Life Has Happened - Church Has Happened

I can't believe it's been over a month since I visited this journal to share what's happening in, at and through Cornerstone. Life has happened as I've spent much of the last month with family as my father lies dying of cancer. It's a difficult disease as many of you know. I relish the time and the opportunity to serve my parents in this way. I'm grateful to be at a Church that knows how to be the Church.

I've finally found the church I've been looking for. I've found bits and pieces here and there before and some tremendous Christ-followers but not all in one place like at Cornerstone. God knew I'd need this Church!

Here are a few things I've learned:
1. Community is real and I need it more than ever. I've seen and experienced gifts of time and food and prayer and relationships at the personal sacrifice of others and there is no way I could ever repay it. But in community you don't have to. That's the whole point. It's about grace. If I seek to repay the gift then it's no longer a gift.

2. Prayer is the most important thing we're called to as Christ-followers. For so many years I looked for the great thing God was calling me to do when all along it was prayer. How easy it is to be distracted by other less important things. I want to do more than pray but forget that I can't do more than pray until after I've prayed. Thanks, Cornerstone, for reminding me that prayer IS the great calling of God.

3. Caring and Sharing go together. A lot of people don't like to share their hurts and needs choosing privacy instead. And so they sit in the fellowship of worship and classes listening, participating but never sharing their lives. I used to say: "That's OK, don't worry about it." My family and I have chosen to share and we've been recipients of the overflowing grace and mercy of God's Spirit through His Church. I'm coming to believe that keeping our lives private may be the most selfish thing we do - it steals a blessing from others who don't get to serve, it makes us look like we've got it all together when we're dying inside. For me it would be a lie to say: "Good" to the question "How are you doing?" Truth is always the best option.

4. Small Groups are God's best tool for life change. I'm privileged to be part of 2 small groups - the wonderful staff God has assembled at Cornerstone and the one my wife and I attend twice a month. Some people say they don't have time for a small group. After these past 5 months in our lives I can't imagine life without our small group(s). The investment of 2 hours every two weeks has reaped the benefit of close friends for the journey. Thanks group for being a part of our lives.

There is more but that's all for now. Thanks Cornerstone for being God's amazing Church. It's an honor to be a Pastor there.