Last Sunday, many in our congregation enjoyed hearing the children’s musical “Under Construction.” We are grateful to Jacklien Lee, Ting Liu, the Sunday School teachers and the children who presented an inspirational telling of the Christmas story.
The theme is a wonderful reminder that we are all under construction. We are all a work in progress. God is working on each of us as individuals and He is working on us as a corporate community. Philippians 1:6 states that, ‘he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.’ God is not finished working on us and by His grace we will grow into more of His likeness.
Sometimes we go through challenging circumstances and it can be difficult to find a way forward. Sometimes we are being ‘refined by the fire.’ (1 Peter 1:7) This is a phrase used in various places throughout the Bible. A refiner's fire is not a consuming fire, rather it is a type of fire that purifies. It is a fire that melts the bar of gold or silver, separating the impurities but leaving the gold and silver intact. John Piper said, “The furnace of affliction in the family of God is always for refinement, never for destruction.” Construction can be messy and painful.
It has been said that while chipping away at a shapeless rock, Michelangelo was once asked what he was trying to create. He replied, “I am liberating an angel from this stone.” I wonder and am excited to discover, what God is chipping away in each of us.
We hope you can join us this Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, as we welcome Dr. Michael Lindsay president of Gordon College at the 8:45, 9:45 and 11:15 services and for a quiet reflective service - Selah at 5:15.
Blessings,
Pastor Michele