Created by God to hold the treasure

01Jul

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.

-2 Corinthians 4:7-10

Once, I visited a friend in the hospital and told her I had a confession to make. She said, “I thought I was going to confess to you!”

And that’s how it is sometimes. We are confronted daily with things large and small that we may need to confess to another person or to God. We are all “clay jars” that have been created by God to hold the treasure (and travails) of life itself. And like clay jars, we are not perfect - sometimes a little chipped and cracked and once in awhile crushed, but never destroyed.

In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, we see his human frustrations and failings, even as he tries to be encouraging to the growing church. It is comforting to know that even St. Paul had experiences that at times bewildered him and even drove him to despair. His confession allows us to see the grace that God is continually extending to all of us and to be thankful.

Musical Reflection - Love in the Hard Times - Jars of Clay

Lord, help us to recognize and confess the failings that we inevitably have as human beings and those we have as communities of faith. Help us to know that all we have to do is ask for You to remove our shortcomings, forgive us, and help us to make amends. Amen.

New Testament Thankfulness Pentecost

Posted by Maria Elliott

Maria Elliott has been Trinity since 1994, first as a parishioner and then for sixteen years establishing the office of stewardship and development, and currently as the Director of Pastoral Care and Spiritual Life.

WIth a degree in Music and Business from Drake University in her native state of Iowa, Maria went first to New York to work for a concert artist management and then for the Arts department at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. At the Cathedral, Maria was confirmed, met and married her husband, The Reverend Michael Kuhn, and began an accidental career in the Episcopal Church. She has served on the Diocesan Stewardship Committee, the boards of The Episcopal Network for Stewardship and the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes, as a Stephen Minister, and currently Education for Ministry Mentor.

Maria’s interests include playing the oboe in the New Orleans Civic Symphony and she is currently training to be a Narrative Enneagram mentor. Her daughters, Hallie Wilkins and Sophie Bedaña are Trinity School alumni. Maria has two grandchildren, Celeste and Alden Wilkins.

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