A separate video feed of the choir will be available here during the service.

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

Welcome

Gathering Prayer

Let us come before the Lord today, lifting our hearts in praise.
May we be ready to follow him with ‘Hosanna!’ on our lips and love for him in our hearts.

Amen

Service of the Palms

This morning begins the Great Week of the Christian Year.
During Lent we have been preparing by works of love and self-sacrifice
for the celebration of the Lord’s death and resurrection.
With Christians throughout the world, we come together this week
to call to mind, and to express in word and action,
the centre of the Easter mystery: our Lord’s Passover from death to life.
Christ entered in triumph into the Holy City to complete his work as Messiah:
to suffer, to die and to rise to new life.
Today we commit ourselves to walk the way of the cross,
so that, sharing his sufferings, we may be united with him in his risen life.

The Blessing of the Palms

Sovereign God, we thank you for these branches (and crosses) of palm.
By your blessing may they be for us signs of the victory of your Son.
May we who carry them in his name ever hail him as our Messiah,
and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen

The Procession

Let us praise Jesus our Messiah,
as did the crowds who welcomed him to Jerusalem.

Let us proceed in peace.
In the name of Christ.

Amen

[We process with the palms around the Cloister of the Church singing:]

Hymn: Hosanna, hosanna

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest;
hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest:
Lord, we lift up your name,
with hearts full of praise.
Be exalted, O Lord my God –
hosanna in the highest.

Glory, glory, glory to the King of kings;
glory, glory, glory to the King of kings:
Lord, we lift up your name,
with hearts full of praise.
Be exalted, O Lord my God –
glory to the King of kings.

Carl Tuttle (b. 1953)
CCL31580

Let us pray.

Merciful God, as we enter this holy week and gather at your house of prayer,
turn our hearts again to Jerusalem, to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
that, united with Christ and all the faithful,
we may one day enter in triumph the city not made with hands,
the new Jerusalem, eternal in the heavens, where, with you and the Holy Spirit,
Christ lives in glory for ever.

Amen

Confession

The crowd honoured Jesus.
For the times we, as a crowd, don’t honour you, when we don’t even want to be in the crowd:
forgive us, gentle Jesus.

Forgive us, we beseech you, O Lord.

For the times we don’t mark Christian festivals the way we should.
When we don’t recognise you as Son of David, when we go along with the crowd,
perhaps not even knowing why: forgive us, gentle Jesus.

Forgive us, we beseech you, O Lord.

For the times we aren’t ready to do what you ask,
when we don’t want to share with others,
when we try to go it alone: forgive us, gentle Jesus.

Forgive us, we beseech you, O Lord.

Amen

[Silence]

Gracious God, you always know our hearts,
even if sometimes we feel lost in our wrongdoing, lost in the crowd,
you are always there – to pick us up and put us back on the right track,
to teach us to improvise even when we feel bogged down,
to bring new life and forgiveness in your wings.
So, we can truly rejoice in travelling with you.

Amen

Hymn: All glory, laud, and honour

All glory, laud, and honour
to thee, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring.

Thou art the King of Israel,
thou David’s royal Son,
who in the Lord’s name comest,
the King and blessèd one:
All glory, laud, and honour …

The company of angels
are praising thee on high,
and mortal men and all things
created make reply:
All glory, laud, and honour …

The people of the Hebrews
with palms before thee went;
our praise and prayer and anthems
before thee we present:
All glory, laud, and honour …

To thee before thy passion
they sang their hymns of praise:
to thee now high exapted
our melody we raise:
All glory, laud, and honour …

Thou didst accept their praises,
accept the prayers we bring,
who in all good delightest,
thou good and gracious King:
All glory, laud, and honour …

Thy sorrow and thy triumph
grant us, O Christ, to share,
that to the holy city
together we may fare:
All glory, laud, and honour …

For homage may we bring thee
pur victory o’er the foe,
that in the Comqueror’s triumph
this strain may ever flow:

All glory, laud, and honour
to thee, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring.

Theodulph of Orleans (d. 821)
tr. J.M. Neale (1819–1866)
CCL31580

Prayer of the Week

God of Easter and great sacrifices, we worship you today,
and welcome you into the streets of our hearts as King of kings.
Your love does not fade; its strength endures, stretching out across history, beyond time and space.
Such love we cannot fathom; we can only marvel at a love so big.
We thank you for your great love and sacrifice for us.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Isaiah 50: 4–9a

Read by Catherine Brew

⁴ The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.
⁵ The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears;
I have not been rebellious,
I have not turned away.
⁶ I offered my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.
⁷ Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame.
⁸ He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
⁹ It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me.
Who will condemn me?

NIV®

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

Matthew 21: 1–11

Read by Rosemary Goldie

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

¹ As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.’

⁴ This took place to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet:

⁵ ‘Say to Daughter Zion,
“See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” ’

⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. ⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’

‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’

‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’

¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’

¹¹ The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’

NIV®

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

Meditation

By Revd George Mwaura

[Silent reflection]

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 Katherine Wheldon

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: Make way, make way, for Christ the King

Make way, make way,
for Christ the King in splendour arrives.
Fling wide the gates
and welcome him into your lives.

Make way! Make way!
for the King of kings.
Make way! Make way!
and let his Kingdom in.

He comes the broken hearts to heal,
the prisoners to free.
The deaf shall hear, the lame shall dance.
the blind shall see.

Make way! Make way! …

And those who mourn with heavy hearts,
who weep and sight;
with laughter, joy and royal crown
he’ll beautify.

Make way! Make way! …

We call you now to worship him
as Lord of all.
To have no gods before him;
their thrones must fall!

Make way! Make way!
for the King of kings.
Make way! Make way!
and let his Kingdom in.

Graham Kendrick (b. 1950)
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 for ever 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

Prayer after Communion

Lord Jesus Christ, you humbled yourself in taking the form of a servant,
and in obedience died on the cross for our salvation:
give us the mind to follow you and to proclaim you as Lord and King,
to the glory of God the Father.

Amen

Faithful God, may we who share this banquet
glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
our salvation, life and hope,
who reigns as Lord now and for ever.

Amen

Notices

Walk of Witness

Good Friday, 7 April 2023

We meet in the Worship Area for Prayers at 11.45 am, before processing with drums, banners and the Cross to the shopping centre, where we shall stop in Midsummer Place for hymns, prayers and readings, and again at the ‘amphitheatre’ on the North side of City Square (outside Marks & Spencer). We then return to Cornerstone for closing Prayers in the Worship Area. Afterwards, bread and soup will be available in the Cornerstone Café.

Good Friday Children’s Workshop

9.30–11.25 am Good Friday, 7 April 2023 in the Small Hall

Explore the Easter Story through games, drama, crafts, and cooking. All Welcome!

Community Litter Pick in Campbell Park

10.00 am Monday, 3 April 2023

Please join the litter pick in Campbell Park on Monday, 3 April at 10.00 am, organised by the Milton Keynes Parks Trust. By taking part you’ll be making a difference to Campbell Park and the wildlife that calls it home. Free parking is available at Campbell Park Pavilion. To get involved, please meet at the grassed overflow car park: What3Words location ///bravest.detergent.redeemed. All equipment will be provided, though you are welcome to bring your own gloves and litter picker if you have them. Booking isn’t required but please arrive on time for the safety briefing from the Parks Trust Ranger. https://www.theparkstrust.com/events/community-litter-pick-campbell-park.

Update – Looking forward to a Fair Trade Easter

The standard-size milk and dark Meaningful Real Easter Eggs are now sold out for this Easter, with just some Fun Boxes and large luxury eggs remaining in the Meaningful range. However, there is another small supply of Divine Vegan Dark Chocolate Eggs expected, including some raspberry ones at £4.95, which were not on the price list! If you who would prefer not to have chocolate, there are a variety of hand-made decorative papier maché eggs and FT olive wood crosses from the Holy Land.

The Cornerstone Shop continues to sell a variety of Fair Trade goods and the efforts of the wider Fair Trade community following the demise of Traidcraft are ensuring that our shop shelves are once again full with products old and new, including a supply of Traidcraft Breakfast Blend tea in all types and sizes.

Paper copies of up-to-date stock/price list order form are available on the display unit at the front of the shop and will be circulated online shortly. Please place completed forms in the pigeonhole below the Peace and Justice one behind Reception. For small orders an email, text or phone call is fine too!

Joy Chapman (cjoy.chapman9@gmail.com; mobile 07854 762676)

Offering Prayer

God of all grace, we thank you for the gifts you have given us: our lives, our talents, our goods.
We offer our gifts in return so that you may use them and us for your purpose in this world.

Amen

Final Prayer

Go with us, good Lord, on our journey to the cross and beyond.
Help us to pass on our enthusiasm to others.
Keep us faithful to Jesus, our Saviour and friend.
Stir up our praise as we look forward to Easter Day.

Amen

Hymn: Ride on! Ride on in majesty!

Ride on! Ride on in majesty!
Hark, all the tribes hosanna cry;
thy humble beast pursues his road
with palms and scattered garments strowed.

Ride on! Ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
O Christ, thy triumphs now begin
o’er captive death and conquered sin.

Ride on! Ride on in majesty!
The wingèd squadrons of the sky
look down with sad and wondering eyes,
to see the approaching sacrifice.

Ride on! Ride on in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh;
the Father, on his sapphire throne,
expects his own anointed Son.

Ride on! Ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
bow thy meek head to mortal pain,
then take, O God, thy power, and reign.

H.H. Milman (1791–1868)
CCL31580

Blessing

Dismissal

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

Amen