How We Are God's Tea Cups
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series II Cycle B
The tea cup was stained. It was Mary's favorite cup, with flowers and leaves hand-painted on the outside. Gold leafing trimmed the rim. And the handle was curved very delicately. But the inside was stained from tea.
Mary set to soaking it in a bit of bleach. Her thoughts turned to the first communion class that she had to teach this Sunday. She had been trying to find a way to explain the meaning behind communion and the ritual that went with it. She breathed a quick prayer for help.
As she washed and dried her beloved tea cup, Mary found the answer. She would use her tea cup! She would explain that just like her tea cup is precious to Mary, we are precious to God, more precious than gold. God loves us as no one can. But just like the tea cup becomes stained, we make mistakes. We gossip, we tell lies, we covet things, and we sin. We become stained. But Jesus, in his death, became the bleach we need to renew our lives so that we can once again shine with God's love. As we are cleaned and dried, we are reminded to try again, to love one another, and be true to Jesus' example.
Mary found a box to put her tea cup in. Very carefully, she wrapped it in tissue paper and sealed the box. She got a warm feeling all over as she imagined that God, who loves us so much, wraps us in his arms and looks at us like a treasure. Mary breathed a word of thanks and continued on her day.
Mary set to soaking it in a bit of bleach. Her thoughts turned to the first communion class that she had to teach this Sunday. She had been trying to find a way to explain the meaning behind communion and the ritual that went with it. She breathed a quick prayer for help.
As she washed and dried her beloved tea cup, Mary found the answer. She would use her tea cup! She would explain that just like her tea cup is precious to Mary, we are precious to God, more precious than gold. God loves us as no one can. But just like the tea cup becomes stained, we make mistakes. We gossip, we tell lies, we covet things, and we sin. We become stained. But Jesus, in his death, became the bleach we need to renew our lives so that we can once again shine with God's love. As we are cleaned and dried, we are reminded to try again, to love one another, and be true to Jesus' example.
Mary found a box to put her tea cup in. Very carefully, she wrapped it in tissue paper and sealed the box. She got a warm feeling all over as she imagined that God, who loves us so much, wraps us in his arms and looks at us like a treasure. Mary breathed a word of thanks and continued on her day.
