Pastoral Notes for Sunday, June 26, 2022

Dear Cornerstone Family,

It was a bustling week of business and fellowship at the 2022 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America in Birmingham, AL. To help distill the many items of business from this week, I’ll be pulling together a brief summary of key actions from this year’s GA. In the meantime, I want to thank you for remembering us in your prayers. I must have heard from a dozen or more of you, expressing the fact that you were lifting up the commissioners from our church and the General Assembly as a whole. You have no idea what a comfort it was to know we were being remembered by you in prayer. Thank you!

I want you to be encouraged. God is at work in our denomination. There are many, many encouraging signs of spiritual fruit happening throughout the PCA, and it’s a joy to partner with like-minded pastors, elders, and churches from across our denomination. At the same time, there are a variety of disagreements and differences across the denomination that continue to cause varying degrees of tension and struggle—which is to say, there is room for improvement and reformation. This should come as no surprise! In fact, our Presbyterian forefathers often said, ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda––a phrase meaning, “The church reformed and always reforming.” In other words, until the return of Jesus Christ, the work of the church’s reformation and growth will never be done. Let us keep this in mind as together we labor for Christ’s glory in the church in our generation (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Now, I want to hand the pen to our recently minted Hospitality Coordinator, Mr. Dan Fiedler. Dan has been hard at work on renewing and reorganizing Cornerstone’s hospitality ministry so that we can better be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to one another and our community. Please listen closely to Dan’s testimony and take to heart his message and invitation to you.

“I spent a year in Japan as a missionary teaching English and building relationships with adult students as a way to share the gospel. The students invited me, a stranger and foreigner, into their homes for meals and were extremely hospitable, though they weren’t Christians. This caused a crisis of faith in my 21-year-old world. I thought being a Christian was being a “good” person. I viewed a missionary’s job as saving the “bad” people and making them “good.” I am grateful to have gone through this experience and to learn in a deeper way of the gospel, and the truth of 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.” In other words, we are to serve others because we humbly realize that we have been served first.

In the power of the gospel, Cornerstone strives to be a hospitable congregation. We aim to fulfill Paul’s words in Romans 15:7, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” As the Hospitality Coordinator, I am charged to help lay foundations for and inculcate a spirit of hospitality at Cornerstone. Toward that end, I’d like to ask you to spend some time recalling the ways that Christ has welcomed you by his grace. Then consider how the welcome of the gospel has been expressed in your life in demonstrable ways. It might be through something as ordinary as a shared meal or an invitation into someone’s home. As we respond to His welcome, we want to make room in our hearts, homes, schedules and budgets for others.

If you are interested in learning more about or potentially partnering with the Hospitality Ministry of Cornerstone, please come share a potluck with other members that are interested in discussing and sharing how God has welcomed us, and how we, as Cornerstone, can welcome others through the Hospitality Ministry for the glory of God. You can sign up for the potluck HERE. I hope to see you there.”

Your Servant





 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, June 19, 2022

Dear Cornerstone Family,

In Presbyterian government, there are historically three ruling bodies, or courts. First, there is the Session which is the name given for the ruling body of a local church (e.g. the eldership of Cornerstone Pres). Second, there is the presbytery, which is the name given for the ruling body of a particular region. The presbytery is made up of all the teaching elders (pastors) and commissioned ruling elders from each member church in that region (e.g. Nashville Presbytery) Lastly, there is the General Assembly. This is the name given for the ruling body of the entire denomination. It’s made up of all commissioned teaching elders and the prescribed number of ruling elders from every church in the denomination.

Once a year the General Assembly (GA) of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) meets together. Pastors, ruling elders, delegates from fraternal denominations, and guests from around the globe will gather to worship, fellowship, and conduct the business of the church. This year’s annual meeting is next week, June 20-24 in Birmingham, AL. Rev. Tony Giles, Rev. Ben Griffith, and yours truly, along with two of our ruling elders, Mr. Randy Allen and Mr. Jim Payne, will be attending as commissioners this year.

Before I attended my first General Assembly (GA) in 2005 as a seminary student, I wondered, “What happens at GA?” For simplicity’s sake, let me identify four main purposes of the GA.

First, GA is where our denominational organizations and agencies such as Mission to the World, Mission to North America, Covenant College, Covenant Theological Seminary, Reformed University Fellowship, etc. meet yearly with pastor and elder representatives to submit budgets, make personnel changes, give reports on ministry health, and address other pertinent matters of business relating to their organization or agency.

Second, GA is a time for pastors and elders to receive ongoing education and training for the work of ministry. Every year there are dozens of seminars led by ministers, counselors, and scholars on a vast array of theological, historical, and practical subjects.

Third, GA is also a time for the whole denomination to come together for worship and fellowship. Each day’s session of GA is closed with a worship service, and the breakfast, lunch, and dinner slots are reserved for organized and casual opportunities for pastors and elders to spend time together in fellowship.

Fourth, the leading purpose of the GA is to address mission critical denominational matters of business. This includes, but is not limited to, matters of theological, cultural, ecclesiastical, and administrative importance to the denomination and its churches. As always, there are a number of significant matters of business facing the GA this year.

I will pull together a summary of highpoints and key actions within a week or two of GA. In the meantime, if you have interest in learning more about the business of GA, please visit pcaga.org and click through the GA Overtures links.

We cherish your prayers. Please take time to lift up the commissioners of GA and the PCA specifically this week. May all that is done bring glory to God (Heb. 10:22; 1 Cor. 10:31)!

Your Servant





 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, June 12, 2022

Dear Cornerstone Family,

I asked Meredith Suits, our Children’s Director, to write this week’s Pastoral Notes.

A few weeks ago, Nate anticipated that I would have a lot to share about Cornerstone’s “Rooted” VBS and put me on the schedule for the pastoral notes this week. Well, I should have asked for two weeks in a row—I have so much to share with you and even more great pictures!

The volunteers for VBS this year (20 adults and 11 youth) were truly impressive. They led relay races, managed craft stations, served messy snacks, played and sang songs, refilled water bottles, gave high-fives and hugs, kept groups together and on schedule, swept up LOTS of seeds, unfolded and folded tents, refilled coolers with ice and waters, and most importantly, shared the love of Jesus with all of our Cornerstone kids and visitors. We could not have managed VBS without them, and if I had more space in the bulletin, I could share a million more examples of how awesome they were. We also had a prayer team for the kids and speakers at VBS each night and a large group of church members who provided much-needed supplies to make the week a success.

The children at VBS this year—32 who regularly attend Cornerstone and 14 visitors—were so much fun. Before the devotionals each night, we let each team of kids see who could cheer (read: scream) the loudest, and we have some very sweet but very loud voices in this group. There were sweaty faces and big smiles each night, and we were so glad to have this special time with them to play, sing, and laugh all while sharing God’s word.

The most important thing about VBS is that God planted seeds. Nate, Ben, and Nancy led the devotions each evening about the seeds, roots, and fruits we hear Jesus teach about in the Bible, and we know that God used the messages each night to grow the faith of these children. The kids planted seeds in small terracotta pots the first night and eagerly watched the sprouts break through the surface of the dirt. What a blessing it is to know that God can use even small moments like VBS to grow something beautiful in our children. It’s so exciting to know that he’s at work under the surface, and as a congregation, we can continue to pray for and nurture these seeds in our Cornerstone kids.

THANK YOU so much to the many volunteers who made VBS such a wonderful event and to those of you who prayed for us and provided supplies. If you want to hear more, I’d be happy to regale you with additional stories about the amazing volunteers and kids we have in our church and the ways I saw God at work in the lives of his people at VBS.

Meredith Suits

Your servant,





 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, June 5, 2022

Dear Cornerstone Family,

Faith Gulliver

One of our commitments as a church is to raise up godly young men and women for the work of ministry. In our ten years of ministry, we’ve identified, trained, and sent six former interns to seminary, and four are currently serving vocationally in the work of ministry in churches across the U.S. These men and women are our children in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2), and there is no greater joy than to hear that our children are walking in the truth (3 John 1:4). With this in mind, I’m very pleased to announce the hire of two additional interns at Cornerstone.

Miss Faith Gulliver has been hired as a female Youth Intern this year. Faith has served as a volunteer youth leader for a couple of years, and we’ve seen firsthand her love for the young ladies of Cornerstone and gifts in discipleship. Faith will work 20 hours a week during the summer and 10 hours a week during the school year meeting with youth aged ladies in formal and informal discipleship settings and assisting in planning and leading a wide variety of youth events.

Maxwell Shell

In addition, Mr. Maxwill Shell is joining the Cornerstone staff. For three years, Max has been a regular volunteer on our worship team. He is a gifted musician with a heart for the worship of the church. Max is exploring God’s call on his life with regard to liturgy creation and worship leading. He will be working 10 hours a week with Greg Wilbur as a Worship Intern, serving behind the scenes and up front as a lead servant in our worship team.

If you’ve not met Faith or Max yet, please take time to introduce yourself. Also, begin praying for them! They need and cherish the prayers of God’s people as they serve the church and seek God’s face regarding future work in vocational ministry.

Finally, Cornerstone has enjoyed a very close relationship with Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) through the years. All your pastors are graduates from RTS Jackson, MS, and we’ve sent multiple interns to RTS Charlotte, NC, and RTS Orlando, FL, for training in pastoral ministry and counseling. Since its inception in 1966, RTS has been committed to raising up faithful servants of Jesus Christ who love the Bible, the Reformed Faith, and the church.

Dr. Guy Richard

Given this special relationship with RTS, we are delighted to welcome Dr. Guy Richard, President of RTS Atlanta, to the pulpit of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church this morning. Dr. Richard is a graduate from Auburn University (B.I.E), Reformed Theological Seminary (MDiv) and the University of Edinburgh (Ph.D).

Prior to his arrival in Atlanta, Dr. Richard served as the Senior Minister of the First Presbyterian Church in Gulfport, Mississippi (PCA) for almost twelve years. He had the privilege of leading this congregation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which completely destroyed the church facility and the homes of approximately one-third of the congregation. He has been teaching for RTS in varying capacities since 2010. Dr. Richard is married to Jennifer, and they have three children.

In addition to preaching for us this morning, Dr. Richard will be sitting down with me for a public conversation on the importance and challenges of training ministers of the gospel in our current cultural climate during the

Sunday School hour. Please join us!

Your servant,





 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, May 29, 2022

Dear Cornerstone Family,

You made it. You survived the blitzkrieg of May! It was touch and go there for a bit, but it’s nearly June and you’re still clothed and in your right mind. Let’s call that a win. :)

Now, you’ve got Monday off with plans to fire up the grill with some friends and remember those who died in the line of duty. The pool will open soon. The fishing pole is in the back of the truck. The soon-in-coming beach vacation is circled on the calendar. You’re settling into a school’s-out-for-summer state of mind. Can I get an amen?

But before you dive headfirst into summer, may I offer a caution? Summer is an opportune time to slow down, spend quality time with family, and enjoy some R&R. At the same time, summer is an easy time to lose our way spiritually. Our Bible reading takes a backseat to beach reading. Our church attendance is replaced by pool time. Generally, we have a tendency to ease up on the accelerator spiritually speaking. If I boiled it all down, the temptation to live for self is stronger during summer than at any other point in the year.

It is true; this temptation is always present, lurking underneath each moment of every day. But there are certain times—like summer vacation—that are literally designed for us, so to speak. Think about it. Why do we go on vacation? We go for our own rest and enjoyment. In fact, our friends actually tell you, “Go enjoy yourself.” When we say that, we mean, “Go have a good time,” and that’s right in so far as it goes. But it’s easy for our sinful hearts to hear “Enjoy yourself!” and slip into “live for self” mode. Ironically, when we do this, we cut the legs out of true rest and enjoyment. The pleasure we gain when living for self is shallow and fleeting. It leaves us disappointed and discontent.

Truth is, God has not designed us to enjoy ourselves by living for self. This is where we go wrong. We go on vacation, and we try to rest like the rest of the world. If we’re honest, many of us “rest” from our Christian commitments on vacation. It’s crazy, but we go on vacation to rest, and we walk away from the Lord of rest! Not surprisingly, our vacations end up restless. We wind up needing vacations from our vacations (!) because we neglected the true rest our souls need.

With all this in mind, I want to challenge you to commit to move through summer differently this year. By all means, keep catching those lightning bugs and sipping that sweet tea on the back porch. Enjoy the good things God designed summer for. But as you do, enjoy the Lord of the summer most of all. If you do that, you might just have the best summer yet.