The Potter and The Clay

The passage today from Jeremiah was Jeremiah 18-19. And I have to admit, when I started to read this passage,

1The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2"Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words." 3So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.

I thought cool! A picture that I can relate to. I've seen potters do their thing with clay on a spinning wheel. I've seen them work a piece, get this look of frustration and then plop the piece into a ball again and start all over. I can see this happening. :)

And just as the potter works the clay with his hands (it is VERY hands-on) to get it into the form that he has in mind, so God works his people.

Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6"O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, 8and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. 9And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, 10and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. 11Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: 'Thus says the LORD, behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.'

He is intentional about what he does with us. He knows what we are to be and works hard in us and on us to get us into the image. But we often forget that he is our maker. If we do what we are supposed to, he will continue to shape us, seemingly effortlessly, until we are what he wants. BUT if we do not do what he has called us to, like the potter, he can pick us up, lop us up into a misshapen ball, and start all over again.

Sometimes I wonder what it will take for God to do that with his church today. I look at his church and I quite frankly see rebellion everywhere.

In his church we find:
From older folks saying... but we're too old to do anything for the church, we're too old to reach out into our communities and...
From younger folks saying... but we need to make a career for ourselves, we need to focus on our education, and having fun, and
From middle age folks saying ... but we're comfortable where we are, our kids have grown, now it's time for us to relax a bit....
From the pulpit... we need to reach the masses, we need to compete with the world in order to get people to pay attention to us, what if we change just a bit what God's word says, make it more user friendly....
From consistories/board of elders... who won't chastise way-ward members of the congregation lest they lose that individual as a member or make other members angry....
From denominational heads ... who are SO focused on their own agendas that they fail to see what is truly in God's word...

There is sin and misery and turn-away from God in the church itself... when will God take a firm hand and say 'My children, enough... let me re-shape you'. I don't know... Sometimes I want God to do something to shake people out of their complacy...and that includes me...

I read Jeremiah and I see today's church, I see myself and I just want God to act. I really do.