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Hi friend,
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”
1 Peter 2:7
In May, I visited our Denare Beach, SK project and found myself at the end of a concrete pumper truck, guiding the concrete into the Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) foundation walls. And yes, I did get messy - thanks Peter!
A straight house is dependent on square walls. Square walls are dependant on a level foundation.
1 Peter speaks of Jesus as the foundational stone of a building. Biblical Greek has two words for stone: “petros” and “lithos.” “Petros” is where we get the name Peter - it means rock or stone. “Lithos,” the word used in 1 Peter 2, means a hewn stone that is ready for construction. It is shaped and formed perfectly so when it is set as the foundation, it becomes the guide for the rest of the stones. It is from this cornerstone the walls and building derive their proper angles.
How are our lives aligning with Christ the cornerstone? Where has the shape of our faith-stones been conformed by our world and culture instead of Jesus? What are the rough edges that need to be hewn by the grace and forgiveness of Christ?
“Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight” (1 Peter 2:4). When we move towards Christ and are re-formed by his love and conformed to his life, we become “living stones.”
Stones that come to life seems like a contradiction. As we conform our lives and faith to Jesus (and not the world), we come to life and are able to share God’s life and love with others. We become “living stones”- ordinary materials that God gathers and fits together for extraordinary purposes. MDS volunteers describe themselves as ordinary people with practical skills and willing hearts. In God's hands, ordinary people (stones) become part of something that offers shelter, hope, and a tangible expression of Christ's love.
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