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

Gathering Music

Welcome

Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
we come before you now to worship, to marvel at your being,
to focus on your calling to us, to know your love, and to seek your truth

[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: Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert and art and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy, there is none beside thee
perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
all thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea;
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!

Reginald Heber (1783–1826)
CCL31580

Prayer of Approach

On this Trinity Sunday, O God the Holy Trinity, we worship you,
Even though sometimes we have doubts and fears.

You are the one we adore, without whom life has no purpose.
You, O Holy Trinity, meet us and greet us, support and uphold us,
provide for us and equip us, wherever we are on our journey in life.

We adventure with you, into the known and unknown,
but believing that you will always be with us, to the end of the age.

You are the one we adore.

Amen

Confession

Blessed God, in thought and word and deed,
in the done and the undone, in the known and the unknown,
we have wandered and wondered, journeyed and backtracked, succeeded and failed.

We have stepped out on our own, taking no heed of your Word and your map of life.
We have delighted you and made you despair.

As we pause in the journey of adventure and intrigue
that delights and astounds us, that challenges and changes us,
we confess before you, O God, those times we have disappointed you
by the ways we have chosen, by the words we have spoken,
or by the needless deeds we have done.

Blessed God, forgive us.

[Silence]

The journey of life has its ups and its downs
and God travels with us, waiting for us to turn and confess,
offering warmth, welcome and assurance that, when we repent,
we are forgiven, cleansed, renewed, released, set free.

Thanks be to God.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Mysterious and Holy God, faithful and unchanging:
open our minds with the knowledge of your truth,
and bring us ever closer into the mystery of who you are and your love for us
so that we may truly worship you, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Psalm 8

Read by Robin Kyd

¹ Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
in the heavens.
² Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
³ When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
>which you have set in place,
⁴ what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?

⁵ You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honour.
⁶ You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
⁷ all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
⁸ the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

⁹ Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

NIV®

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

Matthew 28: 16–20

Read by Pat Kyd

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said,  All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’

NIV®

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

Meditation

Revd George Mwaura

[Silence]

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

Prayers and Intercessions

Led by Cheryl Montgomery

The Peace

God has made us one in Christ.
He has set his seal upon us and, as a pledge of what is to come,
has given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts.

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

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Hymn: Immortal, invisible, God only wise

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we raise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light;
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might –
thy justice like mountains high-soaring above
thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life thou givest, to both great and small;
in all life thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
and wither and perish; but naught changeth thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all laud we would render: O help us to see
’tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.

Chalmers Smith (1825–1908)
CCL31580

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 is 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

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

The Communion

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

Draw near with faith.
Receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ which he gave for you,
and his blood which he shed for you.
Eat and drink in remembrance that he died for you,
and feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.

[During the communion we sing:]

Hymn: As your family, Lord, see us here

As your family, Lord, see us here,
as your family, Lord, see us here,
as your family, Lord, see us here,
O Lord, see us here.

At your table, Lord, we are fed,
at your table, Lord, we are fed,
at your table, Lord, we are fed,
O Lord, feed us here.

Fill our spirits, Lord, with your love,
fill our spirits, Lord, with your love,
fill our spirits, Lord, with your love,
O Lord, give your love.

Anon
CCL31580

Post Communion Prayer

Eternal God, giver of love and power,
your Son Jesus Christ has sent us into all the world to preach the gospel of his kingdom:
confirm us in this mission, and help us to live the good news we proclaim;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Notices

Eco Church Workshop

10.00 am – 1.00 pm Saturday, 10 June 2023

Please join us for a workshop being organised by the Cornerstone Eco Church Group to learn from the experiences of other Eco Churches in Milton Keynes. We’re delighted that Simon Brown, who is A Rocha’s Coordinator for Speakers, has kindly agreed to speak and to facilitate the workshop. The workshop will take place on Saturday, 10 June2023 at Cornerstone from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm. Please bring your own packed lunch. Please contact stuart.kean@gmail.com.

Stuart Keane, for Cornerstone Eco Church Group

Congregational Meeting

12.30 pm Sunday, 11 June 2023

Please join us by Zoom for a Congregational Meeting on Sunday, 11 June at 12.30 pm. The Agenda will include proposed fundraising ideas, any CIO updates, and update from the Education and Worship Committee. The Zoom invitation will be sent to you nearer the time.

Pat Kyd, Clerk

New CIO Trustees

During the Pentecost Service last Sunday morning the new CIO Trustees were welcomed and we prayed for them and the work they will be doing in their new roles. Here is the full list of the new trustees (although not all of them could be present):

Philip Allsop, Ade Amos, Peter Cope, Cathy Hampton, Revd Francis Higgins, Grace Hunting, Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga, Tabbie Macharia, Cheryl Montgomery, Revd George Mwaura and Peter Steeds.

Church Picnic and Guided Walk

10.30 am Saturday, 15 July 2023 in Campbell Park

We are hoping to have a church picnic on 15 July 2023 from 10.30 am until about 1.30–2.00 pm in Campbell Park. It will include a Guided Walk through Campbell Park lasting about an hour. We need to have an idea of numbers so we can arrange enough stewards and helpers. The plan for the day would be:

From 10.30 am: arrive in Campbell Park
11.00 am – 12.00 noon: Guided Walk
12.00 noon onwards: Picnic and fellowship

Please note: No children without a parent. There are no toilet facilities in the park.

On this occasion you would bring your own picnic lunch and drink.

If you would like to take part, please clearly print your name and mobile phone number on the sign-up sheet in Reception.

Cheryl Montgomery, Eco-Church Group

Offering

Hymn: Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us

Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
o’er the world’s tempestuous sea;
guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,
for we have no help but thee;
yet possessing every blessing,
if our God our Father be.

Saviour, breathe forgiveness o’er us:
all our weakness thou dost know;
thou didst tread this earth before us,
thou didst feel kits keenest woe;
lone and dreary, faint and weary,
through the desert thou didst go.

Spirit of our God, descending,
fill our hearts with heavenly joy,
love with every passion blending,
pleasure that can never cloy:
thus provided, pardoned, guided,
nothing can our peace destroy.

James Edmeston (1791–1867)
CCL31580

Blessing

God grant to the living, grace;
to the departed, rest;
to the Church, the King, the Commonwealth and all people,
unity, peace and concord;
and to us and all God’s servants life everlasting.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.

Amen

Dismissal

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

Amen