In the Epistle to the Ephesians (2:19-22), we read, “Consequently, you
are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people
and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined
together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built
together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” In this short passage alone, the author uses
three forms of “build” in his appeal to the now-Christian, formerly pagan
people living in Ephesus – imploring them to remember their previous condition
and reminding them to be grateful to God who brought them to their current
condition.
Like the people of Ephesus, we at St. Andrew’s might need an occasional
reminder that the stability of our “building” (physical and metaphorical)
depends upon its foundation “with Christ Jesus himself as the chief
cornerstone.” As we enter a second
century, we stand firm in the knowledge that whatever may happen on earth, God
and God’s “building” will be steadfast.
Trusting in the firmness of our foundation in Christ permits us to participate
in God’s kingdom-building in a multitude of ways, never doubting God’s presence
in every facet of our “building.”
As the vestry developed this new mission statement, I found intriguing
the various ideas communicated by the word building, especially two
specific connotations, which coordinate most appropriately with our two newest
SAEC teams. First, the Building
Implementation Team envisions as its ultimate responsibility the careful and
prayerful coordination of potential uses for our building, in the most concrete
sense of the word. At the same time, the
Engaging the Climb team’s mission might be appropriately summarized as one
seeking to ascertain how God is inviting and including us in the powerful
mission of building God’s kingdom.
Lindsey Nicolai
Vestry member
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