Pastoral Notes for Sunday, October 30, 2022

Dear Cornerstone family,

On October 31, 1517, an Augustinian monk by the name of Martin Luther took a hammer and nail and posted his now famous Ninety-Five Theses on the Wittenburg church door in Germany. That courageous action sparked one of the greatest spiritual movements in human history. And it all began on... Halloween? As strange as it sounds, 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. A coincidence? Probably not.

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 be thy name” (Matthew 6:9). All Hallows’ Eve was the name given to the night before the Christian feast, All Saints Day, which was celebrated on November 1st. In the Christian calendar, 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 post his Ninety-Five Theses on All Hallows’ Eve in anticipation of All Saints Day. Why? Well, his protest was an attempt to call the church back to the faith once delivered to the saints (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 historic Christian belief and practice held by the church throughout the ages.

Though often neglected in our day, remembering and rehearsing together the long legacy of faith passed down through the generations is a meaningful Christian practice (Hebrews 12:1). Knowing that the death of God’s people is precious in his sight (Psalm 116:5), the church has historically set aside time to remember the dead in Christ. During this season, it is common for churches to name and give thanks for those in the past who bore witness to the gospel and today worship with us in glory.

As a way of stepping into that great tradition, today in worship we’re going take time to remember and give thanks for those who have died in Christ Jesus. We will have a small selection of members in each service give brief testimonials about a special person in their life who has passed onto glory but made a lasting spiritual impact on them personally.

As we worship today, please take time to remember those who have died whom the Lord has used to spiritually enrich your life. It could be a grandmother who modeled humility, a Sunday School teacher who taught you Scripture, a coach who challenged you in an area of obedience, even a work colleague who just always knew what to say to lift you up when you were down. It doesn’t even have to be someone you’ve met! For instance, you could go back in history and give thanks for a leader, missionary, writer, or artist whose spiritual legacy has made an indelible spiritual imprint on your life. Whoever it is, let’s remember them with thanksgiving before the Lord, anticipating the day when we’ll join them in glory.

Your servant,






Pastoral Notes for Sunday, October 23, 2022

Dear Cornerstone family,

Before we worship this morning, I want to take a moment to update you on a few recent changes in our leadership and staff.

First of all, I want to say how great it is to welcome two of our deacons, Mr. Jim Robinson and Mr. Mark Elliot, back into active service. It is customary at Cornerstone for our elders and deacons to take seasonal sabbaticals for spiritual refreshment and to give attention to other important aspects of their lives. After just such a season, both of these dear brothers were recently reinstated to active service on our diaconate. Needless to say, we are thrilled to have Jim and Mark serving again.

Second, Mr. Kevin McClung has served as a deacon at Cornerstone for nearly eight years. Kevin joined the diaconate at a time when Cornerstone was particularly needy of officers. Kevin’s friendliness and eagerness to do whatever is needed was such an answer to prayer. Within the last year and a half, Kevin changed vocations, and is now working in the medical field. His new post, though very rewarding, is far more demanding of his time and energy. Given this, along with a desire to care well for his family, Kevin decided it’s time to step away from the diaconate. With sadness and gratitude, the session received Kevin’s resignation this past week. Please take time to thank Kevin for his service as a deacon and pray for him as he acclimates to a new vocation.

Finally, Mr. Taylor Thompson has served our youth ministry for five years. The last four of those years he’s been our Youth Director. Under Taylor’s leadership, we’ve seen the youth ministry flourish both in size and in spiritual impact. Back in the summer, Taylor let us know that his time as Youth Director was drawing to a close. With starting a master’s degree program, increased work responsibilities, and the arrival of baby #2 this fall, he knew he couldn’t continue to give the Youth Director position the time it needed and deserved.

After receiving this news, we began praying about next steps. Given the relatively short window for finding a replacement and the fact that we’re in the midst of an expansion initiative where our future staffing needs aren’t completely clear, it seemed wise to consider hiring an Interim Youth Director––if possible, someone “in house,” someone the students already know and love, someone who could carry us through this season until we find a more permanent solution.

It didn’t take long for the name “Preston Brooks” to be mentioned. Preston has served as a volunteer with the youth group for two years, possesses gifts for the role, and already has a great rapport with the students. On top of it all, he was willing to serve the church in this way! On Tuesday of this week, the session unanimously voted to hire Preston Brooks as Interim Youth Director beginning November 1.

Don’t you love seeing how the Lord takes care of his church? Taylor was truly God’s gift to us these last four years. Now, with Preston transitioning into this role, the foundations that are already in place can be built upon as we look in faith to God’s future provision. Our God is so good. Rejoice!

Your servant,






Pastoral Notes for Sunday, October 9, 2022

Dear Cornerstone family,

It was six weeks ago or so since I last spoke to you about the work of the Cornerstone Ministry Expansion Team. Today, I want to update you again about the ongoing work, but before I do, I’d like to briefly make note that that some who are reading this have joined us in the past couple of months and many more of you are likely visiting with us today. It seems appropriate, then, to go back and do a little flyover of some recent history.

Back in the spring, the elders of Cornerstone approved the formation of a team of elders, deacons, and members to help us address the “good problem” of growth at Cornerstone. The first month of the team’s work was spent praying together, rehearsing the vision of Cornerstone, and organizing into sub-teams. The next couple of months were spent collecting statistics about the congregation, researching various options for expansion, and starting a variety of conversations with interested parties.

During that second stage, particular attention was given to conducting sample surveys of the congregation in hopes to gain valuable input from a crossection of the Cornerstone family. That effort proved extremely helpful; leading the team to identify three different paths to walk down concurrently. The three paths: (1) explore maximizing the space of our current location, (2) explore multiplying into an additional church site or plant, and (3) explore purchasing a larger existing church building or land for building a future.

In the last six weeks or so, the team has begun to zero in on specific short term, mid-term, and long-term plans for expansion. In other words, they’re looking at how we can specifically address our immediate space needs for worship, fellowship, and education. At the same time, with continued growth in middle Tennessee expected, the team is identifying specific paths for what midterm expansion (2-5 years from now) and longer-term expansion (7-10 years from now) might look like for Cornerstone.

Though there is still some runway left, the Cornerstone Ministry Expansion Team is much closer to the end of than the beginning of their work. As proposals and recommendations begin to take shape, please keep praying for the team. Moreover, pray for the church! In fact, go back to the three prayers we started praying at the very beginning of this journey.

  • Pray the prayer of surrender - Ask God to bring us to a place where we want God’s will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else (Luke 22:42)

  • Pray the prayer for unity - Ask God for a spirit of unity, both for leaders and the church membership as we seek God’s face together (John 17:11)

  • Pray the prayer for wisdom - Ask God boldly for wisdom for your leaders and the church––that we would see what God most wants us to know and believe as we answer his call (James 1:5)

    Following the Lord is always an adventure. I can’t wait to see where he takes us next!

Your servant,






Pastoral Notes for Sunday, October 2, 2022

Dear Cornerstone family,

I asked Greg Wilbur to give a preview of the upcoming literature discussions as well as a very special opportunity for our next film discussion.

It is not unusual to hear the phrase that God is the Master Storyteller. The implications of God as author and narrator should encourage us to consider a number of patterns that apply to stories as a whole as well as all the world around us. Stories work as stories because they start somewhere and move through difficulties to a place of rest or resolution. In the simplest sense and in the broadest scope, THE story begins with a relationship with the Creator in the Garden of Eden which was broken by sin and followed by exile with a longing for a true home.

Or, the son of the King lost his bride who left home and is now hopelessly lost in the wilderness. The Prince enters into the wilderness to find his Beloved and to bring her home.

Or, the prodigal son leaves home for a life of dissipation and sin until he is covered by the mud and muck of the world. As he seeks out home, his father reaches out to bring him in and restore him to home with feasting.

Or, Hansel and Gretel, through the selfish sin of their mother, are forced from home into the wilds of the forest. They find a candy home and “mother,” but it turns out to be a false home and a false mother/witch who seeks to devour them in fire. After killing death, they pass over the cleansing waters and return to the home of their father. The famine is over, and they now have great riches and no want or lack.

Through these examples, I hope you can see the pattern of the Gospel as it moves through these stories of restored home and rescued love. With the three stories from the Brothers Grimm, we will explore different symbols and signs in versions of fairy tales that look far different from the versions we most typically know—especially in the loss of the inherent Gospel imagery and purpose. We will be reading Cinderella, a version of Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast. With only 14 pages to read, there is plenty of time to prepare and come to the discussion on Monday night at 7:00 p.m.

Our next film discussion will be a very special opportunity. On Monday evening, October 24, we will have a pre-release screening of the film Surprised by Oxford. This film is based on the award-winning memoir by Carolyn Weber—who is a member of Cornerstone and a professor at New College Franklin. As part of the evening, we will have a panel discussion with Cornerstone member Ken Carpenter (who produced the film), Ryan Whitaker (the Writer and Director), Rose Reid (the star of the film), and Carolyn (author of the book). Not only will this be a significant opportunity to see the film but also interact with the creative process by which the film came to be.

By understanding how stories work and how to follow the significance in stories, the desire is to increase our ability to read scripture, the narratives of the culture around us, and to ground us in the truth of the Gospel.

Your servant,