April 2009

Volume 4 Issue 4

Harbor Covenant Church, Gig Harbor WA

   

 

   

 

    In this Issue

HCC Home Page

Highlights Home Page

Calendar

Adult Christian Formation

Children's Ministry

Church Wide Events

Community Events

God's Creation

Guest Column

Library Information

Messages and Passages

Ministry Placement

Missions

Missionary Reports

Senior Adults

Stewardship

Women's Activities

Youth Activities

 

 

 

Contact Us

GUEST COLUMN

 

In His Image

By Don C. Olson

 

Recently, we sang a song in Sunday service entitled, “Refine Me” with the verse, “come with your fire and refine us”. It brought to mind a story I came across in the Koinonia House Newsletter that I’d like to re-tell because it is one of those wonderful little stories which illuminates God’s work in us.

 

The story starts with a Bible study group. The group was working on Malachi and were puzzled over verse 3:3 where it is written, He (God) will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. The group wondered what the verse tells us about the character and nature of God. One woman in the group offered to research the verse by learning more about the process of refining silver. Who better to use as a resource than a silversmith? So, she made an appointment with a silversmith to observe his work, without telling him her purpose.

 

She watched as the silversmith placed a piece of silver into the fire. He explained that it was necessary to hold the silver in the center of the fire where the hot flames will burn away all of the impurities. It brought to the woman’s mind the possibility that God also holds us in such a hot spot. She asked the silversmith if he had to keep an eye on the silver during this refining process. He replied that he had to watch the silver during the entire time it was in the fire. If it were left in the fire even a moment too long, it would be destroyed. That brought another question to the woman’s mind – “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”

 

The silversmith smiled with an answer, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s done when I see my image in it.”

 

This is a story to remember when we feel the heat of that fire. We should also remember that when we live our lives with the purpose of glorifying Him, the invisible God becomes visible in us for all to see.

 

 

 

 

Guest Column

* * *

Each month, the members and friends of Harbor Covenant have the opportunity to share thoughts and experiences from their life of faith.

 

Our guest contributor for this month is:
 
Don C. Olson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ ~ ~

Harbor Covenant Church

5601 Gustafson Drive NW

Gig Harbor  Washington 98335

253 851 8858

info@harborcovenant.org