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Dust and Stones

Every church member matters to God. Do they matter to us?

Healthy, Growing Churches (7)

You will arise
and have mercy on Zion;
For the time to favor her,
Yes, the set time, has come.
For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,
And show favor to her dust.
So the nations shall fear the name of the L
ORD,
And all the kings of the earth Your glory.
Psalm 102.13-15

Tractates on the Gospel of John 7.6.3
Augustine (354-430)
“But what have you heard about Jerusalem in the Psalms? ‘For its stones are dear to your servants; its very dust moves them to pity,’ ‘You,’ it says, ‘will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to it.’ When the time came for God to show mercy, the Lamb came. What kind of Lamb is it whom the wolves fear? What kind of Lamb is it who, though killed, kills the lion? For the devil has been called a lion, going about and roaring, seeking someone to devour; by the Lamb’s blood the lion has been conquered. Behold the spectacles of Christians!”

Every local church needs every member to join together in building-up the body of Christ. Even the “dust and stones” of the local church matter to the Lord, Who promises to have mercy on them, to show them His favor, to delight in them, and put them to their proper use in His Kingdom. If the Lord will do so much for even “the least of these,” how can the shepherds of a local church do otherwise? Shepherds want all the sheep in their flock to be healthy, to produce an abundance of wool, and to bring new offspring into the flock. Builders want none of the stones and bricks to go to waste in building the house of the Lord. If we want the nations to fear the Name of the Lord, and to glorify Him, then we must regard every member of His body as He does, and work diligently to help them find their place of growth and service in His church.

What specific efforts do the shepherds of your church take to help even the “dust and stones” of your church make their contribution to building a healthy, growing congregation?

T. M. Moore

Healthy, Growing Churches
Our assessment tool, Twelve Questions that Could Change Your Church, can help you discover the extent to which you are building the Lord’s church as He intends. Use this tool with your church leaders to discern the health of your church, then to plan the next phase of your growth as the Body of Christ. You can download Twelve Questionsfor free by clicking here.The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Quotations from Church Fathers are from the Ancient Christian Commentary Series, published by InterVarsity Press.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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