Earthen Vessels
When I was in High School I liked to throw pots. No, I wasn't suffering from anger issues, I don't mean that I tossed cookware across the room! "Throwing pots" is ceramic lingo, it refers to the process of making clay pottery on a potters wheel. (When the potter puts the clay on the wheel—he needs it to stick securely so he plops it down hard on wheel, hence the "throw.")
Anyway, I enjoyed throwing pots, I enjoyed the dusty, clay smell of the workroom, and the fine feel of the clay when I kneaded it, preparing it for the wheel and then the slippery silk feel when water was added. I was fasinated by the way in which I could mold the clay into different shapes as it spun on the wheel. The process was informative too—the spinning, the drying, the trimming, the first firing, the glazing, the second firing—all required to make a beautiful vessel.
I was especially fascinated by the glazing process—the potter would paint some colorless pasty looking glop on the pot and put it into the fire, but when it took it out of the fire, the brilliant rainbow of colors, refractions, and hues that resulted!
The thing that struck me is that so much dirt, dust, spinning and heat actually resulted in a thing of usefulness and beauty. The whole process was dirty (we always wore a smock to keep us clean), and the materials looked so plan and….. earthen. But the result was so beautiful.
The Apostle Paul referenced this dynamic, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us." 2 Corinthians 4:7 Scholars debate whether Paul's reference to the "treasure" is the message of the gospel that the apostles preached, or the work of the gospel in the apostles themselves. I prefer the latter.
Sometimes it seems incongruous—I may stand up to preach the eternal gospel—and have a headache, or I may pray with a brother at the alter about a critical need, and notice my shoe is untied. We can chuckle at the silly incongruencies, but what about the more serious ones? Does it seem disengenous that we would be called Men and Women of God—we who are weak and flawed. We need food, sleep, and bathing. We are human. "If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? (Shakespeare)
And yet, despite our humanness God chooses to work in us! It's the message of Bethlehem all over again! Immanuel! He takes dirt, kneads it, spins it, fashions it and fires it. None of these processes are comfortable for the clay! But the result is a thing of beauty, which will hold something more beautiful still--Himself! He is fashioning a earthen vessel to hold His own Glory. We are the Temple of the Holy Ghost! Christ in you is the hope of Glory!
Articles & Resources for Church Workers
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Anthrax & Antidote—Becoming Biblically Wise in Times of Spiritual Terrorism
How can the pastor maintain spiritual health in the face of the insidious schemes of an invisible enemy? How can he protect his people from the insidious attacks of a ruthless enemy? -
The Necessity of Leadership in the Smaller Congregation
What is leadership? The question is more than just idle speculation about the philosophy of overseeing people and running an organization. It addresses the fundamental responsibility and task assigned to those who accept the call to pastor a small church. -
“I TRIED, BUT NO ONE EVER CALLED ME”
“I tried, but no one ever called me” are painful words for a leader who has much work to do and not enough people willing to do it. These words are painful for the person who wanted to contribute, but was never called. These are also painful words for a person who is committed to helping people connect and contribute in meaningful ways within the church.
