Clay in the Potter’s Hands
Clay in the Potter’s Hands is a Christian devotional with 15 short chapters, each with questions for reflection and a prayer from the heart. There is a Workbook, too, and a Leader’s Guide for small groups, Bible studies, mentors, and Sunday School classes.
I started working with clay when I was in high school, and it is still one of my greatest joys. Art has always been important to me: painting, sculpture, and working on the potter’s wheel. For many years, I would put 50 pounds of clay plus a potter’s wheel into the back of my Honda CR-V and travel to give talks at churches and retreat centers. As I worked with clay– preparing it, attaching it, centering it, and shaping it– I would talk about the biblical image of God’s work as the One who centers and shapes our lives. Over time, I wrote it all down in a series of devotionals. Thousands of people have found this message encouraging and full of hope.
Most Christians have heard that God is the Potter and we are the clay, but Diana Pavlac Glyer, who has spent countless hours at the potter’s wheel, shows in this remarkable book that this is far more than a casual metaphor. As God hovers over his creation, centering us or shaping us or even restoring us from collapse, He is able to transform us in ways we never imagined.
“This is a really good book! It manages to combine depth and simplicity which is rare, but I think it is the way it treats our experience of pain and brokenness which really sets it apart. The chapters on Returning, Repairing, and Redeeming were especially moving and significant for me. This book is going to be so helpful to so many people!” Malcolm Guite, Author of Sounding the Seasons and Faith, Hope, and Poetry.”
“Clay in the Potter’s Hands does a masterful job of revealing spiritual insights from an insider’s perspective, as one potter considers the work of God the Master Artist. The photographs and layout of this second edition of the book are beautiful. Diana Glyer, an accomplished writer and teacher who also has years of experience at the potter’s wheel, breathes new life into the metaphor of God as the potter. Excellent book.” Joseph Bentz, author of When God Takes Too Long and 12 New Testament Passages that Changed the World.
“I was skeptical when I first picked up this book. So much has been written and said on the metaphor of God as the Potter, that I wondered what Glyer could possibly add to the conversation. Clay in the Potter’s Hands proved me wrong. Glyer has the ear of a poet, the eye of an artist, and the mind of a scholar, which makes reading this book so enjoyable, inspirational, and illuminating.” Josh
Barro en Las Manos Del Alfarero
I am so excited that Clay in the Potter’s Hands is now available in Spanish:Barro en Las Manos Del Alfarero.
Even more: the Spanish/English Workbook is an ideal way to bridge language barriers and provide a useful source for mentorship.
Interview
I did an interview about clay and pottery making with Lancia E. Smith at The Cultivating Project. Read it by clicking (here!)
I regularly post about Clay in the Potter’s Hands on the Clay Facebook page:
Click here to visit and follow:
‘’Watch a short video introduction to Clay in the Potter’s Hands”
Workbook
This workbook is designed to accompany Clay in the Potter’s Hands and to provide space to go deeper into each and every chapter. The more we know about clay, kilns, wheels, grog, firing, glazing, wedging, and the like, the more this spiritual picture becomes vivid and useful in our daily lives. Accessible and highly recommended for personal reflection, mentoring and discipleship groups, Sunday School classes, and spiritual retreats.
Leader's Guide
The vibrant imagery and thoughtful questions make Clay in the Potter’s Hands ideal for Sunday School Classes, small groups, and discipleship programs. Need help designing your class? This Leader’s Guide offers suggested schedules, valuable resources, and clear and detailed instructions.
