Pastoral Notes for September 2, 2018

Midweek @ Cornerstone

Learning Contentment: The Secret to a Satisfied Life

We tend to think that our happiness is tied to a certain set of circumstances. We say to ourselves, “If I could find that perfect man or woman, then I’d be complete. If I could alter my physical appearance in some way, then I’d be confident. Or if I could just make a little more money, then I’d be at peace.”

The problem is when we find the spouse we’ve always dreamed of, or get Botox or a new haircut, or finally get the raise we think we deserve, we find that we’re still discontent—maybe even more so. What we thought was the secret to our happiness proved to be a dead end.

Whenever that happens, a burning ache deep inside surfaces. It’s an empty, terrible feeling full of fear and desperate questions like, “Is contentment a mirage that will only ever keep disappearing before my eyes? Is the search for contentment a vain, meaningless pursuit like chasing after wind? Am I doomed to live out my days defeated and dissatisfied, never finding what I’m looking for?”

Wednesday nights this fall, we’re going to stare this struggle in the face by turning our attention to the hope and direction that Scripture provides for weary and dissatisfied hearts like ours. Over the course of ten weeks, we’ll explore…

·      The struggle to find contentment

·      The true source of contentment

·      Biblical strategies for pursuing contentment

·      Spiritual practices for sustaining contentment

Midweek @ Cornerstone begins September 12th. Go ahead and mark your calendars. Invite your friends and neighbors. Let’s come together and learn the secret to a satisfied life!

Dinner at 5:30pm

Vespers/Teaching at 6:15pm

Youth Group at 6:15pm

Children’s Choirs at 6:15pm Adult Choir at 7:15pm

Sign up for dinner at www.cornerstonepresfranklin.org

“For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”—Philippians 4:11-13

Pastoral Notes for August 26, 2018

I have some news that is both exciting and sad at the same time.

A few weeks ago now, our dear brother and ruling elder, Mr. Brian Phillips, accepted a call to be the next Assistant Pastor at our mother church, Parish Presbyterian Church (PCA). On the one hand, this is great news for the Kingdom of God and the witness of the gospel in Franklin. On the other hand, it’s really sad news for us. For in the few short years that Brian has been with us, we have all grown to deeply love and respect him.

What you might not know is that Brian has long wrestled with whether God has called him to be a pastor. Brian completed a Master of Divinity degree at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC, in 2012. Soon thereafter, he moved to New Hampshire and served as an intern and was licensed to preach by the New England Presbytery serving a variety of churches as stated supply.

Through a series of providential indicators, Brian was led to return home to Nashville in 2014 and began attending Cornerstone almost immediately. Brian has served our congregation faithfully first as a member and then for the last two years as a ruling elder. His teaching, praying, and shepherding of the congregation has made a significant spiritual impact on the life and health of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church.

Pretty much anyone who knows Brian knows that the Lord has gifted and called him to be a pastor. The elders all suspected that some church would one day call Brian to be their pastor and snatch him away from us! What we didn’t expect was that church would be our mother church, Parish Pres., just down the road! But, that just makes this story all the sweeter, doesn’t it? For who better to be blessed by Brian’s ministry than the precious saints of Parish Pres. who we love so much already. God is so good. Though we’re saying goodbye to Brian in a formal sense, we’re still going to see him quite often, enjoy fellowship with him, and no doubt partner in ministry with him in a variety of ways. For that, we’re grateful.  

In his resignation letter to the elders, Brian wrote, “I am eternally grateful for the time the Lord has given me to walk alongside each of you. Thank you for the way that you spur me on to pursue God’s calling with a desire to bring Him glory and edify His church… It has been an honor and privilege to serve with you in this congregation. And my hope and prayer is that God will grant more grace to this church, in order to glorify the name of Jesus Christ and see His kingdom advance throughout the whole earth.”

Brian will begin official duties at Parish Pres. on Monday, September 3rd. That’s just around the corner! Between now and next Sunday, please take a moment to reach out to our brother and let him know what he’s meant to you and to Cornerstone.

As a fitting close to his ministry among us, Brian will share a personal word of testimony as a part of our worship service next Sunday, September 2nd. It will be a sad and joyous week as we say goodbye and simultaneously commission Brian to the new call God has extended to him. We love you, Brian, and we can’t wait to see what God does in you and through you in the days to come.

Pastoral Notes for August 19, 2018

It’s appropriate as we study the call of God on the life of Abraham that we take time in our worship services to highlight some of the various mission organizations that Cornerstone supports. Last week we focused our attention on our longest and deepest partnership, New College Franklin. Today we are turning our attention globally to one of our newest partnerships—Raise the Roof Academy. 

Beginning in 2011 in Bwasandeku, Uganda with 30 children and 2 teachers, Raise the Roof Academy (RTR) is committed to educate the whole student by building relationships and education centers that cultivate a culture of learning and offer God’s love through empowerment opportunities. The vision is to become a premier education system in rural Uganda where children are learning and sharing their gifts with the world and coming in contact with the love of Jesus Christ. In eight short years, God has expanded the ministry RTR beyond all expectations. Today, over 1,200 students are served through RTR!

Reporting to us this morning is RTR’s Program Director, Miss Rachel Harden. Rachel is originally from Georgia but landed in Nashville after college to take a position as a Second Grade teacher. Rachel knew education was part of her calling, but she wondered at times if it might be in a cross-cultural or missionary context. She had spent time on the mission field in Africa off and on for several years, and she had a sincere love for the people of Africa, but here she was, teaching second grade in Nashville and loving it. But God was at work behind the scenes. After a couple of years of teaching, Rachel learned of a Nashville based mission organization that sought to educate children in Uganda. Through RTR, she began to see a way for her two passions—education and missions—to come together! Not long thereafter, she was asked to join the RTR team. We are so thankful to have Rachel as a member of Cornerstone and to partner with her in what God is doing through RTR in Uganda.

There are many ways you can get involved with the mission of Raise the Roof Academy. Take time to talk with Rachel Harden this morning after church. She will be at an information table out front to tell you about child partnership, fundraising campaigns, mission trips, and the many other ways you can support the work of RTR. Together, we can make a difference for Christ in Uganda! 

Pastoral Notes for August 12, 2018

The dream was hatched in 2006. Dr. George Grant, Matt Vest, and Greg Wilbur met together to begin charting a path for the creation of a new Christian liberal arts college in beautiful Franklin, TN. Three years later, on August 24, 2009, the dream became a reality when New College Franklin welcomed its inaugural class of twelve students for the Bachelor of Arts degree.

Ten years later, 80 students have enrolled at NCF from all over the U.S. and Canada with over 30 graduates who have gone on to serve in the fields of finance, medicine, design, business, journalism, politics, education, church ministry, and missions.

One of the things that excited me about returning to Franklin in 2010 to plant Cornerstone was the additional opportunity to partner with New College Franklin (NCF). I joined the faculty of NCF the year we arrived and taught Moral Philosophy and an Introduction to Southern Literature. Since that first year, I’ve taught a smattering of electives and core classes, mostly in theology and literature, and it’s something I look forward to doing every year.

My involvement, however, is hardly worth mentioning compared to that of our own Greg Wilbur. Greg is the Dean of NCF as well as a senior fellow of the college. More than anyone, Greg is responsible for the carrying forth of the vision of the NCF. It’s hard to imagine the success of NCF without the faithful attention and care of Greg Wilbur.

Though institutionally separate, the Session of Cornerstone sees NCF as an extension of our own mission to be and make disciples—to see the next generation trained in love and service to Jesus Christ. This is why we’ve joyfully opened our facility to NCF since 2011 and are eager to have many of the students and faculty plugged into Cornerstone. And boy do they plug in! From nursery to elementary Sunday School, from Youth ministry to music ministry, from Women's and Men's ministry to Home Fellowship Groups, the students of NCF are part of the lifeblood of Cornerstone—and for that we are so very grateful.

If you’ve not already done so, or if it’s been a while, take time to visit NCF’s website. The web address is www.newcollegefranklin.org. Click through the vision and mission statements, ponder the philosophy of education, and peruse their program of study. I’m pretty sure you’ll be encouraged. For right underneath your nose, a great work of Christian education is taking place, and we—Cornerstone Presbyterian—get to be a part of it.