Celebrant: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Gathering Music

Welcome

God of change and transitions, as summer comes to an end
and many begin or return to places of learning, or to other new routines,
we approach you now from the place of our own apprehensions.
Lord of stability, on whose foundations we build our lives,
we come to anchor ourselves fast to the unchanging rock,
so that we may be supported in all life’s turning points.

[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: 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.

W. Chalmers Smith (1825–1908)
CCL31580

Prayer of Approach

Whenever two or three gather in his name, Jesus is among them.
We gather now to renew our strength and confidence for our engagement with the world.
May we be surprised by new insights at every fresh encounter, as the disciples were at Caesarea Philippi.
And may we know Jesus as Messiah, Son of the living God.

Amen

Confession

Lord, we confess that sometimes we lose sight of who you are.
We forget about you, or we take you for granted,
failing to recognise or acknowledge that you are the Messiah.

We also forget who we are in you;
where we fit into your Church, who you mean us to be.
We are distracted by the world and its problems and temptations.

[Silence]

We turn back to you, Lord, seeking to renew our relationship with you.
We want to realise our full potential in you,
to grow and move forward, making right choices and decisions,
living in you, and you in us.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Lord Jesus Christ, Messiah, name above all names,
we worship and adore you for revealing yourself to us,
becoming one of us and calling each of us by name.
In you, we discover who we truly are, for you lead us to become the people you mean us to be,
one with you and with one another in your Church.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Romans 12: 1–2

Read by Stuart Kean

A Living Sacrifice

¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

NIV®

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

Matthew 16: 13–20

Read by Rosemary Kearsey

Peter Declares that Jesus is the Messiah

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’

¹⁴ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’

¹⁵ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’

¹⁷ Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ ²⁰ Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

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 Adrian Boynton

The Peace

The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples and said,

‘Peace be with you.’

Then the disciples were they glad when they saw the risen Lord.

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

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Hymn: Take my life

Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee;
take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let the move
at the impulse of thy love love.
Take my feet, and let the be
swift and purposeful for thee.

Take my voice, and let it sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my intellect, and use
every power as thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it thine,
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.

Frances R. Havergal (1836–1879)
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.

[Said] 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

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.

Post Communion Prayer

Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your spirit to give ourselves for others.
In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Notices

Songs of Praise

Join us at 6pm this evening as Rosemary Kearsey leads a ‘Songs of Praise’; hymns and songs chosen by members of Cornerstone, along with readings and prayers.
The meeting will be held on Zoom, via the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84928054081?pwd=enMxYm45OWc2U2x3Um5ZeVF0bHVMQT09

First Congregational Meeting of the Cornerstone CIO

The Trustees of Christ the Cornerstone Ecumenical Partnership hereby notify the Congregations that a meeting will be held on Sunday, 10 September 2023 at the close of Morning Worship (about 10.50 am) in the church building. All members are invited.

Agenda

The purpose of the meeting is to elect an additional trustee to the CIO.

Background

The congregation elected the following to serve as Trustees of the CIO in addition to the clergy trustees, Revd George Mwaura, Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga, Revd Fr Francis Higgins: Peter Cope, Cheryl Montgomery, Peter Steeds, Ade Amos, Tabbie Macharia and Grace Hunting.

The Trustees have considered all the work they have to do and have determined that they need an additional Trustee. The Trustees are nominating Ademola Adeyemi to be a Trustee.

Resolution

To elect Ademola Adeyemi as a Trustee of Christ the Cornerstone CIO for a term of three years.

Additional information

If you are watching online you can vote via WhatsApp or via text message to 07795 237 888. It is possible to vote by email any time up to and including 10 September by sending your response (I agree with the resolution or I do not agree with the resolution) to this email: mkstitcher2016@gmail.com.

Cheryl Montgomery – Secretary

Take time out to celebrate Creationtide 1 September – 4 October

Creation Time – or the Season of Creation – is the name given to the period from 1 September to 4 October each year and is a time dedicated to God as the Creator and sustainer of all life. During this time, churches and Christians are encouraged to have a focus on creation, with all the joys and responsibilities that being part of God’s creation brings to us. A Rocha has produced some great resources to help people connect with our Creator and God’s creation this season, including a ‘Step outside’ resource and Prayer Walk Guide that we can use as a church, as families and as individuals. https://arocha.org.uk/new-resource-step-outside-this-season-of-creation-1-september-4-october/.

Cornerstone Eco-Church Group

MK Can! – World Record attempt, 10 km of cans for MK Food Bank

We need tins of food: lots of them! Cornerstone is committed to collecting at least 350 cans ahead of the event on World Food Day: Monday, 16 October 2023. This event is being organised by the MK Food Bank and is a major Milton Keynes effort to smash the current world record for the longest line of cans of food! We need to fill Cornerstone’s 25 metre section of the 10 km, so please donate tins of fruit, vegetables, tomatoes, soup, meat, fish, baked beans, other pulses, rice pudding or custard, or pasta.

Bring them to the church on Sunday or whenever it is open and we’ll store them ahead of the event. There is a box behind the desk in Reception in which to leave your cans. All the cans will be used during the following months by MK Food Bank to give out in food parcels, so they need to be in good condition (not dented or damaged) and well within the best before date, ideally by a year at least. For more information see https://mkfoodbank.org.uk/mk-can/.

We will also need volunteers in the day, so please offer your services if you can be available for some or all of the time 9.00 am – 5.00 pm on Monday 16th October, in Campbell Park. Contact to Mubina Chakera (mubinachakera@hotmail.com) or David Chapman (david@dachapman.free-online.co.uk).

Social Justice Committee

Forthcoming concerts – volunteer stewards needed

Volunteers are needed to help steward Adrian Boynton’s concert at 7.30 pm on Sunday, 1 October 2023 in the church, the concert will feature Bach cantatas, Handel’s coronation anthems and Haydn’s Nelson Mass. If you can help, please speak to Jill or Adrian Boynton or email Boyntonmusic@btinternet.com. More information and tickets available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/cornerstone-music/t-gazjrjg.

Before that, at 12.00 noon on Saturday, 9 September 2023, there is a lunchtime performance by Michael Wigram (cello) and Lynn Arnold (piano) of music by Beethoven, Bloch and Rachmaninoff (admission by programme at the door).

David Chapman

Offering

Hymn: Meekness and majesty

Meekness and majesty, manhood and deity,
in perfect harmony, the Man who is God.
Lord of eternity dwells,
kneels in humility and washes our feet.

O what a mystery, meekness and majesty,
bow down and worship for this is your God,
this is your God.

Father’s pure radiance, perfect in innocence,
yet learns obedience to death on a cross.
Suffering to give us life, conquering through sacrifice,
and as they crucify prays: ‘Father forgive.’

O what a mystery, …

Wisdom unsearchable, God the invisible,
love indestructible in frailness appears.
Lord of infinity, stooping so tenderly,
lifts our humanity to the heights of his throne.

O what a mystery, …

Graham Kendrick (b. 1950)
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