Pastoral Notes for Sunday, April 2, 2023

Dear Cornerstone family,

Today is Palm Sunday. On this day, we remember the shouts of “Hosanna” as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a humble donkey. We also remember that in the midst of this celebration, tears were streaming down Jesus’s face. The juxtaposition of joy and tears has led centuries of Christians to ask, “Why was Jesus crying?”

Were these tears of joy at the receptance he was receiving? As men, women, and children rejoicing at his arrival, was he overcome with tears of joy? Or were these tears of fear? The hour of crucifixion was fast approaching. Was Jesus crying because he was unable to enter into the festivity for fear of the soon-in-coming cross?

Turns out, these were neither tears of joy nor fear. These were tears of grief. As Jesus entered the Kedron Valley, he glimpsed the Holy City in the distance. When he did, the Scripture tells us he broke down in tears, for the people did not know the time of visitation (Luke 19:41-44).

On the surface, it sure seems like people knew this was the time of visitation. They were singing and dancing in the streets. They were laying down their cloaks in the road and waving leafy branches in celebration. They were even quoting Scripture and applying it to Jesus Christ appropriately. What’s the problem?

Suffice it to say, Jesus wasn’t fooled by all the excitement. He knew the people had ideas about who he was. He knew they had expectations about what he would do. He knew that the texts of Scripture they quoted were tied to very particular and earthly expectations of fulfillment. He knew all this, and he knew they were wrong.

He wasn’t coming, as they supposed, to reestablish the glories of David’s kingdom as an earthly political ruler. He wasn’t coming, as they surmised, to destroy Rome and free Jerusalem from Roman oppression. Instead, he came as a spiritual Savior, establishing a kingdom not of this world (John 18:36). He came to free his people from the oppression of sin and death, to secure for himself a people from every kindred, tribe, and nation (Romans 8:1-2; Revelation 7:9). His concern wasn’t, as they assumed, for the earthly stones of Jerusalem’s temple but, rather, the living stones of a new Jerusalem––a city whose builder and maker is God (1 Peter 2:5; Hebrews 11:10). In a word, Jesus was the deliverer the people needed, but he wasn’t the deliverer they were looking for.

As we enter Holy Week together, that haunts me a bit. I wonder how often I fall into a pattern of worshipping a Jesus of my own personal imaginings rather than the Jesus revealed in the Scripture. I wonder how much of the world’s assumptions have filtered into and shaped my perceptions about Jesus and the Christian life. I wonder as Jesus Christ approaches us today by the Word and Spirit in worship, does he weep? Does he see us quoting Scripture, singing, and waving palm branches, and yet misunderstanding who he is and what it means to follow him?

As we walk through Holy Week together, may God strip away false notions and prune earthly assumptions about Jesus and his mission. And may the Lord restore in our day a robustly biblical vision of who Jesus Christ is and what his kingdom is all about––that together we might declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light (I Peter 2:9-10).

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, March 26, 2023

Dear Cornerstone family,

In Timothy Witmer’s work, The Shepherd Leader, he makes the argument that under shepherds––officers in the church–– are to pattern their work after the ministry of the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. Studying the ministry of Jesus and the New Testament’s instruction to officers, Witmer distills the calling of under shepherds to four essential tasks:

Knowing the Sheep – “I am the good Shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father” (John 10:14-15)

Feeding the Sheep – “I will feed my flock, declares the Lord” (Ezekiel 34:14-15)

Leading the Sheep – “He led forth his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock” (Psalm 78:52)

Protecting the Sheep – “Be on guard for yourself and for the flock... I know that after my departure savage wolveswill come in among you, not sparing the flock” (Acts 20:28-29)

Based on the instruction above and the qualifications for the offices found in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1, it is our custom to regularly nominate, train, and elect men for the two offices of elder and deacon. These two roles are designed by God and set apart to provide the necessary spiritual and physical oversight the church needs.

Toward that end, Mr. Mitchell was nominated by you, the congregation, for office during our 2022 nomination cycle. Over the last year, he has been trained and then recently examined in the areas of Christian character, the Bible, the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, the Book of Church Order, and the qualifications for church office. At our March meeting, the elders of Cornerstone unanimously recommended that you elect Mr. Mark Mitchell for the office of deacon.

In order for you to get to know Mark better, important biographical and familial information as well as notes regarding Mark’s past and present church service is provided below. If you are a member of Cornerstone and would like to know Mark better before the election, please know that he would welcome you reaching out to him. We want you to have all the information you need in order to vote your conscience during our congregational meeting on Sunday, April 16, at 9:45 a.m. in The Chapel.

  • Born: July 13, 1984 - Havertown, PA (outside of Philadelphia)

  • Vocation: Director, IT Project Management at Surgery Partners, Brentwood TN

  • Family: Married to Emily (seven years), son, Mark William (4), daughter, Margaret

    (21 months), Baby #3 (due May 2023)

  • Ministry Gifting: Administration, Creative Communication, Knowledge,

    Shepherding

  • Church Service: Mark serves as Home Fellowship Group Co-Leader, Men’s

    Ministry Team, and Music Ministry. Emily serves on the Women’s Ministry Team,

    Nursery Volunteer, and Children’s Sunday School Assistant.

  • Recommended Office: Deacon

    If you have any questions about the nomination, training, and election process, do not hesitate to reach out to the church office. We would be more than happy to answer your questions.

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, March 19, 2023

Dear Cornerstone family,

Rev. Ben Griffith wrapped up his time on staff last Sunday with a wonderful sermon from Ephesians 1:7- 10. What a gift that dear brother has been to us! We will miss him and his whole family so much. Thankfully, we won’t have to miss them right away. Though Ben will be hitting the fundraising trail for his new role as Campus Minister with Reformed University Fellowship at Samford, the Griffiths will be in Franklin until late May and plan to worship with us as often as they can. So if you missed their reception last week, don’t fret. All is not lost! You still have plenty of time to express your love to them.

Over the last several of months, I’ve been working with our Personnel Committee and elders on a plan for filling in some of the holes left by Ben’s departure and also adding in some much-needed staff support for our growing ministry. Toward that end, I’m pleased to announce today the creation of two new parttime positions that were approved by the elders at our March stated session meeting.

First, Mr. Dan Fiedler has been hired as a Church Life Coordinator. Dan is no stranger to most of you. Dan’s servant heart and gifts have been on beautiful display this last year as our Hospitality Coordinator. Dan will continue his work in hospitality, but in this new role, he will add to it ministry coordination and new member assimilation. Dan will also take over leadership of the welcome team. Clearly, we can’t get enough of Dan around here! Truly, it will be a blessing to have more of Dan’s time and energy on staff at Cornerstone.

Second, Mr. Nathan Johnson has been hired as a Teacher in Residence. Nathan is a professor at New College Franklin and has served as a volunteer in a variety of ways including men’s ministry, young adults, and teaching Sunday School. In this new role, Nathan will help fill some of the void left by Ben’s departure by being a regular teacher in Sunday School, men’s ministry, and in other at-large ways in the congregation. In addition, Nathan will help out seasonally in our Midweek Vesper services and regularly in Lord’s Day worship services. Nathan loves the Bible and the church, and he is a highly qualified and very gifted teacher. I am delighted to see Nathan’s gifts deployed in our body this way.

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, March 12, 2023

Dear Cornerstone family,

How long has it been since you’ve visited our mission support page online? If it’s been a while, venture over there sometime soon. We have a growing slate of new mission partners from England, Scotland, and South Asia just to name a few. You can click on pictures of our mission partners and learn about their work, organization, or agency. Also, don’t forget to read the Mission Prayer Focus in the bulletin each week! Mrs. Molly Banks helps pull that together for us, and it’s one of the best ways to stay up to date on the latest news and needs from our mission partners.

Thankfully, it’s not just mission giving that’s happening at Cornerstone. There is also mission going that’s happening! Just this week, several of our youth were serving in national and international settings. And just this week, two other members shared with me their plans for taking a foreign mission trip later this year. I love seeing the Lord firing up the hearts of his people for the call of global missions!

Speaking of global missions, another member, Mrs. Lindsey Elliot, recently traveled to Belize with Oaks of Righteousness, a nonprofit organization she founded. Oaks of Righteousness exists to support children in Belize through a sponsorship program that allows them to receive an education, the necessary school supplies and uniform, and, most importantly, learn about the love and grace of God.

I asked Lindsey if she would be willing to tell us about her trip, and how we can continue to pray and support this vital work. Here’s what she wrote:

“I traveled to Belize along with 16 others to care for, love on, and serve children who received a scholarship through our organization, Oaks of Righteousness.

School in Belize is not free. These families are faced with the decision to send their children to school or put food on the table. Single moms often have to take undesirable jobs in order to provide for their families. Children are not able to finish school because they need to work in order to help take care of their siblings. Most children do not make it past 8th grade.

We traveled to three different communities where we gave out 180 school scholarships! While there, we had the opportunity to visit with families in their homes, hear their stories, and pray with them. We held an awards ceremony in each community where we gave the children a certificate and a new backpack full of school supplies. It was such a joyous occasion to call them each by name, cheer them on, and pray over them. The outpouring of gratitude from each family was overwhelming.

We would love your prayers. In just a couple of months, we will have 50 additional children who need sponsors. Please pray that they will be chosen quickly. Pray that we would seek God’s wisdom and guidance as we grow. And pray this ministry would bless the lives of the sponsored children as well as their sponsors.

We are so grateful to Cornerstone and this body for supporting our ministry and these children in Belize. Seeds are being planted and hope is being stirred up. Thank you for your prayers and support.”

If you would like to learn more about Oaks of Righteousness, feel free to reach out to Lindsey directly at lindsey@oaksofhope.org or visit them online at oaksofhope.org.






 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, March 5, 2023

Dear Cornerstone family,

I want to take a minute to update you on two important matters related to our life together as a family.

At the end of last year, your session erected a search committee for a new position at Cornerstone, a Minister of Youth and Families. We’ve had a number of part time Youth Directors over the years, but this is the first time we’ve pursued a full-time pastor for this important role.

Ruling elder, Randy Allen, is the chairman of the search committee. He is surrounded by an all-star cast of servants including Liz Taylor, Matt Suits, Lauren Smith, Ellie Terrell, and Tony Giles. They have been hard at work collecting names of interested applicants and performing interviews with qualified candidates.

In the coming weeks, several important steps will be taken. Would you please pray that the Lord would grant discernment and lead us to God’s man? As we enter into the next stage in the process and begin to narrow in on specific candidates, would you earnestly pray for the committee and their search? Make a note right now on your calendar to pray this week for the search committee and for the man God has planned to serve in this important role.

Shifting gears, I also want to give you a brief update on our ministry expansion plans. As you’ve no doubt noticed, it’s getting a little tight at Cornerstone! To help us address the “good problem” of growth, the session erected an expansion team to help us chart a path forward. After much research and effort by the expansion team, the decision was made to hire an owner’s representative firm to lead us through the expansion effort.

The owner’s representative has pulled together a project team, which includes an architectural firm and commercial construction company. Right now, the architectural firm is developing detailed plans and specifications in order to get the construction permitting process started with the City of Franklin Codes Department. Assuming a timely approval by the codes department, the current plan would be to begin construction on a significant redesign and upgrade of our first floor (i.e. “basement”) and third floor in May with a hopeful completion by the end of the summer.

In the meantime, plans are coming together to slightly pare back the front of the platform in the chapel/sanctuary to accommodate additional seating at the front of the church. In addition, there will be a slight enlargement of the platform for the musicians. Along with the platform modifications, there are plans for replacing the carpet in the chapel/sanctuary.

As we move into another exciting season, I want to thank you for the many ways you’ve supported the worship and work of the ministry of Cornerstone. Your great ideas, expressions of support, and faithful prayers have been a constant encouragement. As the Apostle Paul so often says, “I thank God for you.” Truly, I do.