The sonnet “In God’s Great House: A Reflection on 2 Timothy 2:20” reflects on 2 Timothy 2:20, which describes a house containing vessels of gold, silver, wood, and clay, each with distinct purposes—some noble, some common. It portrays these vessels as varied yet unified within God’s vast house, all bearing a “holy flame” in their own ways, symbolizing their shared divine calling. Gold and silver vessels shine with grace, while wood and clay offer humble strength, holding “daily bread divine.” Their purposes stem from God’s hands, which shape, refine, and assign their roles. Though their stations differ, they are all valued and embraced within His fold, urged to shine or serve as called, forever enthralled in His presence.

Within a vast and storied house they stand,
The vessels wrought of gold and silver gleam,
While wood and clay, shaped by a humbler hand,
In quiet service find their own esteem.
All bear the holy flame in varied ways,
Their polished forms a testament to grace,
Yet others hold the daily bread divine,
Their simple strength a beauty none displace.
Each purpose flows from hands that know the clay,
The fire that refines, the will that molds,
And though their stations differ day by day,
God’s hands assign their tasks within His fold.
So let us shine or serve as we are called,
In God’s vast house, where all are e’er enthralled.