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

Gathering Music

Welcome and Call to Worship

Come if you like noise, excitement, and celebration.
Come if you like quiet and calm and a chance to catch your breath.
Come if you want to grow and learn and change.
Come if you are uncertain or doubtful about the way ahead.
Come to me all of you and try my light, refreshing and restful way.

Lord Jesus, pace-setter, we have come to explore your way.

Gathering Prayer

We come before you, with all our cares and worries, laying them down before you.
We come before you, setting aside this time to worship, opening up ourselves to you.
We come before you, in the expectation that you will take and transform us,
before we return to the world once again.

[Silence]

Welcome to the house of God.
We have come from all the corners of the earth.

Welcome to the hospitality of God.
We come as we are; we bring our life, our stories, our journey.

Welcome, brothers and sisters.
We are the rainbow people of God.

Welcome, chosen people.
May God our companion bind us in his love.

Amen

Hymn: This is the day

This is the day [×2] that the Lord has made. [×2] We will rejoice [×2] and be glad in it. [×2] This is the day
that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice
and be glad in it.
This is the day [×2] that the Lord has made.

This is the day
when he rose again …

This is the day
when the Spirit came …

Leslie Garrett (b. 1943)
CCL31580

Confession

Come, let us return to the Lord and say:
Lord our God, in our sin we have avoided your call.
Our love for you is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early.
Have mercy on us; deliver us from judgement;
bind up our wounds and revive us; in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Peruvian Gloria

Prayer of the Week

Jesus, you call us to accept your yoke that is easy, and your burden that is light.
Show us your ways and keep us from burdening ourselves or others with things that are not from you.

Amen

Swinging Samson

Sung by the Cornerstone Children’s Choir

Ministry of the Word

Psalm 145: 8–14

Read by Joy Chapman

I⁸ The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

⁹ The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
¹⁰ All your works praise you, Lord;
your faithful people extol you.
¹¹ They tell of the glory of your kingdom<
and speak of your might,
¹² so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.
¹⁴ The Lord upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.

NIV®

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

Matthew 11: 25–30

Read by David Chapman

The Father Revealed in the Son

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

²⁷ ‘All things have been committed to me by my Father. No-one knows the Son except the Father, and no-one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

²⁸ ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’

NIV®

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

Meditation

Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

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

Intercessions

Led by Glynne Gordon-Carter

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: All over the world the Spirit is moving

All over the world
the Spirit is moving,
all over the world
as the prophets said it would be;
all over the world
there’s a mighty revelation
of the glory of the Lord,
as the waters cover the sea.

All over his church
God’s Spirit is moving,
all over his church
as the prophets said it would be;
all over his church
there’s a mighty revelation
of the glory of the Lord,
as the waters cover the sea.

Right here in this place
the Spirit is moving,
right here in this place
as the prophets said it would be;
right here in this place
there’s a mighty revelation
of the glory of the Lord,
as the waters cover the sea.

Roy Turner (1984)
CCL31580

The Peace

Peace to you from God, who is our Father.
Peace from Jesus Christ, who is our peace.
Peace from the Holy Spirit, who gives us life.

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

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Notices

Church Picnic and Self-Guided Walk

10.30 am Saturday, 15 July 2023 in Campbell Park

Assemble at the Green Lane Roundabout car park, which is at the very end of Silbury Boulevard, near the canal. Parking is free but a bit limited. Our picnic will be nearby in the green space to the right as you look at the canal. The walk will be self-guided and the route will be available on the day. If you know your way around the park and can assist Stuart Kean on the day, please make a note on the sign-in sheet in Reception. Please remember: no children without parents and there are no toilets available. On this occasion you would bring your own picnic lunch and drink.

Cheryl Montgomery, Eco-Church Group

Citizens:MK

Monday, 17 July 2023

Citizens:MK is the Milton Keynes Alliance of Citizens:UK, formed to help churches and other religious groups, schools, charities and other civic organisations, work together for the good of the community. Cornerstone is a founding member of Citizens:MK.

Citizens alliances run campaigns on issues jointly agreed by the member organisations, and Citizens:MK is currently tackling:

• knife-crime
• climate change
• misogyny

On Monday, 17 July 2023 Citizens Community Organiser Keith Hebden is visiting Cornerstone to meet Church members at 11.00 am. Everyone is welcome! Contact David Chapman (T. 01908 666422) if you would like to join in, or for more information on Citizens:MK see http://www.citizensmk.org.uk/. You could also speak to a member of Cornerstone’s Social Justice Committee; they are Rick Mutwarasibo, Stuart Kean, Cathy Hampton, Joy Chapman, Fidele Mutwarasibo, Margaret Goodall, Mubina Chakera, David Chapman.

Sunday School Summer Holiday

There will be no Sunday School for children during the school holiday period, The last Sunday School will be next Sunday (16 July 2023) and Sunday School will restart on Sunday, 3 September 2023. Activity packs will be provided for children to work on at their seats. Parents can choose that their children stay with them in the Worship Area, or, if they are unsettled, take them to the tables in the Cloisters and stay with them there.

Offering

Final Prayer

Lord, be with us on our journey of life. As we travel with you in the coming days,
may we share your love and compassion with those we meet whose path is hard.
Transform us, and transform them, with your life-giving love.

Amen

Hymn: The Spirit lives to set us free (Walk in the light)

The Spirit lives to set us free,
walk, walk in the light;
he binds us all in unity,
walk, walk in the light.
 Walk in the light,
walk in the light,
walk in the light,
walk in the light of the Lord.

Jesus promised life to all,
walk, walk in the light;
the dead were wakened by his call
walk, walk in the light.
 Walk in the light, …

He died in pain on Calvary,
walk, walk in the light;
to save the lost like you and me,
walk, walk in the light.
 Walk in the light, …

We know his death was not the end,
walk, walk in the light;
he gave his Spirit to be our friend,
walk, walk in the light.
 Walk in the light, …

By Jesus’ love our wounds are healed,
walk, walk in the light;
the Father’s kindness is revealed,
walk, walk in the light.
 Walk in the light, …

The Spirit lives in you and me,
walk, walk in the light;
his light will shine for all to see,
walk, walk in the light.
 Walk in the light, …

Damian Lundy (1944–1996)
CCL31580

Blessings

Brothers and sisters, take the yoke of Jesus, and learn from him,
for his yoke is easy and his burden is light;
be gentle and humble in heart, and find rest for your souls.
And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you today and always.

Amen

Dismissal

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

Amen