We did a fascinating activity at church this morning. We read the story of Nehemiah and the Israelites rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Then someone got us all to line up around the edge of the church and represent the walls. Each of us, they said, is part of the walls of the church. Each of us play our part - whether we preach, play music, go out as missionaries, make the morning tea, mow the grass, or just turn up, each of us is vital to the whole. Like all good visual/tactile activities, it made me think, and here is what I thought. 1. The work of the church is in the world, not in the church What was left out of the list was as interesting as what was included. On the list were all the activities that go on within the church institution, from the least prestigious and visible to the most. All are equally valuable and important. So far so good. What wasn't on the list was anything that took place outside the "church". If the church is a body with a
'Contemplating the teeming life of the shore, we have an uneasy sense of the communication of some universal truth that lies just beyond our grasp.' - Rachel Carson