Life Ablaze: A Reflection

Life Ablaze: A Reflection 

I have recently been listening to Steven Ponsford’s composition Life Ablaze, played by New York Staff Band. 

In the stillness of moments when music becomes more than sound, when it transforms into a sacred dialogue between the soul and its Creator, we are drawn into the very heart of God’s craftsmanship. Life Ablaze speaks to that journey, an unfolding of our spirit’s response to the touch of the divine Potter.

Like clay in the hands of the Master, we are invited into a process of shaping—one that is gentle yet intentional, filled with purpose yet surrounded by grace. The tune of The Potter's Hand, found within Life Ablaze, brings to light the vulnerability and surrender that are central to this moulding. “Take me, mould me, use me,” becomes not just a request, but an offering of our whole selves. In these words, we hear the invitation to trust the hands that guide us—hands that form us not in haste, but with tenderness, shaping every part of our being with divine precision.

The seasons of our lives, like the flow of brass and melody, carry us through times of joy, challenge, stillness, and movement. In each season, the Potter’s hands never leave us. His Holy Spirit guides and calls, teaching us to see life through the eyes of grace and love. This holy calling, this being "set apart," is not an isolating experience, but a drawing near to the One who walks beside us, leading us toward a fuller understanding of God’s purpose.

There is something profound about being captured by God’s calling. It is not a forceful grip, but a drawing, a beckoning to come closer. As the music of Life Ablaze swells, as the brass instruments ring out with a sense of majesty, we too are invited into the symphony of life lived in alignment with God’s will.

And so, as we listen, as we pray, we find ourselves echoing the plea of the song: "Lead me, walk beside me." It is here, in the partnership of surrender and trust, that we are most fully shaped—moulded into vessels of God’s grace, ready to be used for God’s glory. The Potter's hand is not just forming us; it is holding us, guiding us, and reminding us that we are always within the care of the One who knows our deepest needs.

In the end, Life Ablaze is more than a composition; it is a reminder that our lives, too, are ablaze with the presence of the divine Potter, who is continually shaping us into God’s likeness. May we find peace in the shaping, and joy in the journey, as we give our lives into the Potter’s hands.

Perhaps take a few moments to listen to Steven Ponsford’s composition Life Ablaze, played by New York Staff Band:

https://youtu.be/6AQxcRJKl_c?si=MPEtsK-aT0uM6pRD

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