The same is true for our church buildings. When we enter a church we are taken out of our ordinary, limited experience, just as we are with an icon. We see not just a nice building, but a place that has been precious to our ancestors, sometimes for many centuries. I read this morning that the total backlog of repairs for all the country’s churches is estimated to cost over £1 billion. Unlike in many other countries, churches in the UK receive no funding from the State or central Church, but rely on small numbers of committed volunteers to keep these precious buildings standing.