Message: In the Potter's Hands / Jeremiah 18:1–11

Today’s first reading brings us to a very ordinary place. Jeremiah stands at the door of a potter’s house. The wheel keeps turning. The potter is focused. The clay begins to take shape. Then something goes wrong. The vessel is spoiled. But the potter does not throw the clay away. He presses it down, gathers it together, and starts again. As Jeremiah watches, he has a moment of epiphany. Just as the clay is in the potter’s hands, so he and his people are in God’s hands.

Jeremiah’s insight does not come in a special place. He is not in the temple or on a holy mountain. He is not reading Scripture at a desk. He hears God’s voice beside a workbench. God often helps us notice what matters in the ordinary. Not only in worship, but in daily life. In a sunset at the end of the day. In geese crossing the sky. In leaves trembling in the wind. In a busy grocery aisle. In the hands of cleaners. In the voice of a child. If we rush past without wonder, we may miss it. But if we open our hearts with curiosity, ordinary moments can become holy. God speaks in many ways as we go through our day.

In Hebrew, the word for potter is ‘yoser’. It comes from the verb ‘yasar’, which means to form or to shape. That same verb appears in Genesis, when God formed the first human from the dust of the ground. Jeremiah sees God the Creator through the potter. The potter knows where to press and where to ease. The potter knows when the clay needs water and when it needs rest. In the same way, God works with us. We are not scrap. We are not thrown away. We are clay in the hands of the Maker who loves what is being made.

This truth also carries a warning. The same hands that shape can press down and begin again. When change is needed, God acts. That was Jeremiah’s message to Israel. The land was full of injustice and violence. He cried out, but many would not listen. They chose the way of fear and greed, not the way of love and hope. They ignored the poor and the marginalized. They used the weak to become rich. They served idols that excused their wrongdoings. Some even sacrificed their sons and daughters for the sake of their desires. Jeremiah described the reality as follows: “For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace. (6:13-14)

In this situation, God sent Jeremiah with this call: “Turn now, every one of you, from your evil way, and change your ways and your deeds.” These were not words meant as a threat. They were words of warning filled with hope. The potter did not throw out the clay. God offered another chance. Even though the people had gone astray, God was ready to forgive if they turned back. God was ready to reshape them, to begin again, to make something new out of the same clay.

God is the Potter. God does not waste lives. God does not discard communities. God’s purpose is not to shame or curse. God’s purpose is to create something beautiful that can carry living water into a thirsty world. In Jesus, we see the potter’s hands at work. Jesus touched those who had been pushed aside. Jesus lifted up the oppressed. Jesus shared meals with outcasts. Through the cross and the empty tomb, Jesus opened the way to a new creation. It is for me, for you, for us, for everyone, for the whole universe. It is for all who have been waiting for a new heaven and a new earth.

Two years ago, in September 2023, I began to serve here as the minister. In my first sermon, I shared a hope that our faith community might become like a Green Gables in South Stormont. Just as Anne found a new family in the home of Marilla and Matthew, I hoped our church would be a home for those who yearn for a home, a family for those who need a family, and a companion for those seeking a friend. Those were not empty words. I had already seen the United Church as a warm, inclusive, and welcoming community that the world needs. And over these two years, this faith community has been a Green Gables for me, a place of belonging and care. I am deeply grateful for that.

Yet we also see a hard reality. Many think the future of the United Church of Canada does not look so bright because the United Church faces steep decline. According to the General Council, if current trends continue, the United Church could lose 65% of its members in the next decade. This breaks my heart because I truly believe the gospel of Christ that the United Church seeks to live and share is deeply needed in today’s world.

Still, we have hope because God is our potter. As a church in the Protestant tradition, one of our mottos says, “The church is reformed and always in need of reforming.” In that spirit, the United Church has often been willing to change for the sake of its mission in each new time.

Today, our congregation stands at a turning point. We are invited to ask again, not what we want the church to be, but what God is shaping us to become. We are called to grow into a community that is more inclusive, more welcoming, and more filled with hope. As the body of Christ, we are called to serve together and to explore new ways of living out our faith today.

We will open our doors wide and our hearts even wider, making space for all who long for love and hope. We will be a safe place where people from many backgrounds can worship, pray, and share life together.

As part of our centennial year, the General Council has launched a new initiative called “Toward 2035.” We are part of that journey. With hope and vision, we take the next faithful step. Together, we can grow into our call to Deep Spirituality, Bold Discipleship, and Daring Justice.

God is the Potter. God does not give up. Neither will we. We will pray and act so that the love of Christ will continue to move through us into God’s world.

Thanks be to God. Amen.


Rev. Min Hwang 

South Stormont Pastoral Charge

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