Back in
the day, we called it "Going Cheap." Today I think it would be
called, "Going Green." If you visit our home, you will notice that we
live with lots of furniture bearing the "patina of life." Each
well-worn piece has its own story to tell. (Linda worries that I will bore you
by telling their story for them. :-)
We
learned the value and promise of furnishing a home with reclamation pieces from
the example and coaching of Pastor Moore. Our meager possessions, after five
years of Bible college, were far from sufficient to outfit our first parsonage.
But Pastor Dewey and his wife, Ruth, proudly displayed their amazing collection
of beautifully restored antiques. Most were either hand-me-downs from church
members or rescued from the trash before the refuse truck hauled them away. So
thirty-eight years ago, Pastor Dewey taught us the basic principles of
restoring the broken and discarded and making them useful for service.
The
Household of God is well-furnished with the "patina of life." God has
graciously and miraculously rescued, restored, refurbished and renewed lives
that were broken and discarded. Paul describes these as "trophies of grace."
God has taken what was no longer useable and "equipped us for His service."
His grace is making us useful again. He is doing this work in His world through
His Word in His Church!
In the
corner of our living stands our pride and joy. The grand wardrobe cabinet has
an amazing story to tell. We went northwest of G-burg to the Puhls' farm
auction. The merchandise to be sold was remarkable for its age and its variety.
We were optimistic that we would successfully outbid others for some select
piece to "equip." We were wrong. The number of collectors and dealers
present blew the prices out of the budget of this Baptist preacher. And the one
piece we had set our hearts on shocked us the most. Bound together with bailing
twine, nearly black because of its aged varnish finish, it attracted numerous
bidders. Its price quickly blitzed $100 and it was finally sold to an elderly
gentleman wearing bottle-top glasses. We concluded he simply did not know what
he bought. Until...
Six
months later we visited a neighbor's backyard barn. As the in-laws surveyed his
inventory of restored antiques, Linda and I were stopped in our tracks. There
stood the grand wardrobe cabinet. It was a gorgeous golden oak masterpiece,
fully restored to its original beauty, but now with an incredible story to
tell. Seeing our love for it, he offered it to us at a steal.
The
household of the Lord, which is what we are as the Church, is marvelously
furnished with reclaimed discards, masterfully reclaimed and restored. We who
were totally useless are being mended for His glorious use. We are being
"equipped."
"For
we are His workmanship, created (recreated!) in Christ Jesus for good
works..." Ephesians 2:10
We were going cheap...rather...we are going "green." In the
corner of our living room today stands a masterpiece with its own story to
tell!
See you Sunday, Church!
Pastor
Tom
