First firing

Lily Cathcart June 06, 2024 5 5

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2 Corinthians 4: 7 (NRSVA)

7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.

When pots come out from their first firing in the kiln you get to see what all your hard work building and sculpting has brought you. The hope is that you have a stable and solid pot ready to be glazed but the thrill of working with earth is that every pot is different. Sometimes a pot is a little wobbly, or cracked. Sometimes it has even broken into pieces under the heat.

I know I have cracked under pressure and heat more than a few times. After all, I am part of the earth too and subject to its weaknesses as well as its strengths. In those moments I’m glad that our Father God, our God the potter is on hand to pick me up and put me back together…

Perhaps God will skilfully use kintisugi — the Japanese practice of mending broken pottery with gold. We know that God has a history of seeing the beauty and building more beauty into broken things as they are healed.

Perhaps God will generously fill the small cracks with glaze, taking the nondescript pot and painting on patterns that will grow and change though the next firing, healing the gaps and making the whole beautiful and unique.

Perhaps God will smile and glaze the pot, adding colour and meaning to its imperfections ready to enjoy the way this pot wobbles and tilts just as it was made under his hand.

Prayer:

Dear Father God of imperfections

Thank you that you love us

Thank you that you are ready to heal us where we need

Thank you that you adorn us with colour and fun

Thank you that you adore our wobbles and unique imperfections

Amen