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Preacher: Revd George Mwaura
Celebrant: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Introit

Welcome

Let us say to one another,
‘Be strong. Do not fear. God, our God, is here with us.’
Come with your fears, your doubts, your anxiety.
Come just as you are.
You are welcome in the name of God: Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Amen

[Silence]

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: How great thou art

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
consider all the works thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
thy power throughout the universe displayed;
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee,
how great thou art, how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee,
how great thou art, how great thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
and hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze;
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee, …

And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
sent him to die – I scarce can take it in:
that on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
he bled and died to take away my sin;
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee, …

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
and take me home – what joy shall fill my heart!
Then shall I bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, my God how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee, …

Russian hymn
tr. Stuart K. Hine (1899–1989)
CCL31580

Prayer of Approach

God of miracles, however we are feeling, we come to meet you, expectant and hopeful.
Whether we are one or many, and whatever our station in life,
you welcome us, arms wide open – and we worship you,
Lord God of all.

Amen

[Silence]

Confession

Forgive us, Lord, for all the times we are too quick to form opinions, too quick to judge others;
the times we don’t give people the benefit of the doubt;
or fail to consider what they might be going though.
Open our eyes to see and our ears to listen, as you do.

Amen

Kyrie

Giver and sustainer of life, through the power of the cross
we are a forgiven people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
chosen by you, who have called us out of darkness and into your marvellous light.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Creator God, you spoke into the silence and darkness,
blowing clean life-giving air into space, warmth and life engulfed your creation.
Solid ground formed out of gushing water and life appeared.
You lovingly created the world and us.
Now you look with sadness at the mess we have made of your creation
and our desperate attempts to re-balance it.
Speak again, Lord, words of healing and consolation
for your servants desperately long to hear you

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Isaiah 58: 1–12

Read by Penny Keens

True fasting

¹ ‘Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
² For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
³ “Why have we fasted,” they say,
“and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?”

‘Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
⁴ Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
⁵ Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?

⁶ ‘Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter –
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: here am I.

‘If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
¹¹ The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

NIV®

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

Hymn: The earth is the Lord’s

The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.
The earth is the Lord’s, the work of his hands.
The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,
and all things were made for his glory.

The mountains are his, the seas and the islands,
the cities and towns, the houses and streets:
let rebels bow down and worship before him,
for all things were made for his glory.

[Repeat both verses]

The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.
The earth is the Lord’s, the work of his hands.
The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,
and all things were made, yes, all thing were made,
and all things were made for his glory.

Graham Kendrick (b. 1950)
CCL31580

John 1: 1–16

Read by Rosemary Goldie

The Word Became Flesh

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵ (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, ‘This is the one I spoke about when I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” ’) ¹⁶ Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

NIV®

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

Meditation

By Revd George Mwaura

Choral Response

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 Glynne Gordon-Carter

The Peace

Peace to you from God, who is our Father.
Peace from Jesus Christ, who is our peace.
Peace from the Holy Spirit, who gives us life.

The peace of God be always with you.
and also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Hymn: All creatures of our God and King

All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voice and with us sing
alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam:
O praise him, O praise him,
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
ye clouds that sail in heaven along,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
ye lights of evening, find a voice:
O praise him, ….

Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
make music for thy Lord to hear,
alleluia, alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
that givest us both warmth and light:
O praise him, ….

Dear mother earth, who day by day
unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise him, alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow
let them his glory also show.
O praise him, ….

And all who are of tender heart,
forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye, alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
praise God and on him cast your care.
O praise him, ….

And thou, most kind and gentle death,
waiting to hush our latest breath,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou leadest home the child of God,
and Christ our Lord the wat hath trod:
O praise him, ….

Let all things their Creator bless,
and worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, Three in One.
O praise him, O praise him,
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

William Henry Draper (1855–1935)
based on St Francis of Assisi’s ‘Cantico do Frate Sole’
CCL31580

Holy Communion

The Lord 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 give thanks and praise.

Almighty God, good Father to us all, your face is turned towards your world.
In love you gave us Jesus your Son to rescue us from sin and death.
Your Word goes out to call us home to the city where angels sing your praise.

We join with them in heaven’s song:

Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

We bless the name of Jesus, bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh,
whose brokenness and suffering makes love real,
who on the night in which he was betrayed took bread,
gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying,

Take, eat. This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

After supper he took the cup saying,
Drink from this, all of you, this is my blood given for you.
Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me.

This is the mystery of our faith.

Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.

Therefore, as we eat this bread and drink this cup,
we acknowledge brokenness as a path to truth.
We long for the bread of tomorrow: eternally broken and so able to nourish.
We long for the new wine of the kingdom: continuously poured out that thirst may be quenched.

Send your Spirit on us now,
that by these gifts we may feed on Christ with opened eyes and hearts on fire.
May we and all who share this food offer ourselves to live for you
and be welcomed at your feast in heaven, where all creation worships you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit:

Blessing and honour and glory and power
be yours forever and ever.

Amen

The Lord’s Prayer [said]

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.

Amen

Post-Communion Prayer

Eternal Father, we thank you for nourishing us with these heavenly gifts:
may our communion strengthen us in faith, build us up in hope, and make us grow in love;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Notices

Countdown to COP26

Climate Sunday, 5 September 2021

We have our Climate Sunday (https://www.climatesunday.org/) services this week, when George will be preaching at the 10.00 am Service on the theme of climate change, followed at 3.00 pm with Rt Revd Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford, leading an ecumenical service focusing on climate change.

Camino to COP

Next week the Camino to COP pilgrims (see https://caminotocop.com/) come to Milton Keynes on their way to Glasgow. They will arrive in Milton Keynes on Saturday, 11 September 2021, having walked from Hockliffe, stay in Milton Keynes two nights, and depart to walk to Towcester on Monday. On the Sunday afternoon they will be participating in a special service at the Cathedral of Trees. One of the pilgrims will be wearing the Coat of Hopes (https://www.coatofhopes.uk/) complete with our Cornerstone ‘patch’.

David Chapman

Volunteers needed for the coffee rota

Now that coffee and tea are again being served after the 10.00 am Service every Sunday, we are looking for volunteers to enable this to happen. If you’re able to help, please contact Stuart Kean, who can provide more information. His email address is: stuart.kean@gmail.com.

Stuart Kean

Easy Fundraising

Thank you to those who signed up to easyfundraising. You have raised £40.59 towards Church funds.

If you shop online and are interested in helping to raise funds for the Church, please take a look at www.easyfundraising.org.uk. The Church is listed as Church of Christ the Cornerstone-Milton Keynes.

Janet Trimnell
steward.cccmk@gmail.com

News from the Ecumenical Council

Finance

At a special meeting of the Ecumenical Council on Tuesday, 10 August 2021 it was agreed that as a result of the financial circumstances of Cornerstone, made worse by the COVID pandemic (as discussed at the Congregational Meeting on Sunday, 18 July 2021), we cannot afford to pay all of our contributions to our parent churches. We are therefore withholding a portion of the sums due, and over this financial year we will have paid a little over 40% of our Parish Share to the Diocese of Oxford and 75% of our dues to each of the Methodist Church and the URC.

Future meetings

The next regular meeting of Ecumenical Council is on Tuesday, 21 September 2021, and the next Congregational Meeting is on Sunday, 3 October 2021 (postponed from Sunday, 26 September 2021).

David Chapman

Church Flowers

The Worship Area flowers this week are donated by June & Brian Halstead to celebrate their 51st Wedding Anniversary. We wish them many more happy years.

Katherine Wheldon

Meet the residents of Campbell Park

We have the opportunity to meet residents of Campbell Park and CMK at the Town Council event next Sunday, 12 September 2021 after church between 12.00 noon and 3.00 pm. Cheryl Montgomery will be leaving from church at 11.45 to go to the Marina. Please let her know if you can join in (clmonty@sky.com).

The new community canal boat Electra will be moored on the canal near the Green Lane roundabout at the far end of Campbell Park. Residents of Central Milton Keynes will be invited to see the community canal boat Electra; representatives of other organisations in the parish, including Christ the Cornerstone, will be able to talk to residents about their activities.

Cheryl Montgomery

Give thanks for your vaccination with a donation to Christian Aid

Most of us have been vaccinated against COVID at no cost to ourselves, thanks to the NHS. Millions of people across the world are not so lucky. The United Reformed Church is inviting us to give thanks for our vaccination by making a donation to support Christian Aid’s response to the coronavirus pandemic in affected communities around the world. Follow this link to make an online donation in gratitude for your vaccination: https://bit.ly/2WdDR8J.

Cornerstone Membership Renewal

We all have to renew our membership of the Church of Christ the Cornerstone every year ahead of the Covenant Renewal weekend (which this year is 18–19 September 2021). If you have not already done so, please return your completed Membership Renewal Form in the envelope addressed to Janet Trimnell, our Stewardship Secretary, or email the completed electronic form to Janet at steward.cccmk@gmail.com as soon as possible. If you have not received a Cornerstone Membership Renewal pack there are a few available to be collected from Reception.

The Food Bank

Cornerstone is a collecting point for donations of food to the Food Bank. Now that the Cornerstone Reception area is open throughout the week, the Food Bank is resuming collecting these donations weekly on Wednesday morning.

Please consider donating generously to the Food Bank. Here are some of the products that are particularly needed at the moment: sugar; cereal; spreads: jam, peanut butter etc.; long-life fruit juice; long-life milk (whole milk is best for families with children); pasta sauce. You will find more detailed information about food donations on the MK Food Bank website, particularly on the Give Food page (http://mkfoodbank.org.uk/support-the-food-bank/help-the-food-bank/give-food/).

Although the Food Bank cannot handle fresh food, many of the Community Fridges around Milton Keynes will gladly accept fresh food. If you have more fruit or vegetables from your garden or allotment than you can use yourself, please donate it to one of the Community Fridges.

Offering

Thank you
to everyone who has continued giving through our regular schemes during these past months.
Your generosity has been amazing and much appreciated.
We couldn’t have carried on without you.

We have various ways in which you can continue to give your offering in support of the Church.

For details please contact the Stewardship Secretary, Janet Trimnell, at steward.cccmk@gmail.com.

Full details are also available on our website at: www.cornerstonemk.co.uk/giving.

Final Prayer

God of salvation, you open the way to life by offering us unconditional love.
We rejoice in our freedom, our healing and our hope.
Teach us to be open to others, to offer welcome, and practise inclusion. In Jesus’ name.

Amen

Hymn: For the beauty of the earth

 

For the beauty of the earth,
for the beauty of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies,
Christ our God, to you we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon and stars of light.
Christ our God, to you we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind’s delight,
for the mystic harmony
linking sense to sound and sight.
Christ our God, to you we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
pleasures pure and undefiled.
Christ our God, to you we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For each perfect gift of divine
to our race so freely given,
joys bestowed by love’s design,
flowers of earth and fruits of heaven,
Christ our God, to you we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

F.S. Pierpoint (1835–1917)
CCL31580

 

The Blessing

God be in your head, and in your understanding;
God be in your eyes, and in your looking;
God be in your mouth, and in your speaking;
God be in your heart, and in your thinking;
God be at your end, and at your departing.
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

The Dismissal

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

Amen