FAITH NEWS SERVICE – The biblical metaphor of potter and clay is as old as dirt, yet most of us fail to fully appreciate it because modern life affords us little or no encounters with turning clay into a useful vessel beyond Play-Doh and a few art classes in school.
A new release from Redemption Press, Master Potter, Simple Clay: Finding Freedom and Rest as God’s Creation, written by Jennifer L. Duncan-Taylor, opens up the heart of this metaphor with rich insights into working with clay, connecting science concepts, and bringing to light the Scriptures that reveal the powerful message that God, as our Master Potter, passionately wants us to understand His heart for us and for turning our messiness into His masterpiece.
As an experienced potter and now retired biology teacher, the author uses her love for Christ, her fervor for Scripture, and her affection for pottery and science all rolled together in a stunning manuscript that will transform the way you see yourself as “clay” in the hands of God the Potter.
She says, “The potter-and-clay metaphor is about an intimate, lifelong (and eternal) relationship between Creator and creation … It is about being known absolutely by a God who acknowledges every flaw in us yet never gives up on working with us, whose intent is to perform a lifelong miracle of turning a humble hump of mud into a beautiful vessel and then filling us up for His eternal glory.”
Master Potter, Simple Clay weaves together an artist-scientist perspective with charming life stories and personal experiences in the pottery studio in a delightful blend that is engaging and often humorous, but also soul challenging. The author tutors the reader with each chapter as a stage of making a vessel but then relates that phase as a spiritual lesson with “human clay” shaped by the Master Potter.
She takes the reader from the pit to being centered, opened up, lifted up, being trimmed, and eventually fired in the kiln. She covers realities of brokenness, of being remade and repurposed by the Potter. The spiritual lessons drawn from the practical process of shaping clay will forever change your view of God as a Potter and of yourself as clay and the affectionate work He does to shape your life, your soul, your heart.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jennifer L. Duncan-Taylor takes Master Potter, Simple Clay to churches and women’s fellowships, sharing this powerful message in a live presentation with mud on her hands, actively throwing pots on the wheel while speaking. This book is a much-requested extension to her presentations, providing rich stories that relay deeper insights, drawing in the reader with personal connections and soul-shaping reflection.
Having taught biology at Port Angeles High School on the north Olympic Peninsula for thirty-seven years and having thrown pottery for over thirty years, she established her own pottery studio where she now helps shape beginning potters into accomplished artisans. She and her husband reside in Sequim, Washington, with their two lazy cats, enjoying some travel adventures, good gardening, and bad golfing.
For interviews, contact jennid@olypen.com.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://masterpottersimpleclay.com
Calvary Chapel Women to Women Website: ccwomen2women.com/master-potter-simple-clay-ministry
Facebook: facebook.com/masterpottersimpleclay
vimeo.com/cascadiafilms/masterpotter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSQFCkjwB9s&list=PLLxiPzgY3SL2q75-sRRnHIsePvCel3kxs&index=6 (Grace Stories at Dungeness Community Church)
