Weekly Devotion | December 5, 2024

Out of Sight and Mind
So much repair work happens at the church that most will never know about. Over the last year or so, our Trustees worked hard to repair many building problems most of us have never thought about. The Asbury building needed foundation work to resolve the long-standing rainwater problems in the basement. The Wesley building had a rainwater leak in the basement custodian closet that was repaired. Many other underground drainage issues were addressed as well. All these foundation repair issues happened out of sight and out of mind.

The roof and gutter repairs were similar. The trustees replaced the leaking gutters and downspouts to the Asbury building. Gutters and downspouts at our other buildings were cleared of roots and leaves. The roofs on the Epworth and Wesley buildings were replaced, addressing several leaking areas. All of this was out of sight and out of mind. These out of sight and mind repairs cost us $250,000. Wow! So much money, effort and energy go into repairs for us to make to Sunday mornings each week. As you know, buildings always need repair. We will continue this work forever. Thank you Trustee Committee members!

This work reminds me that church buildings are a lot like our souls. We need repair work done all our lives, most of which no one will ever really know about. When we gather for worship, we don’t know the soul repair work going on around us. Someone next to us could have received a serious diagnosis from their doctor and is having a hard time talking about it. The person behind us could be struggling with family issues that don’t have easy solutions. Maybe the person in front of us is struggling with hard questions about faith in God and following Christ. Look at yourself right now, is your soul in good repair or could it use some work?

Buildings are always needing some sort of repair work done…just like us. We are a work in progress until we inherit a perfect dwelling place in heaven (John 14). Trust that God knows the repairs we need. Trust that Christ will work like the master craftsman he is to help us address those repairs. Trust the Holy Spirit to get the work done, even if it’s out of sight and out of mind to everyone around us.

Peace,
zack@madisonfumc.com