As I write this, I am in the company of the Craft and Chat group where several are busy with their hands creating various em-broideries, cross stitches and other craft-works. We can also see the skilful work of the Banner group displayed around the walls of the chapel, and all these remind me that it is good to be busy with our hands.
In recent times as well as establishing these groups, there have been visits to view the tapestries created for the ‘Threads through the Bible’ exhibition, and I also remember a fascinating visit I made to Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire where Bess of Hardwick, the countess of Shrewsbury was largely respon-sible for a collection of magnificent tapes-tries including 13 in the Long Gallery telling the story of Gideon. Well worth a visit if you are up that way.
There is a beautiful story in the bible of the disciple named Tabitha also known as Dorcas who, we read ‘was always doing good and helping the poor’ (Acts 9:36b). However, when she was taken sick and died, the apostle Peter being nearby was sent for. When he arrived, he was taken up into the room where the crying widows showed him all the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them (v39b) Here was a lady who had kept herself busy using her skills to do practical things to help the poor. Gloriously, after Peter prayed for her, she was restored to life.
Jesus was brought up, the son of Joseph the carpenter. We can only imagine what skills he might have used in working with wood as Joseph may have taught him, but his far greater skills were in the use of his hands which he laid on many people to bring about healing, his words of comfort, his prayers of intercession and his open arms, displayed on the cross which invites all to come to him for forgiveness of our sins. It is only through Him that countless lives have been restored and counted righteous in God’s sight.
There is a line in that well known hymn ‘My Jesus, My Saviour’ which reads
‘I sing for joy at the work of your hands’ Every time we sing that, it is good to remind ourselves of the Saviour’s handiwork in shaping our lives free from the curse of sin.
At the same time, however skilful we may be, it is not our craftmanship that will save us, as the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus ‘For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works , which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
Our God is the maker of all things, the provider of all our creative talents, and so may we always, through the work of our hands, seek to glorify Him.
Stuart
Elder
June 2026
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