Pastoral Notes for Sunday, December 17, 2023

Dear Cornerstone Family,

You know what they say about December? It’s the happiest sickest time of the year. At church last Sunday, news was spreading. In hushed tones, I kept hearing, “Something’s going around. So-and-so is under the weather. Such-and-such is down for the count.” ‘Tis the season.

With almost prophetic accuracy, the plague descended on the Shurden house that very evening. In the waning hours of the Lord’s Day, I had this vague foreboding that I was coming-down-with-something. In the middle of the night, there was nothing vague about it. I was sick! And I mean sick. Sore throat, cough, fever, chills, headache, body aches...you name it, I had it.

God’s sovereignty notwithstanding, the timing could not have been worse. Our annual leadership Christmas soiree was on the calendar for Tuesday evening, December 12th. This year our theme was “A Classy Christmas at the Corner House.” Delicious fare, festive drinks, and Mariah Carey karaoke––it was all you could want and more. Sadly, when it became clear that this “something going around” was no joke, we pulled the plug. And Mariah Carey cried.

As I write this Pastoral Note, I am far from out of the woods. Checking thermometer once more––yep, 100.5. Still sick. As if I needed a thermometer to confirm I’m still sick. You’d think feeling like death warmed over would be clue enough. But don’t worry, there is an upside to all this. My sides hurt so bad from coughing that I’m finally getting in that core exercise I’ve needed all year. It feels good to tick off one of my new year’s resolutions ahead of time. #winning

Thankfully, I’m an easy patient. I pretty much nurse myself. All I require is Gatorade, Zicam, Chloraseptic, cough syrup, Tylenol alternated with ibuprofen, extra pillows and blankets, eye mask, essential oils, relaxing Christmas music, homemade chicken noodle soup, a variety of Christmas treats, several good books, my iPhone, and...pretty much constant attention and pampering. What, too much to ask?

Forgive me, I’ve clearly been couped up too long. I’ve managed to waste pretty much this entire article talking about how terrible this sickness has been. (Do you feel pity for me yet?)

Truth is, I haven’t cornered the market on sickness and suffering this December. Far from it! As I convalesced at home this week, I took time, as strength allowed, to work my way through the church rolls and catch up on number of phone calls, emails, and text messages. Many of those contacts circled around trials you’re passing through right now—trials far more significant than my seasonal ailment. Hearing you rehearse Scriptural promises, share testimony, and then pray together (over the phone from a healthy distance!) had the unintended but blessed consequence of putting my small potato troubles in eternal perspective. Which, if I’m honest, is exactly what my soul needed.

Your faith and example this week ministered to me in a way no Z-pack or steroid shot could. For you (ad)ministered to me gospel elixir. That is, the one and only cure that does not promise immediate remedy for life’s troubles, but rather treats the sickness behind all sicknesses, namely, sin and death, and ensures our eternal well-being. After all, this is the very mission of Christmas: “For this reason, Christ came into the world to save sinners...” (1 Timothy 1:15).

We are wasting away. Lord knows I feel it. And I bet you do, too. But, let’s not let that get us down. For these light and momentary afflictions are a part of grand design. They are God’s holy means of preparing for us an eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Should we be further readied this Christmas for that coming eternal weight, it would be a very merry Christmas indeed.

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, December 10, 2023

Dear Cornerstone Family,

During our Cornerstone Family Meeting last Sunday, the Finance Committee gave a report on the fiscal health of the congregation. The report was very encouraging! The Lord continues to provide abundantly for our needs through your weekly offerings, and for that we rejoice.

At the nearly halfway mark in our fiscal year, giving is ahead of projection and expenses are slightly under projection. As the year progresses, we expect expenses to increase as several significant ministry initiatives will catalyze in early 2024. That said, we are encouraged at our current position and are supremely grateful for your sacrificial giving and steady support of the church’s ministry.

Beyond ministry expenses, we will continue to incur costs associated with our renovation. These costs are being paid out over time from our surplus. As the project moves along, we continue to see our surplus diminish as expected. We are, however, committed not to let the surplus dip below $300,000 in order to maintain enough cash on hand for emergency purposes.

Finally, in March 2024 the balloon note on the chapel will come due. We owe roughly $600,000 on the chapel currently. It would be our earnest hope to pay off the chapel by March, so that we have no need to renegotiate the balloon note at a significantly higher interest rate. If each Cornerstone member committed to increase their giving by 25% to even 50% for the next three months—from December through February—we would be poised to pay off the chapel by March of 2024. But as I say that, it might be that the Lord has blessed you with the financial wherewithal to alleviate a large portion of this debt today with just one check. I do not know what the Lord will do, but I am convinced of this––with the Lord’s help, we can meet this need. I am convinced of it for this reason: the power of the gospel.

The churches in Macedonia were dirt poor. But when they heard the gospel, their hearts swelled with joy and their lives overflowed in a wealth of generosity for the work of ministry. People gave far beyond their means to support the advance of the gospel and to meet the needs of the church (2 Corinthians 8:1-3). Surely, with all the Lord has given us, we can loosen our grip on the earthly treasure that won’t last (Matthew 6:19-21) and give sacrificially and cheerfully toward the eternal treasure that will never end (Revelation 21:9-27).

May the Lord do a mighty work in our hearts and make it so!

On the Behalf of the Finance Committee,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, December 3, 2023

Dear Cornerstone Family,

On December 4, 1973 in Birmingham, AL, the Presbyterian Church in America was born. That means that tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of the PCA. To commemorate the occasion, all PCA churches are being asked to remember the denomination in prayer today. We will do just that while rejoicing in God’s goodness––that through many dangers, toils, and snares, God has preserved the witness of the PCA these 50 years. Should the Lord tarry, let’s pray the PCA will be preserved in faithfulness for yet another 50 years.

It’s appropriate that this day of prayer and recognition of God’s faithfulness to the PCA would fall on the first Sunday of Advent. As you may have heard this week on the Life at the Corner podcast, Advent has traditionally been a time of spiritual preparation. As we anticipate the celebration of the incarnation at Christmas, we prepare spiritually for the second coming of Jesus Christ. As the old Roman Missal declared, “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ is coming again!”

As an aid to your spiritual preparations during this season, our Cornerstone Christmas Devotional is available for you to pick up this morning. You will find daily services, readings, historical tidbits, and personal reflections from Cornerstone members. I want to publicly thank Mr. Greg Wilbur and Mr. Max Shell for their efforts in helping design, oversee, and execute the production of the devotional. They did a marvelous job! I believe you will be greatly helped by it. Please grab a copy—or two or three. Pass one along to a friend or a neighbor. Let’s put the devotional to good use as together we trim our lamps and stay awake, looking for the coming of the King, the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 12:37).

In addition to the Cornerstone devotional, there are a host of helpful resources on the Cornerstone bookshelf. Run by the bookshelf and check out Jonathan Gibson’s O Come, O Come Emmanuel or Leland Ryken’s Journey to Bethlehem. Both volumes are instant classics! Who knows, you might even find the perfect gifts for the readers on your list.

In closing, please don’t forget to mark your calendar for all that is going on in December at Cornerstone. From our Christmas concert on December 7th to our Children’s Choir performance on December 17th to our Lessons and Carols Sunday services on Christmas Eve, it’s a month full of opportunities to worship and fellowship together. It’s also, of course, an ideal time to invite unbelieving family, friends, and neighbors to join you. In fact, what could be sweeter than celebrating Christ’s coming and witnessing Christ come into the heart of another. Should that happen, it would be a merry Christmas indeed.

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, November 26, 2023

Dear Cornerstone Family,

Today we celebrate the twelfth anniversary of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church. On November 20, 2011, Cornerstone was received as a member church into the fellowship of the Presbyterian Church in America. Over the last twelve years, it’s been a privilege to sit on the front row in this theater of God’s grace and behold the gospel advancing in and through you. All praise to God for the great things he has done in our midst!

On a personal note, let me say what an honor it is to be your pastor. Thank you for allowing me the special joy to serve in this way, and for bearing with me all these years. You are a longsuffering people! My family and I are sincerely grateful to call Cornerstone our church home—to have our lots thrown in with all of you. As we look to the years ahead, our hearts are filled with gospel hope and expectation.

Speaking of gospel hope and expectation, next week we begin a six-week Advent and Christmas sermon series. In light of our recent study of Malachi, the end of the Old Testament, it seemed appropriate to turn the page, so to speak, to Matthew and spend a few weeks reflecting on the beginning of the New Testament. If you would, please pray each week for the Lord to use our time in Matthew to renew our love and commitment to Jesus Christ and his kingdom.

The Name Above All Names

  • December 3 – Matthew 1:1-6 “Jesus Christ, Son of Abraham”

  • December 10 – Matthew 1:1-11 “Jesus Christ, Son of David”

  • December 24 – Lessons & Carols Service

  • December 31 – Matthew 2:1-18 “Jesus Christ, A Threat to Kings”

  • January 7 – Matthew 2:1-18 “Jesus Christ, A Savior for Wise Men”

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, November 19, 2023

Dear Cornerstone Family,

Back in September, the elders approved a two-week officer nomination season for new officers. During that season, twenty-five different men were nominated for office. It was by far the largest single group of officer nominees in Cornerstone’s twelve-year history!

After conversations with nominees regarding qualifications for office, the work of elders and deacons, and the training requirements, fourteen men accepted their nomination and agreed to move forward with training. The fourteen men are: Jeff Alldredge, Preston Brooks, Terry Cheney, Doug Ford, Kerry Hart, Sean Kelley, Mike Kretsinger, Tim McCoy, Matt Michaud, Matt O’Roark, William Tice, Taylor Thompson, Carl Ware, and Craig Westerbeek.

Two of the fourteen men listed above are in a unique situation, and due to the uniqueness of their situation, the elders voted to expedite their process toward officership. Let me explain why.

Mr. Preston Brooks was nominated and trained as an officer last year. But instead of moving toward office at that time, Preston stepped toward an even greater need. He became a part time Interim Youth Director. When “interim” is a part of your title, the implication is you won’t be in that position forever. Given that, Preston and I agreed that once his service as Interim Youth Director concluded, we would revisit the question of officership. As many of you will remember, back in the summer Mr. Drew Abercrombie was hired as the Director of Youth and Families, relieving Preston of his duties with youth. When Preston was renominated in September, he immediately stepped toward the opportunity to serve as an officer.

Mr. Terry Cheney served as an elder at Cornerstone for five years before moving to Florida three years ago. Much to our delight, the Lord called Terry and his wife, Barbara, back to middle Tennessee and to Cornerstone at the beginning of this year. When Terry was nominated in September, he agreed to move back toward serving as an elder of the church.

This week on Tuesday, November 14, at our regularly stated session meeting both Preston Brooks and Terry Cheney were examined, sustained, and are unanimously recommended to you for election as elders on Sunday, December 31, at 9:45 a.m. in the chapel. All communing members are eligible to vote and are strongly encouraged to participate in the election.

Over the next few weeks, we will provide more information about Mr. Brooks and Mr. Cheney, so that you can get to know them better and prepare to vote your conscience on Sunday, December 31. In the meantime, please pray for Mr. Brooks and Mr. Cheney and for God’s will to be accomplished through the election on December 31.

Your servant,