Pastoral Notes for Sunday, February 12, 2023

I asked Martha Brooks, our Women’s Ministry Director, to tell us about the upcoming Women’s Ministry event for this week’s Pastoral Note.

Dear Cornerstone family,

This chilly February morning I find myself sitting on the hearth by a crackling fire, cup of coffee and cinnamon raisin toast beside me, air pod playing Keith and Kristin Getty quite literally into my ear, healthy daughters busy learning at the school we love, husband off at a job he enjoys, me, writing this, one of my favorite things to do. I’m surrounded by comfort and coziness.

And yet.

If I’m honest, sometimes I experience a not-quite-satisfied underlying current in my heart. Not sadness. More...discontent.

Surely, I can cure this feeling of discontent. I’ll grab my bootstraps and cultivate the right atomic habits, get rid of all my stuff, get more stuff, get outside, avoid the toxic air pollution, move to a tiny house, build a bigger garage, eat the right food, fast from all food, get healthier, eat what I want (body positivity!), get wealthier, give all my wealth to the right cause, get off the grid, go viral with my latest Pastoral Notes. Something will click. I can achieve true contentment if I can figure out the secret!

Or maybe this feeling of discontent stems from the fact that I am not home yet? That Lumsden Lane is not my permanent address? That I am created for Eden but am temporarily here, where thieves do approach and moths do destroy? (Luke 12:33) My heart rightly longs for the day Jesus will return and all will be healed. (Rev. 22:3-5) Can Christians be truly content before that day comes? Or are things too broken? Is there actually a secret?

Paul himself tells the Philippians he has learned the secret to contentment. He says we can experience contentment here in our home-that-isn’t-our-home. Paul, having lived a life of wealth and power, now reduced to an often- flogged prisoner under house arrest with a tragedy-laden pedigree (I don’t know about you, but one shipwreck would be enough to keep me on land for the rest of all time; this man has been shipwrecked three times, and keeps getting in the boat.), has learned the secret to contentment. (Not to take too much liberty with the Scriptures, but I kind of picture the Philippians all leaning in when they get to this part of the letter. Now we’re getting to the good stuff! Who doesn’t want to know the secret to contentment?! Spill it, Paul!)

Do you want to know the secret? Lean in...

Come to the Deeper Together: in Contentment event at 6:00 p.m. on February 21! (or go home and read Philippians this afternoon J) In addition to revealing Paul’s secret, we will eat delicious food, enjoy sweet fellowship, have some fun, and hear from two of our dear sisters who have experienced seasons of discontent...but are now in on the secret! Join us!

Grace,
Martha Brooks






Pastoral Notes for Sunday, February 5, 2023

Dear Cornerstone family,

I started dating my wife, Christy, then girlfriend, when I was 19 years old. At the time, I was living with four guys in an apartment, and I was the only one of my roommates who had a girlfriend. This meant I was the resident expert on all things relating to love and the opposite sex.

We had a rocking chair on our front porch. Occasionally in the evenings I’d throw on my tweed jacket, puff away on an imaginary pipe, and wax eloquent about the art of love and the ways of women. After a few sessions, my roommates dubbed me, “The Doctor of Love,” a title I gladly received.

When I actually got married, I was surprised to learn I wasn’t quite the doctor of love I thought I was. In many respects, I was flunking “Introduction to Love 101.” Before marriage, I was such a great guy––easygoing, flexible, sacrificial. After marriage, it was like Christy was bringing out the worst in me. I never said that to Christy you understand—I had at least that much wisdom! But it did cross my mind. I truly felt that marriage was making me a really bad person.

A few years later, I ran across this quote from Thomas & Kathleen Hart, “Sometimes what is hard to take in the first years of marriage is not what we find out about our partner, but what we find out about ourselves. As one young woman who had been married about a year said, ‘I always thought of myself as a patient and forgiving person, but in marriage the opposite seemed to be true. Then I began to wonder if that was just because I’ve never gotten this close to anyone.’”

The insight is an important one. Ironically, the closeness that drives us into relationships generally and marriage specifically is the same closeness that brings about the painful exposure of sin in our lives. It’s a packaged deal. Truth be told, the new circumstance of marriage wasn’t making me a selfish man. The new circumstance of marriage was revealing that I was a selfish man. It took me a minute to give up “the legend” in my mind, but I eventually began to admit to the fact that I lacked the ability in character to do marriage well. In short, I needed the grace of repentance.

Our earthly marriages, however, are not the only place where this kind of sin-revealing-unto-healing work happens. It happens most fundamentally in the church as together we live out our heavenly marriage with Christ (Ephesians 5:31-33). It’s here, in the body of Christ, where we learn to abide in Christ’s love, speak the truth in love, extend and receive forgiveness, and walk in new obedience (Ephesians 4:15; 4:32). In other words, it’s in the church where the grammar of the gospel is to be lived out day by day.

Ask yourself, “Am I close enough to anyone in church for the sin-revealing-and-healing work of the gospel to be operable in my relationships?” If the answer is no, consider stepping toward a Bible study, a home fellowship group, or a supper club. Volunteer to serve somewhere in the body. No matter what it takes, commit to break through surface level relationships into real Christian community. If you need help or direction in this regard, reach out to us. We’d love to help you move into a deeper experience of community at Cornerstone.

Your servant,






 

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,