Presiding Minister: Revd George Mwaura

Gathering Music

Welcome

The Lord hears our cries. He has restored us to life and turned our mourning into dancing.
So let us come, sing praises to the Lord and give thanks to his holy name.

[Silence]

Ever-loving God, as we gather in worship, may we glorify your name.
Help us to make the most of this time together,
sharing honestly with one another as we participate in this story of faith.
May we offer you our all and be glad when you lovingly change our perspectives.

Amen

Hymn: Lord of all hopefulness

Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
whose trust, ever child-like, no cares could destroy,
be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

Jan Struther (Joyce Placzek) (1901–1953)
CCL31580

[Silence]

Confession

Lord God, we ask your forgiveness for the times when we have hurt or denied you
by hurting or denying one of your children.
We pray that whether you come to us in a loud, clear voice, or as a tiny whisper,
we will hear and gladly obey.
Bless us with your forgiveness and love.

[Silence]

You alone, mighty Lord, have the power to forgive and to help us see the error of our ways.
Thank you for the new perspective we have when we realise we are truly forgiven.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Lord of second chances, like Peter by the morning sea, we stand before you in need of your grace.
You’ve lifted us from depths we never thought we’d escape and turned our mourning into dancing.
This week, help us remember that your love remains steady even when our faith wavers.
When you ask, ‘Do you love me?’ let our hearts respond with simple truth,
not in grand promises, but in faithful action.
And like the dawn breaking over Galilee, let your joy come fresh each morning.
For you have turned our weeping into joy and clothed us with gladness.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Psalm 30

Read by Joy Chapman

¹ I will exalt you, Lord,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
² Lord my God, I called to you for help,
and you healed me.
³ You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
you spared me from going down to the pit.

⁴ Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favour lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.

⁶ When I felt secure, I said,
‘I shall never be shaken.’
⁷ Lord, when you favoured me,
you made my royal mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.

⁸ To you, Lord, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
⁹ ‘What is gained if I am silenced,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
¹⁰ Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
Lord, be my help.’

¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
¹² that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you for ever.

NIV®

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

Hymn: There is a Redeemer

There is a Redeemer,
Jesus, God’s own Son,
precious lamb of God, Messiah,
Holy One.

Thank you, O my Father,
for giving us your Son,
and leaving your Spirit
till the work on earth is done.

Jesus, my Redeemer,
Name above all names,
precious lamb of God, Messiah,
O for sinners slain.

Thank you, O my Father, …

When I stand in glory
I will see his face,
and there I’ll serve my King for ever
in that holy place.

Thank you, O my Father, …

Melody Green (b. 1946) vv. 1 & 2, Keith Green (1953–1982) v. 3
CCL31580

John 21: 1–17

Read by David Chapman

Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish

¹ Afterwards Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: ² Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. ³ ‘I’m going out to fish,’ Simon Peter told them, and they said, ‘We’ll go with you.’ So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

⁴ Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus.

⁵ He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’

‘No,’ they answered.

⁶ He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

⁷ Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, ‘It is the Lord,’ he wrapped his outer garment round him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. ⁸ The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred metres. ⁹ When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

¹⁰ Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ ¹¹ So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus reinstates Peter

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’

‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’

Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’

¹⁶ Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’

He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’

Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’

Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep. …’

NIV®

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

Meditation

By 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 Glynne Gordon-Carter

The Peace

The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples and said, ‘Peace be with you.’
Then were they glad when they saw the Lord.

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

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Hymn: Jesus the Lord says, I am the bread

Jesus the Lord says, I am the bread,
the bread of life for the world am I.
The bread of life for the world am I,
the bread of life for the world am I.
Jesus the Lord says, I am the bread,
the bread of life for the world am I.

Jesus the Lord says, I am the vine,
the true and fruitful vine am I.
The true and fruitful vine am I,
the true and fruitful vine am I.
Jesus the Lord says, I am the vine,
the true and fruitful vine am I.

Jesus the Lord says, I am the way,
the true and living way am I.
The true and living way am I,
the true and living way am I.
Jesus the Lord says, I am the way,
the true and living way am I.

Jesus the Lord says, I am the light,
the one true light of the world am I.
The one true light of the world am I,
the one true light of the world am I.
Jesus the Lord says, I am the light,
the one true light of the world am I.

Jesus the Lord says, I am the life,
the resurrection and the life am I.
The resurrection and the life am I,
the resurrection and the life am I.
Jesus the Lord says, I am the life,
the resurrection and the life am I.

Anon
tr. From Urdu by C.D. Monahan (1906–1957)
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

Invitation

Come to this table, not because you must, but because you may,
not because you are strong, but because you are weak.
Come, not because any goodness of your own gives you a right to come,
but because you need mercy and help.
Come, because you love the Lord a little and would like to love him more.
Come, because he loved you and gave himself for you.
Come and meet the risen Christ, for we are his Body.

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

Prayers for the City of Milton Keynes

12.30 pm every Friday, beginning on Friday, 9 May 2025

Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you …. Pray to the Lord for it.

On his last visit to Cornerstone, Bishop Steven encouraged us to pray together for the life of the Church of Christ the Cornerstone in the centre of our city, as we work together to develop our discipleship, to be an oasis of hope, and to be a Christian force serving the community in which we are placed.

Starting this Friday (9 May 2025) we shall be holding a weekly prayer meeting in the Chapel every Friday at 12.30 pm, lasting no longer than thirty minutes. Please come and pray with us. These prayer sessions are open to everyone, so please pass this information on to any of your family, friends and colleagues who would be able to pop into Cornerstone on a Friday lunchtime. If you would like more information, please contact me by email: robin_kyd@yahoo.co.uk.

Robin Kyd

Episcopal Visitation Report implementation of recommendations: Church Council Away Day

Saturday, 10 May 2025

In his Pastoral Letter of 13 March 2025, Bishop Steven laid out how it was agreed that Cornerstone would move forward, with an oversight group established, chaired and facilitated by Revd Asa Humphreys, Parish Development Advisor.

The Church Council will meet next Saturday for a whole day, dedicated to discussing this and will meet Revd Asa Humphreys.

Pat Kyd, Church Secretary

Christian Aid Week 11–17 May 2025

Are you a keen baker? Christian Aid Week runs 11–17 May 2025 (for more information, see https://fundraise.christianaid.org.uk/), and we would like to raise funds by hosting a cake sale on 11 May after the morning service. If you can offer a cake, please let Cathy Hampton know at c.m.hampton@warwick.ac.uk or by telling one of the stewards after this Sunday’s service. Please bring the cake to the church before the service on the 11th, and please label it with a list of ingredients. Collection envelopes will be available for cash donations to Christian Aid next Sunday, or you can donate online at any time via our e-Envelope at: https://bit.ly/Cornerstone-CAW25.

David Chapman on behalf of the Social Justice Group

Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Revd Ernesto will be on annual leave from Saturday, 3 May 2025 to Monday, 12 May 2025. We wish him a well-deserved time off.

Offering

Final Prayer

We go from this place with perspectives changed.
May we have eyes to see you at work in our lives and community.
May we have words of love to offer to people society often shuns.
May we trust and obey your call on our lives.

Amen

Hymn: Will you come and follow me

Will you come and follow me,
if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know
and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown,
will you let my love be known,
will you let my life be grown,
in you and you in me?

Will you leave yourself behind
if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind
and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare
should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer
in you and you in me?

Will you let the blinded see
if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free
and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean
and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean
in you and you in me?

Will you love the ‘you’ you hide
if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside
and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found
to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound
in you and you in me?

Lord, your summons echoes true
when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you
and never be the same.
In your company I’ll go
where your love and footsteps show,
thus I’ll move and live and grow
in you and you in me.

John l. Bell (b. 1949) and Graham Maule (b. 1958) Iona Community
CCL31580

Blessing

May the strength of God sustain us;
may the power of God preserve us;
may the hands of God protect us;
may the way of God direct us;
may the love of God go with us
and the blessing of God Almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
rest upon you and dwell within you this day and evermore.

Amen

Dismissal

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

Amen