Images of Attentiveness, Caregiving, and Leading LESSON 14: IMAGE OF GOD AS MASTER POTTER, PART 2

Objective Students will locate potter and clay metaphors in the scriptures and reflect on God as the Master Potter in our lives.

Key Concepts • The scripture uses metaphors to teach about God. • God molds and reshapes us until we become useful vessels. • God shapes us into the people God desires us to be.

Text: Proverbs 8:22; Job 10:9a

Estimated Lesson Time: 50 minutes

Materials • Colored construction paper cut into shape of pot (1 per student) • Student • “The Creation” (pp. 163-164) • “Pot Pattern” handout (p. 165) • Scissors, colored pencils, markers, glitter, gel pens • “Clay and Potter References in Scripture” handout (p. 166) • For Extend the Lesson: Potter’s Pages (pp. 168-174)

Teacher Preparation 1. Make copies of the handouts, one of each per student. 2. Make an overhead transparency of the “Clay and Potter References in Scripture” page. 3. If using Extend the Lesson, make the Potter’s Pages into books, one for each student. (Make 2-sided copies, fold in half, and staple in the center.)

INTRODUCING THE LESSON 1. God, the Master Potter. Remind the students about the last lesson, where they made a pinch pot out of clay. Using information from the background section (p. 143), talk about the metaphor of God as a potter. You may want to explain that metaphors are limited. When passages about the potter are taken literally, misunderstandings can arise. One might conclude that: treading (wedging) the clay is a destructive, vengeful action ( 41:25), the potter is in absolute control regardless of the condition of the clay (:6; :21; :9), the firing process is for purification and testing, and pots that don’t turn out right have to be smashed and broken (Jeremiah 19:11; Psalm 2:9). The metaphor must be seen in the full context of God’s relationship with and God’s desire that the people of Israel change their ways. It was a loving rela-

Images of Attentiveness, Caregiving, and Leading, Lesson 14: Image of God as Master Potter, Part 2 161 tionship that continues with God’s people today. In Jeremiah we can see how God, because of his love for us, works with us as a potter works with clay: “Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand,” Jeremiah 18:6b. God molds us and reshapes us, until we become useful vessels. God is present in every stage of the process: loving, caring, holding, re-forming, watching, waiting, and urging toward perfection. God, sculptor and molder of our souls, works dili- gently to help each of us become a useful vessel. God as potter is compassionate accepting, hopeful, and life-giving.

LESSON STEPS 1. Read “The Creation” by James Weldon Johnson. Distribute the handouts and assign students to the various voices. (Note: On the handout, V stands for Voice.) To include everyone, you may need to have two people read one part together. Be as dramatic as you can. Ask the students to listen for God as a creator. What are the things God creates in this reading? Have them think about how they created their pots in the last lesson. How does this poem fit with their experience in creat- ing the pinch pot? 2. Distribute the handout, “Clay and Potter References in Scripture.” Have the students choose and look up six of the passages. They should write the refer- ence and briefly state what the passage says about the process of pottery making, the potter, or the clay. You may want to share the findings in class or have students hand them in for a grade. At the bottom of the handout, have students write what they discovered about God as a potter from these passages. 3. Decorate a “pot.” Distribute the Pot Pattern handout. Have students pick one of the passages they researched and copy the verse(s) onto the pot. Students may decorate their pots by coloring them with pencils, crayons, markers, or gel pens, and adding glitter.

EXTEND THE LESSON (This activity will extend the lesson to longer than 50 minutes.) • Personal reflection. Give each student a book of the Potter’s Pages you made ahead of time. Have the students put their names on the cover and color it. Then they will reflect on the two lessons of the master potter and answer the questions found in the Potter’s Pages. The Potter’s Pages are to be used as a personal journal.

Images of Attentiveness, Caregiving, and Leading, Lesson 14: Image of God as Master Potter, Part 2 162 THE CREATION by James Weldon Johnson

V 1: And God stepped out on space, Girls: He batted his eyes, and the lightning flashed— And he looked around and said: Boys: He clapped His hands, and the thunder rolled— God: I’m lonely— V 3: And the waters above the earth came down, I’ll make me a world. The cooling waters came down. V 4: Then the green grass sprouted, V 10: And far as the eye of God could see V 5: And the little red flowers blossomed, Darkness covered everything, V 6: The pine tree pointed his finger to the sky, Boys: Blacker than a hundred midnights V 7: And the oak spread out his arms, Down in a cypress swamp. V 8: The lakes cuddled down in the hollows of the ground, V 9: And the rivers ran down to the sea; V 2: Then God smiled, V 1: And God smiled again, V 3: And the light broke, Girls: And the rainbow appeared, Boys: And the darkness rolled up on one side, God: And curled itself around His shoulder. Girls: And the light stood shining on the other, V 1: And God said: V 10: Then God raised His arm and He waved His hand God: That’s good! Over the sea and over the land, And He said: V 4: Then God reached out and took the light in His hands, God: Bring forth! Bring forth! And God rolled the light around in His hands V 10: And quicker than God could drop His hand, Until He made the sun; Fishes and fowls V 5: And He set that sun a-blazing in the heavens. And beasts and birds V 6: And the light that was left from making the sun V 2: Swam the rivers and seas, God gathered it up in a shining ball V 3: Roamed the forests and the woods, And flung it against the darkness, V 4: And split the air with their wings. Spangling the night with the moon and stars. V 1: And God said: V 7: Then down between God: That’s good! The darkness and the light He hurled the world: V 5: Then God walked around, V 1: And God said: V 6: And God looked around God: That’s good! On all that He had made. V 4: He looked at His sun, V 8: Then God himself stepped down— V 6: And He looked at His moon, And the sun was on His right hand, And He looked at His little stars; And the moon was on His left; V 7: He looked on His world V 9: The stars were clustered about His head, With all its living things, And the earth was under His feet. V 1: And God said: And God walked, and where He trod God: I’m lonely still. His footsteps hollowed the valleys out V 8: Then God sat down— And bulged the mountains up. On the side of a hill where He could think; V 9: By a deep, wide river He sat down; V 2: Then He stopped and looked and saw All: With His head in His hands, That the earth was hot and barren. God thought and thought, V 1: So God stepped over to the edge of the world Till He thought: And spat out the seven seas— God: I'll make me a man!

Images of Attentiveness, Caregiving, and Leading, Lesson 14: Image of God as Master Potter, Part 2 163 The Creation, continued

Girls: Up from the bed of the river V 10: Like a mammy bending over her baby, God scooped the clay; V 2: Kneeled down in the dust Boys: And by the bank of the river Toiling over a lump of clay He kneeled Him down: V 1: Till He shaped it in His own image; V 1: And there the great God Almighty V 5: Who lit the sun and fixed it in the sky, V 9: Then into it He blew a breath of life, V 6: Who flung the stars to the most far corner of the night, Girls: And man became a living soul. V 7: Who rounded the earth in the middle of His hand; Boys: Amen. All: This Great God, All: Amen.

Images of Attentiveness, Caregiving, and Leading, Lesson 14: Image of God as Master Potter, Part 2 164 Images of Attentiveness, Caregiving, and Leading, Lesson 14: Image of God as Master Potter, Part 2 165 Name: ______Clay and Potter References In Scripture

Job 10:9 :14 Job 13:12 Jeremiah 18:4 Job 33:6 Jeremiah 18:6 :16 Jeremiah 19:1 :25 Jeremiah 19:11 Isaiah 41:3 Lamentations 4:2 Isaiah 45:9 Romans 9:21 Isaiah 64:8 Revelation 2:27

1. Choose six scriptures from the references above. Read the passages and the context of the passages. Write the references and briefly state what each passage says about the process of pottery-making, the potter, or the clay.

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2. From this research, provide two points you discovered about God as a potter.

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Images of Attentiveness, Caregiving, and Leading, Lesson 14: Image of God as Master Potter, Part 2 166 Answer Key Clay and Potter References In Scripture

Job 10:9 Jeremiah 18:4 Job 13:12 Jeremiah 18:6 Job 33:6 Jeremiah 19:1 Isaiah 29:16 Jeremiah 19:11 Isaiah 41:25 Lamentations 4:2 Isaiah 45:9 Romans 9:21 Isaiah 64:8 Revelation 2:27 Isaiah 30:14

1. Choose six scriptures from the references above. Read the passages and the context of the passages. Write the references and briefly state what each passage says about the process of pottery-making, the potter, or the clay. Job 10:9—Job is acknowledging that God fashioned him. Will God turn Job back to dust? Job 13:12—The arguments or defenses in this passage, from Job’s friends, are like clay. They are easily pressed down. Job 33:6—God formed us in a similar way to a potter forming clay. Isaiah 29:16—The passage helps us know our maker, the potter. The potter knows all about us, the clay. Isaiah 30:14—A potter’s vessel may be smashed to fragments. Isaiah 41:25—Potters must knead clay. (In times this was done by treading on it.) Isaiah 45:9—The Maker knows how to fashion the clay. Isaiah 64:8—God is like the potter, we the clay. Jeremiah 18:4—When the pot seems ruined, the potter can rework it. Jeremiah 18:6—The Lord reassures Israel that the people are in the Lord’s hand like clay in the potter’s hand. Jeremiah 19:1—A potter makes an earthenware jug. Jeremiah 19:11—A potter’s vessel may be so broken it cannot be mended. Lamentations 4:2—The Israelites were little pots made by the potter’s hands. Romans 9:21—The potter decides how the clay will be used, what will be created. Revelation 2:27—Clay pots can be easily broken. 2. From this research, provide two points you discovered about God as a potter. —God is our creator. God fashions, or forms us, like a potter fashions clay. —Clay can be pressed down, reformed, and shaped. God can do that in our lives. —God knows all about us. God knows what will be created when we are being formed. —Potters knead the clay; the potter knows what the clay needs. God works with us and knows just what we need. —Even when the pot seems ruined, it can be saved. God can save us and rework our lives. —Just like the Israelites, we are in God’s hand like clay in the potter’s hand. We are like pots in the potter’s hand. —We may be like ordinary earthenware jugs, but God can still use us. —The Israelites were so broken that it seemed they could not be mended, as the potter’s vessel was smashed to fragments. Yet in the Bible we read how God was still with them, even in captivity in . God is with us today even during difficult times.

Images of Attentiveness, Caregiving, and Leading, Lesson 14: Image of God as Master Potter, Part 2 167 Name ______

P tter’s Pa es But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be God saw everything that he had made, and made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God indeed, it was very good. (Genesis 1:31a) and does not come from us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

Think about God telling you that YOU are very good and Reflect on what you experienced during the Image of God as God is glad to have made you. What would God say to you? Master Potter class sessions. How would that make you feel? Write about it!

12 1 O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new and you are our potter; we are all the work creation: everything old has passed away; of your hand. (Isaiah 64:8) see, everything has become new! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am like the clay in the potter’s hands when . . . Write one concrete thing you can do to treat others as lovable, worthwhile people.

I am like a potter when . . .

2 11 Who will separate us from the love Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, you in my hand. (Jeremiah 18:6b) or perseution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Write about something new that you have learned from the him who loved us. For I am convinced that potter and clay scriptures that you read. neither death, nor life, nor angels, not rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35, 37-39)

10 3 Draw a sketch of the pinch pot you made. Write Proverbs 8:22 at several places on or around the drawing.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:4)

4 9 So God created humankind in his image, in the Reflect on God’s work in your life. Has God ever called you to do image of God he created them: male and female something that seemed impossible? he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

Think about the verse in Genesis 1:27 and being created in the image of God. Imagine seeing a video of your life. Write about or draw a picture of how you see yourself in the image of God.

8 5 Remember that you fashioned me like clay. I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly (Job 10:9a) praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the from the first day Trace your hand on the page. Within the hand write how you felt until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a as you created your pinch pot. good work among you will bring it to completion by the What was enjoyable? What was frustrating? day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:3-6) What are your hopes? How has God made you?

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