Sermon Video: Do Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures? - Genesis 19:30-38

In a disturbing episode that speaks to the trauma and hopelessness of those it involves, Genesis relates the origin of the two tribes that would occupy the land east of the Jordan River when the Israelites were journeying through Sinai.  The Moabites and the Ammonites were both connected with Abraham's nephew Lot which doesn't make them part of the Abrahamic Covenant (like the descendants of Ishmael and Esau) with respect to the general blessings upon Abraham's offspring, but it does mean that they are distant kin to Israel and they will have a role to play, for better and for worse, in the years to come.  The most famous example of this interaction is of course Ruth who is called "the Moabitess" over and over in her story.

In the end, there was no need for Lot's daughters to follow the course of action that they chose, because we serve one God whose character and power can be counted upon, his people never have to choose immorality.

Sermon Video: The LORD rescues Lot from Sodom - Genesis 19:1-29

Once again Genesis focuses on  Abraham's nephew Lot, a secondary character in the story Moses is telling, but one whose life has impacted Abraham's twice before, and has yet a further impactful role to play.  Here we see the grace of God playing out in Lot's life as Abraham's bargain with the LORD to not let the righteous be swept away with the wicked plays out.  Because Lot is so deeply rooted in Sodom, the angels sent by the LORD actually end up taking an active role in pushing him out of the city before the judgment falls.  In the end, the destruction of Sodom is less a story about evil been punished and more a reminder that God's grace is amazing because Lot and his daughters were saved when the day of judgment arrived.

The Pastoral Letter to the Cornerstone University Board of Trustees has been delivered: How will they respond?

Our Letter to the Cornerstone University Board of Trustees: With Signatures has now been sent.  If you wish to see the name of each pastor and stakeholder who chose to attach their name to it, click on the link. 

The letter itself was the result of robust conversations happening among those who care about Cornerstone University and who also share deep concerns about the vision/direction in which President Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño has been leading it, and the unethical ways in which that vision/direction has been implemented.  

[To learn more about the journey to this point read: A Pastoral Letter to the Cornerstone University Board of Trustees - Fall 2024, "A singular focus on preparing students for meaningful jobs and careers" would be the death of Christian Higher Education - A response to the essay by Cornerstone University's President Moreno-Riaño on Fox News, and The Cornerstone University I graduated from is no more, my daughter won't be going there.  Or, listen to Pastor Noah's Filipiak's podcast conversation:  Power and Politics at Cornerstone University with Dr. David Turner, and for a wider range of resources on this topic, visit: Voice of CU]

Now we await a response, officially or otherwise, from President Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, other administrators, staff, or students at Cornerstone, and/or the Board whether that be individual board members or a collective statement.  Will there be a response?  We have no way of knowing.  How will those to whom this letter was written respond to it?  The Lord alone knows that answer.  We have filled the role of the Watchmen.  We stood upon the wall and warned that danger is coming, how those to whom that warning was given will respond to it was never in our power.  As Ezekiel learned from the LORD, that power is never in our hands when we try to warn others of the dangers that our wisdom allows us to see, it rests with those who will choose to listen to it or not.  We believe that we have reflected the concerns of God's Word related to how a Christian community should function and the moral standard to which it ought to be held.

Ezekiel 3:16-21  New International Version

16 At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me: 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.

20 “Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 21 But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

The warnings have been given, the seeds have been sown, now the responsibility shifts to those who have the power to make morally upright change at Cornerstone University.  Our role at this point is to pray and hope.  Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will work in hearts and minds, will guide, direct, correct, and empower.

What we can learn from looking at who signed the letter:

Pastors who signed: 55 [CU Alum: 7, GRTS Alum: 40, Both: 6, Neither: 2]

Others who signed: 110 [CU Alum: 52, GRTS Alum: 33, Both: 7, Neither: 18]

Given that I didn't have any way of gauging how many people would see the letter, let alone be willing to sign, I think that 55 pastors (mostly alumni) and 110 other concerned stakeholders (again, mostly alumni) ought to be a significant enough demonstration that not everyone is on board with what has happened at Cornerstone in recent years.  Others share our concern, we are not alone in seeing this danger.

It was an honor to play the small part that I played in this effort, and much appreciation belongs to Pastor Noah, Dr. David, and Voice of CU.

A personal thanks to everyone who signed the letter, thank you for standing with me.

Sermon Video: The Light that was seen from afar, Matthew 2:1-2,9b-11

 

The Light seen by the Magi of the East is powerfully symbolic in Matthew's Gospel.  This astronomical phenomenon brought them on a long journey to see the newly born King of the Jews.  For us it serves as a reminder of our need, as disciples of Jesus, to also reflect his light in our world.  Our task is to draw those in the darkness to the light of Christ that they too may be saved.

Sermon Video: The Mother of the Messiah, Luke 1:26-38

After having appeared to the priest Zechariah in the Temple in Jerusalem to foretell the coming of the great prophet John, God's plan shifts to a teenage girl in the backwater village of Nazareth.  The angel Gabriel shares amazing and unprecedented news with Mary, setting up a moment of decision on her part.  Will she run away like Jonah, hesitate like Moses or Esther, or will she embrace this responsibility of being the mother to the Messiah?

We all know how Mary responds, an incredible example for us to imitate of hearing the word of the Lord and obeying it.