Service of the Word – Live Streamed – Sunday, 10 May 2026
Led by Revd George Mwaura
and >Grace Hunting LLM
Call to Worship
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Jesus says: If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Not as a burden, but as a way of life. Not as fear, but as love made visible.
The Spirit is given, not to strangers, but to friends. Not to the perfect, but to the willing.
So, we come: to love and be loved, to dwell and be indwelt, to worship the living God.
Amen
Greetings and Welcome
Hymn: When I survey the wondrous cross
When I survey the wondrous cross,
on which the Prince of Glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
save in the death of Christ my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.
See from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down;
did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
Isaac Watts (1674–1748)
CCL31580
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession
Loving God, we thank you that you have not left us alone.
You have drawn near in Christ, and you remain with us through your Spirit,
closer than breath, steadier than our doubts.
You call us not servants, but companions. Not spectators, but participants in your love.
And yet, gracious God, we confess how often we resist that love.
We prefer comfort over courage. We hold back kindness when it costs us something.
We speak sharply when gentleness is asked of us.
We shrink from giving an answer for the hope within us, because we fear being misunderstood.
Forgive us. Forgive us when our faith is hidden not in humility, but in fear.
Forgive us when our lives do not reflect your commandments of love.
Renew us by your Spirit, the Advocate who does not accuse but restores.
The Presence who does not abandon but abides.
Shape us into people who live with quiet courage, who love with visible grace,
and who bear witness with gentleness and respect.
Through Jesus Christ, who lives in us.
Amen
[Silence]Gloria
Prayer of the Week
God of abiding presence, you promise not to leave us orphaned,
but to dwell within us through your Spirit.
In the week ahead, when we are uncertain, be our guide. When we are anxious, be our peace.
When we are challenged, be our courage.
Teach us to keep your commandments not as obligation, but as the natural outflow of love.
Give us grace to speak of our hope with gentleness and respect,
and to live in such a way that others may glimpse your life within us.
Amen
Ministry of the Word
Micah 6: 6–8
Read by Colin Ballard
6 With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
NIV®
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn: O for a heart to praise my God
O for a heart to praise my God,
a heart from sin set free;
a heart that’s sprinkled with blood
so freely shed for me.
A heart resigned, submissive, meek,
my great Redeemer’s throne;
where only Christ is heard to speak,
where Jesus reigns alone.
A humble, lowly, contrite heart,
believing, true and clean,
which neither life nor death can part
from him that dwells within:
A heart in every thought renewed,
and full of love divine;
perfect and right and pure and good –
a copy, Lord, of thine.
Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart,
come quickly from above;
write thy new name upon my heart,
thy new best name of Love.
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
CCL31580
1 Peter 1: 13–21
Read by Rosemary Goldie
Be holy
13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’
17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
NIV®
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Reflections
By Revd George Mwaura
Affirmation of Faith
We believe in God, who raised Jesus Christ from the dead
and calls us to set our hope fully on his grace.
We believe that right is stronger than wrong, that love is stronger than hate,
and that though evil is real, God’s justice will prevail.
Therefore, we renounce all that is evil and commit ourselves to what is good.
We believe in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world,
whose precious sacrifice redeems us and whose resurrection brings new life.
We trust in his grace, and we follow him as Lord,
joining in his work of healing, justice, and compassion.
We believe that God has spoken through the Scriptures, a light to guide our path
and a voice that calls us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.
We believe that we are called to be holy,
set apart by God’s love, and shaped in all we do by compassion, generosity, and courage.
We will not turn away from suffering, but will stand with those in need,
seeking dignity, justice, and hope for all.
In this season of Easter, and in this time of Christian Aid, we offer not only our words,
but our lives, that our faith may be seen in action,
and God’s kingdom made known on earth.
This is our faith. This is our hope. This is our calling.
Amen
Musical Meditation
Hymn: Brother, sister, let me serve you
Brother, sister, let me serve you,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.
We are pilgrims on a journey
and companions on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you
in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace tou long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping;
when you laugh I’ll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow
till we’ve seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we’ve known together
of Christ’s love and agony.
Brother, sister, let me serve you,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.
Richard Gillard (b. 1953)
CCL31580
Prayers and Intercessions
Led by Joy Enenche
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
Sharing Peace
Christ is our peace, the one who dwells within us and binds us together in love.
Church may the peace of the Risen Lord be always with you.
and also with you.
Let us share peace with one another and those watching on the live stream.
Notices and Offertory
Vacancy for Anglican Minister at Cornerstone
The vacancy has now been advertised on the Oxford Diocese website, the Church Times and elsewhere. The closing date for applications is Thursday, 21 May 2026 and interviews are scheduled for 23 & 24 June 2026.
Christian Aid Week 10–16 May 2026
Cake Sale
There will be a cake sale after the Service this Sunday (10 May 2026). So we need cakes to sell! Bake a cake using Fairtrade ingredients (sugar and cocoa available in the Church Shop) and bring it along for Sunday morning. Contact Cathy Hampton (c.m.hampton@warwick.ac.uk) for more information.
Fairtrade Stalls 9 & 10 May 2026
There will be a Fairtrade stall on Saturday afternoon in Reception associated with the Catholic Mass and on Sunday after the Morning Service. Contact Joy Chapman (cjoy.chapman9@gmail.com) with offers of help.
David Chapman, on behalf or the Social Justice Group
Cornerstone Courtyard Gardens
Many thanks to our Cornerstone Garden Task Force, who last Saturday worked to improve our Courtyard Gardens. They weeded and tidied the gardens and, with Woody’s help, re-instated the fountain in the Memorial Garden. Do take a moment to walk round the Cloisters and have a look. If you would like to join the Task Force, please contact Stuart Kean.
Vestry meeting: 12.00 noon Sunday, 17 May 2026
A Vestry meeting will be held on Sunday 17 May at 12 noon, following the morning Service. This meeting is to elect two additional people to join the Parochial Church Council (PCC) and to elect two churchwardens for the coming year.
If you are interested in joining the PCC or becoming a churchwarden, please contact me on annwilson.mk@googlemail.com You will need a proposer and seconder who are Church members and you can obtain the relevant paperwork from me.
Ann Wilson, Clerk to the PCC, Churchwarden
Buckinghamshire Historic Churches Trust Ride + Stride 2026
10.00 am – 6.00 pm Saturday, 12 September 2026
The annual Ride + Stride event is a major fund-raising event for the work of the Buckinghamshire Historic Churches Trust. Half the funds collected revert to the local church, and the other half are used to help churches across Buckinghamshire.
At Cornerstone we need somebody to take on the job of coordinator to publicise the event in advance, to arrange for a friendly reception at Cornerstone throughout 10.00 am – 6.00 pm on Saturday, 12 September 2026, with tea and biscuits, to collect a register of Ride + Stride arrivals, and to ensure donations are forwarded to Buckinghamshire Historic Churches Trust after the event.
For more information visit the Ride + Stride page on the Buckinghamshire Historic Churches Trust website: Ride + Stride – Buckinghamshire Historic Churches Trust.
Adrian Yardley
Offertory Prayer
Gracious God, all abundance flows from your endless love.
We humbly present these offerings before you, those placed before your altar today
and those given faithfully throughout the week,
whether shared in person or offered electronically, seen and unseen.
Receive them all as signs of our gratitude and tokens of our trust in you.
Bless these gifts and those who give them, that they may serve your purposes, proclaim your kingdom,
and reflect the generous love revealed to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Hymn: Take my life, and let it be
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.
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 Ridley Havergal (1836–1879)
CCL31580
Blessing and Sending Out
Go now into the world, not as those who have all the answers, but as those who carry a living hope.
May the love of Christ be visible in your lives.
May the Spirit give you words when they are needed and silence when it is wise.
And may the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
be with us and remain with us and all those whom we love today and always.
Amen
Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ we will.
Amen
Benediction
May God’s blessing surround us each day,
as we trust him and walk in his way.
May his presence within guard and keep us from sin.
Go in peace, go in joy, go in love.