We continue our series on the New Covenant using the songs from the New Covenant musical as a track to run on. And there will be a link to a YouTube version of the song to listen to at the end of each Catch. Enjoy and learn.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7
I’m a Vessel
Words and Music by John Fischer
I’m a pot, I’m a vessel
Made to hold somethin’ special
I’ve got the livin’, lovin’ life of Christ inside
I used to think I was somethin’
Now I know I’m really nothin’
But a vessel that’s made from the dust of the ground
The value isn’t with me but with what’s to be found inside
I tried to be upon a shelf
Where everyone could see myself
But a vessel is empty unless it is used
So take me down and put me wherever you choose — you choose
It’s really not an easy road
In spite of all we’ve been told
‘Cause a vessel gets handled and moved around
But that doesn’t matter ‘cause our true life is found inside
Second Corinthians four, seven, in my book, is the most important verse in this whole new covenant passage (2 Corinthians 2:12 – 4:12). Besides providing the name for one of the best Christian rock groups to come out of the renaissance of the Christian music of the ‘70s and ’80s,* it contains all the major elements that show how the new covenant works.
Starting, most importantly, with the first word, “But” — a conjunction that signals that something unexpected is coming — something that runs contrary to how we naturally think. “But … we have this treasure in jars of clay.” Doesn’t it seem strange that anyone would put a treasure — any treasure — in a clay pot? In this case the treasure is in the previous verse. The treasure is “the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” And where does that light go but into a jar of clay, a clay pot, a beat up earthenware vessel — alias: you and me.
Now you can see, the “but” is very important because it signals the incongruity of the light of Christ residing in our frail, breakable, fragile, nick-your-face-shaving bodies. And this is the whole point, because the contrast shows that “this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” Again … “not from us.”
No one is supposed to be impressed with us. In fact, others are supposed to identify with our frailty so that they might, with us, marvel at the light of God’s glory. The whole point is the contrast. That is why “putting our best foot forward” is the last thing we want to do. If others don’t recognize that the all-surpassing power in our lives “is from God and not from us,” we are giving the wrong message.
So celebrate the earth. Celebrate your dust. Celebrate your humanity — your losses, your joys and sorrows, and most definitely your failures. Celebrate with the author, Frederick Buechner,* who wrote about the decorated professor who walks up to the lectern to convey his wisdom to an auditorium full of students, and pulls the little chain that lights up his notes, and also lights up his face which is covered with nicks from a bad blade shaving that morning. And he is now going to say something profound.
A treasure in a jar of clay.
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Jars of Clay – A rock group that broke the sacred/secular sound barrier with the hit song, “Flood.”
Frederick Buechner (1926-2022) – Writer, Author and Presbyterian minister from Vermont.
Click here for a YouTube version of “I’m a Vessel”.
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LET’S RALLY AROUND DEBORAH
Lately we have been led to bring before you, the Catch Community, certain members of our community who have served us and now we have a chance to serve them by helping provide for their needs which are bigger than they can handle alone. As you read about Deborah’s situation, be open to the Lord’s leading. If you wish to send a monetary gift, click here, and when prompted to “Add special instructions to the seller” click on the (+) sign and write “for Deborah.” And if you have a working Mac computer to donate or any other ideas to discuss with us, send an email to Marti at [email protected].
We want to tell you about someone many of us know, and all of us can learn from.
Deborah is a mom of three young children, all under 14. Her days are full in the way only a mother’s days can be. School schedules. Meals. Appointments. Encouragement. All the small, unseen things that hold a family together.
Her husband is a disabled soldier. That alone brings challenges most families never have to think about. But Deborah carries more than that.
She lives with constant migraines. Frequent kidney stones. Adrenal insufficiency. Some days, just getting out of bed requires grit most of us never have to summon. On a good week, she can manage maybe 10 hours of work from home. On a hard week, even that feels like climbing a mountain.
And yet, she keeps going.
Deborah is not without skill or drive. She’s a highly capable web engineer with strong experience in SEO and helping businesses improve their online visibility. She wants to work. She wants to build steady income for her family. She has the talent to do it.
What she needs right now are a few practical pieces to make that possible:
First, a working Mac computer. It’s the primary tool for the kind of web and SEO work she does. Without reliable equipment, it’s difficult to take on consistent projects.
Second, help getting their vehicle back into working condition. Reliable transportation affects everything. Medical appointments. Family needs. Basic stability.
These aren’t luxury requests. They’re the kind of immediate, practical needs that can shift a family from constant strain to steady footing.
As many of you know, Catch Ministry maintains a small emergency fund. It’s overseen by a volunteer board and reserved for urgent, short-term needs affecting Catch citizens. The fund is limited, but it exists for moments like this. For sisters like Deborah.
If you’re in a position to help, would you consider it?
Maybe you have a working Mac you’re not using.
Maybe you can give financially toward vehicle repairs.
Maybe you can contribute to the emergency fund so it’s there for Deborah and others who may need it next.
When one part of the body struggles, we don’t look away. We lean in.
Let’s lean in for Deborah. Monetary gifts click here. Anything else, write Marti at [email protected].
John Fischer The Catch 