Repairs

And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. – Ephesians 2:22 (NIV) 

My friend, Glynnis, an architect, wants churches to develop repair shops. She wants us to rebuild our dwellings and furnishings: broken lamps, broken clocks for starters, and malfunctioning printers and computers for finishers. She wants some proof of resurrection. She wants us to make real the experience of becoming new. Or getting over being broken. Or discarded. Or just cluttering up the place by our overdone presence, the way cords infiltrate our floors and become trip hazards. 

She wants people to experience Easter, and she thinks we can do it through objects. 

She talked me into repairing my old white wooden stool, the one I use to get to the higher shelves. It had stains on it from some kind of glue, long left behind by someone’s boot. I just used it ugly. One day, thinking about Glynnis and her intelligent doubts about the truth of Christianity and its Easters, I got out an old can that was hiding deep in its tomb in the back of my least favorite closet. It said on it, “Removes stains.” I applied it and a lot of elbow grease—and next thing I knew, my distressed stool was white as snow. 

My pride turned into a parable. Now every time I use the stool, I congratulate myself and look around for something else to clean or dust or refresh.   

Prayer
Thank you, God of small and large Repair, for your constant restoration by taking us down to wood; thank you for being as real as a wooden stool that steps us to higher things. Amen.

About the Author
Donna Schaper is Interim Minister at the United Congregational Church of Little Compton. Her latest book is Remove the Pews.