Feb 13 – Small bricks, big difference!
Imagine you’re out on an overnight hike, and as evening falls a cold wind whips up. You find a hut to shelter in, but as you bed down for the night you discover some bricks are missing in the wall! It’s only one or two that are gone, and yet they make all the difference as the wind whistles through, making it difficult to fully enjoy the comfort of your shelter. Small bricks can make a big difference!
In our church there are plenty of people who do tasks that might be seen as ‘small bricks’ (and note it’s the task that’s the small brick, not the person!): a Bible reading in the service, flowers arranged on our pedestal, vacuuming during the week, being an extra adult in the C4K class, serving tea and coffee. For many these tasks don’t require lots of time or special skills, but we notice when these bricks are missing! I am thankful for everyone who helps with all the small stuff.
I have noticed that one small brick is often difficult to source: leading prayers in church. Could it be that we are embarrassed by our prayers? If so, then practice makes perfect. Pray aloud at home, then pray with one or two others. And you can always pray prayers penned by someone else. One blessing of Anglicanism is we can pray directly out of the prayer book, something I’ve done on numerous Sundays. I would welcome more people to pray the prayers of others in church!
Martin Kemp
