There are two kinds of pictures in our house. Some are framed on the wall – professionally and exquisitely painted. Others are blu-tacked to fridges and doors – these are the art works of our children. We would make no money selling them, but to us, they are priceless expressions of love and creativity.
I sometimes think these kinds of pictures are in God’s house too. Some Christian worship is awe-inspiring in its artistic merit. It is like the framed pictures. However, I think God also has pictures which he cherishes on his fridge door: Small congregations and groups may not aspire to the professional music of cathedrals or polished contemporary style of some large churches, but the beauty of their worship is matchless. One village keyboardist I know played on alternate Sundays with an elderly organist who had played for the little church for half a century. She saw that his health was unpredictable but also that playing for worship was precious to him. Unbeknownst to him and almost everyone else, she practised his hymns every Sunday so that the church would never be left without an organist if he was suddenly unwell. That act of devotion, I think, must have one of the places of honour on God’s fridge door.
There are two ways to cook in our house too. Sometimes we cook from a recipe book, searching out the right ingredients. At the end of the week, we cook from the fridge – there is a carrot, a bar of chocolate and some tomato ketchup – and we have to make a meal. Ministry often requires a similar degree of ingenuity especially during Covid times. A number of churches and Lightwave groups, thought initially that they didn’t have the ingredients they needed – but they have worked with what they have, taking worship online or outside for “wild church”, engaging with isolated young people or starting foodbanks.
The Lightwave community would love to come alongside you who are “cooking from the fridge” to support and share ingredients. You can email us HERE We praise God for all that Christians are doing to make something beautiful for him in hundreds of communities across our county.