The Stones That Remain

In the dust of our crumbling institutions,

in the dust of our crumbling witness,

in the dust of our crumbling fellowship,

the Servant kneels and writes,

"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."

And I gather the stones that remain

from my original allotment

and determine to build an altar

- regrettably smaller now that it might have been -

smaller for the want of wasted stones.

I gather the stones that remain

and determine to build an altar of worship.

Who will join me?

- by Terry W.York (from The Church Musician, 1996)

a poem about leaving our childish stone throwing behind

and using our energies for worship