Re-sung Hymn

We no longer have an attachment, relationship, or understanding of the origins of the objects we use on a daily basis. We don’t have to make them so we take their creation, their parts, their elements, and their process for granted. With that connection lost, meaning and appreciation is lost.
The best example of this horrible shame is the image repeated constantly throughout the entire Bible of God as the potter and humans as simple moldable clay.
How to we sing the words, “You are the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me, this is what I pray.” without understanding fully the implication of these words? When that Biblical illustration was first used, the people of the era knew what claywork and pottery required. They were close to it, they experienced the process. They could relate, unfortunately we cannot.
“Claywork is not easy. It is not immediate; it requires a series of processes that are hard to control. Only at the end, after the firing, can one see the finished work.” – The craft and art of clay
This is calling us to endure a crucible – a trial by fire.
The steps leading up to firing aren’t easy either. The process begins with wedging, a kneading motion that aligns the very make-up of the clay (tiny tiny platelets) and releases air pockets caught inside. This is much like making small changes in life, letting go of those bad habits/air pockets that could later explode (as air pockets are apt to do under high heat).
Slammed down on the wheel, the clay is then centered and spun; beginning with the formation of the inside working out, a rhythm of building up, stretching out, and pressing back down slowly forms a beautiful vessel that still in its beginning stage is raw and unstable, but holds much potential.
First firing is experienced. Some don’t hold up under the intense heat and crack, or even worse, explode and shatter affecting the vessels in the making around them. Finally, sanding, glazing, and the final firing under even higher temperatures completes the process.
What was once mere dust and dirt is now a masterpiece; a work of art, favored in the eye of the craftsperson, and ready to be used and serve its purpose.
With knowing that… can that song ever be sung the same? Or can we break out of the monotonous dry way it’s often sung and really commit to the words?