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George Wieland writes . . .

There's an impressive stack of bricks sitting on the pavement outside a house on our street. Some months ago a car ploughed into the wall in the middle of the night leaving a gaping hole where the owner really hadn't planned to put in a gate. He decided on a major rebuild instead of a patch-up, pondered, measured, calculated, put in an order, and finally the bricks arrived. Brand new, gleaming, neatly stacked. Time has crept on, and the bricks still look good, still neatly stacked, still sitting in front of the gaping hole where a wall should be.

We're in the building business at Carey - building lives, building community, building the church (check out all the building metaphors in the Bible) - but it's far easier to accumulate a pile of bricks than to build a wall! In our learning, studying environment it's natural that there's a focus on the building materials that we're acquiring, but if the knowledge, insights and understanding that we are gaining through this process are not acted upon, all we're doing is stacking up a pile of bricks. There may be some satisfaction in seeing the stack grow, other people may even comment on it, but so long as the bricks sit in the stack they are of no use. They're not fulfilling the purpose they were designed for and in fact a stack of bricks on the pavement is worse than useless, it just gets in the way!

So our neighbour's stack of bricks came to mind this morning when I read Jesus' words, "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock." (Matthew 8:24)  For those of us who do a lot of "hearing" this is a real challenge. But we're working for a builder, not a brick collector, and what God is looking for this week is not how many bricks of knowledge we manage to accumulate, but how much building we'll do.

Here are some of those building metaphors to point the way to a productive week:

Romans 15:2 Each of us must please our neighbour for the good purpose of building up the neighbour.

1 Corinthians 3:9-10 For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it.

1 Corinthians 14:12 So with yourselves; since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in them for building up the church.

1 Corinthians 14:26 What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.

Ephesians 4:11-13 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

Jude 1:20-21 But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

MONDAY

DAILY WORSHIP

12.40-12:50pm

"Prayerstop"...

Reflection and worship facilitated by George Wieland

TUESDAY

B)Youth Ministry Design & Programming (8-9 March) with Murray Brown and Merrilyn Withers

A warm welcome to all students in these courses particularly those who have come from out of Auckland.

HELP!!

We need your help to ensure that the college is kept clean and tidy. Duties will be assigned this week but please remember to do your own dishes (wash and put them away) when you use the kitchen and keep tables clean in the dining room. Thanks!