‘When you pray, say:

‘“Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
³ Give us each day our daily bread.
⁴ Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.”’

⁵ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶ a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.” ⁷ And suppose the one inside answers, “Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.” ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

⁹ ‘So I say to you: ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

¹¹ ‘Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’

NIV®

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

Notices

Draft Minutes of Congregational Meeting
and suggestions from discussion groups

Sunday, 13 May 2025

These documents have been circulated to everyone on the Cornerstone mailing list. If you have not yet joined this list and would like to be added to it, please email Robin Kyd (robin_kyd@yahoo.co.uk).

Barry Anderson

Barry passed away last Monday (21 July 2025). He had been diagnosed three months ago with myeloid leukaemia. I was with him throughout and he had a peaceful departure with me holding his hand and singing ‘The Lord’s my Shepherd’.

His burial will be at 11.00 am on Tuesday, 19 August 2025 followed by a Service of Thanksgiving for his life at All Saints Church Loughton. He was loved by many people and will be sorely missed.

Elaine Anderson

Post Visitation Group

The Post Visitation Group met again on 14 July 2025 and enjoyed a time of prayer and reflection on what makes God glad at Christ the Cornerstone. We were joined for the first time by Bishop Jonathan Meyrick (former Bishop of Lynn) who has agreed to be the Pastoral Accompanier for the Post Visitation Group. Bishop Jonathan was very keen to visit and hear all that God is already doing at Christ the Cornerstone and is looking to make the necessary arrangements, through the relevant channels, for that over the coming weeks. If you see him, do say hello! We spent some good time considering the anecdotal feedback gathered as to why newer members of the congregation chose Christ the Cornerstone and why they have stayed, which was really encouraging – thank you to everyone who shared, and do keep those reflections coming. We also began to consider how we might invest in lay leaders in response to Recommendation 8 – discussing what courses might be fun to suggest! Finally, some of you will have seen Lisa Kerry and Bishop Dave Bull visiting the Church in their role as Trustees on 9 July 2025 – thank you to everyone who made them feel so welcome, it is clearly a gift Cornerstone possesses.

The next meeting of the Post Visitation Group will be on Monday, 11 August 2025.

The Cornerstone Café

The Cornerstone Café is now open six days a week: Monday–Friday 8.30 am – 3.00 pm, and now Saturday 9.30 am – 2.30 pm.

Why not drop in the next time you are in the City Centre and explore the extensive range of breakfast dishes and hot lunches, as well as hot and cold drinks and some really delicious home-made cakes and biscuits. There are sandwiches, toasties and panini, jacket potatoes with a wide range of fillings, delicious omelettes, burgers, pizzas, chips, cheesy chips and ‘loaded’ chips.

The Cornerstone Café is open to all, and a warm welcome awaits you from the staff, volunteers and young trainees, who are learning new skills to help fit them for adult life. The Café is a very pleasant place to meet old and new friends and colleagues. Throughout the week the Cornerstone Café is a vibrant social centre.

Thursday Morning Coffee is open to everyone. Just drop in around 11.00 am, buy yourself a coffee, or other refreshment and join the group for a friendly chat and fellowship.