Parishioners and master potters Rev. Ray Niebergall and wife Bev led a retreat/pottery workshop recently, and on June 2 the whole parish gathered for Spirit of Clay Sunday. Who knew what that meant? We arrived to find the pews arranged in a circle with the altar in the centre. A potter’s wheel was on one side of the altar and on the other was a table holding five clay artworks which had a common theme of bridges. Displays of pottery both professional and amateur were also located at various points in the sanctuary.
The service began with everyone being given small balls of clay to touch, feel, smell and play with during the service. We had several moments of quiet while a crystal bowl filled the church with its magical sound. We chanted Taize and other songs. Appropriate readings from Jeremiah, Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians and the gospel of Matthew were read. Rev. Ray preached about centering the clay and ourselves while at the same time his son Tim demonstrated his sermon points by throwing a beautiful pot on the wheel. The Prayers of the People, written by participants in the retreat, were movingly read by Bev . Our rector, the Reverend Clarence Li, danced and sang his way through the Eucharistic Prayer.
In addition to the bread and wine, all of us received clay pebbles which we then placed on the artwork table to create paths between the five clay bridges, linking them, to demonstrate our interconnectedness.
A wonderful gift from the Niebergalls and all who planned this worship service. It was a truly special morning at St. Hilda’s.