2025 marks 150 years since the laying of the foundation stone of the present All Saints’ Anglican Church building here in Tumut. We remember and give thanks for the many faithful women and men, girls and boys, parishioners and clergy who have been part of the life of All Saints’. We thank God for their faith, service and example.

The funny thing is that we can’t actually find the foundation stone itself! We have historical records which testify to the fact that such a stone was laid in December 1875. Yet even after extensive searching by knowledgeable people, the stone’s whereabouts remain a mystery.

But what matters more than bricks, mortar and stone is a different foundation, a different cornerstone: the faith we have in our hearts, and whom that faith is built upon. You can’t actually see faith or the object of faith, but our lives show whether or not it is really there.

The Bible tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone of the church (Ephesians 2:20). He has brought us into right relationship with Him, by dying and rising again for us. The blood He shed on the cross cleanses us of our sins, bringing forgiveness and eternal life. He is the Cornerstone in that He is the reference point for faith and life.

And all who trust in Christ are joined together as a spiritual building, in which God dwells by His Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:21, 22).

In Matthew 7, Jesus said that those who hear His words and respond with faith and obedience are like the wise man who built his house on the solid foundation of the rock. Genuine faith in Christ is able to withstand all the storms of life, all manner of trials and tribulations.

Just like the foundation stone of our church, we can’t see our Chief Cornerstone now. But we know He is alive, at God’s right hand, and that He also lives in our hearts by His Spirit. And one day, He will return and we will see the object of our faith. So may our hearts always be drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ, and may He be pleased, through us, to draw more and more people to Him.