Lead Pastor’s Blog II.IX

I want to follow up the message from Sunday July 18 with some thoughts that may help those who were there or even challenge those who were not in attendance. If you missed that Sunday you may want to listen to the podcast once it’s up on our website.

The thrust of the message was that we are called by our very relational God to serve Him. When God showed up on Moses’ job site in Exodus 3 He was coming to call Moses into service. Each and every one of us who dare to call ourselves Christians are called to serve. As I pondered the message on Sunday afternoon I wondered why I would not serve God. Why would I deliberately choose to not serve this incredible God who has done so much for me? Every day of my life I am the beneficiary of His abundant grace. Every day there are new opportunities for me to grow in my understanding of what He has in store for me as I walk with Him. Every day it is a privilege to serve this indescribable God. Why would I not serve Him?

The truth is the evangelical church in North America has an abundance of people who make that choice each day. They choose not to serve. Now the reasons are many. It may be that some feel too stressed or too busy. It may be that some feel inadequate. I have heard the old standby of I did my time indicating that currently their job is simply to take up a spot in the service on Sunday morning. I have been given the line that I’m attending university so I can’t serve. There are many more excuses given as to why people choose not to serve. Honestly though there are very few excuses that hold any water when we talk about serving God.

Maybe we have the wrong vision when it comes to serving. Maybe we think in terms of holding some kind of position in a church like an elder or youth sponsor or Sunday School teacher. We look at the positions and conclude they are outside of our individual skill sets hence we don’t or can’t serve.

When I talk about serving I am thinking of a big picture idea not a small picture idea. I am thinking of those who indeed hold actual positions of service but also those who make coffee or set up chairs or pick up people for church. The list of possible service ideas is only limited by our creativity. People serve through their financial giving or through praying. People serve by visiting shut-ins or those in the hospital. People serve by tutoring students who struggle with school or taking food supplies to those struggling with financial issues. Really people serve when they are in the business of meeting needs. God called Moses to meet a need….lead the nation. They had been in bondage to Egypt and now God was about to answer their cries for freedom but a leader is needed. Moses is called into service.

Each and every one of us are the same as Moses in that we are called into service. It is just simply a matter of figuring out what and where God wants us to serve because He DOES want us to serve. I will speaking about this again in September when we will be having a minsitry trade fair offering all kinds of opportunities for people to get involved. As I said on Sunday I want to raise the bar when it comes to serving at Cornerstone. I want us to see and buy into the idea that it is both a privilege as well as a responsibility to serve God. We are going to establish a culture where people see serving as a natural part of our church DNA as opposed to some kind of added chore if I attend this church. We are in the process of developing a small group minsitry whereby you can attend and discover what your spiritual gifts, abilities and interests are so as to help you make wise choices when it comes to serving.

Serving is not some kind of spiritual punishment. Serving is God’s way of allowing us to engage His plan for the world. Serving is a privilege that leads to joyful satisfaction understanding I am doing what God pre-wired me to do.

As we raise the bar we will also be raising the sense of expectation about how God will use us in accomplishing His purposes. You can’t read the scriptures and find people who regretted serving God. It is just the most fantastic concept that God would allow me the honour of serving Him. There is more to come on this topic but I feel a bit better now. Have you discovered the joy of serving?

Lead Pastor’s Blog II.VIII

I read these words recently: “Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin.” (II Kings 17:21) I just sat back and stopped reading at that point. Jeroboam was a king, a leader of the nation God had chosen. Can you imagine those words being penned about you personally? I said it out loud with my name and the name of the church I lead inserted in place of Jeroboam and Israel. It just sent a shudder down my spine.

It is such a challenge to live life in the place of leadership but we all do in some way. Perhaps it is as a parent or on your job site or in a volunteer position. Leadership is an immense challenge but also an incredible privilege. Parents would you like it said of you that you enticed your children away from the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin? Wow doesn’t that just grip your heart with a certain sense of fear? It seems God takes note when we lead people astray and we will one day give an account of our actions.

This past Sunday we had one of those special moments as a church family. As my friend, Mike Hack of Operation Mobilization, spoke God moved within our body of believers. There was a challenge and a warning. The challenge was in regards to whom we bow our knee in service and worship. The warning was that there is a very real spiritual battle going on and the evil one is out to deceive as well as destroy. People were making serious decisions. Some bowed and prayed. Some wept. Others just wandered out like everything was the same as usual. This was not a Jeroboam moment where people were being enticed away. This was more of a Hezekiah kind of moment. A few days ago I read these words about this king, “This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the Lord.” (II Chronicles 31:20)

Two different leaders with two very different influences on their followers. Of Hezekiah it was said that he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. Later on in II Kings it says of the people of Israel that while they were worshipping the Lord they were serving their idols. In other words God was not number one. I think much of the North American church is right here. God is in play but not number one. Other pursuits, priorities and passtimes surpass God in our personal lives. We still worship when it is convenient but honestly He is not number one.

Today that can all change. Today each one of us can make an individual decision that will put God in His proper place in our lives. Today because of God’s wonderful grace we can bow our knees willingly to the King of Kings. Today is a day of opportunity. Will you seize it?

At the end of your days would you rather have the life impact of Jeroboam or Hezekiah? It is your choice. Choose wisely my friend.

Lead Pastor Blog II.VII

It’s a rainy Tuesday morning. I have found myself this past weekend revisiting my dreams for Cornerstone as well as for my own life. I have been pondering the vision of Cornerstone changing our world.  I find it disturbing, dangerous, frustrating, humbling and a host of other emotions to spend much time dreaming. Are you currently chasing something that has your complete attention?

I don’t know if many of us slow down long enough to think about what is consuming our time and attention. One week slides into a month. One month leads to another and a year is gone. What have I accomplished from eternity’s perspective? I am at a stage of life where that is what matters to me. I guess that is why I find this dreaming stuff frustrating when I look back to see what has been accomplished in and through my life.

Joseph is my go to guy in the Bible when it comes to dreaming. He was an imperfect character as all men in the Bible were. Received a very cool dream from God but then he flaunted it in front of the family. Essentially he tells them that in his dream they are going to bow down to him. At this stage of his life let’s just say that Joseph did not have humility mastered. Later on in Genesis 37 as he goes to check on how the family business is doing we read in verse 19 “Here comes that dreamer!” Clearly his brothers were not saying it with any sense of respect or awe. No matter how you slice it that did characterize Jospeh, he was a dreamer. I’m not sure we have many Joseph’s in our midst these days. Men and women of vision. Individuals who have heard from God and are chasing the dream.

I really believe we need those people. We need dreamers to dream new great God-inspired dreams for the church today. If life is just about the stuff around us then life is so small. I don’t want my children and grand-children to spend their lives chasing what we can see. I don’t want the people of Cornerstone to spend their lives chasing stuff.  Honestly to me that is such a small way to spend our lives. It has no lasting influence.

Joseph reminds me that dreams don’t just happen. They definitely don’t happen in a straight line. Joseph had many ups and downs on the way to his dreams becoming reality. He had long periods of time where it appeared his dreams had been derailed. It must have been tough at those times to still believe. Genesis tells us that Joseph had another party who was guiding, guarding, watching over the dream. God had not been derailed in His purposes being accomplished in and through Joseph.

Perhaps that is where I am today. Maybe God is just reminding me that He is in control and not me. But right now I want more. I want to see more of Cornerstone’s influence in this world. I want to know that my individual life is having a lasting impact. God I want more. I want to see changed lives…lots of changed lives. I want to see broken people healed. I want to see lost people find the answer in Jesus Christ. I want to see hardened people softened. I want to see the uncommited become commited to the life changer named Jesus. I want to see the unmistakable hand of God at work.

What are you chasing today? Do you have a dream that has captured your attention? Is your life being spent or invested? Does Jesus have your attention? Do you think Jesus has the attention of Cornerstone Church?

I find this stuff so humbling, frustrating, disturbing and yes even dangerous. It is really hard to just be comfortable when it feels like God is poking me.

This change the world stuff is ……….

Lead Pastor’s Blog II.VI

Cornerstone you have my attention. I will take a short blogging break from examing our congregational test scores from April 25th to comment on our recent track record of responding to Matthew 25.

In January 2010 we started our year looking at Matthew 25 and the story of the sheep and the goats. Let me refresh your memory. In that story Jesus essentially says that whatever we did unto the least of these we did unto Him. So, if we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give water to the thirsty, visit those sick or in prison we effectively minister to Jesus Himself. Not only that but he also tells us that those are the faith entrance requirements for eternity in heaven. My challenge at the beginning of the year was for us to do something within those categories during this calendar year. Get involved in some way in helping the poor. Let me give you some recent results.

In October 2009 we gave you the opportunity to sponsor a child through Compassion Canada. Each Sunday we had people manning a table where we could sign up to help a child in need. During that month over 30 children were sponsored. On Sunday April 25th World Vision was here and they told me we sponsored 19 children. On May 2nd Watoto Children’s Choir was here and we sponsored 21 children in Uganda. Since October Cornerstone has sponsored over 70 children from various places around the world. This does not include children sponsored through Haiti Arise as I know some families have responded to that need in Haiti.

I applaud your response to Matthew 25. Remember Jesus said that whatever you did to the least of these you did to me. You have been obedient and I want to encourage you for being obedient. We cannot be a church that turns its attention away from the very real needs in our world. We will not be a church that talks a good game but does nothing. We will not stop responding even when it means we sacrifice in order to meet the needs of those in our world. Part of our vision entails meeting practical needs in our world in the name of Jesus Christ. We are changing our world through our participation in Matthew 25.

However, I believe something esle is happening as well. Not only are we engaging in the vision of changing our world but what is happening is that we are being changed. Jesus Christ changes lives. Jesus Christ is changing our lives. That is such great news. If we are going to continue to be obedient to Matthew 25 we need to have our hearts become more like the heart of our Saviour.

Cornerstone you have my attention. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” By the way, we set an all time attendance record on Sunday May 2nd for Cornerstone. We saw 663 people attend our services that day. God is at work. Come on, there is still more to do so let’s keep it up.

Pastor’s Blog II.V

On Sunday April 25th Cornerstone Church was issued a Bible Content Quiz put together by The Canadian Bible Society here in Saskatoon. I handed them out as part of my morning messsage and walked the people through the 35 questions. Immediately afterward we collected the quizzes and our staff have been compiling the results. I will share with you the initial results in this posting but there will be more results coming as we analyze the data.
We asked two questions at the end of the quiz just to help us with the information we knew we would receive. The first question had to do with their Bible reading habits. We gave them four different categories to select from. The categories were 1. Daily Bible Reader, 2. Weekly Bible Reader, 3. Monthly Bible Reader or 4. Seldom/never Bible Reader. We had just over 300 people participate in the quiz. Of those participants 113 said they were daily Bible readers which is great news. We have one third in this survey reading each and every day. During our series on the character traits of God I have said over and over again that we won’t trust someone we don’t know. In order to know God I need to get into His Word.
On the other end of the spectrum we had 89 who said they read the Bible either seldom or never. When we add those to the ones who said they read monthly (which our staff felt fit into the seldom category) we found another third of our respondents. Roughly one third of our people are seldom or never reading the Bible.
So, we have one third reading daily and one third seldom or never reading their Bibles. For me, as a shepherd, this is not very encouraging news. I want God’s people to be regularly ingesting truth from God’s Word into their hearts and minds.
Perhaps you are wondering about our overall knowledge score on the test. We have those initial results as well. Our overall church score on the test once we had compiled the results from all age brackets was 54%.

The average scores for the different age brackets is as follows. Remember the total number of questions was 35. The over 65 averaged 22. The 45-65 averaged 20. The 20-44 averaged 19 and the under 20 averaged 16. I said to the staff, “our job is not done.” I am open to your comments and/or interpretations.

Pastor’s Blog II.IV

I’ve been thinking about the church. Actually I’ve been thinking about the church a lot lately. True, it is my job to do this but I see it both from a professional (my job) standpoint as well as a personal (devotional) standpoint. Allow me to wander as I share what I have been thinking in regards to the church.

How much of what the church is about is to be done or accomplished on Sunday morning? We put a lot time, energy and resources into what we refer to as our Sunday morning worship service. From a staff standpoint we invest huge resources into those few hours on Sunday. From a volunteer standpoint we access huge numbers of volunteer hours to accomplish what we accomplish each Sunday morning. Is it worth it? Are we being biblical when we invest that much effort into a few hours of the week? Is it the best use of our resources? Are we fooling ourselves? What exactly are we accomplishing on Sunday morning?

We average around 400 people each Sunday at Cornerstone. If we say that we have them for about 2-3 hours and multiply that by 400 that is 800-1200 hours of time each Sunday. Are we getting a good bang for our buck?  I am completely committed to providing clear opportunities for us to worship on Sunday mornings. I am convinced of the need to clearly communicate God’s Word each Sunday morning. I am thankful for the facility we have for Sunday mornings. I believe many people have the opportunity to exercise their gifts on Sunday morning. But what about Monday through Saturday?

What is the direct connection of Sunday to the rest of the week? Is there a connection? Or is Sunday just that nice little break from all the rest of the stuff in our lives? I cringed even as I typed that question.  If we say that Sunday is important…why is it important? What does the Bible say about us meeting together once a week? Is Sunday more important than every other day of the week?

Maybe it is time to totally re-think what we do on Sunday morning. Maybe it is time to scrap the whole thing and start with a blank sheet of paper. If we had never had any exposure to a church service but wanted to begin a gathering for God’s people or those seeking God what would that group experience look like?  Please understand that I believe God loves the church. Many years ago I fell in love with the church and that has not changed. The church is an incredible place. I just feel like God is poking me saying, “ think about it. Think about what you are doing. Think about what the scriptures say. Think about it.”

I want to expand our thinking about the church. I want our vision of the church to be both clear and biblical. I want us to embrace the disturbance of the Holy Spirit. I want us to connect the dots of how the church plays itself out from Monday through Saturday. I want us to grasp this idea that God is with us each day all through the day. I want us to understand that our spiritual walk with God is never divorced from any other area of our life. I want us to stop compartmentalizing. We may be involved in secular culture all week long but spiritually God has plans for us during our interaction with that secular culture.

Church is so much more than Sunday morning. What do you think?

Pastor’s Blog II.III

What are you doing? If you have a little imagination and a tv set you may remember a series of ads a few years ago where fellows with different accents asked that question to each other while talking on the phone.  That is my question for you….what are you doing? Feel free to ask it with whatever accent you want. I am not sure where or when that question first popped into my head but it is a question I find myself wondering about these days.
First let me ask that question in response to Haiti. What are you doing? Seriously…what are you doing? We have seen the single most devastating event to strike in the Western Hemishpere occur in Haiti. We have watched newscasts with visual details that most of us don’t even want to see. Now we are starting to hear first hand accounts of people from our area who have gone down and returned with more details. We know the earthquake wrecked the country. At a recent fundraiser it was estimated that the death toll could reach into the 300,000’s. We know schools have been closed and countless children have been orphaned. We know that right now most of the devastated people are living in temporary shelters. We know there is an ongoing need for food. What are you doing?
What more motivation do we need to do something? We know the need is real. We know organizations that are helping. We know they need cash and manual labour. What are you doing? We know they need prayer….are you praying?
I started the year at Cornerstone talking about Matthew 25 and it is like the Lord will not allow me to forget it or move on. The passage tells us that whatever we have done to the least of these we have done to Jesus. Think about that for a moment.  You give twenty dollars to buy rice to feed a hungry family in Haiti and really what you just did was you ministered to Jesus Christ. Seriously. Why would we choose to not be involved when what we are doing is directly connected to our Saviour?  The smallest thing takes on eternal significance when we do it unto the least of these.  Perhaps best of all is that in the doing of practical things to help the least of these it opens a door to tell them why.  Jesus is the answer to the why.  Jesus is also the answer to their greatest need.

What are you doing?  Attending church?  I don’t see that in Matthew 25 as something that impresses God.  Each one of us who call ourselves Christian has a mandate.  Our mandate is to do something.  Help someone.  Give something.  Pray for some situation.  Do something.  What are you doing?  Seriously…what are you doing?

Pastor’s Blog II.II

I went to church on Sunday and they do things different down here in Louisiana.  We just picked a church randomly and walked in.  There were 11 of us on a MDS (Mennonite Disaster Relief) project looking for a church to worship in.  Once we entered we knew we were in the minority.  Now there were 11 white visitors in an all black church service.  We took the back few rows but there would be no hiding on this particular Sunday.  When I am not at the church I pastor I love just being one of the crowd.  Today that would not happen.

In their enthusiasm for visitors they greeted us warmly and one of my crew decided to surrender the information that I was the Lead Pastor of Cornerstone Church.  An abundantly warm African American woman came over (from this point on when I refer to a conversation think strong southern accent) and said to me, “I hear you are Pastor Wilson!”  I wanted to lie but I agreed she was correct with the information she had received.  She proceeded to grab me and say, “Come on you must meet our pastor.”  I had already noticed that their pastor had a Dr. before his name.  She marched me into the back part of the church at which point in time I shared with her that I didn’t want to make a fuss.  “It’s no fuss at all, you must meet our pastor.”  We get to his office door, it is closed so she knocks and opens it.  She closed it quickly and said, “He’s with someone.”  I told her I would return to my seat and meet him later as I didn’t want to make a fuss.  Her reply was, “I told you it ain’t no fuss and if you say fuss again I will make a fuss and you don’t want to see that.”  I wanted to be in Saskatoon

She had a way about her that made me stay put.  We passed the time with her introducing me to the choir, the deacons and anyone else who happened to pass by.  Finally the door opened, a generous African American woman exited and we entered.  I need to give you a bit more information.  I am dressed in blue jeans, sandals, and an open collared short sleeve shirt.  Everyone else I have seen have been adorned in three piece suits, dresses and hats…lots of hats.  The pastor is wearing an expensive looking three piece suit and he asks me this question: “You are a pastor?”  He asked it like he wasn’t sure he had heard right.  I assured him he was right so he asked me to write down all my information.  As I was doing this I told him we were down here to help rebuild homes destroyed by the hurricanes.  He smiled and said, “You aren’t dressed for church, you are dressed for work.  I like that!”  (remember the accent)

He then asked if I wanted to address the congregation to which I replied, “Oh no I don’t want to make a fuss (Out of the corner of my eye I saw my new friend give me a look when I said the word “Fuss” once again and it sent a shiver up my spine)I am just here to worship God with you.”  He reviewed my information and I was dismissed from the Principal’s office wait, no I mean the Pastor’s office.  My new friend guided me back out into the congregation at which point I saw my crew grinning from ear to ear.  I didn’t like any of them at that moment.  Before I go any further I need to let you know the service was two and a half hours long.

At about the three quarters point there was an altar call.  A woman with a baby went forward and we waited for a while but she was the only candidate that morning.  The pastor asked her what she needed.  She said her baby was sick and she wanted prayer.  He interviewed her for us.  Her baby was sick but no matter how many doctors she had seen no one could help her.  The pastor talked for a while about the power of God to heal and there were a lot of amens at that point.  He decided to ask others to come forward to pray with as well as for this lady.  (At this point you may have an inclination of where this is going.)  After a bit the pastor asked more people to come forward.  After that the pastor asked the white folk to come as well.  Now the whole church is at the front with the white crowd at the back of the black crowd.  I am at the back of the white group so I am as far away from the action as I can be.  There is some singing, praying, lots of amens with a smattering of hallelujahs. 

The pastor takes this moment to announce that a pastor from Canada is here.  He then asks me to come forward as I was going to pray for the healing of the baby.  The Red Sea parts as the white folk and the black folk make way for the blue jean, sandal wearing pastor from Canada to come to the front.  I want to be in Saskatoon.  I will not go into the details of my prayer but I did generate a significant number of amens and hallelujahs.  The prayer ended with everyone going back to their pews.

The offering is next.  The pastor preached for fifty-five minutes before all this other action took place.  For the offering everyone goes forward.  I made sure I was putting cash in the box however the guy guarding the box seemed to watch me quite carefully as I dropped my cash into the offering box.  I went the wrong way at that point so one of the deacons corrected me.  I was glad to sit down.  Announcements were being made but the pastor was looking at me with a “come hither” look which I ignored three times.  He then called me by name to come forward.  I wanted to be in Saskatoon.  He introduced me royally to the assembled group to a smattering of applause and amens.  He then said I was going to share with the congregation.  I assumed my words to him in the office before the service had been misunderstood due to my accent because I was sure I told him I didn’t want to address the congregation.

I shared our mission to rebuild houses based on Matthew 25 when Jesus said that whatever you do unto the least of these you did unto me.  I shared that we were also helping out in Haiti which inspired another chorus of amens.  I kept my comments to a mininum but the pastor (A very large African American man who had been sweating profusely during his preaching) decided we should hug.  On a good day I may hug someone who is not a blood relative of mine but I am not a hugger by nature.  I was embraced by the pastor who was now quite wet.  I would have been happy with a hearty handshake.

The service was now over and I made a beeline for my rental car.  It was all to no avail.  The rest of the group save one other guy in the car with me were visiting with the church people for about another thirty minutes.  During this time I had several women come over to my driver’s side window to shake my hand and bless me.  Just as I thought it was done another woman came and handed me her phone number.  I have been married for over thirty years so I am not used to women handing me their phone numbers in parking lots.  She told me she wanted to bless us with making sweet potato pie or other sweet things for us.  She then asked for my phone number which I reluctantly gave to her.  She said just to call her when I wanted the pie or she would call me.  I suspect my phone will ring before the week is over and I will recognize the voice on the other end.

Church is a little bit different here.  I am really looking forward to getting back to Saskatoon but I will not forget the Sunday I worshipped in Louisiana.

Pastor’s Blog II.I

I think I have stumbled onto or am stumbling onto a theme for 2010.  In 1988 the sports company, Nike, established their catchy motto: “Just Do It” which they actually used for 10 years.  It was cute, memorable and it sold mechandise like nothing they had ever used before.  Just do it was the slogan of the decade.  I am looking at something similar in attitude for Cornerstone.

We started the year in Matthew 25 where we are told that the difference between the sheep and goats will be what they did or did not do for “the least of these.”  I haven’t stop thinking about that phrase since then.  Whatever you did for the least of these you did for me says Jesus.  Whatever you did not do for the least of these you did not do for me.  Doing seems pretty important to our God.  Some 2,000 plus years later I am not sure it is as important to the evangelical church.

In Acts 16 when the jailor asks Paul and Silas what must he do to be saved they reply, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”  I mean Paul said it under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit so how can you go wrong when you repeat that little gem?  Just believe in Jesus.  I believe many people have agreed with that to a point and have stated they believe in Jesus.  However, in scripture belief also affects action.  In fact I would suggest to you that if your belief does not affect how you live (action) perhaps you don’t believe what you say you believe.  This brings us back to our passage in Matthew 25.  If I believe in Jesus then I will live as Jesus calls me to live.  Jesus asks this question in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say?”

I am looking for suggestions for a theme or lotto or slogan that relates to these verses.  Something akin to Nike’s “Just do it” because that speaks to what we should be doing as a church body.  We should be doing it, not just talking but doing.  Not announcing what it is we believe but living what we believe.  James 1 is a good place to visit as well.  “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.”  I think James was a little bent out of shape about this issue.  He also penned this idea: “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” 

This is crucial to our spiritual development.  We must be a church that does it…whatever it is that God calls us to do.  I am not even slightly interested in having booming Sunday attendances if there is no corresponding action with that attendance.  Action has to be at the root of what we are about as a church family.  It is in the action that we really live out what we believe.  I believe God is calling us to be this church of action.  I get totally stoked when I imagine the possibilities of impacting/changing our world as our church gets motivated to act.

So, bring them on.  Let me hear your suggestions for our slogan/theme/motto for the coming year.  I need your help!

Pastor’s Blog II

Eventually a number will be produced. Maybe today or tomorrow or next week but the world will receive a number. The number I am referring to of course is the number of dead in Haiti after the January 12th earthquake that has devastated that poor country. The number is the problem.

On the one hand it will be so difficult to get an exact number because of the nature of Haiti itself. The accuracy of government records is suspect. Currently there is no government agency capable of overseeing or taking charge. It will be a number that will have no sense of certainty affliated with it. On the other hand the problem is the number itself. Most of the world will gasp at the staggering nature of the number. Maybe it will be 100,000 or 500,000 or worse and we will talk about how awful it is that another natural disaster has struck our world. It’s not a number to God. It is people, precious people created in His image by a creator who loves them in ways that we cannot fully grasp.

For our small team that was there so recently it is not a number. We have looked into the faces of the people of Haiti and it has changed us. Yes it is a country wracked with poverty. Yes it is a country that has a multitude of problems. Yes the governments of the past have been self-serving and often useless in relation to caring for their own but these people are not numbers. They are people with names and families and dreams and hurts. They are people learning and growing and for many of them they are just hearing the good news of Jesus Christ a Saviour who loves them.

Please don’t allow the news to tell you a number and for you to walk away thinking that was awful. The number will be awful but it is not a number. It is precious people each of whom God loves passionately and we are called to love them as well.  Scripture reminds us often that God loves the widows and the orphans.  There will be an abundance of new widows and orphans to be loved in Haiti.  We will be a people who do that work on God’s behalf.

There are two words I have shared with our staff when it comes to this year 2010. The least and the worst. I said I want us to be a church concerned about the least and the worst. Today Haiti screams at us “we are the least and the worst.”

Make no mistake, this week Haiti is in the world media’s spotlight but that will fade. Another story will push Haiti off the stage and much of the world will forget the devastation that has occurred. Cornerstone will not be included in that picture. Let us commit now to doing whatever we can for as long as we can to make as big a difference as we can because they are not numbers. They are people and if God loves them so will we love them.

A door of opportuntiy has opened. Let us boldly walk through the door by the grace of God offering the truth and help of God to a people who are open to discovering a God who longs for relationship with them. This is our chance to really make a difference in our world.

Today allow God to break your heart with the need of people not the size of a number. Look into their faces when you see them on the news. Put yourself in their situation. Who are you looking for? What do you need? What is it you want? As you answer those questions maybe you will discover that you can be the answer to some of those questions for someone in Haiti. For a person…not a number.

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