A Little Teapot
Finding Purpose - Part 1
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On Sunday, Pastor Tim kicked off the “Finding Purpose” series by making the point that because God created and recreated us, we have purpose in life. God has given us each talents, abilities, and strengths so that we can make a contribution to this world.
Having a design for a purpose makes me think of when I was in art school. For a time, I wanted to be a ceramics major, so I enrolled in several ceramics classes. One of our projects was to make a teapot. The professor went over basic construction and sketched out the anatomy of a teapot — short and stout. Here is its handle, here is its spout. It all seemed clear enough, so we set off to our potter’s wheels with our lumps of clay, and construction began.
I threw the body of the vessel, attached and pulled a beautifully arched handle, trimmed the foot and the rim, and made a well fitted lid. Then it came to the spout. Eventually, a workable spout was created after a few mangled attempts. I cut a few small holes into the sidewall of the teapot and attached the spout. This process had taken several days, and I was feeling pretty accomplished.
It was about then that the professor was making his rounds and checking our work. He peered over my shoulder and said something to the effect of, “That won’t work.” Confused, I asked for clarification. He explained that the position of the spout wouldn’t allow the teapot to function as it was supposed to. You see, if the spout is too short and positioned too low, you can’t fill your teapot without drenching the table. Even though my teapot had all the right parts and seemed like it was going to work, it couldn’t fulfill its intended purpose until it was recreated.
I like the reference Pastor Tim used on Sunday from the New Living Translation:
—
On Sunday, Pastor Tim kicked off the “Finding Purpose” series by making the point that because God created and recreated us, we have purpose in life. God has given us each talents, abilities, and strengths so that we can make a contribution to this world.
Having a design for a purpose makes me think of when I was in art school. For a time, I wanted to be a ceramics major, so I enrolled in several ceramics classes. One of our projects was to make a teapot. The professor went over basic construction and sketched out the anatomy of a teapot — short and stout. Here is its handle, here is its spout. It all seemed clear enough, so we set off to our potter’s wheels with our lumps of clay, and construction began.
I threw the body of the vessel, attached and pulled a beautifully arched handle, trimmed the foot and the rim, and made a well fitted lid. Then it came to the spout. Eventually, a workable spout was created after a few mangled attempts. I cut a few small holes into the sidewall of the teapot and attached the spout. This process had taken several days, and I was feeling pretty accomplished.
It was about then that the professor was making his rounds and checking our work. He peered over my shoulder and said something to the effect of, “That won’t work.” Confused, I asked for clarification. He explained that the position of the spout wouldn’t allow the teapot to function as it was supposed to. You see, if the spout is too short and positioned too low, you can’t fill your teapot without drenching the table. Even though my teapot had all the right parts and seemed like it was going to work, it couldn’t fulfill its intended purpose until it was recreated.
I like the reference Pastor Tim used on Sunday from the New Living Translation:
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. — Ephesians 2:10
Just as my original teapot couldn’t be filled to its capacity, sin has an effect that impedes our purpose in life. If you trust that Christ died on the cross for your sins, you have been changed, reformed, and given the opportunity to accomplish that which has been planned for you. Enabled with spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personalities and experiences, we can impact the lives of others. Let Him show you the ways you've been recreated for His purpose. Who is one person you can impact by living out the purpose God has given you?
Author: Brandy Gibson, Creative Director
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