Marjory Zoet Bankson, a professional potter and teacher, served as president of Faith at Work for more than 15 years and is the author of several books. She teaches at Virginia Theological Seminary and the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D. C. and travels nationally to offer retreats and workshops. In this inspiring paperback, she presents some of the spiritual insights she has gained since throwing her first clay pots over 40 years ago.
In the prologue, she writes: "I am being formed by the clay. I am reconnecting with the earth, and with the other basic elements, too — air, water, fire — and life itself. Working with clay is so tactile and tangible, so immediate. Every gesture leaves its trail in the clay. Every fingerprint, a message. My breath fills the cavity. My touch curves the wall of a bowl. And inwardly, I am being formed by the outward practice. I am learning to trust the process, to lean into the possibilities rather than strive for some predetermined goal. I am being hollowed out, stretched and constricted, trimmed and sometimes reworked entirely."
Bankson leads us through the seven-step process of making clay into a pot with the following sections:
• Grounding — connecting with the basic elements
• Kneading — awakening to the inner realm
• Centering — engaging in a dialogue of discovery
• Shaping — dealing with inner and outer pressures
• Finishing — trimming away the excess
• Decorating — adding a playful touch
• Firing — committing to transformation.
Along the way Bankson shows how working with clay teaches us about the web that connects us to earth and air and water; about awakening and breathing; about touch and staying centered; about the playfulness of choices; and about the crucible of transformation. She concludes:
"We are indeed creatures of the earth and creators of possibilities. Working with clay is a way to get our hands dirty and our minds clear. To reclaim an elemental sense of connection with the earth itself. To bring us home to our bodies. To express our soul's longing for life. To reclaim the sacred act of creation as essential to our wholeness. This is the soulwork of clay."
