Worship - 7 September 2025

Summary of this week's theme

‘Some things are better broken.’

The Canadian singer Sarah McLachlan uses that phrase in the title song from a new album, and while it may not apply to my expensive sunglasses (which I keep dropping!), it does point to a deeper truth: sometimes brokenness can lead to something new, even more beautiful.

The 2002 film Joshua illustrates this. A mysterious stranger enters a small town, healing and teaching with Christ-like compassion. In one scene, a shattered glass bowl is later reshaped by Joshua into a stunning angel - an image of redemption. Brokenness is not the end; in God’s hands, it can be transformed into new life. Like Jeremiah at the potter’s house, we see that the divine potter reshapes what is cracked and flawed into something more wonderful.

Brokenness is part of being human. Relationships fail, careers disappoint, injustice wounds us, and health falters. Yet when we bring these fractures before Christ, we open ourselves to healing and reshaping. Often it is only after suffering that we discover who we truly are, and that our wounds can even become sources of strength. Henri Nouwen, in The Wounded Healer, reminds us that our brokenness can deepen compassion and allow us to serve others more fully.

The Japanese art of kintsugi takes this even further. Broken pottery is repaired with gold, the cracks highlighted rather than hidden. The repaired vessel becomes stronger, more valuable, and more authentic than before. So it is with us: God is the master restorer, who binds us together through faith, prayer, and love, giving dignity to our scars.

But transformation is not always easy. Jesus often confronted hard hearts directly, demanding that his followers place God above even family and even life itself. In his time, such words were shocking - many likely turned away. Yet the message remains: following Christ requires letting go of certain attachments, embracing sacrifice, and allowing love to be the foundation of justice.

The film Joshua reminds us that while Christ begins the work of healing and transformation, it is left to us to continue it. We are called to build and care for the body of Christ - not in spite of our brokenness, but through it.

And so, yes - some things are better broken. Because in God’s hands, what is broken can be reshaped into something more whole, more beautiful, and more true than it ever was before.