In God's Hands

Dear Good Shepherd Family,
 
When we follow Jesus, we will always be growing in our faith, maturing as Christ's disciples. The Apostle Paul was speaking of this when he stated: "You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24; NRSV)

This work of Christian renewal is challenging in a world full of the promotion of power and self as opposed to service and the love of neighbor more than one's self. In worship this Sunday at Good Shepherd we will explore what it means to live a life "In God's Hands."

To prepare for worship, I'd like to challenge you in two ways again this week. First, read the scripture we will be exploring, Jeremiah 18:1-11. As you read, focus on the potter's hands and imagine what needs some "reshaping" in your life at this time.

Second, I invite you to read the following creative rendering of the Scripture:

The Lord said to Jeremiah:
'Go down to the shop where clay pots are made. I will speak to you while you are there.' So Jeremiah went and found the potter working at his wheel. The jar the potter was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so the potter squashed the jar into a lump of clay and started work on it again.
 
It's painful at times, this constant reworking and re-moulding.
And difficult to see where it will end.
If it will end at all. This reshaping, this recasting. This squashing and reforming.
Just when we see as ourselves as being in good shape, along it comes again. The creator's hand. Sometimes through life and its events. Sometimes through people and their actions.
Sometimes through other things.
Hard to be humble, a challenge to be cheerful.
Not always easy to see that in this reshaping others get a vision of God at work.
His presence, his compassion, his strength and kindness.
 
And the potter keeps on working.
 
We want to be strong, want to be already perfect. Already fully formed.
Don't want to be precious treasure held in a clay pot that will always be a work in progress.
Want to be something else.
Something more finished, something more perfect, something strong and noble.
Don't want God's power to be working through my weakness.
Want it to be on display through beauty and strength.
 
And the potter keeps on working.
 
And so the reshaping goes on.
Along with the struggling and the believing and the questioning and the trusting and the doubting.
The longing and praying and hoping.
In the good moments we glimpse his hand at work.
On the difficult days we wonder what on earth is going on.
 
And the potter keeps on working.
 
The Lord said to Jeremiah:
'Go down to the shop where clay pots are made. I will speak to you while you are there.' So Jeremiah went and found the potter working at his wheel. The jar the potter was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so the potter squashed the jar into a lump of clay and started work on it again.
 
I look forward to seeing you Sunday and, until then, may you both grow in faith and find renewal in the Potter's Hands, for the Potter keeps on working.

Love in Christ,
Pastor Steve       

Reading adapted and used with permission from �DaveHopwood/engageworship.org

Good Shepherd United Methodist Church
9155 Hungary Road, Henrico, VA 23294
804.270.7613