The Potter's Clay
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.
Jeremiah 18:1-4 NRSV
Nowadays, very few people actually use hand-thrown pottery every day. Most of us eat our meals off mass-produced plates. If any of us owns a piece of pottery at all, chances are it's an art object we put on a shelf.
Back in Jeremiah's day, rough clay pottery was what everybody used, and every town had its potter. Before Jeremiah's eyes, that lump of clay starts to take shape. Then suddenly, the almost-formed pot wobbles and collapses. The potter reforms the wet clay into a ball and starts the process again. He is looking for perfection. The potter has the power over the clay to let the defects remain or to reshape the pot.
As Jeremiah watched the potter, he saw in it a picture of God working on the people. The clay doesn't always form as the potter intends for the clay. Similarly, we humans are unpredictable.
It is legitimate to think of the pottery image as God shaping our individual lives. We are all on this journey with Jesus together. We all need one another. Every member of St. Martin’s serves an extremely important function. If we don't exercise our function, if we don't allow God to mold us, then the entire Church suffers and will not take shape.
Clay pots, clay dishes and clay cups are meant to be used. They are meant to be more than decorative pieces. So what is the Potter's hand molding us to do as the Body or Church of Jesus Christ at this time?
Jeremiah is inviting us to see or envision God up to His elbows in our making and remaking. Jeremiah calls us toward change, into a change that is of God’s design. We must be willing and receptive to God’s impact on us.
