Among my favorite things when I was quite young was a set of wooden blocks. Not just ordinary blocks, these had painted windows and storefronts and fancy doors… I could build a city! My town could have hotels, high rises, churches, even mansions… Did I mention that there were chimneys and roofs and steeples? Wish I had ’em back. Folks sitting in virtual pews this week can join God in building a continued Creation as they hear positive words from the assigned lessons.
Acts 7:55-60 tells the story of the stoning of Stephen (that’s positive??). The early Church seemed to think this account seminal: not only is Stephen’s faith glorified, but the resulting dispersal of disciples carried a belief in Jesus as the Christ into further reaches of the Empire. This scattering moved the gospel from Jerusalem as well as touching more gentiles where they lived. Stephen, the first Saint, became a visionary, seeing “the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God”. Funny that the thrown stones weren’t collected as relics: they could be seen as foundations of the coming Kingdom.
I Peter 2:2-10 has a lot to say about stones. Loaded with building analogies, it declares Jesus the Christ as the chief cornerstone of the New Zion–and his followers as “living stones” allowing themselves to be “built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood”. The author tells that the stone which didn’t appear to the surrounding culture to be what they had expected now “has become the very head of the corner”! Many will trip over the ethics of grace and love as they search for the Law’s righteousness and pass by us disciples who are odd-shaped yet doing our best to usefully fit into the growing Kingdom. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you might proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
As you read John 14:1-14, try not to think of a funeral! Or if you do, land hard on the verses where Jesus says that he’s going away to prepare a place for us. Another building program in an ever-expanding Creation which not only includes all believers, but is especially built so that Christ might be ever near us, and we with him. Some will yearn for mansions over the hilltop–but I’m looking forward to a maximum entry apartment complex, where we all can circulate in a mask-free environment! “How can we know the way?” asks Thomas on our behalf. Jesus replies, “From now on you do know [ Father] and have seen him.”
And so, Rocky, plunge on with the project. Don’t give too much thought to legalism and holy acrobatics, but concentrate on imitating Jesus in works of charity and outreach, devotion and hospitality. God has chosen your company in refining Creation–be built into the evolving Kingdom…and while you’re waiting, leave no stone unturned.
In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King
My encounter with scripture passages assigned to the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com
My Blog 
I think we’re all going to become builders in the time ahead and our building stones will all be as different as the people who build with them.