“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, You are the Potter; we are all the work of Your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8 NIV)
Introduction
Using the potter and the clay, the women will learn about the various types and uses of clay. They will learn about its age–old importance and its significance for them as Christian women and clay in the potter’s hand. They will have the opportunity to embrace their own creativity as they enjoy time working with clay.
Program Ideas
- Take a field trip to an organization or company that demonstrates working with clay and its multiple uses.
- Visit a local art gallery to appreciate various forms of art work, focusing on clay–related types of art.
- Take a trip to a pottery store and observe the process of working with clay. If possible, make arrangements for the women to work with the clay and the pottery wheel.
- Invite the women to bring artwork from home and ask them to share why it is special to them. Focus on what makes each art piece
- Purchase Mexican pottery self–hardening clay from a craft store and allow the women to make their own piece of art.
- Purchase some clay pots and clay paint. Invite the women to paint the pots to display in their homes or to give to someone.
You Are One of a Kind
As a young child I always loved to color and paint. I remember “painting” a wall of our bedroom and accidentally covering over my sister’s New Kids on the Block (Boys Band) poster. She was very upset, to say the least. There’s something about painting and observing other art pieces that helps me relax. It inspires me to wonder what went through the mind and heart as they created their masterpiece.
We read in Isaiah 64:8, “And yet, O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You are the Potter. We all are formed by Your hand.” God, our heavenly Father, is our maker. He is the Potter and we are the clay. He made us all unique. We are not replicas. We are all original masterpieces.
A Google search on the word “original” comes up with this: “Created directly and personally by a particular artist; not a copy or imitation.” Some synonyms of original are: authentic, genuine, actual, real, true, bona fide, veritable, not copied, archetypal, prototypical and master. I often ask myself, do we truly believe that we are originals? Do we understand that there is no one exactly like us?
I have noticed that even though we are one of kind, we tend to try to change who we are so that we look like others in magazines, soap operas, or even like the girl next door. Too often, we try to be something that we are not. This means altering a masterpiece in ways its Creator didn’t intend.
In our society we welcome people who look like us. There is nothing wrong with gravitating toward people who look like us or with whom we share similar interests or have things in common. However, it can become a problem when we mistreat, push away or bully people based on what we think about them. Our heavenly Father chose our unique and precious design. Unfortunately, people are often treated differently or ridiculed because of their skin color, hair texture, shape of their eyes, age, accent or authenticity.
As followers of Christ we are called to love one another and celebrate the uniqueness that the Potter placed in each and every one of us. This means that we each have the privilege and responsibility to be welcoming to all, loving, caring and accepting of others. Our challenge is to celebrate our differences and originality. We are all original masterpieces—with no exceptions. We were not made to look the same or be the same as someone else. John 13:34, 35 (NIV) states: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Discussion Questions:
- How do you appreciate God’s creation? How do you love God’s creation?
- How do you care for God’s creation?
- How do you consider yourself a masterpiece in God’s creation?
- How do you admire or appreciate God’s artwork? How do you celebrate it?
- How does knowing that each one of us is an original, artistic masterpiece change our mindset about how we treat, look at, care and love one another?
“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the Potter; we are all the work of Your hand”
(Isaiah 64:8, NIV).
Close in prayer.
