We visited a different church this past Sunday. We are on vacation, and we jumped in on the middle of a sermon series about growing the church. The preacher was young but had studied his material and presented his lesson well. His repeat message was that Jesus should be the cornerstone. Jesus should be the cornerstone of our lives, the cornerstone of our families, and the cornerstone of the church. His message was relevant and a great reminder of how we need to structure things. Near the end of his sermon he made a slip up with his wording. He inadvertently said “centerpiece” instead of “cornerstone”.
It probably seems super nitpicky and a little bit hateful that I’m pointing this out. Please don’t think I’m making fun of the preacher. We all make flubs and his wasn’t even that bad. I am the queen of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. My husband once publicly mixed up “crucifixion” and “circumcision” (a story that is oft retold around the dinner table, to gales of laughter). So, in the overall scheme of things, mixing up the words “centerpiece” and “cornerstone” is pretty minor. Surely no one is going to lose their salvation over his mistake. I am pretty sure that no one else even gave it a second thought, but it did cause me to consider the difference.
Initially I thought that Jesus as a centerpiece sounded pretty good. He should be the focus. He should be who gets the glory and the attention. He should be right in the middle of it all.
But.
Centerpieces are fragile, Jesus is not. Centerpieces demand attention, Jesus does not. Centerpieces need protecting, Jesus does not. Centerpieces can’t handle being shaken, Jesus can. Centerpieces are superfluous, Jesus is not.
Cornerstones, on the other hand, are strong and unseen and often unappreciated. Cornerstones are vital and important and necessary. Cornerstones are strong and tough and able to carry a heavy load. Cornerstones aren’t afraid of the dark, aren’t scared of getting dirty.
I think I have been guilty of making Jesus a centerpiece in my life: a pretty thing I look at to make me smile. But that isn’t who He is and that isn’t why He came. He came to be a rock-solid foundation for me to build my life upon. He came to be a steady footing when the world feels like quicksand. Jesus came to be our Cornerstone. And I’m really thankful for a seemingly minor mix up that gave me opportunity to consider what that truly means.
Bonus takeaway: sometimes we might say the wrong thing because it’s the exact thing that someone else needs to hear.
Read more of Abbie Mabary’s contributions to allmomdoes here.
