Pastoral Notes for Sunday, November 25, 2018

Dear Cornerstone Family,

As I reflected this week on our seventh-year anniversary, I found myself pouring out thanksgivings to God for our officers. Not simply for their ministry faithfulness, though that was part of it, but for the joy it is to call these brothers my friends. That’s a rare gift, and I thank God for it.

Now, such closeness can be a double-edged sword. For whenever you’re close to someone, transitions are harder. When a Cornerstone leader has stepped down or departed over the years, our hearts always break a little. Even when it’s the right thing, you never want to see a partner, a friend, go. That’s certainly how we feel about the three leadership transitions taking place at Cornerstone right now. Let me tell you about them.

First, there’s one thing we can all agree on—that one of the greatest gifts Cornerstone has ever received is Greg Wilbur. What some of you might not know is that Greg has served Cornerstone as both a staff person and ruling elder from the very beginning. During his regularly scheduled elder sabbatical, Greg wisely spent time considering the use of his limited time and energy, and although he still senses a strong call to the work of an elder, he decided in relationship with the Session to step away for this next season in order to give more time to other aspects of his calling like writing music and family. Now, don’t get worried; Greg isn’t going anywhere! He will continue to lead us in worship and discipleship on staff at Cornerstone. It’s his hope and ours that this transition away from the eldership for the next season might free him up to be even more effective in his daily calling of ministry at Cornerstone and beyond.

Second, due to some personal matters, our dear brother, Marty Smith, is taking a leave of absence from the diaconate. During this time of change in Marty’s life, it seemed wise both to him and the elders that he be freed from the weekly responsibilities of the diaconate to focus on the things most needful for the next season. Though we’ll miss having Marty’s eager, servant spirit on the diaconate, we rejoice that our brother will be worshipping with us regularly and serving the Lord in a variety of ways in our midst.

Finally, we’re sad to say goodbye to the Clint Branch family. Over the last couple of years, the Branches have felt their center of gravity move away from Franklin to Spring Hill/Thompson Station where they live. Then, due to a number of providential matters in the family, the Branches were unable to attend Cornerstone regularly on Sunday mornings over the last eighteen months. To fill the gap, they began attending a faithful Bible believing church in Spring Hill that had an evening service. Worshipping in Spring Hill for a season has led them to believe they should pursue membership in that local body. We are so very grateful for the many hours of service and contributions Clint made to the life of Cornerstone. Though sad to see the Branches go, we’re glad to send them to a faithful church in their community where they can actively serve the Lord.

Before I go, I should note on the positive side that we have four officer candidates in training right now for leadership at Cornerstone. They are just about to enter their third and final phase of training in a couple of weeks. Please pray that the Lord’s good and perfect will regarding the potential of these men to serve as officers at Cornerstone would be made plain to both them and the elders, as we trust the Good Shepherd to provide for us the under shepherds we need.

Your Servant,

Pastor Nate

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, November 18, 2018

Dear Cornerstone Family,

Today we remember with gratefulness the anniversary of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church. On November 20th seven years ago, we were received as a member church of the Presbyterian Church of America. In some ways it seems like yesterday. In other ways it seems like its been forever. In every way it has been a joy and an honor! Today we give thanks for how God has faithfully sustained and grown us as a local church and expanded His witness among us and through us. Surely, we have much to celebrate!  

In God’s good providence, our congregational birthday falls on the same week as our annual Thanksgiving worship service. To mark the Thanksgiving season in the life of our church, we’re taking the next two Sundays to explore a portion of Paul’s prayer in Philippians 1:3-6. Today we’re focusing on vs. 3-5 around the theme, “Give Thanks: Remembering God’s Faithfulness in the Past.” Next week we’ll center on v. 6 around the theme, “Give Thanks: Hope in God’s Promises for the Future.”  

As is our custom at Cornerstone, in the weeks leading up to and in the one week following Christmas, we’re going to bask in the glory of the incarnation of Jesus Christ in a series I’ve entitled, “The Songs of Christmas.” To help you prepare for worship each week, I’ve posted the Scripture readings and sermon titles for the Sundays of Advent and the first Sunday of Christmas below:

·      Dec. 2, “Singing with the Prophets: Waiting for the Messiah” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

·      Dec. 9, “Singing with Mary: The Magnificat” (Luke 1:39-56)

·      Dec. 16, “Singing with Zechariah: The Benedictus” (Luke 1:57-79)

·      Dec. 23, “Singing with the Angels: The Gloria” (Luke 2:1-14)

·      Dec. 30, “Singing with Simeon: The Nunc Dimittis” (Luke 2:22-32)

In addition to worship, let me encourage you to break from the holiday brouhaha to refresh your heart with a good book. You’ll find several new Christmas devotionals available this morning on “The Book Shelf” on the second floor landing. Let me highlight two titles:

·      The One True Gift: Daily Readings for Advent to Encourage and Inspire – This work by British writer, Tim Chester, is a great addition to the growing collection of Advent devotional books. In Twenty-four bite size readings, Tim slowly peels back the layers of the beautiful Christ hymn, Philippians 2:5-11. With ideas for reflection, prayer, and applications these daily readings can be enjoyed individually or for the whole family.  

·      Love Came Down at Christmas: Daily Readings for Advent – This work is by one of my favorite pastor-preachers, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson. Broken up into 24 biblical devotions, Sinclair takes 1 Corinthians 13 phrase by phrase and shows that “love is” the Lord Jesus Christ himself. This one is not to be missed! Keep it by your bedside or armchair and close each day during Advent with a simple, meaningful reflection on the love of God in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Have a great Thanksgiving! May the blessings of the gospel be yours this holiday season!  

Your Servant,

Pastor Nate

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, November 4, 2018

Dear Cornerstone,

The Nashville Presbytery’s Mercy Committee is organizing a trip to Panama City, FL, to assist with Hurricane Michael relief efforts. A team of volunteers from middle Tennessee PCA churches is pulling together to head down to Panama City, FL, next weekend, Nov. 8-11. Considering the extensive damage and sparse volunteers, we're actually still on the front side of the disaster response.

No particular technical skills are prized. Willing hands are in short supply in Panama City. Even inexperienced guys or gals at least 15 years old can go down and make a real dent over three days. We’ll no doubt be blessed by encouraging and praying with our Gulf Coast neighbors, serving them and serving alongside them for Jesus' sake.

If you’d like to serve and be the hands and feet of Jesus in the work of the mercy, play close attention to the information below and be sure to follow the instructions for registration:

·      Every volunteer must sign up via MNA. The links are below. MNA Disaster Response is expecting a crew from Nashville Presbytery. 

·      Every signed up volunteer needs to contact Marty Smith at grandog_fighter@yahoo.com, so we can keep a count and communicate with the group and with MNA about our trip. No one should contact MNA Disaster Response after signing up.

·      For those who choose to go, please start gathering tools and supplies to carry down for our use (and to leave behind if they need and you're inclined). Food/Water-grade necessities are not in short supply presently. We will send updates on what to pack and what not to pack as the day approaches. Plan on erring on the generous side with the tools you tote.

·      As the group takes shape in these coming days, we’ll sort out who can drive to maximize our haul. Vans and extended cab trucks are ideal. (We have one x-cab truck already.)

The Trip Details:

·      Meet Thursday, November 8, at 4:30pm, in the south parking lot at Christ Community Church, 1215 Hillsboro Road, Franklin, TN 37069. We may arrange to meet up along the route with folks coming from outside Nashville or its southern suburbs.

·      We’ll sort into vehicles, pray, and head out by 5pm, driving straight to Laguna Beach Christian Retreat, where we’ll be housed. (This is the same retreat center that’s long been home to RUF and RYM conferences.) It's roughly a 7.5 hour drive. 

·      We will head east across the bay to put in a full Friday and Saturday as MNA directs, with a focus on helping our brethren at hardest hit First Presbyterian Church in Panama City, FL. We will also be serving Covenant Presbyterian Church and the Korean Presbyterian Church in town.

·      We will go across the bay for supper and the night on the west side, where the food supply chain – grocery and prepared – is increasingly intact (We shouldn't have to carry all our own food/water. Possibly not even food/water for others).

·      The Lord’s Day: If feasible, worship with our sister churches, then with their guidance find work (loving mercy) that afternoon in a more downtrodden and vulnerable area that’s close enough to be within reach of the churches’ outreach ministries.

·      Having worked till 4pm (except for designated drivers who will have been excused early for a nap), make one last change of clothes and drive straight home, so worn-out servants can resume normal life on Monday morning. 

·      Folks who can’t leave with us as early as Thursday or who need to get back sooner than we’re planning to Sunday afternoon/night could still link up with us if we can work together on alternative arrangements.

MNA Trip Registration: https://stat.pcanet.org/mna/disasterresponse/signin.cfm

Important Info:

https://pcamna.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-09-Volunteer-Scheduling-Process.pdf

https://pcamna.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-09-MNA-Disaster-Response-Volunteer-FAQ.pdf

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, October 28, 2018

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”—Psalm 116:15 

On October 31, 1517 an Augustinian monk by the name of Martin Luther took a hammer and nail and posted his now famous 95 Theses on the Wittenburg church door in Germany. That courageous action sparked one of the greatest movements of God’s Spirit in human history. Amazingly it all began on… Halloween?

That’s right. The launch of what would become known as the Protestant Reformation began on the one night of the year where ghosts and goblins rule the streets. If you think that’s merely a coincidence, you’re likely mistaken.

Halloween is short for All Hallows Eve. The word “hallow” is the word for “holy.” You know this because you say it every week in worship when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name” (Matthew 6:9). All Hallows’ Eve was the name given to the night before the Christian feast, All Saint’s Day, which was celebrated on November 1st. All Saints Day is the annual remembrance of those who have died in Christ and gone before us into heaven.

Now, it has been suggested that Martin Luther chose to nail his 95 Theses on All Hallows Eve in anticipation of All Saints Day, because his protest sought to expose the ghoulishness of the church in his day and call it back to the faith once for all entrusted to God’s holy people (Jude 1:3). Luther believed the late medieval church was, in many ways, held captive by a “doctrine of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1), and that the time had come for a return to the historic orthodox belief and practice held by the church throughout the ages. To borrow another phrase from the Lord’s Prayer, Luther wanted to see God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven.

Rehearsing the legacy of faith passed down through the generations is a critical Christian discipline (Hebrews 12:1). Though oft neglected in our day, it’s been common practice in the historic church to pause during this season of the church calendar and remember those who have gone on to glory, giving thanks to the Lord for their lives.

As a way of stepping into that tradition, next Sunday, Nov. 4th, we’re going take time in our worship services to name, remember, and give thanks for those who have died in Christ Jesus. You’ll have an opportunity in service to write that person(s) name on a card and jot a few words of thanksgiving for how God used them in your life. It could be a grandmother who modeled humility, or a coach that challenged you spiritually, or a Sunday School teacher that taught you Scripture, or a work colleague that always knew just how to lift you up when you were down. It could be a historical figure—a missionary, pastor, writer, artist, etc. It can be anyone who has passed from this life into the presence of Jesus Christ that the Lord has used to encourage you.

If you would, take a few minutes this week to consider whose name you’ll write and what you’ll say. The cards are available this morning if you’d like to take one. They’ll also be available next week in the pews. Let’s remember with thanksgiving those we love who have gone on before us, anticipating the day when we’ll join them in glory.