Unfinished Cathedral

Date: Sunday, October 4, 2026

Readings: 1 Corinthians 3 | Psalm 79

Construction on the Sagrada Família in Barcelona began in 1882. The architect Antoni Gaudí took over the project a year later and devoted the rest of his life to it. He knew he would never see it finished. When a tram struck and killed him in 1926, only a small part of the basilica was complete. Gaudí is said to have shrugged off the slow pace with the thought that his client was not in a hurry. Whether or not he said it, the attitude fits the Gospel.

The Corinthians, meanwhile, were squabbling over which preacher to follow: Paul, Apollos, or someone else. Paul deflates the rivalry with a gardener’s image: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6). Then he switches to architecture. There’s one foundation, “which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11), and every builder’s work will be tested. Even if a builder’s work burns up, Paul says, he “will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Corinthians 3:15). That is grace talking: our salvation rests on the foundation, not on our building.

And here’s the stunner: “you yourselves are God’s temple and… God’s Spirit dwells in your midst” (1 Corinthians 3:16). We’re both the workers and the work in progress. Your life, our church, your ministry may look like scaffolding right now. That’s fine. The Master Builder isn’t in a hurry, and he isn’t abandoning the site.

Devotional Prompts:

In what area of your life are you tempted to compare yourself to other “builders” rather than trusting God for growth?
What does it mean that your worth rests on the foundation of Christ and not on the quality of your work?
Where might you be called to plant or water something you may never see completed?

Prayer: Master Builder, You alone give the growth. Free us from rivalry and from the need to see every project finished. Keep us anchored on Christ, our only foundation, and make our lives a dwelling worthy of Your Spirit. Amen.