Jjarr posted about the silver refiner and it brought back memories of a story I read once about a potter's work. This is not that one, but close enough. I did my best to shorten it as there are a lot of scriptures in it, that I omitted but you will get it.
To those of you who have fallen, pay close attention to the "mending of the vessel." Hope it helps you like it has me. :)
3 things involved in making a clay pot:
1. The Potter
2. The Clay
3. The Process
Five Steps for a Potter Making a Vessel
Step 1: Choosing the Clay
Step 2. Preparing the Clay - Washing and Treading
Step 3. Centered on the Wheel
Step 4. Shaping
Step 5. The Fire
Step 1: Choosing the Clay
We are dug out of the pit of sin by God�s gracious hand.
Step 2. Preparing the Clay - Washing and Treading
God begins the work of Sanctification in our lives.
The clay must first be washed to remove the exterior dirt, mire and surface impurities. This initial washing will not be the last time the clay will see the potter use water to aid the process. Of course we understand the natural water of the potter to be a representation of spiritual water which is the Word of God.
Step 3. Centered on the Wheel
Thus far the potter has taken the clay out of the pit, prepared it, placed it on the rock, and has now established its goings. After the potter places this lump, this glob of clay on the wheel and sets it to spin, he places his hands on the clay, not to shape the clay, but to center it. At first the clay fights with the potter�s hands, as you can imagine, uncentered on the rock, each time it comes around to the potter�s hands it finds resistance.
Clay is centered when it no longer resists!
We must not be:
Eccentric
Egocentric
Ethnocentric
We must be:
Christocentric
True capacity is created only after a person becomes Christ centered and stops resisting the hands of God.
Step 4. Shaping the Clay
There was potter, and in this potter�s studio, there were 3 lumps of clay. . The first lump was hard.When the potter took this lump to his wheel, and began to center the clay, it would not yield.
When the potter pushed, the clay pushed back,
The stubborn clay would not be centered. The Potter was not about to fight this lump of clay, so he threw it into a bucket of water so that it might soften up.
The second lump of clay was very soft. When the potter put this lump of clay on his wheel, it centered easily.
As he began to fashion it, the clay was so soft, that it could not hold the shape it was given.
It wavered and flopped until it finally collapsed. It was, as the scripture says, �marred in his hands.�
Then the potter took this pile of clay and put it aside so that it might firm up.
The 3rd lump of clay was not soft, yet neither was it hard.
The potter brought this clay to his wheel.
Without any resistance, it responded to the movement of his hands.
Once centered, the potter began to raise up this lump in the shape of a pot.
And the clay held this form firmly so that the potter might finish his work, shaping the clay according to his design.
As the Potter works with the clay and the forming vessel, it never leaves the hands of the Potter. At least one hand is on it at all times, even when the other hand is reaching for some more water, or a forming tool.
Water is Poured on the Clay~
Water is a type of the Word of God.
We must have the Word continually.
We must apply it to our hearts.
The Potter applies pressure to the clay to mold it. It is an �upward� pressure - God wants to lift us to higher capacity and usefulness.
The Heart~
The inside of the vessel is called, appropriately, �the Heart.�
At this point in the formation of the clay vessel, the exterior, having had the upward and constant pressure applied, begins to take shape and look attractive. But then, something almost �cruel� begins to happen�
The Potter takes his fingers and forces them down into the center of the vessel. If the potter doesn�t work on the heart, then the vessel cannot contain anything.
The bigger it is ON THE INSIDE, the more it can contain and the more it can pour. The potter at this stage has one hand inside the vessel, and one hand on the outside.
The Mouth~
After the potter has shaped and molded the vessel both inwardly and outwardly, he must finish with the topmost part, which is called �the mouth.�
The mouth is vital - it is the final part that anything inside the vessel touches when it is poured out.
Hardening Clay~
This type of clay hardens in one of three ways:
Air Dry � the simplest but creates the least durable end product
Oven Baked � Not as durable as Kiln Fired clay, but more durable than most Air-Dried clays
Kiln Fired � Kiln Fired clay produces the most durable end product
-requires special equipment to harden, and is the type
-used by many fine ceramicists.
Step 5. The Fire~
*Vessels only reach the �Fire� phase IF THEY HAVE YIELDED TO THE SHAPING AND SURRENDERED TO THE HAND OF THE POTTER.
WE BECOME THE PRODUCT BY THE PROCESS
Before the final fire to make it shine, the vessel is put on a shelf for a period of time by itself.
The �trial� of the heat is part of the process. As God works to mold us and fire us, our original �glob� is hardly recognizable anymore
We are changed.
Mending a Broken Vessel~
Jeremiah says that when the vessel was marred, the potter made it again.
How do we become broken?
- in use - dropped, cracked, chipped
- in the fire - could not or would take the fire
- not enough preparation - only air baked or oven baked
o stressed above our ability to hold together
How are cracked vessels restored? The Potter applied a "blood paste."
The blood from an insect / tick (some call it a �fasuka�) that clung to the back of oxen and bulls and goats.
The Potter would squeeze the bugs and drop the blood onto dried powder clay and make a paste.
He would then gently apply the paste to the crack in the vessel.
He would put more wet clay on it, repeating the process until all the cracks were filled and repaired and the vessel made strong again.
If it held the patch, it was called a vessel of mercy. A vessel of mercy was used to carry fresh water that was freely shared with stranger. :purpleangel:
Thanks for sharing that Miss Joey, amazingly I can still remember art class in junior high and working with the clay... (just wish I could find my car keys) makes great sense!
Hey PJ, I hope that was directed to one "crack-pot from another, in the spirit of "muddy buddy" love. Oh, I am so good today. :laugh:
Jjarr, I used to work with it in art class, too, and loved the power of creativity with it. My dad always kept my odd looking pottery close by, he was very proud of them. Cherished memories~:glow:
BTW, I never lose my keys and last week-end they slipped out of my gloved hand (cause Mich. is just so warm, not!) and fell into a bag I was carrying in that same hand. I was running late for a family Christmas gathering and was getting frustrated, so I did the usual and prayed after trying to find them with my own strength. Well, as always, a little voice echoed "the bag, The Bag, THE BAG" (((((((())))))) ~voila, I found them in the bottom! :yay:
