Holy Communion – Live Streamed – Sunday, 5 May 2024
Presiding Minister: Revd George Mwaura
Gathering Music
Welcome
Call to Worship
Jesus said: ‘No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’
Let us then join together as friends – Jesus’ friends – to worship and serve the one who, because of his great love, gave his all for us.
Amen
Hymn: What a friend we have in Jesus
What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear –
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged: take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness – take it to the Lord in prayer!
Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge! Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there.
Joseph Scriven (1819–1886)
CCL31580
Prayer of Confession
Loving God, your love is so precious;
but we have turned away from you when our lives have been easy –
forgive us and help us to turn back to you.
You have commanded us to love others;
but we have turned away from them when their lives have been difficult.
Forgive us and help us to be there for them.
You have shared with us your ministry of welcome; but we have turned people away.
Forgive us and help us always to be open to them.
For the sake of Jesus, whose life and death, deeds and words,have saved us.
[Silence]Assurance of Forgiveness
God of hope and healing:
For choosing us – we thank you.
For trusting us – we thank you.
For befriending us – we thank you.
For empowering us – we thank you.
For loving us – we thank you.
And for forgiving, redeeming, and blessing us – we thank you, in Jesus’ name.
Amen
Prayer of the Week
Gracious God, we are gathered here today as one body, because you chose to call us your friends.
We come from all walks of life. We have had our share of good days and bad days.
In the world’s eye, we aren’t good enough or worthy enough to have this bond;
but in your sight, we are exactly who you need.
Despite all the drama, we made it here to worship and praise your name.
May the love we experience today in worship restore us, revive us, refresh us.
Thank you for loving us and calling us your friends.
Amen
Ministry of the Word
Psalm 98
Read by David Chapman
1 Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3 He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
9 let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.
NIV®
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn: Jesu, lover of my soul
Jesu, lover of my soul,
let me to thy bosom fly,
while the hearer water roll,
while the tempest still is high:
hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
till the storm of life is past;,
safe into the haven guide,
O receive my soul at last.
Other refuge have I none,
hangs my helpless soul on thee;
leave, ah, leave me not alone,
still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed
all my help from thee I bring;
cover my defenceless head
with the shadow of thy wing.
Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
more than all in thee I find;
raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
heal the sick and lead the blind.
Just and holy is thy name,
I am all unrighteousness;
false and full of sin I am,
thou art full of truth and grace.
Plenteous grace with thee is found,
grace to cover all my sin;
let the healing streams abound,
make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art:
freely let me take of thee,
spring thou up within my heart,
rise to all eternity.
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
CCL31580
John 15: 9–17
Read by Adrian Boynton
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
NIV®
This is the Gospel of Christ.
Praise to Christ our light.
Sermon
By Revd George Mwaura
[Silene]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 Maggie Kean
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: We come as guests invited
We come as guests invited
when Jesus bids us dine,
his friends on earth united
to share the bread and wine;
the bread of life is broken,
the wine is freely poured
for us in solemn token
of Christ our dying Lord.
We eat and drink, receiving
from Christ the grace we need,
and in our hearts believing
on him by faith we feed;
with wonder and thanksgiving
for love that knows no end,
we find in Jesus living
our ever-present friend.
One bread is ours for sharing,
one single fruitful vine,
our fellowship declaring
renewed in bread and wine:
renewed, sustained and given
by token, sign and word,
the pledge and seal of heaven,
the love of Christ our Lord.
Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926)
CCL31580
The Great Thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation.
In your loving care you spread before us the table of life and give us the cup of salvation to drink.
Keep us always in the fold of our Saviour and our Shepherd, your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessed be God for ever.
The Lord be with you
and also with you.
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.
It is right to praise you, Father, Lord of all creation; in your love you made us for yourself.
When we turned away you did not reject us but came to meet us in your Son.
You embraced us as your children and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.
In Christ you shared our life that we might live in him and he in us.
He opened his arms of love upon the cross and made for all the perfect sacrifice for sin.
On the night he was betrayed, at supper with his friends he took bread, and gave you thanks;
he broke it and gave it to them, saying:
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.
Father, we do this in remembrance of him: his body is the bread of life.
At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine, he gave you thanks, and said:
Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins; do this in remembrance of me.
Father, we do this in remembrance of him: his blood is shed for all.
As we proclaim his death and celebrate his rising in glory,
send your Holy Spirit that this bread and this wine may be to us the body and blood of your dear Son.
As we eat and drink these holy gifts make us one in Christ, our risen Lord.
With your whole Church throughout the world
we offer you this sacrifice of praise and lift our voice to join the eternal song of heaven saying together:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Rejoicing in God’s new creation, let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us.
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
Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
The Communion
Post Communion Prayer
God of life, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross,
and by his glorious resurrection have delivered us from the power of our enemy:
grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his risen life.
Amen
Notices
Congregational Meeting 28 April 2024: Transfer of Ecumenical Partnership of Christ the Cornerstone to Christ the Cornerstone Ecumenical Partnership CIO
The following proposal, from the existing Ecumenical Council and from the new charity, was put to the Congregational Meeting last Sunday 28th after morning service:
As of 1 May 2024 the Ecumenical Partnership of Christ the Cornerstone (Charity number 1122083) transfers its responsibilities, assets and liabilities to the new charity, Christ the Cornerstone Ecumenical Partnership (Charity number 1202248) and that the charity is closed once the transfer is complete.
Voting was by a show of hands noted by tellers, and votes of members at a distance were given by email:
In favour: 76, plus 2 votes by email
Against: none
Abstentions: one
The proposal was therefore passed.
Pat Kyd – Clerk to the Ecumenical Partnership
Flowers in the Worship Area
Flowers this week were donated by Cheryl & Jim Montgomery to celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary. There will also be cake after Sunday morning worship.
Cheryl Montgomery
Christian Aid Week 12–18 May 2024
This year we will be raising money to help Christian Aid in its work to push back against the inhumanity of poverty across the world. You can make a donation online now by following this link: https://fundraise.christianaid.org.uk/envelope-2024/christian-aid-week-0 or you can use your smart phone to scan the QR code below. This is Cornerstone’s ‘electronic envelope’ and money donated via this link will be recorded as part of Cornerstone’s fundraising for Christian Aid.
We are also looking for people to help organise fundraising for the week. Could you, for example, coordinate a cake sale after the Sunday morning Service on 12 May 2024? If you can offer to help, please get in touch with David Chapman: david@dachapman.free-online.co.uk.
World Café and Networking Event on Climate Action in MK
2.00–5.00 pm Sunday, 19 May 2024 at Cornerstone
Milton Keynes Climate Action Network (MKCAN) are organising an afternoon of collaboration and networking where you’ll be able to meet with local groups and individuals who are passionate about taking action on climate change. We are meeting to learn, share ideas and support each other in our efforts to create a more sustainable future. Groups attending will include: MK Eco Church Network, MK Biodiversity, MK Letnet (local trading & exchange network), MK Transition Town, Wolverton Community Energy, Extinction Rebellion, Climate Café MK and The Parks Trust.
Please come and find out more about what’s going on to tackle climate change. Booking is required: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/855393975407?aff=oddtdtcreator
Eco Church Core Group
Offering
Hymn: Thine be the glory
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son,
endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won;
angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave-clothes where thy body lay:
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son,
endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won.
Lo, Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the church with gladness hymns of triumph sing,
for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting:
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son,
endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won.
No more we doubt thee, glorious Prince of Life;
life is naught without thee: aid us in our strife;
make us more than conquerors through thy deathless love;
bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above:
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son,
endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won.
French, 19th century, Edmond Budry (1854–1932} tr. Richard Hoyle (1875–1939)
CCL31580
Sending out and Blessing
As God has loved us,
so we will go to love those despised by the world.
As Jesus has forgiven us,
we will go to forgive everyone who has hurt us
and to bring healing into their brokenness.
As the Spirit calls us ‘friends,’
so we will go to befriend the outcasts, the lonely, and the lost of our society.
Go then in peace and may the Blessings of God Almighty
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
rest upon you and dwell within you this day and evermore.
Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ,
Amen