Spring is a season of firsts and new beginnings, including many area youth participating in their first communion at churches around the community. Third graders Rylie Bunting, Eli Groth, Nolan Longnecker and Jacob Staehling from Rejoice Lutheran Church in Clearwater recently spent time creating personalized chalices to prepare for their upcoming first communion.

 

To help youth understand the rite and its meaning, the students have been learning about it during their Sunday School classes. Creating their own communion chalices out of clay is part of their preparation, and will be meaningful reminder of the day.

 

Potter Jasper Bond has been coming to Rejoice for a number of years to teach third graders about working with clay and to help them create their chalices. A potter for 40 years, he enjoys participating in numerous volunteer-type activities around the community and country. 

 

Potter began the class by passing around old pottery fragments, including some that were made at the time of Christ, to help illustrate the history of the craft.

 

He took the students through the creation process step-by-step, first having them make a practice cup before moving onto their final. He brought along a number of implements for the students to use to create personalized designs around the outside of their chalices, including sticks, rollers and pieces of rope.

 

During communion, wine will be poured into the chalices for the youth to drink, signifying the last supper where Jesus broke bread and shared wine with his disciples, telling them to eat and drink in remembrance of him. 

 

Bond brought the finished chalices back to his studio to glaze and dry in his kiln so they would be ready this Sunday.