You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:5
Greetings from the (newly refurbished) Manse!
Recently we have had our kitchen replaced. The old one was on it’s last legs and had doors hanging off units, hinges that no longer worked, shelves that had collapsed and various other ailments that meant it needed to be replaced. A great group of people from church came round to rip out the old kitchen and within one evening we had removed all the units, filled a skip and prepared it for the builders to come in and get to work. Thanks to all those who came around with hammers, crowbars and other implements of destruction to help out!
The next day our builder came round and set to work. He carefully measured up, sanded, wiped down, plastered old holes, removed fixtures that were no longer needed and then set to replacing the kitchen. Over two weeks later we now have a kitchen that is beautiful, clean, repainted and being used frequently as a meeting place for our family but also as a place to entertain guests and friends. The interesting thing in this process is I have learnt it is a lot easier to tear down than to rebuild. A few hours to rip out and tear apart but weeks to rebuild and renew.
The above bible verse tells us the church is like a building project that God is working on. He is the one rebuilding and making it into something wonderful but it’s not fully there yet.
I pray that this year ahead may be a year of building for us. That old relationships may be renewed, that hope may be restored and that we may be in the construction business not the destruction business for the glory of God.
Enjoy this months magazine,
Shalom, Geoff.
