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,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, November 10, 2024

Dear Cornerstone family, 

Well, it’s the second week of November, and that means Thanksgiving is fast approaching. For many of us, Thanksgiving is the annual opportunity to be reunited with friends and family, to watch a little football, and to savor the flavors of our favorite holiday fare. (I can almost taste the turkey and dressing and pumpkin pie, can’t you?)  

But the real question is not who will win the football game, or if Grandma will provide her melt-in-your-mouth yeast rolls, but will we be thankful on Thanksgiving? More to the point, what will you do to ready your heart for Thanksgiving? Take to heart these three simple instructions as you prepare to give thanks this Thanksgiving.

1.    Take time to remember the experiences of this past year. Pay attention to what God’s providence has brought into your life. Review each month slowly and gain a sense for the narrative flow of the year. Take special note of the watershed moments and the smaller formative times where emotional memory is stored—times of great joy or sadness. Commit these moments to writing and add any on-the-spot reflections you may have. 

2.    Take time to trace these remembrances to the purposes of God. Since God is sovereignly directing all things according to His purposes (Romans 8:28-30), nothing in your life this year is without meaning. Therefore, take time to consider how the glory of God is expressed in what you’ve experienced this past year. Though you will be tempted to neglect the hard or difficult memories from the year, please don’t. Prayerfully ask God for the eyes to see and heart to interpret each experience—good or bad—according to the redemptive purposes of God (Philippians 2:13).

3.    Take time to share what you see with others. After you’ve remembered and begun tracing these experiences to God’s purposes, share what you’ve learned with others. Take time over Thanksgiving Dinner with the family or set aside a few moments at a quieter time with a few close friends to share how God has been at work. Whatever the context, be intentional in your sharing and make much of God. 

“Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the peoples, proclaim that His name is exalted.” —Isaiah 12:3b

Your servant,