Dear Masterworks of God,

Have you ever thought of yourself as a poem?  God has, and He virtually calls you that in Ephesians 2:10 where “what he has made us” (in the New Revised Standard Version—“workmanship,” “handiwork,” or even “masterpiece” in other versions) translates the Greek word from which we get “poem” in English: “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”  You are God’s masterpiece, God’s crowning creation, God’s holy handiwork.

Of course, at this point we’re all far from perfect, but God is fashioning us into living temples fit for His own dwelling…and He is doing the same with everyone else who turns to Him in faith.

It’s important to keep that perspective in all of our church work, whatever project we may be working on.  We are always doing much more than just planning a program, balancing a budget, singing a song, praying a prayer, or serving a supper.  We are also forging relationships with other people of God.  The program will be presented, the budget will be replaced by another, the song will be sung, the prayer will be answered (one way or another), and the dinner will be digested.  All those things will pass into history, but the people with whom we are working shoulder-to-shoulder will outlive them all, for they are God’s own poem and masterpiece, destined for eternal life in Christ.  It may well be that, in the Master’s plan, one single word of encouragement that you may speak will do more to build the church than any number of projects that you might accomplish.  Can we keep that thought before us throughout all of the church work that lies ahead?

Looking forward to continued working alongside you, the very poetry of God!

Your fellow poem,

(Rev.) Peter A. Brown

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