The Church of Christ the Cornerstone
Baptist Union / Church of England / Methodist Church / Roman Catholic Church / United Reformed Church
Living God, you created us all, and so we share a common parentage. Help us to see ourselves as one family. May ours be the ears that hear the cry of our brothers and sisters, the hands and feet that respond to the plight of the poor and the marginalised and the voice that broadcasts the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. For in you, we all find our purpose and meaning.
Amen
Almighty God, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to yourself: We praise and bless you for those whom you have sent in the power of the Spirit to preach the Gospel to all nations. We thank you that in all parts of the earth a community of love has been gathered together by their prayers and labours, and that in every place your servants call upon your Name; for the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours for ever.
Amen
Lord, Lord, open unto me.
Open unto me, light for my darkness.
Open unto me, courage for my fear.
Open unto me, hope for my despair.
Open unto me, peace for my turmoil.
Open unto me, joy for my sorrow.
Open unto me, strength for my weakness.
Open unto me, wisdom for my confusion.
Open unto me, forgiveness for my sins.
Open unto me, tenderness for my toughness.
Open unto me, love for my hates.
Open unto me, Thy Self for myself.
Lord, Lord, open unto me!
Amen
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Thank you for the invitation to preach at this Covenant Renewal Service with the backdrop both of the Scriptures to which we have just listened and of the forthcoming celebration of the 25th anniversary of the opening of this church of Christ the Cornerstone. While my connection with the Cornerstone goes back...
Creator God,
you made the goodness of the land,
the riches of the sea
and the rhythm of the seasons;
as we thank you for the harvest,
may we cherish and respect
this planet and its peoples,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Heavenly Father, give us a spirit of contentment and peace,
that we may enjoy who we are and what we have.
Help us not only to appreciate what you have given us,
but to be gracious and generous to others.
May we play our part in seeing that the world’s goods
be neither hoarded nor squandered,
but used for the benefit of all;
through Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen
Beloved God, we pray for all who face hunger this day
and do not have the luxury of eating before praying.
We pray for all who work this day to make the world
a bit less unequal and to enable those who hunger
to escape from the injustice they face.
Amen
O God, we pray for all those in our world who are suffering from injustice;
for those who are discriminated against because of their race, colour or religion;
for those imprisoned for working for the relief of oppression;
for those who are hounded for speaking the inconvenient truth;
for those tempted to violence as a cry against overwhelming hardship;
for those deprived of reasonable health and education;
for those suffering from hunger and famine;
for those too weak to help themselves.
Amen
Bishop David Jenkins, who died this week, came to the Church of Christ the Cornerstone during 1990s for the annual lecture in the series ‘Theology for Today’.
He was a 20th century man with a 21st century way of believing and as such was a godsend to newspaper editors and fundamentalist Christians. He was an easy target for bigots.
As with all of us, Bishop David was much more than that which others said of him. For me David Jenkins was a breath of fresh air, a Bishop who did not need to hide behind clever words, finely rehearsed speeches or archaic theology. He did not pussyfoot before those with political clout.
One reason why he, as a Bishop, was mistrusted by much of the establishment was that he was far too close to ordinary people. All establishments prefer bishops and the like to be set apart, somewhat remote, so that the boat of life glides rather than rocks. Although a somewhat shy person, he was much more of a boat rocker than a glider.
David Moore
For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
our prayer of grateful praise.
Amen
Cornerstone Toddlers resume their sessions in the Guildhall after the summer holidays at 10.00 am on Monday, 5 September 2016.
Lord God, you are the source of all life.
Your love for us is without limit.
Deepen our relationship with you, with one another
and with the world in which we live.
As we celebrate your arms open to us,
help us to open our arms to others.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen
Thank you, heavenly Father,
for all those times in our life when we’ve known your love,
your presence and your provision.
Thank you, too, that even in the difficult times,
you’ve been with us. Please show us your way for the future.
Turn our mourning into dancing,
and we promise that we shall not be silent,
but give thanks to you for ever!
Amen
God of Wisdom, allow us to be content
with our simple understanding of you and the world
without fear of the unknown.
Help us not to overcomplicate matters
with cleverness but to focus on the simplicity of your ways.
Amen
Beloved God,
let us make allowances for one another
in love and spare no effort to maintain
unity in the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Grant us new strength and new gifts whenever
we need them on the path you have set for us.
Amen
Registered charity number: 1202248
Address: 300 Saxon Gate West, Central Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes MK9 2ES
Email: admin@cornerstonemk.co.uk
Phone: 01908 237777 (answered when the Cornerstone building is open)
Go to: Financial Giving to the Church of Christ the Cornerstone for full information.