Laborare est orare

In the mornings recently as we’ve gathered in St David’s Chapel for morning prayer, it has been to the background rumble of a small cement mixer, and the sound of hammering,purposeful conversation and even, this morning, a small forklift truck. Our builders have been splendid to work with, showing great sensitivity and understanding of the purpose of a church and going well beyond the call of duty to enable us to continue worship with minimal disruption while their work progresses. The Office, though, is too regular an occurrence to allow them to down tools, -so as they have mixed concrete, grouted tiles and laid the new floor where some vanished pews once stood, we too have pressed on with our work... Both labours are foundational. The words of prayer that we offer, in company with Christians across the world, provide the stability and structure that my ministry depends on…Morning and Evening Prayer are the book-ends that support everything else that happens in my day, and I know that they are no less essential to the life of the whole church, though on the whole we make less noise about them than the builders are bound to. I’ve loved the fact that pray-ers and builders have worked side by side, looking towards a church that is more truly fit for purpose, more fully an expression of our calling to be God’s people in this place, to worship with creativity and to welcome all comers in God’s name.