Dance & the Word | Ceramics 101
May 22, 2009 by Lakita
Filed under Dance in the Word
This was originally posted in Paneh’s newsletter.
Let me start off by saying this article has nothing to do with scriptures that reference dance! However this is a subject that has been on my heart for a while.
When I was in high school I took a ceramics class. I figured it was an easy class to counter the college prep course load I was taking. One of our first projects was to make a bowl. We walked into the storage room and we were handed this lump of clay. It was soft, had no distinct form and didn’t seem to have much of a purpose. I was given a picture of the finished project, instructions and set to work.
In the Bible, clay is paralleled to mankind. Gen 2:7 says “Then the Lord formed man from the dust of the ground” (or clay). Jeremiah 18:6 says “Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand.” Unlike us – God does not make mistakes (and I’ve made some UGLY vases). I needed a picture to see my finished product, but God is the Alpha and Omega – the beginning and the end. He molded us just the way we are to be!
Dance minister, you may not be as tall as the next person or be dissatisfied with some other characteristic that makes you — YOU. We can not get caught up in why we were created the way were are. Romans 9:20 says “Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why has thou made me thus?” — while we are like clay in many respects, once MAJOR difference is LIFE. The ability to get jump right off the potter’s wheel. A while ago my Pastor preached a sermon called “Stay on the Wheel”; the main thrust was to continue to let God mold and shape you — do not get caught up in doing your own thing.
In class the first thing we learned was how to prepare our clay for the kiln. We couldn’t just shape it into the form of the bowl and put it in the kiln. First we had to knead the clay until it was soft enough to be sculpted into the image I wanted. The Lord continues to work on his children…sometimes He has to pull and tug at us until we are ready to be molded.
My ceramics class was only 45 minutes so I was not able to finish sculpting in one day. We were instructed to wrap up our clay molds in plastic to preserve the moisture. Otherwise the clay would become hard and virtually useless. I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t want to be identified by my potter as HARD and VIRTUALLY USELESS. Some would say stubborn! Some students did not properly wrap their molds and had a very stiff lump of clay. In order the soften the lump that had the add WATER. In the Bible, water is represented as the HOLY SPIRIT!
Isaiah 44:3 says “for I will pour water upon him that is thirsty…I will pour my spirit upon thy seed”
John 7:38 says “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Stubborn folks that are not willing to yield to the Lord will only be cured by the Holy Spirit! I kneaded my clay and it was now ‘moldable’. I can start sculpting now right? WRONG! (I just wanted to hurry and put my project in the kiln before the class was over). I was then told I had to mold my clay into a cube, cut it down the center and inspect for air holes. By this time I am thinking my easy elective is turning into more work than I bargained for! My instructor explained that when clay with major air holes is put in the kiln it will crack and be destroyed so it is important to take the time to inspect the clay and make sure there are no air holes.
These air holes are imperfections in our life. However they are hidden until we are cut. How do you respond when someone offends you…do you get on the phone and tear them down? That’s an air hole. Not ready for the kiln – lets do some more molding and shaping (we call it character building). Rom 5:3 says “we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience, experience; and experience hope.
photo credit: whitney waller
Posted by Lakita Fane
Lakita Fane serves as the founder of Paneh Praise Dance & Mime Ministry. Find out more about her or follow her on Twitter (@Paneh).
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Thank you so much for this study. I will be sharig your post with my 8y old daughter. She love pottery as do I. Last year she won a grand prize for her pottery.This is one of my favorite scriptures.
Be blessed,
Jocelyn
Wow, how interesting that I ran across your story about pottery. I was just thinking the other day and praying asking the Lord to make me over (becareful what you pray for) and that prayer led me to thinking about the potters wheel. It’s like I could just see the hands of God mashing down on that clay and beginning to make it all over again. If that clay had any feelings I can imagine that it did not feel too good. So thank you for sharing your story, it was good to me. God Bless you my sister.
@Darlina,
The molding and shaping is not always a comfortable process, but the finished result is beautiful! Blessings to you!
I just want to say thank you for this newsletter the ending had me teary eyed because for the past month it seems to me that my flaws has been magnified the air bobbles that you spoke about it help me to understand the changes that God is taking me through in order to be the woman that he called me to be.All I can say is yes Lord mold me into what you want me to be because you already know the plan for my life.Thank again and God Bless.