±«Óãtv

Good morning. Winter may not be the best time to build a house – but in our case, the small extension we were adding to the rear of our home was started in the summer when the weather was warm. Progress was slow - a combination of lockdown and poor weather. The builders finally packed up their belongings and left the site for Christmas. While they have taken their time, they have been careful, and their work has been meticulous. We are delighted with the result. 
Buildings provide the Bible writers with another picture of the church – and it’s not just any old building. This is the construction of a home for God – a place where he can comfortably live. This building is not made from blocks of concrete and lengths of wood – but from people like you and me, settled on the identity of Jesus, convinced about his resurrection from the dead, and filled with his intimate presence by the Holy Spirit. This metaphorical building is a Temple, of sorts, a structure resting on a cornerstone who is Christ himself – true and secure. It’s a delightful place.
In the days between Christmas and the new year, we painted the new room the builders had given us, and it gave us great pleasure to sit in this new pristine space, imagining welcomes and conversations waiting to be had when Covid has finally gone. Buildings are built to be places of welcome – rather like the church, even if for now, we have to wait to use them to the full.
Lord God, thank you that you have a home – a place where you live by your Spirit, and where you may be found. May it be that we do nothing to spoil it. Amen.