12th January 2021

I didn’t realize how challenging it is to build a brick wall. Firstly, there’s the choice of how to orient the exposed face: The stretcher, the soldier, the header, the rowlock stretcher, the sailor, the rowlock. And then there’s the choice of how to bond the bricks. If a single wall, then perhaps the stretcher bond; but if a double wall, then the English bond or the Flemish bond. And that’s not even getting to the skill-set required to handle the mortar, the trowel, and the spirit-level.

I’m always fascinated by the way the One who said, “I will build My Church”, actually builds His Church. If left to me, it might look like a pretty standard stretcher face in a stretcher bond. But the Lord of the Church, the Master Builder, does well beyond anything that I can do or imagine. He builds a fiery Peter beside a warm-hearted Andrew beside a glass-half-empty Thomas beside a strong-minded James beside an insightful John.

And He builds a warm-hearted Baptist beside a cool-headed Presbyterian beside a stout-hearted Lutheran beside a strong-minded Brethren. And as He expands the wall, He takes those too from other traditions who confess the Creed, and joins them with His unique ‘Bethlehem, Calvary, and Pentecost’ bond. And then takes His trowel and measuring line, and seats them by His Spirit and levels them by His Word. And gives them the joy of knowing that they are not just another brick in the wall.

DM 12^th January 2021.