Pastoral Notes for Sunday, January 29, 2023

Dear Cornerstone family,

It’s the final Lord’s Day of January 2023. Ready or not, February is coming!

Over the next month, the church will be abuzz with lots of new opportunities to grow in Christ together. On the Focus on Church Ministry page this morning, you’ll see supper clubs, choir, men’s studies, evangelism training, and more. Please avail yourself of the many different ways to connect and grow at Cornerstone!

Of all the great opportunities before us in February, none is more central than Midweek at Cornerstone. Starting on February 22 (Ash Wednesday) and continuing every Wednesday leading up to Holy Week, we’ll gather for food, fellowship, worship, study, and choir. There will be opportunities for discipleship from the youngest to the oldest! Registration for dinner and children’s ministries will open soon; go ahead and mark your calendar.

Now, let me give you a sneak peak of what’s in store for our midweek vesper’s series! We are going to course our way through John Bunyan’s classic work, The Pilgrim’s Progress. Next to the Scriptures, The Pilgrim’s Progress is the bestselling Christian book of all time. Since its original publication in 1678, millions of readers have followed the ups and downs and ultimate victory of Christian’s pilgrim journey with profound spiritual benefit. Whether a child—mesmerized by the adventure, danger, and triumph of the story—or, an adult—captivated by the genius, beauty, and teaching—The Pilgrim’s Progress is a book containing rich spiritual blessing for every reader.

If you haven’t read The Pilgrim’s Progress before, join us in reading this great classic during the Lenten season. If you’ve read it before, please consider reading it again! If you’re a Dad or a Mom, consider pulling out the wonderfully illustrated children’s edition entitled, Dangerous Journey. This morning on The Bookshelf (second floor landing) you will find copies of both the original and children’s edition of the book.

In our time together on Wednesday nights, we will pause at selected points along Christian’s path to meditate together on key spiritual lessons for the Christian life. We will learn about the tinker, John Bunyan, and how his life and experiences are woven throughout the book. We will consider the historical context from which this book arises and the rich legacy of Puritan theology that marks every page of the work. Most of all, we will learn through pilgrimaging with Christian what it means to follow our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust me––it will be a feast for the soul. I can’t wait to make this journey with you.

Your servant,






 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, January 22, 2023

Dear Cornerstone family,

Our Hospitality Coordinator, Mr. Dan Fiedler, has written a lovely piece below for this week’s Pastoral Note. Take to heart his encouraging words on welcome and hospitality, and pay particularly close attention to the several ways you can participate and serve this vital ministry.

Christ died in our place and rose from the dead in order that we might be welcomed into the family of God. What a welcome! In light of this amazing truth, how should we welcome one another at Cornerstone? As you know, God is at work calling new members to Cornerstone. We continue to have the great privilege of welcoming new brothers and sisters into our fellowship. What would it look like for you to join in that work? It will be different for different people, but the motive should be the same––to extend the welcome Christ has extended to you for the glory of God (Romans 15:7). Below are a few ways you can connect with and serve in the vital ministry of hospitality at Cornerstone.

Coffee and Tea
Coffee and hot tea is served every Sunday morning in the kitchen. You can find the kitchen at the top of the first flight of stairs. The drinks are available before and after Sunday School. Please come up, grab a cup and meet someone new!

Supper Clubs
Supper Clubs are starting back up! Supper clubs are a fellowship opportunity designed to help you get to know your fellow church members on a deeper level.

Each club will meet once a month, mid-February through May, and share a meal together.
Clubs are for adults (couples and singles) only. Childcare is not provided.
The host home will rotate each month, but everyone will always share in providing food.
The host will provide the home to meet in, the main dish/bread/drinks, and the rest of the group will bring an appetizer,side items, or dessert.
Groups are eight to ten people in size and vary in age and life stage.

Sign up online or through the Cornerstone app by February 5. Once you sign up, you will be assigned to a group and given more details.

Serving with the Hospitality Team
Finally, the Hospitality Team is always looking and praying for more people to get involved. Here are some ways we currently serve:

Meals Ministry (providing meals for individuals and families within the church) Wednesday Night Dinners (set up/serving/tear down)
Coffee Setup
Exploring Cornerstone Weekend (set up/serving/tear down for meals) Seasonal Decorations Special Events (picnics/potlucks)
Sunday Fellowship Hours (on weeks when there is not Sunday School)

Please reach out to me if you have comments, questions or would like to be involved. You can reach me, Dan Fiedler, at danfiedler01@gmail.com; 615-812-4032.

Your servant,






 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, January 15, 2023

Dear Cornerstone family,

I’m thrilled to be returning to Exodus this morning! Believe it or not, we only have five more messages in this amazing book. Consider entering the passage breakdowns below in your calendar. That way, you can prepare yourself each week for worship by reading the Scripture texts ahead of time and praying for God’s Word to change lives!

  • January 15, The Lord’s Work in the Lord’s Way (Exodus 31:1-17)

  • January 22, The Golden Calf (Exodus 32:1-35)

  • January 29, In the Cleft of the Rock (Exodus 33:1-23)

  • February 5, Starting Again (Exodus 34:1-35)

  • February 12, The Lord at Home with His People (Exodus 35-40)

While your calendar is out, go ahead and mark Sunday, February 19, too. Several of the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) ministers we support will lead worship and share with us about the Lord’s work on the college campus. In addition, our very own Ben Griffith will speak during the Sunday School hour about his call to be the next campus minister at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. Don’t miss it!

Finally, on the behalf of the Cornerstone leadership, I want to thank you for helping us finish the calendar year in a healthy place financially. December is the halfway mark in our budget year, but from a giving perspective, it’s the most important month of the year. I’m pleased to report that through your generous and sacrificial giving, we are entering 2023 absolutely astonished by God’s abundant provision. Let’s rejoice together and get busy investing the Lord’s resources in the work of ministry!

Your servant,

 






Pastoral Notes for Sunday, January 8, 2023

Dear Cornerstone family,

The holiday break is over, and it’s time to get back to school––Sunday School, that is! That’s right, our winter Sunday School term starts today.

If you have elementary or youth aged students, please note the class offerings below. As always, if you have any questions about a particular class or the children or youth ministry generally, please reach out to our Children’s Coordinator, Meredith Suits, or our Interim Youth Director, Preston Brooks. Contact information for all our staff is on the back of the bulletin.

If you need assistance in locating a room in the building, ask one of our church officers or greeters for help. You can identify them by the Cornerstone badges they are wearing. They would be delighted to assist you!

Preschool class: room 103: Led by Joe and Joy Marlo; assisted by Emily Mitchell

5 - 6 year olds: room 101: Led by Lisa Fiedler; assisted by Colleen McGarry

1st- 2nd grades: room 104: Led by Alli Faulk; assisted by Poppy Driskell

3rd- 4th grades: room 207: Led by Matt O’Roark; assisted by Kent Coughlin

5th - 6th grades: room 301: Led by Dave Raymond; assisted by Sabrina Brewer

7th- 12th grades at Merridee’s Breadbasket (110 4th Ave) : Led by Preston Brooks and youth team

If you are an adult not currently volunteering in nursery or children’s Sunday School, there are two School of Discipleship offerings for you this term. Both of the classes below will meet every Sunday from January 8th to February 12th.

Safe and Sound: Standing Firm in Spiritual Battles (the chapel)
What is spiritual warfare? How are we to stand firm in spiritual battles? Join Pastor Tony Giles and Pastor Ben Griffith for a seven-week examination of the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) as together we discover how Christ’s victory strengthens us for spiritual warfare.

Knowing God through the Sacraments (3rd floor, room 302-303) What are sacraments? How do the sacraments tell the story of redemption? How do they unite us to Christ and each other? Join Nathan Johnson for this seven-week exploration into the mystery and beauty of one of God’s greatest gifts to the church—the sacraments.

Let’s press on together in the work of discipleship in 2023!

Your servant,

 






Pastoral Notes for Sunday, January 1, 2023

Dear Cornerstone family,

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” When I first read that sentence, almost nine years ago, it stopped me in my tracks. It’s a line from Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life in a section where she acknowledges that calendars and schedules have the power to shield us from wasting our days–– that is, our lives––on whims and impulses. Dillard says calendaring time is “...net for catching days...a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time.”

I love the image because it’s counterintuitive to how we tend to think. For instance, we say we’re “free” when nothing is scheduled. And that is true in a way of speaking. But Dillard recognizes that “free time” is when we most often waste time; when time disappears into oblivion, and we experience a sense of loss. “Where did the time go?”

As the Lord would have it, I am typing this from my home office. Just outside my door, I heard a member of my family say, “I feel like my whole day is gone!” It’s 12:56 p.m. right now. The day is certainly not gone. But this week-between-Christmas-and-New Year, nothing-on-the-calendar-kind-of-morning has made said family member feel like their day has been a waste.

Ever been there? Sure, we’ve all had days like that. To be honest, we need a day or two like that every now and again so we can repent and be reminded why calendaring time can help us redeem the day.

I used the word redeem for a reason. You see, calendaring time is not the point. We can calendar a day of binging on Netflix and do ourselves no good. The more important question is what are you going to calendar? In the limited amount of time you have, what are you going to prioritize on your calendar?

Some of you are anticipating me, “I know, I need to manage my time better this year. Got it, Pastor.” Well, not exactly. Never in Scripture are we called to manage time. Do you know why? Time is not ours to manage! God owns time; he created it. All of our days are in his hands (Psalm 31:5).

Instead, we are called to “redeem the time” (Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 4:5). Time is a gift from God to be used for the purpose he gives it. Therefore, we aren’t to live like fools squandering time because time is not ours. Rather, we are to approach each day as a precious gift from God redeeming the time with godly work and rest.

If you do not usually look back on your year and consider “how you spent your days,” let me encourage you to do so. Take time to consider your days. How were they redeemed? How were they squandered? Take it all to the Lord. As you turn the page on another year, lay your past and future at God’s feet and commit afresh to receive each day of 2023 as a gift from God’s hand to be redeemed.

Your servant,