Quick Summary:

As we observe Veterans Sunday today, we’re also beginning a two-part focus on stewardship under the theme: RE-formation, and the question we’re inviting reflection on is: WHAT ARE WE FORMED FOR? Paul tells us our vocation in 2 Corinthians 4. My shorthand translation of verse 7: We carry the gospel treasure in the clay jars of our lives.

Ancient pots like those found at archeological sites around the world, offer tangible evidence of cultures from the past. And when properly read and interpreted, they can tell us much about the economy, the diet, the habits, and the priorities of the people who once used them. Enduring through the millennia, their discovery allows the stories of ancient peoples to be told. The question we begin pondering today is: What kind of vessel are you? And what does the vessel you have been formed to be communicate to others about your values, your priorities, your Maker?

Al Skaret, neighbor, Navy Vet, and survivor aboard the USS Bunker Hill during World War 2, shared a story at our Men's Breakfast meeting that speaks about his formation as a Christian and how he has contemplated his vocation.

Paul calls us “clay jars” or “earthen vessels.” Clay jars are not hermetically sealed, stainless steel containers. They’re not immune from cracks and dings. They have vulnerabilities. But despite this God has chosen us as the vessels in whom the gospel message of the crucified One is borne to the world.