As part of our service today, I gave out some bricks I had found lying around the back of our defunct building.  I had assumed they were Victorian and of no great value (about 10p each) but opted to check with the deacons before giving them away.  No one raised any objection, but one person informed me that they were specially commissioned bricks (an unusual size) and worth considerably more than 10p each.  I mentioned this to the person who helped me cart them from car to school hall.  "Rubbish!"  he said, "I made them when I worked at the brick works, they are machine cut imitation Victorian hand made bricks and worth absolutely nothing."  Seemingly they were destined for the tip and the brick yard let him take for the chapel, where they might be useful one day.

In a sense this fitted all the better with the service - that which the brickyard seems worthless is valuable in the service of God (if only a visual aid!).  Hopefully people heard the message that whilst we might feel as old and worthless as crumbly, dirty old bricks, the Temple referred to in 1 Peter is built of us.