Pastoral Notes for Sunday, January 9, 2022

Dear Cornerstone Family,

As a book lover, I delight in talking with others about what they’re reading. Over the last few weeks, I’ve enjoyed chatting with several of you about your favorite reads of 2021. You’ve read some very interesting things this year!

There’s a significant number of books I started and didn’t make it through, but listed below are the books I actually finished. Though I benefit in some way from most everything I read, you shouldn’t assume I agree with everything listed or would necessarily recommend them to someone else. Every year I choose a few books I’m pretty sure I’ll have considerable disagreements with, and yet the exercise of listening to and weighing opposing beliefs/arguments is always beneficial. What’s on your list for 2022?

2021 Reading List
The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh
Greybeards at Play and Other Comic Verse by G.K. Chesterton
Men and Women in the Church by Kevin DeYoung
Echoes of Exodus: Tracing a Biblical Motif by Bryan D. Estelle
Interpreting the Prophetic Word by William A. VanGemeren
The Wonderful Works of God by Herman Bavinck
God’s Kingdom Through God’s Covenants by Stephen Wellum and Peter Gentry
Covenantal Baptism by Jason Helopoulos
Persistent Prayer by Guy Richard
Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor’s Heart by Harold K. Senkbeil
Reformed Preaching by Joel Beeke
Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices for Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren
The Way of Dragon or The Way of the Lamb by James Goggin and Kyle Strobel
Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States by Andrew Whitehead & Samuel Perry The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Dawn of Redeeming Grace by Sinclair Ferguson
Jesus & John Wayne by Kristen Kobes Du Mez
The Triumph of Christianity by Rodney Stark
Robert E. Lee: A Life by Allen Guelzo
The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson
Franklin: Tennessee’s Handsomest Town, a Bicentennial History, 1799-1999 by James Crutchfield
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Reparations: A Call for Christian Repentance and Repair by Duke Kwon and Gregory Thompson
Therefore the Truth I Speak: Scottish Theology 1500-1700 by Donald Macleod
Where I Come From by Rich Bragg
Holy is the Day by Carolyn Weber
What God Has to Say about Our Bodies by Sam Allberry
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil by J.R.R. Tolkien
Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents by Rod Dreher
The End of the Christian Life: How Embracing our Mortality Frees us to Truly Live by Todd Billings
Word by Word: A Daily Spiritual Practice by Marilyn McEntyre
Art & Faith: A Theology of Making by Makoto Fujimura
Jack by Marilynne Robinson
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
The Baseball 100 by Joe Posnanski

Grace & Peace,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, January 2, 2022

Dear Cornerstone Family,

I have the honor of sitting with people of all ages and stages during significant, even life-changing, moments. Very often, those moments include making difficult decisions–like the decision to move to another town, to take a certain job, or to turn the life support machines off. These are hard, hard decisions.

As different as the decision to take a job or turn off life support is, one thing is similar. Whenever I ask, “How can I help?” the response almost always includes the request, “Pray for wisdom.” Having lived long enough to pass through a number of life-changing moments and face a variety of difficult decisions, I get it. During such moments, no one feels they have the wisdom they need.

Except it’s not just life-changing moments. Truth be told, we feel this all day every day! What middle schooler facing the complicated dynamics of who to sit with in the lunchroom hasn’t thought, “I’m not wise enough for this!” And what parent trying to raise said middle schooler hasn’t thought, “I’m not wise enough for this!” Life’s daily responsibilities and challenges have a way of bringing us to the end of ourselves. Which is why no matter what is going on, when asked, “How can I help?” we respond, “Pray for wisdom.”

The felt need for wisdom is often more acute at the beginning of a New Year. As we imaginatively pace through the months, we see family transitions and doctor appointments, annual reviews and bank account balances, graduations and home repairs. In a word, we see challenges we’re not ready for. This is especially true for those entering 2022 with the unresolved issues of 2021 still snapping at your heels.

Listening to the variety of needs in our midst right now, I pressed pause on my original preaching plan for the start of 2022 and, instead, decided to dip into the Bible book most known for wisdom. You guessed it: Proverbs! For the month of January, we’re going to pursue the wisdom of God by taking a slow walk through the rich instruction of Proverbs 3:1-12.

Wisdom for the New Year

  • January 2—Proverbs 3:1-2 “My Son, Remember and Keep My Commands”

  • January 9—Proverbs 3:3-4 “My Son, Holdfast to Love and Faithfulness”

  • January 16—Proverbs 3:5-8, “My Son, Trust and Acknowledge Me in Everything”

  • January 23—Proverbs 3:9-10, “My Son, Honor Me with Your Wealth”

  • January 30—Proverbs 3:11-12, “My Son, Receive My Loving Discipline”

As we enter this study together, consider committing this section of Scripture to memory this month. Some of you are familiar with parts of it already. With a little effort, it might not be too difficult inscribe these words on the tablet of your heart–which, by the way, is exactly what Proverbs 3 would have you do!

Grace & Peace,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, December 26, 2021

Dear Cornerstone Family,

Today is the final Lord’s Day of 2021! Can you believe it? It’s a remarkable grace to weekly meet together in the presence of the Lord and feast on His Word. How faithful our God has been to commune with us this year, portioning out His grace to our gospel-needy souls.

A few months ago, a visiting worshiper, passing through town on his way back to Kansas, said to me at the door, “Boy, you guys sure love the Bible.” When he said that, I wasn’t sure if he thought that was a good thing or not, but he is absolutely right. The Bible is the foundation for all we do at Cornerstone. Every week the worship service is filled to the brim with the truth of God’s Word. Whether reading, preaching, singing, or praying we want the truth of the Scriptures to wash over us, and, by the power of the Spirit, to have a transformative impact on our heart and life (Ephesians 5:26-27).

As central and necessary our weekly Bible intake is in corporate worship, one feeding a week is simply not enough. In the same way that one meal a week cannot meet your physical needs, one meal on God’s Word a week cannot meet your spiritual needs. This is why over and over in the Bible God calls His people to daily feedings on Scripture (Psalm 1:1-2, Joshua 1:8), and why Jesus says we cannot expect to survive spiritually if we’re not regularly consuming every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

If we took an honest look at our patterns of Bible intake, many of us would likely find that our souls are suffering from spiritual malnutrition. Just as our stomach growls when we’re hungry, our soul growls for the solid food of God’s Word (Job 23:12). Sadly, instead of turning to the pure milk of the Word (1 Peter 2:2), we’ll snack on the many words of the world. Some sustenance can certainly be found on Christian blogs and books and through conversations with Christian friends, but no matter how tasty the instruction, their words are only supplemental. Man’s words are never to be a meal replacement for the Word of God.

Now, many of you are already thinking about losing those five to ten pounds you’ve picked up between Thanksgiving and Christmas. As a fellow in need of some trimming, I will likely join you in that noble endeavor as soon as the calendar strikes January. But as we make plans to pursue physical health, let’s remember that godliness has value in all things, holding promise for now and eternity (1 Timothy 4:8). Sure, cut out the carbs and go easy on the sugar in January, but don’t ever push back from the table of God’s Word. Instead, let’s commit to glut ourselves with the Word of God this year.

Sometime this week commit to a Bible reading plan. Need help getting started? Crossway books put together a super helpful, one-stop-shop webpage on Bible reading plans. There’s a chronological through the Bible plan, a Psalm a day plan, a five-month New Testament plan, and many more. With a little effort, you can find the one that’s just right for you. Just follow the link and prepare to get started: https://www.crossway.org/articles/download-a-free-bible-reading-plan-for-2017/

Tolle lege!

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, December 19, 2021

Dear Cornerstone Family,

After I wrote last week’s pastoral notes on my seasonal Christmas reading, a couple of you asked if I would be pulling together my traditional pre-Christmas pastoral notes of my favorite quotes. Well, the fact that at least two of you remembered that I typically write such a pastoral note prompted me to do it yet again this year! (Truth be told, I probably would have done it anyway.)

In addition to book quotes, one of you said, “Throw in a movie quote or two.” I rolled my eyes (in my heart), but I did oblige. Truth is, I watch several Christmas movies every year. Elf and National Lampoon’s Christian Vacation are always good for a laugh, or two, or three. My favorite all time Christmas movie is It’s a Wonderful Life. We faithfully watched it every year as a family growing up; a tradition I’ve managed to keep with my family. And yes, I cry every year. Like a baby.

So with no further ado, the wonder filled and whimsical, in no discernable order, all for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” —Elf

“Christ is the great central fact in the world’s history. To Him everything looks forward or backward. All the lines of history converge upon Him. All the great purposes of God culminate in Him. The greatest and most momentous fact which the history of the world records is the fact of his birth.” —Charles Spurgeon

“Merry Christmas, you filthy animal.”—Home Alone 2

“The whole life of Christ was a continual Passion; others die martyrs, but Christ was born a martyr. He found a Golgotha, where he was crucified, even in Bethlehem, where he was born. For to his tenderness then the straws were almost as sharp as the thorns after, and the manger as uneasy at first as the cross at last.”—John Donne

“Personally, of course, I believe in Santa Claus; but it is the season of forgiveness, and I will forgive others for not doing so.”—G.K. Chesterton

“I don’t know what to say, but it’s Christmas, and we’re all in misery.”—Ellen Griswold

“Behind all the fun and games at Christmastime, we should not try to escape a sense of awe, almost a sense of fright, at what God has done. We must never allow anything to blind us to the true significance of what happened at Bethlehem so long ago. Nothing can alter the fact that we live on a visited planet.”—J.B. Phillips

Grace & Peace,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, December 12, 2021

Dear Cornerstone Family,

Though it’s harder and harder to find the time, one of the things I enjoy most about Advent is seasonal reading. Over the years, I’ve collected quite a few volumes. Almost two full shelves in my library are devoted to yuletide reflecting. Some of the works are classic; some are new. Some are fiction; others are non-fiction. Many of them I return to almost every year; often not to read in their entirety, but to dip into, sample, reflect on, and then carry with me throughout the season.

Watch for Light is a book I crack open every year at some point. It is a collection of Advent and Christmas stories, prayers, and devotionals from writers throughout history and from across a wide spectrum of the Christian tradition. I will foray into this work several times throughout the season always with great benefit.

I love Incarnation, a beautifully illumined work that combines poetry, prayer, and theological reflection on the mystery of God becoming man, by Alistair McGrath. The presentation of truth with artistry make this work an enduring contribution worthy of regular revisitation.

One work I picked up this year and thoroughly enjoyed was Saint Nicholas the Giftgiver by Ned Bustard. It’s a poetic retelling of the story of St. Nicholas. The book brings together fact and myth with beauty and grace, connecting the ministry of St. Nicholas with the legend of Santa Claus. Bustard is a remarkable artist and he’s done a marvelous job not only retelling the story but illustrating it. It is a children’s book, but don't let that scare you away. Children of all ages will enjoy it.

For devotional purposes, I’m reading Sinclair Ferguson’s new work, The Dawn of Redeeming Grace. What wonderfully rich fare it is—full of interesting insights from Matthew’s retelling of the birth of Christ. Those of us who have read Ferguson over the years have come to appreciate his interpretive perceptiveness. He’s always drawing out profound connections between the Old Testament and the New Testament, emphasizing the fulfillment that comes in Jesus Christ. For instance, in speaking of Christ’s birth, I read this morning, “Matthew’s point is that this unique event [Jesus’s birth] is nothing less than a new creation. The words ‘genealogy’ (in Matthew 1:1) and ‘birth’ in (Matthew 1:18) both translate the same Greek word–genesis. God was beginning again in Jesus Christ.” What a beautiful insight!

Speaking of books, stop by The Bookshelf this morning. You can snag The Dawn of Redeeming Grace for only $10 or the wonderful recent collection of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Christmas writings called God is in the Manger. It’s only $7! You won’t find better prices anywhere.

In addition to seasonal titles, you will find a host of other books dealing with a wide variety of practical Christian living topics. Who knows, you might something for the important people on your holiday shopping list... There’s nothing like the gift of good reading!

Grace & Peace,