5 Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁶ Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. ⁷ At one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, ⁸ but if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended to bring on it. ⁹ And at another moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, ¹⁰ but if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will change my mind about the good that I had intended to do to it. ¹¹ Now, therefore, say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Thus says the Lord: Look, I am a potter shaping evil against you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, all of you from your evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.

As a teenager my family made many a trip to the western parts of this country and when I say that I mean, not California, but Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. During one of these trips we headed down into southern Colorado to an area of the country called Four Corners. This is one of those manmade landmarks that has been created because of how we have drawn our boarders. Four corners is the only place in this country where you can literally be in four states at the same time. And those states are: Colorado (obviously), New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. There is literally a concrete platform that has been built where you can get on all fours and have one limb in each state. In a strange sort of way, it’s kind of cool.

The thing is, with the exception of this ‘landmark’, there is nothing out there, besides dirt. It is upon these great expanses of seemingly nothingness that you enter into the edges of a whole lot of Indian reservations. It is upon these reservations that you are bound to find quite a few entrepreneurs who selling all different sorts of Native American wears. From jewelry, to bows and arrows, to moccasins: if it could be sold, you were bound to find it. We had the fortune at stopping at one such stand where there was a potter who was applying her trade. Now I’m not real good working with my hands but I can absolutely appreciate someone who is. This woman was. She would sit there with this wheel between her legs and take this moist lump of gray nothingness. It would be from this initially lump of clay that she could fashion pretty much whatever she wanted. From tall to stout, ornate to simple, if it could be crafted, her hands were able to do it. However, this is not to say that there was never a point when what she had in front of her was to her liking. For example, when a kid is asking her too many questions and she wasn’t paying total attention to how much pressure her right pinky was applying, and all of a sudden the jar starts going all array, …not that I would know that from experience or anything. The wonderful thing was, she was able to take the wreckage of that pot and reform it into something beautiful.

Many of us have seen such artisans at work so when we hear the words from our passage this morning we are able to have a pretty good idea of what Jeremiah was looking at as he walked through the potters house. The thing is, depending on how you read these verses, this is not one of those passages that you look at and get the ‘warm fuzzies’. In fact, it can almost be frightening.

God is being described as the potter and the people of the southern kingdom of Judah as the clay pot that may need to be destroyed if it does not turn from its evil ways. Like I said, not exactly a ‘warm fuzzy’.

At the same time, I think about how the scripture talks about how the potter was able to take that which was seemingly destroyed and turn it into something that is absolutely amazing. The reason that I gave as much information about the life of Jeremiah in the introductory section is because the destruction of Judah did take place. The jar was collapsed in on itself. What we need to remember is that this destruction is not the end of the story. If it was, we wouldn’t be here! It was out of the mess that Jeremiah prophesied would be coming that God the Father began to fashion a work that we would ultimately include the presence of God the Son living in the world, and God the Spirit breathing the breath of life into those first believers so that they might establish what we now know as the Church. You, me, each of us have been formed by the very creator of all and you, me, each of us have been brought together in order that all may know the glory of the Kingdom of God.

Now when we hear that sort of language many of us are able to agree to a certain extent. The reason I say this is because all of us also recognize that we are very different. There is not one of us here who is the carbon copy of another, whether it be in physical appearance, interest, or talent, we are all different. I’m not going to argue with you there, because you’re absolutely right. We are unique.

But, in the midst our distinctiveness there are areas that bind us together in uniformity. Faith, believing in the transformative and redemptive power of God Almighty, is one of those areas. How we articulate that faith may be different, but the fact that the faith is there binds us together.

For example, one of the great things about having Inquirer’s classes twice a year (a class where you get to know more about the church and if church membership is something that is for you), is that I get to catch a glimpse of all of the different places that you have come from in order to be incorporated into this one family of faith. These stories carry us from a so many different pasts, into one collective present, and hopefully future as well. Again, we are individuals, but in our faith, we have been molded together.

This faith calls us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. All of us, not just a select few, but all of us. Again, we are different, we are unique, but in our faith we have been called to serve God and our neighbor. We may take on those responsibilities differently, but all of us, regardless of where we have come from, or how we may look to each other and the world, are called to serve God and neighbor. All of us.

A story to help illustrate my point. Two weeks ago there were several motorcycle clubs, along with quite a few individuals, about 75 to 100 in all, who got together for a ride through Ulster county that would end at a park where a party would be held. Now, I don’t know about you, but as soon as I think of a motorcycle club I begin to conger up these images of people who are anything but Christ-like. Maybe its my lack of knowledge, maybe its all the leather, maybe its all the tattoos of flames and skulls, maybe its all of the news stories that have talked about bikers doing things that are highly illegal. In any case its not particularly good.

I had this image completely blown out of the water, not because there wasn’t leather, or tattoos (because there were …all over the place), but because of the reason they were having this ride: it was to support a two year old who happens to have a rare genetic disorder. That child is my youngest son Austin. A little background on the group who helped to put this benefit ride together, the Iron Riders.

It all started when one of their members faced kidney failure. Initially they thought that he might be a good candidate for a transplant, and they were going to try and raise funds to offset that medical expense. Unfortunately, he could not receive the transplant. So the members of the Iron Riders went up to their sick friend and asked, "what can we do?" Their friend said, "help children." And that’s what they did. The first two years their fundraising efforts went to purchasing bicycles for kids at the Poughkeepsie Children’s Home. But for subsequent rides, they have selected one child to help. This all started over seven years ago. The way that the Iron Riders found out about Austin is because the uncle of my future sister-in-law is a member of the club. Just for information’s sake: her uncle is a dentist.

Anyone who was at the ride and the party that followed knows that leather was everywhere (including on Austin as Jen made him a vest for the day), tattoos were on the majority of people in attendance, and the motorcycles were as loud and proud as any you’ve seen. But the hearts of each of the people there were focused on helping a little child that up until that day, most of them had never met. I met some of the toughest looking individuals I have ever been in the presence of and was able to realize that their hearts were as filled with the love of Christ as anyone who crosses the threshold of any church; that in their hearts they were trying to serve the best way that they could. The Iron Riders, and all the other people and motorcycle clubs that came out two weeks ago showed to me that we can be as different as all get out on the outside and yet still love and serve God and neighbor with as big a heart as any of us here today.

God, the creator of us all has put it in our DNA and has called each of us to a life of service, both to the Almighty, and the world. God, the crafter of all, has put it in our DNA and called us to reach out to others so that they might be lifted up, supported in their need, and ultimately come to know of the glory of God, to use the language of the church, we have been called to be missionaries to our corner of the world, and by the work that is accomplished through the movement of God’s Spirit in our lives, we will be able to show to our neighbors the wonders of the kingdom of God; we will be evangelists.

Now how we do that will be very different. Again, we are unique individuals. And yet, at the same time, we have all been called to this one task of loving and serving God and neighbor. How will you find your way to serve, and serve regardless of what society may think of it? How will you find your way to reach out and love God and neighbor? Find that way and be amazed at how God will be able to work in and through you.

God, we are all unique and yet through Your skillful creation, You have enabled us all to serve You and our neighbor. Help us to do this very thing by reaching out and helping all those around us top begin to know Your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.