Every year, I find it exciting to see the changes that take place during the construction season. This year has been no exception. In Elmira, several worn-out buildings have come down, some roads have been resurfaced and a few empty lots have been replaced by new buildings. Sometimes the progress has been seen with each passing day.

If only the progress in God’s spiritual house were that obvious. To be sure, God’s spiritual house—His Church—is also being built. The progress of its construction, however, cannot be seen in the same way as the construction of a building made of bricks. God’s house—the Christian Church—is built in ways that are less visible.

First, it is built as bruised and repentant hearts turn to Christ for help. While this certainly is difficult to see with the naked eye, we nonetheless know that there are many hearts that do not trust in Christ—people who live in the delusion that they are living lives that are acceptable to God. Until they repent of this false notion by acknowledging their sin and trusting in Christ only for help, they will neither know the true peace that members of the Christian Church enjoy, nor will they be members of Christ’s true Church.

Second, God’s spiritual house is built as Christians grow in their function as His holy priesthood. Sadly, the meaning of this is lost on many Christians who do not understand that they are to be active servants in God’s Church. Notice that the verse above describes us not only as “stones” in God’s Church, but as “living stones”. In other words, God calls us not only to be a part—a brick—in His Church through faith, He also calls us to be living, doing, participating members in the construction work of His spiritual house on earth.

In a few months, the majority of the physical construction in Elmira will draw to a close. Sooner than that, with some summer workers returning to school, construction will already slow down. At the same time, our congregation will become busier, offering you and me—God’s holy priesthood —a variety of opportunities to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Him through Jesus Christ. So how will we fit in? I pray that it will be as living stones. May God grant each of us a heart that trusts in Christ only and a desire to serve Him eagerly.

In His service,

Pastor Richard A. Frey