If you are a member of the Untied Methodist Church, I want to remind you of your Baptismal Covenant. If you are not a member, I encourage you to join us and be like minded in renunciation of evil and a profession of faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ, our Lord. As United Methodists we have made a covenant to renounce evil and profess our faith. Here is what we have agreed to:

Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin?

We acknowledge our brokenness, but more importantly we declare that we will no longer abide, engage in or support evil or wickedness in this world. What is evil? Evil in and of itself does not independently exist, rather evil is the absence or corruption of good. Does darkness exists? Only if light is absent. God’s plan has been to liberate all of creation from its bondage of suffering (Romans 8:18-25), and that plan can be shown through the acts of those choosing good. The present condition of creation with both its natural and moral forms of evil is not God’s desired state for creation. God recognizes creation’s corruption and has purposed the coming of “new heavens and a new earth” and that evils of this world will no longer exist (Isaiah 65:17-25). Lets join together in defeating evil by bringing forth the good that comes from living lives that profess the good news of Jesus Christ!

Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?
God has given you the freedom and power to resist evil, injustice, and oppression. Like any gift, the gift of freedom and power are ineffective if they go unused. We must be willing to stand up and act. The next time your at the office and someone makes a joke that is racially or sexually insensitive, don’t idly sit there. Stand up and speak up against it. The Holy Spirit will tug on your heart until you do.

Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the Church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?
The church has been opened to people of all ages, nations, and races. Has your world? In our great thanksgiving we ask the Holy Spirit to make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we all feast at his heavenly banquet.

According to the grace given to you, will you remain faithful members  of Christ’s holy Church and serve as Christ’s representatives  in the world?
We are Christ’s representative in the world and that is a full-time job description. My full-time job is as your pastor here at Cornerstone. To be honest sometimes it is a burden, especially when I am out in public. Sometimes when I am asked what I do for a living I wish I didn’t have to say I am a pastor. It is not because I don’t love my job, I do! It is because that question can often lead to other questions. Such as: “Why does God allow bad things to happen?”, “Does God make mistakes?”, “Why does God hate gay people?”, or “Does God love me?” It is not that I am unprepared to respond to these questions, but that I know that these questions will only lead to many more. Do I really have the time to be burdened by answering them? YES and so should you! These questions are being asked everyday and we need to be able to respond in such a way that our neighbors know they are loved by me, you, and God.

This Sunday we will continue our sermon series, See All the People, by exploring what is discipleship and how do I disciple. It is my hope that we will all be encouraged with practical wisdom to reach out to our neighbors and let them know they are valued, respected, and loved.

In God’s grip,

Pastor Chuck Church

Lead Pastor

Cornerstone UMC