Five centuries before Jesus was born, the Israelites returned from exile to find Jerusalem in ruins and the temple destroyed. With great enthusiasm they set about rebuilding it. However, Zerubbabel the governor, got little farther than laying the foundation before opposition set in. Neighbours fought the project tooth and nail, finally succeeding in getting a restraining order to halt construction. Enemies mocked. Supporters became discouraged. For years the site stood silent.
Failure. Zerubbabel felt like a failure. There were plenty of other things to do. Zerubbabel set to work building his own wood-paneled home. But his grand dream had fizzled.
I like what this website has to say about him:
“He was probably like the rest of us when failure looms. What little self-confidence we have ebbs away. We seal ourselves from more pain by denial. We meet further effort with skepticism. We protect ourselves from getting our hopes too high again. We look at the ground rather than the sky, at the past rather than the future.
And then one day a man of God, Zechariah, began to speak words that pierced Zerubbabel to the heart and filled him with fresh hope: "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel," came the message. "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty." Zerubbabel could feel his heart pounding as the message continued. "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!' The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple, his hands will also complete it" (Zechariah 4:6-7).
The project had seemed like an immovable mountain, Zerubbabel thought. But now with God at work he knew he could finish the temple.
The final words of the prophecy jolted him. "Do not despise the day of small things. Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel" (vs. 10). How weak, how insignificant, how naive he had been. Yet, in spite of all that, God had been in those beginnings.”
How often our efforts are mocked by those who think big is beautiful. We can get so discouraged we don't even want to try again. But God delights in taking the insignificant and making something out of it. Down through history we can see the pattern
- Five smooth stones that felled the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17),
- The handful of meal and a jar of oil that sustained a widow through years of famine (2 Kings 4:1-7),
- Five barley loaves and a couple fish that fed a multitude (Matthew 14:13-21), and
- The mustard seed Jesus said would become a great tree for birds to find shelter (Matthew 13:31-32).
What little thing, what dream, what false start, have we despised? Our small church?
"Not by might, not by power, but my Spirit says the Lord Almighty" (Zechariah 4:6).
I keep thinking about the small churches round here. I returned my books to the book cafe at Murrow yesterday. One of the folk from the church was worrying she had to be steward on Sunday because Eric is away. I think there might be only two of them there on Sunday. She told me it’s sad no one comes. I’m not their minister, I’m not the minister of anywhere (!) but if I was, I’d want to ask what do they do well and why don’t they do more of it. They let out their hall to a book cafe and a knitting group and they have a stall once a month to raise funds for the church to keep it going — but I can see without encouragement, they could get demoralised. What small thing do we build on?
I think the key is to celebrate what we are and not worry what we are not. Hailsham Methodist Church does pastoral care through giving away Care Bears to those who need some support; some churches have found new life through community usage in the week. My former churches at Empingham and at Pett have found putting a post office in their hall has made a huge difference. Other little places are growing through doing the small things, small acts of kindness, well. We’ve decided to settle for the next year at the little chapel at Tydd St Giles because the six members there made us feel welcome. Doing the small basics well.
Doing the basics well I believe will lead to growth. Our cats are demanding! Mrs Wife is sitting next to me pondering getting a fifth or sixth! Dear God!! If I feed them, love them, talk to them, they are fine. It’s the same with church: preachers present the Gospel so we can understand it; we are made to feel welcome; we are not ignored, the basics aren’t difficult! Small things like a “how are you?” or a smile or being given a hymn book, helps! I’m sad when churches burn out or yearn for the old days when everything was perfect. Get your small kindnesses right and you don’t know what might happen...
After all, the sacred truth is this. Jesus took small things and turned them into something sacramental. A piece of bread and a cup of wine; twelve ordinary men; a simple conversation on a road; a routine execution turned into God’s means of salvation. As the Dali Larma has said :
“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”
“In difficult times, it’s important to hold on to something sustaining, like a sparkling crystal in the darkness, like the sweetness of stroking a cat or a dog. Take every opportunity to make life easier, lighter.” So suggests Jordan B. Peterson in “12 rules for life, an antidote to chaos.” Perhaps doing something small reminds us of the preciousness of life.
So tonight I guess I’m commending doing small things well: making people feel they are wanted, doing what we can, making a difference to our part of the world. One small act of kindness today can make a huge difference. One reminder by someone to us doing the basics of Christian care can undo so much damage. We are called to be kind - always.
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