“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” – 2 Corinthians 4:7
In this age of plastic I seldom think of clay jars, bottles or pots. On the rare occasions when I do, what normally springs to mind is the contents of the vessel – a flowering plant in a terra-cotta pot, port wine cheese in an earthenware crock or good Belgian ale made by Trappist monks in a ceramic bottle. The container adds a nice rustic note to the total experience but it is what is inside that really counts.
We may think of the institutional church as a clay jar into which God pours extraordinary gifts. Our congregation is a place for persons to grow in faith and to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” Building, ministry programs, and events add nice details to the total experience but members’ encounter with the Holy One who moves within and among believers wherever two or more gather in Jesus’ name is what really matters.
Pottery is generally durable but will break under the right circumstances. The church is a gathering of potentially fragile, sometimes broken, often fallible persons each carrying some life burden or facing some challenge. The frailty of members and the institution as a whole should serve to remind us that power and glory belong to God and not humans.
When we contribute financially to provide for the upkeep of the church building, staffing and programs, or set aside time to attend worship on a Sunday morning, we help insure the continued existence of the container – the clay jar – in which the sacred encounter with God can take place.
I hope you share my conviction about how important this is and will join me on Consecration Sunday, November 6th as we recommit ourselves individually and collectively to Christ’s work of forgiveness, reconciliation, and transformation.
Remember: Daylight Savings Time ends on November 6; turn your clocks back so you don’t miss worship or the celebration brunch!
- Pastor Derek French