Prelude: 3rd movement of Telemann’s Viola Sonata in G

Played by Louise Boynton (viola) and Adrian Boynton (piano)

Welcome

Welcome in the name of Christ.
God’s grace, mercy and peace be with you.

Good morning and welcome to our Holy Communion Service on this Sixth Sunday of Easter.
We begin with the Prayer of the Week.

Prayer of the Week

Let us pray

Faithful God, who loves us in Christ Jesus,
send your Spirit of truth to the world within us
that we may always reject what is false,
live by the commands of Christ
and be true to the love you have shown us.
Grant this through Jesus Christ, the Resurrection and the Life,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.

Amen

Gathering Prayer

Jesus said: My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.
Welcome to the house of God.
We have come from all the corners of the earth.
Welcome to the hospitality of God.
We come as we are; we bring our life, our stories, our journey.
Welcome, brothers and sisters.
We are the rainbow people of God.
Welcome, chosen people.
May God our companion bind us in his love.

Amen

Hymn: A new commandment I give unto you

A new commandment I give unto you,
that you love one another as I have loved you,
that you love one another as I have loved you.

By this shall all men know that you are my disciples,
if you have love one for another.
By this shall all men know that you are my disciples,
if you have love one for another.

A new commandment I give unto you,
that you love one another as I have loved you,
that you love one another as I have loved you.

By this shall all men know that you are my disciples,
if you have love one for another.
By this shall all men know that you are my disciples,
if you have love one for another.

Anonymous
CCL31580

The Confession

Forgive us for the things we have done and have not done.
Forgive us for the things we have said and have not said.
Forgive us for the life we have lived and not lived.

Beloved God, help us to reflect the image
of the one we profess to follow
in thought, word and deed,
and in discovering our true self
draw other into that light.

Amen

Kyrie eléison

Kyrie eléison,
Kyrie eléison,
Kyrie eléison.

Christe eléison,
Christe eléison,
Christe eléison.

Kyrie eléison,
Kyrie eléison,
Kyrie eléison.

The Word of the Lord

Psalm 66: 8–20

Read by Joy Chapman

⁸ Praise our God, all peoples,
  let the sound of his praise be heard;
⁹ he has preserved our lives
  and kept our feet from slipping.
¹⁰ For you, God, tested us;
  you refined us like silver.
¹¹ You brought us into prison
  and laid burdens on our backs.
¹² You let people ride over our heads;
  we went through fire and water,
  but you brought us to a place of abundance.

¹³ I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
  and fulfil my vows to you –
¹⁴ vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
  when I was in trouble.
¹⁵ I will sacrifice fat animals to you
  and an offering of rams;
  I will offer bulls and goats.

¹⁶ Come and hear, all you who fear God;
  let me tell you what he has done for me.
¹⁷ I cried out to him with my mouth;
  his praise was on my tongue.
¹⁸ If I had cherished sin in my heart,
  the Lord would not have listened;
¹⁹ but God has surely listened
  and has heard my prayer.
²⁰ Praise be to God,
  who has not rejected my prayer
  or withheld his love from me!

NIV®

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

Hymn: Inspired by love and anger

Inspired by love and anger, disturbed by need and pain,
informed of God’s own bias, we ask him once again:
‘How long must some folk suffer? How long can few folk mind?
How long can vain self-interest turn prayer and pity blind?’

From those, forever victims of heartless human greed,
their cruel plight compose a litany of need:
‘Where are the fruits of justice? Where are the signs of peace?
When is the day when prisoners and dreams find their release?’

God asks, ‘Who will go for me? Who will extend my reach?
And who, when few will listen, will prophesy and preach?
And who, when few bid welcome, will offer all they know?
And who, when few dare follow, will walk the road I show?’

Amused in someone’s kitchen, asleep in someone’s boat,
attuned to what the ancients exposed, proclaimed and wrote,
a saviour without safety, a tradesman without tools
has come to tip the balance with fishermen and fools.

John L. Bell and Graham Maule; © WGRG, Iona Community (2003)
CCL31580

John 14: 15–21

Read by David Chapman

Jesus promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵ ‘If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you for ever – ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Before long, the world will not see me any more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.’

NIV®

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

Sermon

By Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Musical reflection: Pues si vivimos para El Señor vivimos

An Affirmation of Faith

We believe in the Creator:
the maker of all things

We believe in the Son:
the redeemer of our broken world

We believe in the Spirit:
The sacred wind that binds all things together in the family of God.

Creator Father, beloved Son and living Spirit.

Amen

Intercessions

By Don Head

In our intercessions when I say ‘How generous is your goodness O God’
can you please respond saying ‘All the earth shall worship you O Lord’.

We pray for the world, troubled by the outbreak of this virus disease
which has added to problems of inequality of opportunity,
leaving much of the world’s population open to the other perils they face,
such as hunger, warfare, insecurity, ignorance and deprivation of basic human rights.
Those of us who have these human rights and economic security
are realising that to gain them we are wasting too much of the world’s
resources and are inducing climate change which could affect future generations.

Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed:
kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all, the true love of peace
and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom
those who take counsel for the nations of the earth
that the tranquillity your kingdom may go forward
till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love.

How generous is your goodness O God
All the earth shall worship you O Lord

We pray for the church throughout all the world:
of different time zones, languages, ethnicity and Christian denominations.
Some will be in their church buildings for worship, some will be in houses,
others in the open air and some, like us, using information technology.

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit
the whole body of the church is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,
that in their vocation and ministry
we may all serve you in holiness and truth
to the glory of your name.

How generous is your goodness O God
All the earth shall worship you O Lord

Finally, we pray for ourselves,
for those close to us by ties of family and friendship,
whether they live close by or in different parts of the world.
We pray for the different members of our congregations,
those in isolation, those who are sick or troubled,
those who are working in their usual place of work,
those who work from home and those on furlough.
We pray for carers, parents, children and those who live alone.

Heavenly Father we pray that by your grace we may be mindful,
in the coming week, of your love and that of all your faithful people
associated with the Church of Christ the Cornerstone,
supporting us in all we do.
May all our life be so filled with this love that we
will be able to overcome all the difficulties we may face
and, in so doing, will show that love to all those we may meet.

How generous is your goodness O God
All the earth shall worship you O Lord

Remember, Lord, what you have wrought in us
and not what we deserve,
and as you have called us to your service
make us worthy of your calling
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

The Peace

Jesus says,

‘Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid.’

The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.

The Offering

Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9: 6–7

Thank you

To everyone who is continuing to pay us regularly through the Parish Giving Scheme.
To everyone who is continuing to pay us regularly by bankers’ order.
To people in the envelope scheme who are putting their money aside every week ready to bring in when we re-open.
To members of the envelope scheme who have already sent cheques and on-line donations.

Thank you

Holy Communion

The Thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation.
Through your goodness we have this bread to offer,
which earth has given and human hands have made.
It will become for us the bread of life.

Blessed be God for ever.

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation.
Through your goodness we have this wine to offer,
fruit of the vine and work of human hands.
It will become our spiritual drink.

Blessed be God for ever.

The Lord be with you
and also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.

Eucharistic Prayer

It is right to praise you, Father, Lord of all creation;
in your love you made us for yourself.
When we turned away
you did not reject us,
but came to meet us in your Son.

You embraced us as your children
and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.

In Christ you shared our life
that we might live in him and he in us.

He opened his arms of love upon the cross
and made for all the perfect sacrifice for sin.

On the night he was betrayed,
at supper with his friends
he took bread, and gave you thanks;
he broke it and gave it to them, saying:
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.

Father, we do this in remembrance of him:
his body is the bread of life.

At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine,
he gave you thanks, and said:
Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins;
do this in remembrance of me.

Father, we do this in remembrance of him:
his blood is shed for all.

As we proclaim his death and celebrate his rising in glory,
send your Holy Spirit that this bread and this wine
may be to us the body and blood of your dear Son.

As we eat and drink these holy gifts
make us one in Christ, our risen Lord.

With your whole Church throughout the world
we offer you this sacrifice of praise
and lift our voice to join the eternal song of heaven:

Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.

Gloria

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray:

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

Breaking of the 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 one bread.

Take this bread:

Share this wine.

In these Christ comes to us with love from God.
The gifts of God for the people of God.

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 (1981)
CCL31580

Blessing and Closing

Thank you for joining us this morning.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord turn his face towards you
and give you peace.

And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father,
the Son
and the Holy Spirit
be among you
and remain with you
today and always.

Amen

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

Amen

Postlude: Demelza in E♭ for Tenor Horn and Piano by Hugh Nash

Played by Jill Boynton (tenor horn) and Adrian Boynton (piano)