I’ve never used a potter’s wheel and quite frankly not sure I ever will. But I think there’s a lesson we can learn about life if we look at what goes into making a beautiful vase, or anything for that matter, on a potter’s wheel. Each Wednesday this month we’ll take another look at the wheel from a little different perspective but for today let’s just think about getting ready to make something. We won’t even turn the wheel on yet. We’re just going to sit and look at the wheel and the lump of clay. 

In a conversation this morning, I learned something about pottery. Like I said, this is all new to me! In order to make something out of clay, and have it turn out somewhat recognizable, you have to make sure your clay is centered. If the clay isn’t properly placed in the center of the wheel, well…it looks less lovely. It becomes less a vase to put on the table and more the keepsake from the kindergartener making a gift for Mother’s Day.

While beauty might be in the eye of the beholder, let’s be honest. This thing isn’t useful for much, maybe a paper weight at best. You see when the clay is off-center it spins off-center and therefore isn’t equally manipulated on the wheel. When the clay has more pressure applied from one side it can’t shape properly and turns out looking like whatever that thing looks like! So it’s pretty important to make sure the clay is in the center of the wheel before you start doing anything.

The same is true for our lives. We need to be centered. Not centered on a wheel that spins rapidly and sometimes out of control. But centered on what’s really important. As a Christian, we’re to be centered in Christ. I grew up thinking that Christ had to be first in my life. And while this is accurate it seems to miss something. The more I thought about it the more I realized Christ shouldn’t merely be first but should be central. He should influence all other things that happen where I live, work and play.

This whole Jesus first thing comes from what I consider a misunderstanding of the first commandment.

You should have no other gods before me.

If you think this sounds like a keep Jesus first kind of statement, keep reading. The problem is the word before. We are linear people. We think in straight lines. This means that before is simply the opposite of after. But that’s not a very accurate picture of what this word really means. A better understanding of this commandment is:

You should have no other gods in my face. 

Now that’s a horse of a different color! We learn in Scripture that God is a jealous god. He doesn’t want to be first when other idols are second, fifth or twentieth. He wants to be only. When our lives are centered in Christ, then every thought, word, decision and action filter through that central relationship. Being centered means that before we speak, our words flow through our understanding of God’s love for humanity. Being centered means before we retaliate with anger and hatred our actions are tempered by God’s forgiveness.

Trying to deal with our sins, wrongs, mistakes before we deal with our position relative to the center of the wheel is like trying to make a pot out of a lump of clay without centering it on the wheel. So often the church preaches a message of get it right, deal with your sin, repent and seek forgiveness before we deal with the bigger need in people’s lives – the need to be centered on Christ.

I pray that as we begin a new year together that this year brings you a re-centering on what’s really important. Next week we’ll discuss what happens when we’re centered and the potter starts his work.