Pastoral Notes for Sunday, March 3, 2019

Let the reality of this next statement settle on you for a moment: you are going to die. It could be today or tomorrow, or maybe 50 or 60 years from now. For most of us, it will be sometime between now and 50 or 60 years. The fact remains, however, if the Lord doesn’t return in the next half-century or so, we are going to die. You are going to die.

In modern times, we work hard at not thinking of death. We’d rather focus on what’s before us and get on with the issues of life. The truth is, however, when we refuse to live with the reality of death before our eyes, we’re destined to live deluded and deceived existences. When we stave off thoughts of our own mortality, we’re doomed to spend our lives on the trivial rather than the eternal. We never gain the heart of wisdom, because we never learned to number our days (Psalm 90:12).

The season of Lent is designed draw you into the wisdom of remembering death. The first day of the Lenten season, Ash Wednesday (March 6), is a reminder that “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). Each and every one of us is dirt, and the dirt that we are has an expiration date.

Lest you misunderstand, to remember your death is not intended to be a morbid reflection on the end of life. Instead, it is a bright truth to guide you into real living. For when we remember our death, life is clarified and ordered. The things that seemed so important disappear from view as we’re reminded of the eternal: the things that really matter.

More than this, remembering death leads us not just to renewed minds and reordered priorities about what’s important; it leads us ultimately to Jesus Christ. Remembering our death is humbling. We come to terms with our weakness, our neediness. It brings us to our knees to recognize our need for a Savior, which leads us to hope. Theresa Aletheia Noble writes, “When we remember death, we meditate on the central mystery of our faith: that death has been transformed by Jesus Christ. Not just a vague and general death but our own personal death. Jesus’ death and resurrection can have a direct impact on every person’s life and death if we accept his saving grace.”

As we remember death this Lent, we do so recognizing that right at the center of all we believe is a cross and a resurrection—a death that put to death, death. Which is to say, that when a Christian remembers death, he remembers Christ, and to remember Christ is to remember life. So, take heart, brothers and sisters. You are dust and to dust you shall return. But dust you will not remain. Remember Christ this Lent—and live!

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, February 17, 2019

A few weeks ago, our sister, Rachel Warhurst, reported in service about the amazing work of Raising the Roof Academy in Uganda, Africa. Many of you were moved by her testimony and responded by joining RTR’s educate1 campaign. I’m pleased to report that we sponsored 23 children through RTR! Way to go church! Please continue to pray for Rachel and the ministry of RTR as the school year gets underway in Uganda.

Also, several of you noted how much you enjoyed hearing from Rev. Josh Reiger and the church planting efforts in Hexham, England, a few weeks ago. Josh sent me a thank you note recently; in it he raved about his experience at Cornerstone. He specifically noted the warm welcome he and Gina and the kids received from you, including your eagerness to pray for and support their work. Again, way to go church!

On the other side of this sheet, you will find a dozen different ways to draw closer to the Lord and in fellowship with the Cornerstone family. The February 28th Women at the Mercantile meeting, or March 2nd Men’s retreat, or Midweek @ Cornerstone starting March 6th are just a few of the many upcoming gatherings designed to nurture your spiritual life and tighten the bonds of fellowship. Please avail yourself of these opportunities, especially as we enter the high holy days of Lent and Easter. 

One particular opportunity I want to make sure you’ve circled on the calendar is Steve Green’s Concert for Cornerstone on March 31st at 6pm at the Academy Park Performing Arts Center next to the Williamson County Library. Steve is pulling out all the stops for us—inviting a host of his musically talented friends for a glorious night of singing, storytelling, and rejoicing in the Lord. This is a special Cornerstone concert, which is why YOU are getting first dibs on tickets. Can you believe the deal? Only $5! We’re waiting on Academy Park to give us the green light for ticket sales. As soon as they do, we’ll get that information to you. Seating is limited, and the tickets will go fast. So make plans to purchase your tickets as soon as they come available.

As fun as this concert is going to be (and it is going to be so, so fun!), it is tinged with some sadness. The Lord brought Steve and Marijean Green to Cornerstone in 2014. Then, almost three years ago, Steve was nominated and elected elder at roughly the same time Marijean became co-leader over women’s ministry. In the last three years, I’m not sure anyone has poured more into the life of Cornerstone than these two. Truly, they have been such a gift to our fellowship.

About six months ago, Steve and Marijean came to the office to talk about what the Lord was stirring in their heart, namely, moving from Franklin to Atlanta, GA, to be closer to and serve their family in the next season of life. As they recounted God’s providence, and their own prayerful walk through the decision, it was difficult to argue with their conclusion, though everything in me wanted to! Since that time, God has increasingly confirmed his direction—that He has a new mission for our brother and sister in Atlanta. We’re going to have the privilege of hearing from the Greens on Sunday, March 17 in worship as they share a testimony of God’s work in their lives. Please remember our brother and sister in prayer as they draw this season in Franklin to a close and make preparations for moving to Atlanta later this spring.

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, February 10, 2019

I was given the privilege this week of speaking to several hundred Dads on the subject of treasuring your children as a gift from the Lord. As I prepared for the talk, I was struck afresh by the expendable and exploitive treatment of children in our time. Whether it’s the New York Senate decision on abortion, or the Governor of Virginia’s comments on infanticide, or the media’s coverage of the Covington Catholic School incident at the March for Life, we’re being told over and over by the culture that children are disposable. 

When we turn attention to the Scripture, we couldn’t see a starker contrast. For instance, Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” The word “reward” and “heritage” speak to the fact that children are priceless heirlooms to be passed down to the next generation. Far more valuable than your grandmother’s china or your grandfather’s pocket watch, children are an inheritance given by God for us to treasure and train in love, truth, and grace and send out into a time we will not see (Prov. 22:6, Eph. 6:4).

When you realize the Bible’s perspective on children, it begins to make sense why Jesus spent so much time with children during his early ministry. In one instance, as the crowds brought their children to Jesus for him to touch and bless, Matthew tells us the disciples rebuked them (Matthew 19:13). Clearly the disciples didn’t think children were a good investment of Jesus’s valuable time. But Jesus stunned them all with his response, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).

Even for those of us who believe the Bible’s teaching on children, it’s easy for us to lose sight of it in our daily lives, isn’t it? At different times and for various reasons, we may fall into a pattern of treating our kids like problems to be fixed, or projects to be perfected, or even interruptions to be managed.

I had to learn a hard lesson this week in this regard. As God would have it, I sinned against my children Wednesday night. I got angry and lost my temper over a situation involving one of my children. The whole family witnessed it and was negatively affected by it. Feeling justified in my anger, I didn’t admit my sin right away. I went into silent mode and brooded for a while. Later, I started back in on preparing for my talk—on treasuring your children as a gift from the Lord no less! I re-read Psalm 127:3 again. As I did, I cringed with guilt. Rightfully, my heart condemned me and balked at my hypocrisy, “You can’t speak on this when you’re not doing it yourself!”

I called the family together and confessed my sin and asked for forgiveness. One by one, they forgave me, and I soaked in the relief of being forgiven. I wound up adding a section to my Thursday talk. It was a section on how failing as a father is an excellent opportunity to train your children to trust in the one Father who will never fail them, the Heavenly Father (Rom. 8:15). For in the end, it’s neither my successes nor failures as a father that will make the difference, but their trust in the perfect Father that will make the difference. For failing fathers like me, that’s good news… Good news indeed.