A few years ago I watched a university hall of residence being built.  Great beams were brought on-site to form the framework, pre-formed panels made the walls then vast amounts of concrete were poured in to make the floors.  It was quick, looked efficient and built, I’m sure, a strong structure; fit for purpose.  On a smaller scale, our new home is brick-built; uniform, neat and tidy.  In contrast to these modern structures, many of the older properties in our villages are faced with plaster which covers a multitude of materials.  Scrape away the surface and from church to cottage, we see an, at times bewildering, collection of materials beneath.  Often it looks as if no two stones, no two timbers are the same.

Not all materials are equally helpful.  One generation’s solution becomes a headache years later.  Nevertheless, each generation builds on what they receive from those who went before them.  Over many centuries, skilled builders and careful amateurs alike have combined to build homes and churches that have passed the test of time.

Looking at the seemingly random collection of stones beneath a recently cleared area of plaster I thought how Jesus builds his church in people the way our ancestors built in bricks and stone.  Jesus told his disciple Simon, ‘you are Peter (the rock), and henceforth on this rock I will build my church.’  (Mat 16:18).   Peter may have been Jesus’ foundation stone but soon showed himself to be a stone with plenty of rough edges.  From the beginning, Jesus built using stones of all shapes and sizes; from the stone the builders rejected (Ps 118; 22, Mat 21:42 et al) through an assortment of unlikely characters roundly branded by the scribes and Pharisees as ‘tax collectors and sinners’.  Young and old, big and small, polished or rough around the edges; like the master mason he is, our Lord can find the right place for each living stone.  When we come to him, he finds a place for us; carefully crafting a church to outlast even the most solidly-built parish building.

Rev’d PhilipPayne                                                      The Notice Sheet for  28 July 2024 can be found here