The Potter's Hand

I've been using Peter Scazzero's 'Daily Office' in my devotional a recently. It is brief and it is regularly challenging me. very helpful and I recommend it. The concept behind list of Scazzero's thinking is that we need emotionally healthy spirituality in order to be well balanced Christians - all good, and this book has helped me align my spirit with God while also having all the emotions that come through life without my faith relationship being effected.

So when the last few weeks have been encountered when I have got to the point of questioning my place within my church, the role I fulfil, the mission that I am engaged in then it has been with no real surprise that god has enabled me to work things through fairly swiftly. (For those who think we shouldn't have doubts - I'm really sorry but it's real life not some sort of pipe dream).

Last night I was able to attend a Salvation Army worship evening at the Corps in Easterhouse. My wife Catherine was leading and there was the usual mix of chaos and laughter, deep spiritual moments and even a child that ran away from her own dedication !

During the evening the song 'The Potters Hands' was used. As it was sung I was reminded of my own calling to see lives reshaped, see communities reshaped, and even see movement and organisations reshaped. It was a moment of confirmation and reaffirmation for me.

The fellowship at Easterhouse had effectively died a few years ago and was tabled at our first meeting in West Scotland for closure. Catherine and I had offered to be the officers at Easterhouse 20+ years ago and could not see this as our first major decision. We prayed for seven weeks and then appointed a couple of part time Corps Assistants, Tom and Pam, beautiful Christian people brimming over with God's spirit. 

Last night there were 29 of us worshipping together. The fellowship has a parent and toddler group, mens fellowship, ladies fellowship, craft group, gardening group and lots of other ideas in the pipeline. There are new Christians in the fellowship and one transfers from other churches. If there was a story of the dull clay of existence being transformed into something beautiful then this is it.

And it also reshaped one persons calling as well last night.

Preparing for the rest of life

When I attended Salvation Army Training College in the mid 1980's there was a little grocery shop in the the college where Cadets could put together their food parcels for  Sunday Corps visits or add to the sustenance that was already provided by the College or buy toiletries etc.

It was run by the brown coated Brigadier Charles Wensley (retired). He became an unofficial counsellor and help to the Cadets, and I dare say some of the staff as well.

Those who got into conversation with him would soon hear his story which normally concluded with something like this: when I was called to be a Salvation. Army Officer I could never understand why - after all I was just a grocers assistant. Now I know that all the experiences of my life have equipped me for this special and most fulfilling calling: to serve the cadets here at the Training College.

Inevitably we are the sum of all our past experience. Qualification and relationship, difficult decisions and personal success and failure are all written on the CV of our lives even if they don't all make it onto paper.

There is, perhaps, a specific calling for each of us that our past experiences has prepared us for.

The Apostle Paul - formerly the murderous religious zealot Paul - had many experiences in his early life of education and religion that, on paper, would completely exclude him from a Christian spiritual life and yet he became the most prolific early Christian leader and writer.

When I consider my background and upbringing I gain some understanding as to how I have got to this point in my life: I bring stability, a certain amount of planning and development experience, many years of pastoral and evangelical ministry, and an unique cable thirst for people to learn about Jesus and for those that do to experience more of His grace.

I bring very few qualifications but I do possess an acute sense of calling.

What are you being called to?