Led by Revd George Mwaura
Preacher: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Welcome

Gathering Prayer

Living God, we bring you our ‘hosannas’:

For you are an almighty God;
we bring you our ‘alleluias’.

For you are a wonderful God;
we bring you our dreams.

For you are a faithful God.;
we bring you our discipleship.

For you are an encouraging God;
we bring you our hearts.

For you are a loving God
in whom we can trust.

Amen

Service of the Palms

This morning begins the Great Week of the Christian Year.
During Lent we have been preparing by works of love and self-sacrifice
for the celebration of the Lord’s death and resurrection.
With Christians throughout the world, we come together this week
to call to mind, and to express in word and action,
the centre of the Easter mystery: our Lord’s Passover from death to life.
Christ entered in triumph into the Holy City to complete his work as Messiah:
to suffer, to die and to rise to new life.
Today we commit ourselves to walk the way of the cross,
so that, sharing his sufferings, we may be united with him in his risen life.

Hymn: Hosanna, hosanna

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest;
hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest:
Lord, we lift up your name,
with hearts full of praise.
Be exalted, O Lord my God –
hosanna in the highest.

Glory, glory, glory to the King of kings;
glory, glory, glory to the King of kings:
Lord, we lift up your name,
with hearts full of praise.
Be exalted, O Lord my God –
glory to the King of kings.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus is the King of kings;
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus is the King of kings:
Lord, we lift up your name,
with hearts full of praise.
Be exalted, O Lord my God –
glory to the King of kings.

Carl Tuttle (b. 1953)
CCL31580

The Blessing of the Palms

Sovereign God, we thank you for these branches [and crosses] of palm.
By your blessing may they be for us signs of the victory of your Son.
May we who carry them in his name ever hail him as our Messiah,
and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen

The Procession

Let us praise Jesus our Messiah,

as did the crowds who welcomed him to Jerusalem.
Let us proceed in peace.
In the name of Christ.

Amen

[We process with the palms around the Cloisters.]

Let us pray.

Merciful God, as we enter this holy week and gather at your house of prayer,
turn our hearts again to Jerusalem, to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
that, united with Christ and all the faithful,
we may one day enter in triumph the city not made with hands,
the new Jerusalem, eternal in the heavens, where, with you and the Holy Spirit,
Christ lives in glory for ever.

Amen

Hymn: You are the King of Glory

You are the King of glory,
you are the Prince of Peace,
you are the Lord of heaven and earth,
you’re the sun of righteousness,
angels bow down before you,
worship and adore – for
you have the words of eternal life;
you are Jesus Christ the Lord.

Hosanna to the Son of David!
Hosanna to the King of Kings!
Glory in the highest heaven,
for Jesus the Messiah reigns.

You are the one who conquered,
sin and death and pain.
You triumphed over Satan’s power
you rose to life again.
Now Lord you reign in glory
every knee shall bow – for
you have the name above all names;
you are Jesus Christ the Lord.

Hosanna to the Son of David! …

You are the King of glory,
you are God’s chosen Son,
you are the heir of everything,
you’re the Ever Living One.
Now we bow down before you,
worship and adore – for
you are exalted to God’s right hand,
you are Jesus Christ the Lord.

Hosanna to the Son of David! …

Mavis Ford (v.1), Loxley & Mavis Ford (vv.2 & 3) (1978)
CCL31580

Confession

We are sorry, Lord Jesus, for the moments when our hosannas are loud but lacking in love,
when we chase the lure of worldly power, but miss the signs of heavenly glory,
when we choose popularity over integrity,
when we would silence those who speak the truth and are silent when we could speak out.
Forgive us, and inspire our steps as we follow you to the Cross…and beyond.

[Silence]

God of all that is, your power is both mighty and vulnerable, and you both judge and forgive.
Your Son is both King and servant, and he both teaches and serves.
You hear our words and you understand our silence and you both accept and inspire.
Loving God, thank you for this day, for this journey, and for your Son, who draws us closer to you.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Wonderful God, thank you that you meet us right here
where we are sitting in the ordinary stuff and activities of this day.
As we journey through Holy Week, may we recognise you in Christ Jesus,
be empowered to live like him to live into the preciousness
of the life that you sustain in us.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Philippians 2: 5–11

Read by Solomon Pitan

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
⁶ who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death –
even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

NIV®

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

Hymn: Hosanna, loud Hosanna

Hosanna, loud Hosanna,
the little children sang;
through city street and temple
their joyful welcome rang.
They shouted out their praises
to Christ, the children’s friend,
who welcomes all with blessing,
whose love will never end.

From Olivet they followed,
a large exultant crowd,
the victor palm-branch waving,
and chanting clear and loud;
bright angels joined the chorus,
beyond the cloudless sky:
‘Hosanna in the highest!
Glory to God on high!’

‘Hosanna in the highest!’
that ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer,
the Lord of heaven, our King.
O may we ever praise him
with heart and life and voice,
and in his living presence
eternally rejoice.

Jennette Threlfall (1821–1818) alt.
CCL31580

Luke 19: 28–40

Read by Brian Halstead

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

²⁸ After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ³⁰ ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no-one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” say, “The Lord needs it.” ’

³² Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. ³³ As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’

³⁴ They replied, ‘The Lord needs it.’

³⁵ They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. ³⁶ As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

³⁷ When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

³⁸ ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!’

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’

³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’

⁴⁰ ‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.’

NIV®

Meditation

By Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

[Silent reflection]

Affirmation of Faith

Let us declare our faith.

We believe in God the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.

We believe in God the Son,
who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
who strengthens us with power from on high.

We believe in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Amen

Prayers and Intercession

Led by Maggie Kean

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 Peace

Christ is our peace. He has reconciled us to God in one body by the cross.
We meet in his name and share his peace.

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

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Notices

Maundy Thursday, 17 April 2025

7.00 pm Holy Communion – St Lawrence Church, Bradwell

This year our traditional Maundy Thursday Service with Cornerstone Choir will take place at St Lawrence Church in Bradwell village: Vicarage Rd, Bradwell, Milton Keynes MK13 9AG.

There will not be a Service at Cornerstone on Maundy Thursday.

Good Friday Walk of Witness

11.45 am, Friday, 18 April 2025

We meet in the Worship Area for prayers before setting off across the road to the Shopping Area. We return to Cornerstone for final prayers.

Jesus’ Last Words

1.00–3.00 pm, Good Friday, 18 April 2025 in the Worship Area

Contemplative meditations with musical intervals: Prayers – Readings – Music – Meditations.

Cornerstone Prayer Network

Prayer is central to our Christian fellowship. The Cornerstone Prayer Network is here for people who have asked us to pray for them. Please send your prayer requests to cornerstonechurch.prayernetwork@gmail.com and the details will be passed on to the members of the Prayer Network. If your prayer request is for someone else, please check with them before sending details to the Cornerstone Prayer Network.

If you would like to become a member of the Cornerstone Prayer Network, please send your details by email to cornerstonechurch.prayernetwork@gmail.com, or speak to June Halstead after a Service in the church.

Prayers for the City of Milton Keynes

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 next month 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 to any of your family, friends and colleagues who would be able to pop into Cornerstone on a Friday lunchtime. If anyone would like more information, please contact me by email: robin_kyd@yahoo.co.uk.

Robin Kyd

Offering Prayer

God of all grace, we thank you for the gifts you have given us:
our lives, our talents, our goods.
We offer our gifts in return, so that you may use them and us
for your purpose in this world.

Amen

Final Prayer

May God grant you the exuberance of the Palm Sunday crowd,
and the humility of Jesus riding a donkey;
the energy and excitement of the crowd, and the calm holiness of Jesus;
the expectation of the crowd, and the understanding heart of Jesus,
who journeyed to Jerusalem for love of us all.

Amen

Hymn: Give me joy in my heart

Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising,
give me joy in my heart, I pray.
Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising.
Keep me praising till the end of day.

Sing hosanna! Sing hosanna!
Sing hosanna to the King of kings!
Sing hosanna! Sing hosanna!
Sing hosanna to the King!

Give me peace in my heart, keep me resting,
give me peace in my heart, I pray.
Give me peace in my heart, keep me resting.
Keep me resting till the end of day.

Sing hosanna! …

Give me love in my heart, keep me serving,
give me love in my heart, I pray.
Give me love in my heart, keep me serving.
Keep me serving till the end of day.

Sing hosanna! …

Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning,
give me oil in my lamp, I pray.
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.
Keep me burning to the end of day.

Sing hosanna! …

Traditional
CCL31580

Blessing

Jesus Christ, the holy one, the whole one, the blessed one,
the chosen one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Enter the gates of our hearts and give us vision for the road
and make us caring companion to each other.

And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit
be with you and remain with you always.

Amen

Dismissal

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

In the name of Christ.

Amen