[There are five separate recordings here for this Service. The first is a video of the Prelude. Then there is an audio recording of the first part of the service. Below that is the text of that part of the service, so that you can scroll down to follow the words. The sermon is another video, but the text is not available. This is followed by an audio recording of the last part of the service, with the text below it. Finally there is a video of the Postlude.]

Prelude: Aria from the Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach

Service of the Word (part 1)

Introit: Bless the Lord my Soul (Taizé)

Welcome

Good morning children of the Most High God!
Welcome to our virtual fellowship this morning
as we give praise to the creator and worship him in truth and Spirit!

Opening Responses

Let us be still for a moment as we come before the Lord…

We come together today, as the people of God;
called to be friends of Christ;
living in unity, and acting with compassion.

We are here together. We are here with God.

God is still engaged in a process of creation,
and is revealed through the world around us.

Open our eyes, and help us to see.

God continues to speak through other people,
and through the living and incarnate Word.

Open our ears, and help us to hear.

God sets the Holy Spirit within us,
so that our inmost being dances to the rhythm of Heaven.

Open our hearts, and help us to love.

Creator God, inspire us to reshape the World,
according to the pattern revealed by your love.
Incarnate Word, be with us as we follow you,
and teach us what it means to be your body.
Living Spirit, dwell more deeply in our hearts
and help us to live together as the people of God.

Help us to hear. Help us to understand.
Help us to respond.

Amen

Hymn: ‘The kingdom is upon you!’

‘The kingdom is upon you!’
the voice of Jesus cries,
fulfilling with its message
the wisdom of the wise;
it lightens with fresh insight
the striving human mind,
creating new dimensions
of faith for all to find.

‘The kingdom is upon you!’
the message sounds today,
it summons every pilgrim
to take the questing way;
with eyes intent on Jesus,
our leader and our friend,
who trod faith’s road before us,
and trod it to the end.

The kingdom is upon us!
Stirred by the Spirit’s breath,
we glory in its freedom
from emptiness and breath;
we celebrate its purpose,
its mission and its goal,
alive with the conviction
that Christ can make us whole.

Robert Willis (b. 1947)
CCL31580

Prayer of confession

Lord, you have called us to the privilege of service,
but we have failed to serve.
You have given us the blessing of peace,
but we have chosen discord.
You have loved us as a shepherd tends his sheep,
but we have strayed from your way.
Forgive us, and show us the path of obedience and faithfulness
that your Son trod, for we ask in his name.

Amen

In his name, we pray.

Prayer of the week

O God, your name is veiled in mystery, yet we dare to call you Father;
your Son was begotten before all ages, yet is born among us in time;
your Holy Spirit fills the whole creation, yet is poured forth now into our hearts.
Because you have made us and loved us and called us by name,
draw us more deeply into your divine life, that we may glorify you rightly,
through your Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.

Amen

Epistle

Read by Janet Trimnell

Peace and hope

¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5: 1–8 NIV®

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Hymn: Come with me, come wander, come welcome the world

Come with me, come wander, come welcome the world
where strangers might smile or where stones may be hurled;
come leave what you cling to, lay down what you clutch
and find, with hands empty, that hearts can hold much.
 Sing hey for the carpenter leaving his tools!
 Sing hey for the Pharisees leaving their rules!
 Sing hey for the fishermen leaving their nets!
 Sing hey for the people who leave their regrets!

Come walk in my company, come sleep by my side,
come savour a lifestyle with nothing to hide;
come sit at my table and eat with my friends,
discovering that love which the world never ends.
 Sing hey for the carpenter leaving his tools!
 Sing hey for the Pharisees leaving their rules!
 Sing hey for the fishermen leaving their nets!
 Sing hey for the people who leave their regrets!

Come share in my laughter, come close to my fears,
come find yourself washed with the kiss of my tears;
come stand close at hand while I suffer and die
and find in three days how I never will lie.
 Sing hey for the carpenter leaving his tools!
 Sing hey for the Pharisees leaving their rules!
 Sing hey for the fishermen leaving their nets!
 Sing hey for the people who leave their regrets!

Come leave your possessions, come share out your treasure,
come give and receive without method or measure;
come loose every bond that’s resisting the Spirit,
enabling the earth to be yours to inherit.
 Sing hey for the carpenter leaving his tools!
 Sing hey for the Pharisees leaving their rules!
 Sing hey for the fishermen leaving their nets!
 Sing hey for the people who leave their regrets!

John L. Bell & Graham Maule, The Iona Community (1987)
CCL31580

Gospel

Read by Robin Kyd

The workers are few

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and illness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’

Matthew 9: 35–38 NIV®

This is the Gospel of Christ.

Praise to Christ our light.

Sermon by Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Service of the Word (part 2)

Musical reflection: Come my way, my truth, my life

Come, my way, my truth, my life:
such a way, as gives us breath;
such a truth, as ends all strife;
such a life, as killeth death.

Come, my light, my feast, my strength:
such a light, as shows a feast;
such a feast, as mends in length;
such a strength, as makes his guest.

Come, my joy, my love, my heart:
such a joy, as none can move;
such a love, as none can part;
such a heart, as joys in love.

George Herbert (1593–1633)
CCL31580

Intercessions

By Maggie Kean

Lord, as we gather today in our various homes,
we ask that you receive our prayers and our thanks.

Thank you that, whatever life throws at us,
we can trust that you remain the same and you are our hiding place and refuge.
We are also grateful that you not only see our pain and sorrow, but you share it.

We thank you for the Ministerial Team and those who have supported our Cornerstone community
during this challenging time when we are not able to meet as we are used to.
Thank you for the technology that allows us to remain in touch with each other
and still able to share in worship.

Lord, receive our prayers and our thanks.

We bring ourselves, our Cornerstone community and the world before you.
We thank you for the medical and care staff and scientists
who have worked and continue to work tirelessly to address the pandemic.

Lord, receive our prayers and our thanks.

We ask for those who are still unwell
and ask that your healing hands will be upon them.
We pray for those who are mourning the loss of a loved one –
we ask that your comfort for them will be very real.
For those who have lost their livelihoods –
grant them faith, hope and strength to face the future.

Lord, receive our prayers and our thanks.

We pray for those who are in leadership positions
and are making the difficult decisions of how and when to move out of lockdown.
We pray for those who are having to look at ways of changing the way we function –
such as teachers and employers.
We ask that the wisdom of your Spirit will be with them.
We pray for those who may be fearful of venturing out as service begin to re-open –
Lord grant us courage and faith and calm our fears.

Lord, receive our prayers and our thanks.

We ask for your spirit of peace as many parts of the world
rise to challenge racism and discrimination through demonstrations.
Help us all to have a debate that allows us to listen and hear each other.
Help us to have an open and honest debate that is characterised by the compassion of Christ.
Help us make the world as you would want it.

Lord, receive our prayers and our thanks in the name of Christ our Lord and Saviour.

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

Hymn: Go forth and tell! O Church of God, awake!

Go forth and tell! O Church of God, awake!
God’s saving news to all the nations take:
proclaim Christ Jesus, Saviour, Lord and King,
that all the world his glorious praise may sing.

Go forth and tell! God’s love embraces all,
he will in grace respond to all who call:
how shall they call if they have never heard
the gracious invitation of his word?

Go forth and tell! Some still in darkness lie;
in wealth or want, in sin they live and die.
Give us, O Lord, concern of heart and mind,
a love like yours which cares for all mankind.

Go forth and tell! The doors are open wide:
share God’s good gifts – let no-one be denied;
Live out your life as Christ your Lord shall choose,
your ransomed powers for his sole glory use.

James E. Seddon (1915–1983)
CCL31580

Blessings

My dear sisters and brothers, may the Lord’s favour abide with you
as you serve him in your community,
as you show love and heal those afflicted around you.
May the Father through the Son and the unity of the Spirit
pour grace upon you and your loved ones sufficient for all your needs all the time.

Amen

Instrumental Postlude: Theme with Variations for Organ

Hendrik Andriessesn (1892–1981)

[Video recordings of all the music in this Service can be seen by following this link: http://www.cornerstonemk.co.uk/music-videos-for-sunday-14-june-2020/.]