Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Christmas Wishes and Christmas Dreams

I wish for you this Christmas:

Awareness of the true meaning of Christmas:  God reaching out to humanity, through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, to reconcile all of His creation to Himself  and to unite us also with one another.

Awareness that you are loved and valued. God would not have reached out, if you were not.

A desire to extend that love and value to others, those close to you and those you do not yet know.

The knowledge that people are more valuable than profit or luxury or things.  The latter only have value as they are used for good. They have no value in and of themselves.



I dream of a world this Christmas:

Where we appreciate the gifts that we have and seek to use  them to improve the lives of others.

Where we see that we are a community, meant to support and help one another.

Where we are not disappointed with the content of our meals, but thankful that we have food to eat at all, and are concerned for those who don't have the luxury of disappointment.

Where  we are not discontented with the size of our homes, but simply thankful for the homes we have,  and are concerned for those who have no place to call home.

Where success is measured in how much we give away, rather than how much we have.

Where our first thought each morning is to ask how we can make the world just a little bit better today.

Where we are willing to live our lives, not in fear, but in the boldness that comes from knowing we are doing the right thing.




My wish for all of us this Christmas and every day is that our first inclination would be to seek justice for those who cannot do so themselves, to comfort those who have no comfort, and to bring peace to those who live in turmoil. May our hearts and our homes be open to those who are marginalized in this world, and may our desire be to have a positive impact in our global community. May its pain be our pain, and its joy, our joy.



The birth of Jesus signalled the beginning of a new era of Peace. In that stable in Bethlehem, God began the process of reconciling all of creation once again to Him and in Him. He has brought us healing, and has given us the mission of bringing spiritual, physical and emotional healing to the world. We are a community, united by the mercy of God.



A very Merry and Blessed Christmas to All!


















Tuesday, December 10, 2013

The Potter's Hand


    "Yet, O LORD,  you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."   Isaiah 64:8 NIV

This beautiful image of God and His People is one that I have cherished for a long time. Perhaps that is why I have taken up a new hobby this fall. I have been going to beginner pottery classes.  My skills are limited  and I have much to learn, but as I have had the privilege of working with the clay and watching my creations, such as they are, emerge from it, I cannot help but reflect on this age-old idea.

Clay can be quite challenging.  Before anything can be done with it,  it must be knocked down repeatedly on a surface to soften it and round out the edges. Then it must be slammed down securely onto the wheel and centred, which involves squeezing it up and pushing it down until there are no wobbles or unevenness in the clay. Once that is accomplished,  it must be carefully opened up to the desired width. At this point,  the clay can be lifted to form the sides of a pot.  Lifting, like centring, is a finicky thing. If the wall becomes unbalanced or too thin, it will collapse, and that portion of the clay must be cut off before lifting can continue. Only when the clay is lifted properly,  can it be shaped. 

And this is only the beginning! Once a pot is formed, it must be air dried, trimmed, fired, glazed and then fired once more. This brings the glaze and clay to a mature state, no longer porous, and ready to be used for its intended purpose.

 A skilled potter, through time and practice, learns to master this meticulous process. He gets to know his clay, and simply by the touch of his hand, he can determine when the clay is centred, when and how far to lift it.  With great patience, the potter works with his clay from its beginning as an unformed lump until it is shaped, trimmed and glazed, now a beautiful and useful vessel, formed  and designed by a loving hand and ready to fulfill its purpose.  

How similar is our journey to that of the clay! Life can be difficult, filled with struggles that we cannot understand, let alone deal with on our own. Like the clay, we can be hard to work with,  loathe to take on a new form,  happy to remain shapeless and useless, rather than be stretched and prodded and worked.  And like the clay, we are fragile, always at risk of being destroyed. We are ever dependent upon  the skilled hand of the Master Potter to see us safely through the process of growing and changing and becoming.  Though we may not always perceive it, with love and patience, He forms us into beautiful and useful vessels, matured by the fires of life and the loving and firm touch of His hand.


Many years ago, I wrote a song that goes like this:
"My Jesus is the Master Potter and He's going to mould me.
My Jesus is the Master Potter and He'll mould me into what I should be.
My Jesus is the Master Potter and He's going to mould me
Into Something beautiful, the way that  I was meant to be.
He's going to make me a vessel for His use
He's going to turn me into a servant of the King
He's going to cleanse me inside out with loving care
He's going to teach me to be an instrument of His Love." (copyright Katherine Kavanagh Hoffman)

I understand a little bit more about the meaning of these words now. And I am thankful that I can depend upon the skill and patience and love of the Master Potter to bring me through this sometimes harrowing journey that we call life.









Sunday, December 1, 2013

Christmas Tale

The earth waits,
groaning as in travail.

Bare threads of hope,
taut,
fragile,
Uncertain.

Is this the time?
Will the hope be fulfilled
or shredded on the wind....

The heavens wait,
palpable anticipation.

Fullness of time,
ready,
defined, 
Imminent.

Bright light,
Heavenly songs, 
Joy.

Cold night,
Shepherds watch,
Awe.

Stable dark,
Straw bed,
Baby’s cry.


The beginning.

by Katherine Kavanagh Hoffman

December 1, 2013