The live stream is accessible from this Cornerstone website at: https://cornerstonemk.co.uk/holy-communion-live-stream-18-july-2021/.

Celebrant: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Introit

Welcome

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Come away … and rest a while.’
Come into the Lord’s presence now, away from the burdens and stresses of life.
Come with open arms, and receive the rest that Jesus offers –
to restore our souls, and equip us for whatever comes next.

[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

[Silence]

Prayer of Approach

God, our loving Father, who gently guides and leads us,
restore our souls today as we come to worship you.
Let us not hurry, but sit at your feet, gazing upon your lovely face.

Amen

[Silence]

Confession

Gracious God, you always make time for us;
we are sorry that we don’t always make time for you.
When we are rushing around being busy, sometimes even when we are doing your work,
we forget about you.
We are sorry when we make our lives so full that there is no room left for you –
no room to get away, to be in a quiet place with you.
Forgive us, Lord, and help us not to hurry but to slow down, to make space for you to dwell within us.

Kyrie eleison

Lord have mercy.
Chris have mercy.
Lord have mercy.

Even though we have gone astray, you are our Shepherd –
the one who brings us back to the fold.
We are assured of your forgiveness,
and we are set free in the knowledge that you always make room for us.

Amen

Prayer of the Week

Jesus, our Shepherd, who makes us lie down in green pastures,
who leads us beside still waters, who restores our souls:
you anoint our heads with oil and our cup overflows.
We worship and adore you, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Amen

Bible Readings

Psalm 23

Read by Krou Assoua

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³ he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
for ever.

NIV®

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

Hymn: Lord of the years

Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided,
urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way,
sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided,
Lord of the years, we bring our thanks today.

Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us,
speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,
teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us,
Lord of the word, receive your people’s praise.

Lord, for our land, in this our generation,
spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care;
for young and old, for commonwealth and nation,
Lord of our land, be pleased to hear our prayer.

Lord, for our world; when we disown and doubt him,
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain;
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without him,
Lord of our world, we pray that Christ may reign.

Lord, for ourselves; in living power remake us,
self on the cross and Christ upon the throne;
past put behind us, for the future take us,
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.

Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926)
CCL31580

Mark 4: 35–41

Read by Adrian Boynton

³⁰ The apostles gathered round Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. ³¹ Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’

³² So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. ³³ But many who saw them leaving recognised them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

^…

⁵³ When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. ⁵⁴ As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognised Jesus. ⁵⁵ They ran throughout that whole region and carried those who were ill on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶ And wherever he went – into villages, towns or countryside – they placed those who were ill in the market-places. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

NIV®

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

Meditation

Choral Response

An 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 Penny Keens

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.

Holy Communion

The Lord here.
His spirit is with us.

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.

Almighty God, good Father to us all, your face is turned towards your world.
In love you gave us Jesus your Son to rescue us from sin and death.
Your Word goes out to call us home to the city where angels sing your praise.

We join with them in heaven’s song:

Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

We bless the name of Jesus, bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh,
whose brokenness and suffering makes love real,
who on the night in which he was betrayed took bread,
gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying,

Take, eat. This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

After supper he took the cup saying,

Drink from this, all of you, this is my blood given for you.
Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me.

This is the mystery of our faith.

Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.

Send your Spirit on us now,
that by these gifts we may feed on Christ with opened eyes and hearts on fire.
May we and all who share this food offer ourselves to live for you
and be welcomed at your feast in heaven, where all creation worships you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit:

Blessing and honour and glory and power
be yours forever and ever.

Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray:

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

Breaking of the Bread

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.

Though we are many, we are one body,
because we all share in one bread.

Amen

Post-Communion Prayer

Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us
as living members of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ,
and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Send us now into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart;
through Christ our Lord.

Amen

 

Notices

Diamond Wedding

Dear Jill and Anton,

You both epitomise love, and you have sixty years of evidence to prove it. Best wishes for your anniversary.

Heavenly Father, we praise and thank you for the privilege and gift of marriage and for the joy that comes from seeing Jill and Anton sharing their life together. We thank you, Father, for bringing them to this sixtieth wedding anniversary, where they remember the vows that they made before you. We pray that you would continue to bless their life together and their family.

Amen

Ernesto

New online meeting for Sunday evenings

We shall be starting a new venture, ‘Sunday Evenings Together @ Cornerstone’ this evening at 6.00 pm. Sunday Evenings Together will be on line, using Zoom, aimed primarily at those of our fellowship who are unable to attend services in the Church building, but it will, of course, be open to anyone who wishes to join us. Our aim is for a more relaxed atmosphere than a morning service, with songs, readings and prayers. A short meditation or reflection may be included, but not always.

We will meet at 6.00 pm every Sunday evening, except for the second Sunday of each month. Zoom invitations will be published on the Cornerstone website, through email and on the Living Stones WhatsApp group. Janet and I are putting together a team of people who will lead the sessions, so there will be a variety of styles available, reflecting our Ecumenical fellowship.

We look forward to your company.

Ian and Janet Trimnell

Offering

Thank you
to everyone who has continued giving through our regular schemes during these past months.
Your generosity has been amazing and much appreciated.
We couldn’t have carried on without you.

We have various ways in which you can continue to give your offering in support of the Church.

For details please contact the Stewardship Secretary, Janet Trimnell, at steward.cccmk@gmail.com

Full details are also available on our website at: www.cornerstonemk.co.uk/giving.

Final Prayer

O God, in Scripture we read that you rested on the seventh day –
after all the busyness and work of creation; and we read of Jesus’ desire for his disciples to rest.
As your followers, your disciples, now, and as we return to our busy lives,
may we know the rest you offer every day of this week.

Amen

 

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you;
may the Lord make his face shine on you, and be gracious to you;
may the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace:
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