Pastoral Notes for Sunday, December 22, 2024

Dear Cornerstone family, 

One of the staples of the Christmas season at Cornerstone is our annual Service of Lessons & Carols. For those new to our midst or unfamiliar with the history of this service, it began in 1918 at King’s College Cambridge led by Eric Milner-White. The opening service was received with such great acclaim that it became an annual tradition at King’s College.

The popularity of the service grew quickly after the BBC broadcast the service in 1928. The BBC has broadcast the service on Christmas Eve every year since 1928 with the exception of 1930. The broadcast extended oversees in the mid 1930’s and its popularity quickly spread worldwide. It was even broadcast during World War II when the stained-glass windows of the cathedral and the heat source were removed from the building for security reasons. During those dark and tumultuous days, the service of Lessons & Carols provided a gospel reminder of hope and peace.  

As the popularity of the service grew, churches around the globe began to adapt the service for their own corporate use. If you’ve never attended a Lessons & Carols service before, the power is in the simplicity of the Scriptural witness in word and song. It’s what Dean Milner-White called, “the development of the loving purposes of God through the windows and words of the Bible.”  

As we approach this special service, let me encourage you to let the Word carry you from the Garden of Eden to the babe in the manger in Bethlehem. For as you trace the hand of God in the salvation of the world, you are tracing the path of God’s love for his people, even you. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son…” (John 3:16).

Now, from the sublime to the mundane, let me make one final note. The church offices will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Then, from December 26 to January 1, the staff will enjoy some much needed “flex time.” We will be in and out of the office for meetings and tasks, but much of our work during that window of time will be carried out remotely. Please contact our Office Administrator, Whitney Ruff (admin@cstonepres.org), if there are any specific ways we can serve you during this time.

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, December 15, 2024

Dear Cornerstone family, 

On November 21, 2021, we gathered as one church for one worship service at the Factory in Franklin for our 10th anniversary as a congregation. We had stirring worship that morning and a rip-roaring party that evening—complete with delicious Italian fare, a bluegrass band, and dancing. It was absolutely amazing!

As an aside, if you weren’t there for the occasion but wished you were, or if you were there and would like to relive it, you can visit the Cornerstone YouTube channel and search for “Cornerstone Anniversary: 10 Years of God’s Faithfulness” and watch the brief (7 minute) celebration video we produced. The video turned out great. It’s also fun to look back and see who is—and who isn’t—aging very well :)

The 10th anniversary celebration sparked a desire among leaders and congregation members alike to find time each year, if possible, to gather as one body for a singular worship service. In God’s good providence, the date that worked best for this year is today.

I am extremely grateful for Battle Ground Academy’s willingness to allow us to worship in the beautiful Center for Arts and Entrepreneurship. It is never easy to have an outside organization come into your space for a big event, but the staff and administration of BGA have gone out of their way to make sure we have all we need. It’s been a joy to work with them.

On the church side, it requires a lot of preparation, organization, and effort to transition from the downtown chapel to another location. For weeks, different staff members have been working at various levels to get ready for today. I want to especially thank Dan Fiedler, Everett Vencel, Christy Shurden, and Greg Wilbur for their leadership and labors. I also want to thank our deacons and the many volunteers on our hospitality, media, and communion preparation teams for doing much of the leg work required to make today happen. As you have opportunity, please take a moment to express your appreciation to these dear servants.

After the benediction, do not rush off! A church-wide fellowship with tasty breakfast food awaits you in the vestibule. And while you’re munching on goodies, pick up some Cornerstone swag. Cornerstone mugs, hats, and—today only—Cornerstone ornaments are available for purchase. Only $5! Get one while you can.

Finally, don’t forget to return to BGA tonight at 5:30 p.m. to hear the Cornerstone and New College Franklin choirs come together for a wonderful Christmas Concert. Led by our own Greg Wilbur, the two choirs will be performing a host of historic and contemporary pieces. I can hardly wait. Don’t miss it!

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, December 8, 2024

Dear Cornerstone family, 

Twelve years ago, Rev. Jason Helopoulos, Senior Pastor of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, MI, pulled together eight pastors from across the country with the expressed purpose of building deep, sincere, and accountable pastoral friendships. I was fortunate enough to be one of the men he called.

The design of these pastoral friendships is based on John Calvin’s company of pastors model in Geneva in the 1500’s. Calvin formed small ministerial fraternities (usually 6-8 pastors) where through regular meeting around the means of grace ministers are encouraged to share in godly fellowship and encourage each other to maintain high standards of ministry, be conscientious caretakers of their families, and be devoted to personal piety.

To carry out these objectives, our pastoral company (or “band of brothers” as we call it) seeks to perform these regular commitments:

• Attend a one-hour monthly phone and/or Zoom call
• Be on a weekly text chat with your group for the purpose of questions, prayer, and encouragement, and be committed to responding in a timely manner.
• Attend the PCA General Assembly annually and gather once together.
• Attend the Twin Lakes Fellowship in Jackson, MS, each year.
• Strive to take a two-day annual retreat as a company of pastors once a year.

I am grateful for the Cornerstone session giving me the freedom to get away with these brothers once a year for a few days. The lengthy time in the Word and prayer and in iron-sharpening-iron discussion is always personally renewing. I pray that renewal is seen and felt by you over time through the ministry of the gospel at Cornerstone.

Before I close, let me encourage you to remember Cornerstone as you make plans for end of the year giving. Our fiscal year runs from July to June, which means we’re five months into the 2024/2025 Cornerstone budget. In our first five months, we are tracking pretty close to budget projections for giving and expenses. As we move into the last half of the budget year, our expenses will increase. It’s vitally important that we see a sizable increase in giving during December to stay on track for the rest of the fiscal year. I would humbly ask you to invest in eternity and lay up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20) by helping us meet the growing needs of our growing flock.

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, December 1, 2024

Dear Cornerstone family, 

At our particular juncture in history, preparing for Christmas often has little to do with preparing for Christ’s coming. For the vast majority, the holiday season is marked by a flurry of parties and shopping sprees with little time for quiet reflection and heart preparation around the mystery of Christ’s incarnation.  

Consequently, we enter this season with great anticipation and a fair amount of dread. We are glutted with social contact and yet feel alone. We are frazzled, harried, and stressed in the midst of what is supposed to be a time full of cheer. Even when the flashes of joy do come, and they usually do, those flashes often lack relation to the story of the baby boy born of a peasant girl in a stable in Bethlehem—the one Scripture calls, “the good news of great joy for all people” and “the hope of all the nations” (Luke 2:10; Matthew 12:21).  

J.B. Phillips once wrote, “The towering miracle of God’s visit to this planet on which we live will be glossed over, brushed aside or rendered impotent by over-familiarity for many this Christmas. Even by the believer the full weight of the event is not always appreciated. His faith is in Jesus Christ—he believes with all his heart that this man, who lived and died and rose again in Palestine, was truly the Son of God. He may have, in addition, some working experience that the man Jesus is still alive, and yet be largely unaware of the intense meaning of what he believes.”  

Could this be true of you? Has the wonder of Christ’s advent faded for you? Has the glory of the incarnation ceased to amaze? Is your hopeful expectation of Christ’s return being elbowed out by all the holiday fanfare?

To draw us into the mystery of Christ’s first advent and to prepare us for his return, we are turning our attention to the poets and songwriters of the Old Testament reflecting on five key Messianic Psalms.  

Waiting for Messiah: The Psalms of Advent 

December 1 — Psalm 2:1-12

December 8 — Psalm 8:1-9

December 15 — Psalm 40:1-17

December 22 — Psalm 98:1-9

December 29 — Psalm 146:1-10

On this first day of Advent, let’s boldly declare that evil and death and pain and loss won’t last. For Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, will have the final word. Therefore, let faith, hope, and love rise again within you, and let’s watch together with eager expectation for the return Christ. For the saying is true and worthy of acceptance, “Blessed are those servants whom the Master finds awake when He comes” (Luke 12:37).

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, November 24, 2024

Dear Cornerstone family, 

Happy anniversary! On the 20th of November—thirteen years ago—Cornerstone was received as a member church in the Presbyterian Church in America. Over the last thirteen years, we’ve seen God do amazing things in our midst, and I’m thrilled for the special opportunity today in worship to remember God’s faithfulness, retell the stories of God’s grace, and together renew our commitment to God’s call.  

When we were preparing for our ten-year anniversary (three years ago), a friend asked me that week, “What’s one truth that stands out to you after ten years of pastoring Cornerstone?” Like a reflex of soul, I responded, “How much we all need Jesus.” Then, after a short pause I added, “And how much we all need the church.”

The claim that we all need Jesus is a given. Who would disagree with that? But the claim that we all need the church? Well, that’s a different story. For many in our day, church is a nice addition, an optional extra. Few today are convinced of the necessity of the church.

Nevertheless, every Sunday in worship we confess with the ancient church that we believe in the “one holy catholic church.” When we do that, we are claiming that our faith in Christ can’t be extricated from other Christians. Jesus didn’t die for us to be saved individuals; He died to make us a people. When we are saved, we are saved into community. Our faith in Christ is personal, but it’s never private. We absolutely need the church because we are the church. As the third century church father Cyprian once said, “You can no longer have God for your Father, if you have not the church as your Mother.”

In preparation for today’s service, I took a half hour to think back on the thirteen years of Cornerstone’s existence. As I did so, stories came flooding back to mind. Stories of salvation, of overcome addictions, of restored marriages. Stories of lost members, divorces, and apostasy. Stories of weddings, births, and funerals. Stories of new member classes, of hospital visits, and of hard church discipline cases. I had a hard time fighting back the tears—tears of joy and, yes, some tears of sadness, too. Such is the nature of church life and ministry.

But one overriding emotion suffused the whole time of reflection—gratefulness. Truly, I consider it one of the greatest blessings in life to be numbered among you. That’s to say nothing of the high honor—an honor I do not deserve—to be called your pastor. What an amazing gift! 

On this 13th anniversary Sunday, let’s enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4)! Let’s be whole-hearted and full-throated as we sing to God and testify of His goodness toward us in Jesus Christ, and, yes, the gift of the church.  

Let’s worship God!

Your servant,