A Word from one of our Ministers

Dear Friends

By the time you read this, we will be heading into October, that month of darkness as we anticipate the changing of the clocks, and the evenings become ever darker. For those of us who enjoy the summer evenings, it comes as a bit of a sadness as the days begin to shorten. For those of us who have lived in Scotland, and even the north of England, we already notice that the “long” summer evenings are not as long as they are further north!
However, when the clocks change, there are good things to look forward to – cosy winter evenings, mornings that dawn bright, crisp and fresh, that certain commemoration of our Saviour’s birth (I’m not saying “that” word quite yet!), the joy of the winter lights and the anticipation of the New Year celebrations – and the fact that we can begin to look forward to Spring again, buying seeds for the garden and to longer days!

We live in a cycle of life that has existed as long as humanity has been around: those of us who have been around the sun more than a few times have an understanding of the nature of this repetition! Sometimes, though, it is good to break out of a cycle and do something new, something fresh and something just slightly uncomfortable....

That’s where we are as Cornerstone: we have established the new church, and we have celebrated our first birthday with a great concert, and now we must continue on this path of discovery for our future with God. Things are changing, shifting, and not all of us are entirely comfortable with change. Hold on, though, to all that God promises us in Christ. Remember that the Israelite army had to walk around Jericho daily for a week, then 7 times on the seventh day before they saw any response to the promise that God would give them Jericho. They had to persevere, trust in the promise, and be patient. They also expected a “battle” but God was fighting that battle on their behalf in a different way – and Cornerstone must also be prepared for God to answer our prayers in unexpected ways.
Just as we look forward to the positives of winter and the new beginnings of spring, we can look forward with confidence in our hearts for the future of Cornerstone: it may not be what we expect, it may not be what we have prayed for, but if we listen well, it will be God’s plan – and God’s plans always teach us something, change us in some way, and bless us in one way or another.

As we continue to share together in “Your Place at the Table” through the autumn, think about how the “five stones” that we are building our community around (prayer, storytelling, discipleship, authenticity and a single, vibrant and inclusive community) are developing in your own faith story. As we pray together and at home, in small groups and alone, we can focus on the priorities that the Discerning Prayer Journey identified as our foci for now – prayer, community-facing worship and the further development of the house/small groups.
We can ask ourselves some questions: what is God saying to me about my prayer life? How can we commit to pray as a community? What do we expect from prayer? How does prayer affect me? What do I think about prayer? What are our prayer priorities right now? How can we embed prayer more deeply in our shared life together?

Storytelling is about two stories – our story and God’s story. We weave together our own faith story with the huge narrative of God’s story in the world and our part in it,and we can reflect on how we share those stories with others. How could my story challenge or inspire? How do I react to the stories that are shared by others? What of God’s story has impacted me? How can Cornerstone best share God’s story? What part of God’s story is important to us as Methodists at Cornerstone?

Discipleship is a personal question but framed in community life too: how am I following Jesus in my own life? How am I enabling others in their own walk with Jesus? Could I help to disciple someone younger in the faith? What supports me? How do I live out my own discipleship practice – Bible-study, a house group or small group,faithfulness in good stewardship, etc.  (Check out A Methodist Way of Life again for a reminder).

Authenticity is a big challenge to us all: it is the call to let down the front that we put on and be real with one another. Rather than saying “I’m fine” every single time, to occasionally share appropriately how we are really doing. Sharing the realities of this life is important for mission – if the world thinks that all Christians have perfect lives, it gives the wrong impression....... Is our church a safe space for me to really BE me? That’s a big question and one which we need to address as a church community. When a faith community is a deeply authentic space, how might that impact our mission for Cornerstone?

A single, vibrant, inclusive community draws many of these threads together and challenges us to draw closer as prayerful disciples and to share deeply in community!
Inclusion is a topic which is very broad and covers far more than we think: Inclusive Church talks about disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality. This is a wide range of diversities which we can seek to understand, appreciate and welcome. What does the Cornerstone of the future look like, feel like?
A lot of questions! Personally, we can also reflect more on the questions, “What is ours to do?” and “what should we prioritise for  the Kingdom of God?”

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these – either in one of the “Your Place at the Table” sessions, or just drop me an email or catch me sometime!ti

Blessings
Deacon Sarah