Holiday
Everyday Incarnation and Waiting on Jesus (Luke 2:22-32 Devotional)
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the…
Passion Week Readings from the Gospel of John
Passion Week Readings from the Gospel of John: – Sunday: The Triumphal Entry of Jesus (John 12:12-19) – Monday: Jesus demonstrates His humility and love (John 13:1-14:7) – Tuesday: Jesus is the Vine (John 15:1-14) – Wednesday: Jesus prays for His disciples and us (John 17) – Thursday: Jesus is betrayed and denied (John 18) – Friday: Jesus is the crucified Savior (John 19:1-37) – Saturday: Sunday’s coming! (John 19:38-42) – Sunday: Jesus lives!! (John 20) Photo via: https://pixabay.com/photos/piece-religion-israel-holy-land-3241434/
New Year’s Resolution – Connecting My Goals to God’s Mission
I’ve always been a fan of New Year’s. I’m not necessarily talking about the big events like they do in Times Square (although I do like to watch the ball drop on TV!). No, for me it’s all about the ‘new’ – the possibilities that it brings. A new year is a chance to make changes, to do something different, to be different. So, as you might imagine, I have made a few resolutions over the years. As I’ve started…
Give Thanks in a Time of Trouble
Ok, I admit it. I’ve had a hard time getting excited about Thanksgiving this year. It’s not just the holiday itself, which will be different than any other in my lifetime. No, my challenge goes deeper than that. I don’t know how to get in the spirit of the day, to be genuinely thankful in a year that has brought so much difficulty, pain, and loss. I recently shared my struggle with a small group of friends over Zoom. I also…
Merry Christmas! Video Message from Billy Graham
Merry Christmas Cornerstone and Westford community! I appreciate you and hope you have a wonderful day celebrating the birth of Christ Jesus and spending time with your family. I recently stumbled upon this classic 1977 video of Billy Graham sharing the Christmas message and I thought you might enjoy it. In Christ, Pastor Jonathan P.S. The chair is especially moving. 😉
4/12/20 – Easter Order of Worship
9:00am Easter Fellowship Time Instead of our typical Christian Education hour, we’re having a time of fellowship from 9:00-10:00am Easter Sunday using Zoom. Please contact terry@cornerstonewestford.com for the zoom number. 10:15am Facebook Live Service Our Sunday service begins at 10:15am using our website page or Facebook Page: Cornerstone Congregational Church – Westford, MA (no account needed). Whether you regularly attend Cornerstone or this is your first time we hope you can join us. Order of Worship Welcome Welcome to our…
Gospel-Centered Advent Reading Christmas Eve: The Christ Candle
Since the moment Adam took a bite out of the forbidden fruit we’ve all been waiting for a Savior to come and put things right again (Gen 3:15). We waited during the time of Noah and the flood. We waited during the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We waited during the years of captivity in Egypt and the years of spiritual rebellion in Israel. We waited under the good but broken King David and the bad kings who followed.…
Gospel-Centered Advent Reading Week 4: The Love Candle
The big story of the Bible is all about the one true God who chooses to love unloveable people. After Moses brought the people of Israel safely out of slavery in Egypt they came to a mountain called Sinai where God made a special covenant promise to love and care for them. Yet even as God was making this promise they made a golden calf to love and worship. God would have destroyed the people in that moment if Moses…
Gospel-Centered Advent Reading Week 3: The Joy Candle
Can you imagine the joy Adam and Eve must have felt to walk with God in the garden of Eden? They knew and experienced their Creator face to face. We can also imagine the despair they experienced when they were cast out of Eden for sinning against God. Yet in his mercy God began to restore the joy of knowing and experiencing him through a man he named Abraham and his descendants Israel. God often leads people into trial so…
Gospel-Centered Advent Reading Week 2: The Peace Candle
In the beginning we had peace with God and each other. When we chose our way instead of God’s way we traded our peace for conflict and war. Humankind ruled with an iron fist and so God wiped all people but Noah and his family off the face of the earth with a flood. As the waters dried Noah sent a dove from the ark to search for dry land. It returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf. The dove…
Gospel-Centered Advent Reading Week 1: The Hope Candle
Creation began with hope. In the first verses of the Bible God called hope out of the chaotic darkness. Genesis 1:2-3 (NIV) Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. At the beginning there was so much hope. Into this hope-filled world God brought the first man and woman, Adam and Eve.…
Prayer for Trunk or Treat – Day 7: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Ps 118:24) Let us wrap up our series of prayer with an exaltatation to the King with Ps 145. Please keep praying continually for the Holy Spirit to breath the new life of Christ in us and to spiritually revive Westford and our region. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your…