Christ Alone, Cornerstone

In 1862, a group of Swedes left their home in Europe and headed to America to seek free land under the Homestead Act. A few years down the road in 1877, a congregation was organized among the settlers and it was called the “Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of Ryssby, Boulder County Colorado.” In 1881, Hugo Anderson (my great-great grandfather) gave 3 acres of his land for a church to be built and later on that year, the cornerstone of Ryssby Church was laid.

Over 100 years later, Tyler and I got married in this church that is very special to our family. Growing up, we would attend the annual Midsummer Picnic which is in June and the Christmas Candlelight services: the two church services that are held there during the year besides weddings and funerals. I have several memories of playing in the ditch under the bridge by the walkway to the parking lot, sitting on those pews that creak a little when you sit down and hearing the Gospel in Swedish.

At our church in Roggen, we have been blessed with a new pastor and his wife. They joined us on our wedding day and he found a way to incorporate Ryssby Church into his sermon a few weeks ago which inspired me to write about this subject. The passage that he preached from was:

“You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.

As the scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” -1 Peter 2:5-7

How do these words relate to a church that was built in the 1800’s? And how does that apply to us? As it says in the passage above, we have been chosen. We have been chosen to:

C-Crave Him

H-Honor Him

O-Be obedient

S-Stone (Cornerstone)

E-Everyday sacrifice

N- Nation (A Holy Nation)

In this passage from 1 Peter, we are told that we are chosen to be the living stones in His spiritual temple just as the stones were chosen to build Ryssby Church after the cornerstone was laid.

Before we start constructing a church, we must have a solid foundation: “Upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18 Instead of building a structure on sand, we must focus on finding a rock that is strong. His word for example, is a rock that we can all rely on especially when we crave to read it -not just every once in a while but, obediently every single day. We must sacrifice our time and ourselves to Him so we can be our absolute best and not settle for anything less.

Each stone that makes up a church is just as important as the other, as long we strive to be that holy nation and united church. The pastor, the worship leaders, the person who makes announcements at the beginning of the service, the technology master, the counter of the offering, the Sunday School leaders, and everyone else who makes up the body of a church are the stones that are coming together to be at one with God.

This week, let’s focus on being the chosen cornerstone that is always all in for Christ. When we unite, we become stronger. And as we go through the tough times, strength is what is needed to carry on. In Hillsong’s music, it says, “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness… Christ alone, cornerstone. Weak made strong; in the savior’s love. Through the storm, He is Lord. Lord of all.” In big letters at the front of the church, it says, “Ära vare Gud i höjden,” which means, “Glory to God in the Highest.” Let’s focus less on us, and more on becoming one while giving the glory to Him as we physically and spiritually build.

Thank you Pastor Scott for the daily encouragement and the inspiration for this blog as well as inspiration for everyday life. If anyone needs anyone to talk to, Scott would love for you to reach out to Him. His mission is to make Heaven more crowded. His email is pastorscottfinger@gmail.com.