Holy Communion – Live Streamed – Sunday, 23 March 2025
Celebrant: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga
Gathering Music
Welcome
Come and seek the Lord wherever you are.
We call upon God; he is always near.
Let go of your unkind ways of thinking and acting.
We call upon God; he always has mercy.
God will cleanse us of all our wrongdoing.
We call upon God; he always gives new life.
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
Confession
Father God, you give us the gift of abundant life, providing for our physical and spiritual needs.
We’re sorry for taking your provision for granted.
We’re sorry: when we lose sight of your loving mercy
and get wrapped up in our own self-indulgent desires;
for failing to rejoice and sing your praises;
for focusing on the negatives instead of the positives;
for being judgemental and not giving others a second chance.
We repent, Father God: help us to turn around and to bear good fruit.
[Silence]God has mercy on all who turn to him. He freely pardons and forgives our sins.
We are free to begin anew.
Amen
Prayer of the Week
Creator God, as we gather today, we know we have often failed to choose well.
Be with us, as we hear again the stories of your limitless love and measureless grace.
Amen
Ministry of the Word
Isaiah 55: 1–9
Read by Chibby Chima-Okoro
Invitation to the thirsty
1 ‘Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labour on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a ruler and commander of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendour.’
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,’
declares the Lord.
9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.’
NIV®
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Luke 13: 1–9
Read by Bob Collard
Repent or perish
1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.’
6 Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, “For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?”
8 ‘“Sir,” the man replied, “leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilise it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.”’
NIV®
This is the Gospel of Christ.
Praise to Christ our light.
Meditation
By Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga
[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 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: When we walk with the Lord (Trust and Obey)
When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey,
for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus,
but to trust and obey.
Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief nor a loss,
not a frown nor a cross,
but is blest if wetrust and obey.
Trust and obey, …
But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favour he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, …
Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we’ll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey.
Trust and obey, …
John Henry Sammis (1846–1919)
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
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
Lent Studies week 3
We hold three series of sessions, one on Tuesday, and two on Wednesday. The materials we shall be studying are from ‘A Search for Peace’ by John Birch from Faith & Worship (www.faithandworship.com).
This week we are following Study Three: ‘God, Peace, and the Old Testament’.
7.15 pm Tuesday, 25 March 2025 by Zoom led by Rosemary & John Kearsey
7.00 pm Wednesday, 26 March 2025 by Zoom led by Cheryl Montgomery
7.30 pm Wednesday, 26 March 2025 led by Stuart Kean
The further study sessions are:
Study Four: ‘God, Peace, and the New Testament’
Study Five: ‘Peace in the Lives of Believers’
It’s not too late to sign up for this year’s Lent studies if you haven’t already done so. Please contact Rosemary Kearsey or Robin Kyd for the Tuesday sessions, Robin Kyd for the Wednesday 7.00 pm sessions by Zoom or Stuart Kean for the Wednesday 7.30 pm sessions.
MK Eco Church Network meeting
Queensway Methodist Church, Bletchley,
10.00 am – 12.30 pm Saturday, 5 April 2025
The first half of the meeting will focus on hearing the lessons of the Queensway Eco Church journey, led by the Queensway Eco Church Group. The second half of the meeting will include a talk and discussions about ‘Opportunities to Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Recycle in Milton Keynes’, given by Marion Cole and Philippa Tipper, who lead the Repair Café movement in MK. To register please complete this Eventbrite form: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mk-eco-church-network-visit-to-queensway-church-bletchley-mk2-2hb-tickets-1286509989009?aff=oddtdtcreator.
For more information please contact Stuart Kean (stuart.kean@gmail.com).
Stuart Kean
Annual Congregational Meeting
Sunday, 6 April 2025
We have an Annual Congregational Meeting immediately after the Holy Communion Service on Sunday, 6 April 2025. Annual Reports and Accounts for 2024, as well as the Agenda for the Annual Congregational Meeting and Minutes of last year’s meeting will be circulated as soon as they are available. The meeting will be preceded by the Vestry Meeting, the sole business of which is to elect 2 churchwardens for the forthcoming year.
Pat Kyd, Church Secretary
Thursday Morning Coffee
We are continuing regular weekly gatherings for coffee (or other drinks), fellowship and chat in the Cornerstone Café from 11.00 am every Thursday. This is an informal drop-in session, so feel free to come and go as you wish. If you wish to join us from home by Zoom, please request a link in advance from: robin_kyd@yahoo.co.uk.
Support Earth Hour
Saturday, 22 March 2025 8.30–9.30 pm
Earth Hour is an annual event organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) when people and organisations all over the world switch off their lights for one hour ‘to help raise awareness on the most urgent issues facing our planet.’ We invite Cornerstone members to participate 8:30–9.30 pm on Saturday, 22 March 2025, by switching off some lights and devices and perhaps taking time to pray.
Cornerstone Eco Church Group
Offering
Final Prayer
Loving God, thank you for your promise to do something new in each of our lives.
Help us to give people a second chance, as you do for us, today, in the week ahead, and always.
Amen
Hymn: Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all
Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all,
how can I love thee as I ought?
And how revere this wondrous gift
so far surpassing hope of thought?
Sweet Sacrament, we thee adore;
Oh, make us love thee more and more.
Had I but Mary’s sinless heart
To love thee with, my dearest King.
Oh, with what bursts of fervent praise
thy goodness, Jesus, would I sing!
Sweet Sacrament, …
Ah, see! Within a creature’s hand
The vast Creator deigns to be,
reposing, infant-like, as though
on Joseph’s arm, or Mary’s knee.
Sweet Sacrament, …
Thy body, soul, and Godhead, all;
O mystery of love divine!
I cannot compass all I have,
for all thou hast and art are mine.
Sweet Sacrament, …
Come now ye angels to our aid,
sound, sound God’s praises higher still;
’tis God, whose power created us,
and in whose praise creation thrills.
Sweet Sacrament, …
Frederick William Faber (1814–1863)
CCL31580
Blessing
May the God of Grace and Glory go with you as you follow this Lenten path.
Wherever it takes you, and to whomever it takes you,
may you go with the blessing of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit,
both now and for ever.
Amen
Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ,
Amen