On our recent holiday to Devon we made a visit to Buckfast Abbey. The present magnificent church is only 100 years old having been rebuilt on the site of a former Cistercian Monastery, destroyed during the reign of Henry VIII – the 1550’s.
In the 1880’s a small community of Benedictine monks returned to the site and had the vision of rebuilding the Abbey to God’s glory on the same foundations, and to much the same style as the former monastery buildings. This would be a massive task to take on as there were fewer than 10 monks who would undertake the bulk of the work. The whole project took over 40 years, being completed in 1938.
It was good to spend time at such a peaceful and sacred place, and marvel at the skill of the craftsmen and their dedication, which was for them their life’s work of service to God.
The Bible has several passages relating to building.
Matthew’s Gospel (ch 7) records a parable told by Jesus of the wise man who built his house upon a rock. A picture of a physical building but also speaking about making Jesus, and His teaching the strong foundations for our lives.
In the Old Testament the Psalmist (Psalm 127) writes “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain”. “Unless the Lord watches over the city, The watchmen stand guard in vain”. Again pictures of God’s love and care for us, and the assurance that we can put our trust in Him.
That faithful and dedicated team of monks at Buckfast Abbey, labouring for 30+ years, taking pride in their workmanship, building their church to the glory of God, presents quite a challenge to us.
Firstly, are our lives built on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ and on His teachings?
And secondly, are we able to patiently persevere and allow God to shape us into people He wants us to be?