“The sure foundation”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Sunday, May 7, 2023
1 Peter 2:2-10 (Forward, p. 9) CEV p. 1278
I wouldn’t have missed it for the world: that is, the coronation of His Majesty, King Charles III. And, I was so glad to see included as congregational hymns two very familiar and appropriate pieces, “Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven”, and “Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation.” Both underline and get foundation to the fact that though this is a state occasion, something that is foundational to British and Commonwealth governance as we know them, it is also a deeply spiritual occasion. Indeed, as the liturgy repeatedly pointed out, Charles’ reign would only be possible and healthy if motivated, empowered and guided by God. That is where the second hymn I mentioned “Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation” hits the matter precisely on the head. Christ has to be Charles’ sure foundation and none other.
I was put most surely in this thinking by our most recent project here at home, namely the erection of a greenhouse. Knowing how crucial the foundation is to the overall integrity of the structure, we took great pains to make sure that it was level, and solid. But, even then, with all the care and diligence we expended, one has to wonder a bit when some of the walls didn’t quite line up at the end.
The various apostles proved to be quite eloquent when it came to the matter of foundations. Paul mentions it in 1 Corinthians 2:11 where he says, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.” And that, too, is the theme of today’s passage as well. Quoting Isaiah 28:16, he says, “look, I am placing in Zion a choice and precious cornerstone. No one who has faith in that one will be disappointed.” And earlier, he explicitly says of Jesus Christ in particular, “Come to Jesus Christ. He is the living stone that people have rejected, but which God has chosen and highly honoured” (verse 4).
But neither Paul nor Peter are content to leave the matter there. Of course, the matter of the foundation or cornerstone is crucial, but so too is how we build upon it. And here it is that we, you and I as followers and disciples of Jesus Christ come in. We are to be ‘the living stones’ that after being laid upon that crucial foundation are used to build the church as it is meant to be, solid and stable and unmoveable. And so, as Paul says, it is crucial what ‘materials’ we choose to use. Will these materials be such things as anger, peevishness, jealousy, resentment or impatience—or, will they be such things as mutual respect and patience and love for one another? It is a crucial question—almost as crucial as that original foundation--one that each of us must answer for ourselves. Amen.
Forward notes: “Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (verses 4-5).
“The outside of Trinity Cathedral in Phoenix, Arizona, is covered in beautiful tufa limestone that was quarried locally when the cathedral was built. What amazes me is the story these limestone blocks continue to tell. Despite more than 100 years of constant exposure to one of the most extreme environments in the world, each block still bears the scars from the stonecutters and masons who quarried and placed them.
“The idea of a living stone is admittedly hard to grasp. Stones clearly aren’t alive in the biological sense, but they still have a story to tell when we listen. And most often, those stories involve scars. We know that following in the way of Jesus involves sacrifice, and that, like Jesus, we might carry some scars. But when we give ourselves over to follow where he leads, we become like that great cathedral, a spiritual house that will stand the test of time.” MOVING FORWARD: “What scars do you bear that tell the story of a faithful life? Give thanks for them today.”
