“In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them”
John 14.v.19-21

In Australia, New Zealand and Cornwall prospecting for gold, precious metals, fossils or crystals is sometimes known as ‘fossicking’, the rest of us ‘non fossickers’ look at rocks or stones and see just rock. Fossickers would say that each rock or stone has its own beauty; there are of course much-sought-after rocks that hold hidden beauty, such as opals and thundereggs (formed through volcanic ash layers). These rocks look like ordinary rock on the outside, and it is only when they arecracked open that their inner beauty is revealed. During our April Mossy Church, the children became ‘fossickers’ as they explored surprises in relation to the Resurrection surprise of the Empty Tomb and the Risen Christ. They cracked open seemingly ordinary stones with hammers and found treasure in the form of crystals. For the women arriving with spices on Easter morning, the horror of the empty tomb, the rock broken and rolled away turned into the treasure of the Risen Christ.

The exact location of the tomb and the garden in the outskirts of Jerusalem is not known but at least two places have been identified as possibilities. For Palestinian Christians the places are of course precious but more precious still is their own calling to be living stones, revealing the treasure of their faith in their lives in the land where Jesus walked, against all odds this is what they strive for.

Like us they are just ‘ordinary’ stones but John 14 reminds us that when God looks at us s/he values each one of us as precious, made to be part of his/her church and to build something to God’s glory. As we move towards Pentecost and then on to our Patronal Festival, we might well wonder how we can best become the stones that live. The Christian community in Palestine speak powerfully about being the living stone of the faith even when, especially when, the actual stones around them are destroyed, occupied or fossilised as museum pieces.

Christian communities wherever they are cannot be static. John’s gospel tells us that Jesus shows us that God lives in us.. that is our inner treasure, our crystal inside the ordinary outer stone, evoking the image of a church alive with a spirit of worship and service where God’s love comes to life. We are called to keep our church here in Chaldon alive and to be a place where people can be treasured for what they are and perhaps be helped to find their innermost treasure. Our visitors speak powerfully of what they find within our ancient stone walls.

At the recent local election hustings, a complete stranger told me that she visits Chaldon Church regularly and calls it the ‘church of love’ How wonderful to be custodians of such a special place and to be able to provide a sanctuary where people can feel the love of God. What a privilege it is to be alive together at this time bringing that love into the world. YOU are a part of this, YOU are a living stone YOU have untold treasures within you… God like a fossicker can see that but can we also be fossickers for each other? Welcoming and exploring each other’s gifts and stories so that our church named after Peter the Rock can continue to be a living, loving place?

If you value what our church does and what we stand for and what you receive from the community, perhaps this Easter Season you might consider what you contribute to show how much you treasure what you find within our walls. Whether it is money, time and/or skills your contribution will become valuable part of our living witness.