Come to the Potter’s Field

Come to the potter’s field, . . . Come to the potter’s field and be broken," the voice echoes against the walls of the sanctuary as the jean and t-shirt clad, barefoot artist climbs the steps of the altar. His pulpit is a potter’s wheel, and he has come to testify and demonstrate that God is longing for each of His vessels to surrender to the hands of the Master Potter­to be made a new creation.

Mike and Pam Rozell of Whitefish, Montana, count it a privilege to spend 325 days a year on the road speaking at about 220 services as they dynamically spin the power of the Gospel through object lessons and uplifting music into the hardened hearts of young and old. This duo of captivating artistry did not always work together for the Lord, however. In fact their marriage was a disaster on the brink of collapse until the Holy Spirit intervened to give them a ministry used by God to save weary and broken souls by the hundreds.

When they met in 1987, Pam was singing as a headline entertainer on cruise ships all over the world, and Mike was zooming along a fast lane on Wall Street making investment sales. After a 28-day courtship and a Las Vegas marriage, Pam saw a side of Mike that revealed addictions to alcohol and gambling, and she wanted out of the relationship. Upon their return to Los Angeles where Pam was performing in a Broadway musical, Mike was invited to a Monday night church service by a friend who had tried to witness to him at his 10-year high school reunion a few weeks prior.

That night Mike gave his heart to Jesus, and two nights later Pam rededicated her life to the Lord. While this was a step in the right direction, their jet-set, glitter-decked lifestyles led them to regularly hop on planes literally headed in different directions which kept them apart for days or weeks at a time.

When they were together, Mike’s frustration often erupted in rages of anger at Pam­perhaps a welling up of past wounds from a broken home. These scars were crusted over by decades of cocaine, alcohol, gambling, and pornography addiction. His father led him to believe that there was no future in working with his hands and clay, so he did what was expected of him: make a lot of money, drive a Mercedes, and wear $700 suits with high-priced jewelry and watches.

Pam, on the other hand, was brought up in a stable churchgoing family environment in the south, and she pursued some successful bids for beauty contest crowns, winning Miss Georgia in 1977-78. Her powerful singing voice and stunning stage presence launched a successful career in the entertainment industry. Years of a frills-filled lifestyle (including singing in Monte Carlo, shopping sprees in Paris, and all of the party-life behavior that makes "backslidden" seem like a mild term) led to emptiness and a heartfelt longing for something in life that was more meaningful, lasting, and purposeful.

While living in Santa Monica, California, Pam learned that Mike was once excited as a teenager by pottery. At age 12 he saw his first pottery demonstration at a fair, and he could hardly wait to get into high school and learn ceramics. Not eligible to enter ceramics until his sophomore year, Mike went out of his way as a freshman to work in an adult school pottery class sweeping floors and pugging (processing) clay. The instructor told Mike he could try throwing a pot on the weekend, so Mike took a 25-pound bag of clay from the pugging machine and made a pot. Upon returning, the instructor burst out, "You’re not supposed to be able to begin throwing pots like that!" Mike said he didn’t know that beginners were expected to start with smaller blocks of clay. What many people struggle with on the potter’s wheel seemed to come naturally to Mike. He now sees his talent as a gift from God who was preparing the artist for a life of service.

Although her husband had not touched clay for 10 years, Pam encouraged Mike to go back to spinning pots­to do what he likes most. So he joined an artist’s co-op where he had access to equipment. One day he called Pam on the phone to come look at his work. When she walked into the studio, she saw a large pot on each of the 20 potter’s wheels. She began to cry, never having realized that her husband had such artistic talent. He continued to pursue a livelihood in pottery while helping make ends meet with side jobs. Never having experienced encouragement in his youth, Mike was again told by his father that he would become a bum as a potter. Mike believed him.

About two years later in 1990, as their lives continued on a roller coaster of emotions and old habits, Mike sat up in bed one night and said, "Our ministry will be called Potter’s Field"; then he fell down on his pillow and went back to sleep. The next morning he didn’t recall the incident, and Pam reminded him that they didn’t have a very worthwhile marriage, much less a ministry to call their own. She immediately pursued the scriptures for guidance, however, and found that the potter’s field referred to a place where the broken shards of clay were brought as waste, but the literal translation meant "field of blood." She determined that God wanted them to help put back together the pieces of broken souls through the saving grace of the blood of the Lamb and to let His light shine through the cracks.

Their lives did not change much in the months to come, but Pam trusted that God had a plan so she put the production name "Potter’s Field Ministries" on her first spiritual album called "Let the Earth Hear His Voice" even though they did not really have a ministry yet. The couple continued their walk by going through the motions as churchgoers, putting on a facade of having things all together­that is until one day in 1991 when Mike met with a deacon for lunch. "You are a phony Christian and a hypocrite," said the deacon. Later Mike met with his senior pastor who asked, "If you could do anything in the world, what would you do?" "I love to do pottery," Mike responded without hesitation. "Do you know how?" the pastor continued. "Yeah, I can do it fairly well," Mike said. "Then do it with all your might to the glory of God. What a noble profession," the pastor affirmed the young artist, who was being sucked into his old habits by returning to work in the investment selling scene.

Although Pam continued earning money with her singing engagements, the Rozell’s ministry did not click until Mike was invited to demonstrate making pottery before a Christian women’s gathering while Pam sang a number of her spiritual songs. The presentation was so moving and the response so positive that they quickly realized God wanted them to minister together­a direct answer to Pam’s heart-wrenching prayers that God would give them a radical, all-consuming ministry. Eventually they were both willing to quit their six-figure income jobs in faith and go for broke; they knew that God would provide. Their convictions grew stronger that they needed to produce fruit for the Lord­a void in their Christian experience thus far. Now they testify nationwide how the love of God has transformed their lives of crisis into lives of service capturing the attention of even the coldest and most indifferent onlookers.

Before a crowd of thirsty souls the couple prayerfully presents their testimony with the power of graphically indelible illustrations on the potter’s wheel. "Without the water of the Holy Spirit washing you daily, your heart will become hardened," the artist begins as he smashes a chunk of dry clay on the floor. "You need to invite the soothing and softening power of the Spirit in order to be transformed into a worthy vessel. Every potter knows that without water, there will be no pot," he adds as he splatters water cascading from a pitcher onto a block of fresh clay.

"And you have to be covered by the blood of Christ for your sins to be totally forgiven," he says while letting red dye run down the sides of the nondescript mound. "Watch what happens when a worthless piece of clay is washed in the water, covered by the blood, and yielded to the hands of the potter."

As the potter’s wheel begins to turn, Pam’s voice rings with conviction, "These hands, just ordinary hands; are called upon to meet life’s extraordinary demands. These lips could speak the truth in love; but all would be in vain, unless empowered from above . . . Lord make my life; make my life a miracle. May Your Spirit be the difference in me . . ."

Mike leans over and applies pressure to the 75-pound chunk of clay, putting his shoulder and leaning his whole body into shaping the block which is made of the same 13 elements that form our bodies. "God formed Adam out of the dust, so we really are dirt. But God wants to embrace each of us and form us according to His perfect will." Once the clay is muscled into a cylindrical pillar, the artist stops to ask a question.

"How many of you have taken a ceramics class in high school? Then you know how difficult and important it is to center the clay on the wheel. If the clay is not centered, the potter cannot proceed; likewise the Master Potter cannot shape your life unless you are centered in Christ," he explains, noting also that the block of clay cannot be placed on the foundation of the wheel unless it is in total surrender to the will of the potter. Neither can the clay pick itself up and place itself on the wheel; it can do only what the potter wants it to, just as "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13).

Mike recalls several of his life’s experiences when he had not wanted to surrender to God. He did not want to be centered. "No Lord!" he blurts out and begins to turn in a circle and wobble around like a lopsided pillar of clay. "Nnnooo! I don’t want to be centered by You. I want to do it my way. I want to follow my will, not Yours, Lord." The viewers often chuckle at the artist’s antics but easily identify with the lesson.

The music begins again, and Mike covers his arm with water and presses down into the center of the clay. Only the potter fully understands how much strength and control it takes to mold 75 pounds of clay, but Mike tries to convey that it is the steady pressure from the hands of the potter that shapes the worthless clay into something of value. He adds that if we do not resist the guiding hands of the Master Potter, then our lives will flourish in meaningful service and become of value far beyond anyone’s expectations. ". . . Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him," he quotes from 1 Corinthians 2:9.

"I’m pressing on the upward way, new heights I’m gaining everyday," Pam’s voice accompanies Mike as he continues shaping the clay into a three-foot-high vessel. "Still praying as I’m onward bound; Lord, plant my feet on higher ground. . . ."

Every eye in the crowd, from toddlers to seniors, is transfixed as the pot appears to grow and be transformed by the will and skill of the artist. He pulls, pushes, bends, scrapes, and moistens the vessel until it becomes a stunning shape that only the potter foresaw. "None of you knew what the worthless piece of clay would become, but I did. None of you could see anything of value in the chunk of clay, but the potter could­just as the God sees in each of you something of eternal value if you will only set aside your selfish ways and believe in Him rather than the things of this world."

"You need to accept the blood of Christ as your sacrifice and accept that your sins are forgiven," the potter offers as he again drenches the rim of the pot with red dye that runs down covering the earthen vessel in brilliant red. Stunned expressions and glassy eyes gaze in anticipation. Pam, with tear-filled eyes, explains how God rescued their marriage from the depths of hell by helping them confess their faults and seek forgiveness at the foot of the cross. Their born-again experience was only the beginning of their transformed lives, however.

"This was me," the clay-stained potter exclaims, pointing to the stunning work of art. "I thought I was a pretty good Christian. I was pretty proud and puffed up. I was serving God as an usher each weekend in church," he adds while pridefully strutting around on the platform. "But I was still hooked on my Mercedes and expensive clothes and even my addiction to pornography. What does God see?" he asks as he steps up to the potter’s wheel and with both hands caves in the top of the pot. The crowd gasps.

"God sees the truth. He wants to remove that pride," Mike explains as he cuts a strip of clay off the top of the pot that a few moments ago appeared finished and perfect. "He wants to remove the other gods in your life like money." Another strip of clay is cut off the rim and placed on his shoulder. "And drugs." Another strip is cut away. "And alcohol." Another strip is removed. "God wants you to surrender all. These are the sins that His son took to the cross for you," he proclaims as he stands with outstretched arms bearing the weight of the wet clay on his shoulders and heaving for a breath of air as Christ might have done on the cross with the weight of the sins of the world on his shoulders.

This graphic display of allowing the Master Potter to trim away all that is in the way of being at one with Him is followed by finishing the pot as a humble, functional, and solid vessel of service. Mike then reminds every person in the room that, ". . . the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). "You see a smooth and well-shaped vessel on the outside, but the potter knows that there is still a bunch of gunk on the inside," he says as he extracts wet globs of clay from the bottom of the pot and splats them on the table calling each hidden sin by its name: lust, covetousness, hate, and anger. "Create in me a new heart, Lord," Mike adds, noting that his own transformed life and the thrill of serving the living God began to flourish once he confessed to being a phony Christian. "What you have witnessed here tonight is two works of art coming from the same piece of clay. God is ready to refine you and mold you into humble service, even if you’re already a professed Christian."

The theme of confession and forgiveness is repeated graphically as the vessel is again washed in the water and the blood. This vital part of the message presented by the Potter’s Field Ministry has melted hearts and brought those who felt most unworthy of forgiveness to their knees with eyes overflowing in tears of heartfelt repentance.

One such soul is a contemporary French artist named Jean Claude Gaugy. After seeing the Potter’s Field presentation in Florida, the painter approached Mike tearfully explaining all the killing he had done for many years in top-secret, special services maneuvers for the French military. The gruesome tasks he was ordered to perform in the name of national security would likely drive most people into a mental breakdown. Gaugy did not understand how he could be forgiven. Mike led him to Christ by showing that Paul, who had killed thousands of people, repented and was indeed forgiven by the Son of God, who took all sin to the cross (see Acts 9:1-2 and 26:10-11).

The world renowned artist’s sobbing response to his new-found eternal gift of life was later expressed through a painting of gratitude. Now this mural of Christ’s turmoil and painful death on the cross serves as a backdrop to the Potter’s Field presentations­a stunningly powerful artistic display of the crucifixion that strikes to the core of many viewers’ hearts when Mike and Pam unveil the mural.

"I was dead; chaos reigned inside my head," Pam sings as Mike puts the final touches on the clay pot. "Rebellion left its toll; helplessly sick without a remedy. Sin had scarred my soul, but He set me free. Jesus rescued me!"

Now Mike confronts the onlookers with a choice­to choose life eternal or turn away­as God calls them to surrender to the life- changing power of His hands. "You may not get another chance," he pleads. "Go ahead and say, ŒYes, that’s me, Mike. I need to confess my sins and accept forgiveness from the living God.’"

"Here’s what God is offering you," he says matter-of-factly. "He is willing to change your life and give you heaven this side of heaven; then He’ll throw in heaven too. You need only to believe that it is yours," he adds as Pam helps him unveil a striking five-foot pottery masterpiece covered with white doves. The onlookers watch in awe as Mike explains that this pot illustrates what God wants to do in their lives. God sent Jeremiah to the potter’s house to watch, and then God asked Jeremiah if He could do with him what the potter did to the clay (see Jeremiah 18:1-6).

With that simple explanation of righteousness by faith, he asks the audience to bow their heads in prayer. "Is there anyone here who has never accepted Christ into his life, and is willing to raise his hand and say, ŒYes, I want to have my life transformed by the living God’ This is a very private moment. With every head bowed and every eye closed, simply raise your hand if you want to have your life to be greater than you ever imagined. Just as every pot on the potter’s wheel is different, God sees in you a masterpiece that He wants to make whole through the saving grace of His son, Jesus Christ. But a unique and rare vessel cannot come to be without the Master’s hands. He is ready to transform your heart right now." Moved by the Holy Spirit, several souls surrender to the call by raising their hands, and Mike scans the crowd saying, "God bless you. And God bless you ma’am. Bold move young man. God bless you in the back. Anyone else? God bless you . . ."

He then explains at the close of the prayer that those who said they were willing to be born again need to come forward and take a stand for Jesus. "Don’t hesitate, and if you brought someone here tonight, lean over and let them know you will come forward with them. But you need to come now." Almost instantly several teenagers, middle-aged people, and older people begin to file into the aisle and walk to the front near the platform. Several pleas from Mike remind the crowd that now is the time, and if they can’t make a stand for Jesus in a room full of people who love them, then how are they going to do so out in the world?

"I’m here to tell you tonight that it’s okay to surrender all, but you need to come now," he urges. "I’m belaboring this call because I’m under the conviction that there is a person here tonight who is holding back. This has nothing to do with religion, and it has everything to do with everlasting relationships. I’m praying for you right now, and you need to come."

Pam sings, "I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today . . ." as not one, but several people decide to come forward. The many souls standing at the altar are asked to repeat the repentant sinner’s prayer, invite Christ to live in their hearts forever, and ask for a hunger for God’s Word. The group is then led by a pastor to a room where they receive a Bible and some study guides.

Several thousands of souls surrender their lives to the Master Potter­to be transformed and made a new creation by the power of the Creator of the universe­through the Potter’s Field Ministry, which has been presented in more than 700 churches nationwide. In fact, after a 20-week series of Monday night presentations at a church in northern California, more than 300 souls were baptized in a large pool at an aquatic park near Sacramento.

Now Mike and Pam’s lives are radiant with meaning and purpose as they are used by God to lead so many people to Christ. The thought of not amounting to much if he followed his heart’s desire is long since washed away. Mike and Pam are living testimonies showing how the Master Potter can form a new creation from a sin-torn soul. Unfortunately Mike’s father died a few years ago of a sudden massive heart attack, and he never saw the full impact that his son’s talent has had on changing lives for eternity.

The Rozells admit that not everyone is called to be a team of soul winners. But they have been willing to put off having children, to live in a travel trailer, and to do without the many extras that were customary for an entertainer and investment salesman to have. In fact their willingness to go for broke has brought them very close to it really happening such as the time they had to dig behind their car seat to find a coupon for a 99-cent Subway sandwich that they shared. Or the time their third transmission broke down, and they had no money to fix it. After a program that evening a lady came to Pam while she was selling cassettes, CD’s, videos, and pottery and said, "This changed my life tonight," and she handed them a check for $2,000. The miracles of God’s providence continue to unfold, and someday there may be a book to share all of the blessings. "What grieves me most is that the body of Christ (the church) has missed so many blessings and miracles that God wants to bestow," adds Mike. They know that the number of broken homes is on the increase, and there are countless numbers of souls who feel unloved, angry, and crying out for salvation, purpose, and direction in life. They know there is no turning back from their commitment as worthy vessels for the Lord’s work.

With a voracious hunger for souls to be saved from the miry pit of the world (another illustration from the Bible involving potters who dig for valuable clay) Mike and Pam want to encourage everyone to pursue whatever God has called them to do (whether or not it involves creativity or the arts), and to do the best they possibly can to the glory of God. Each one who surrenders to God’s will can be sure He has already created a work to be done as the Potter’s Field theme scripture states, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). Even though Mike would rather not be in front of people, he knows God has called him for such a time as this.

But what amazes Pam and Mike is the number of ministries that do not last longer than a decade or so. In talking with one gentleman in his 80’s who had been in ministry for 65 years, Mike asked, "What does it take to finish well?" Without hesitation, the man said, "Abide daily in the Word of God." Realizing that their ministry will be sustained only by their daily dependence on and connection to the Word of God, the artists each spend an hour in the morning in study and prayer, followed by listening to about five to twenty study tapes per week. In addition to studying each morning, Mike spends quiet time in his truck­even during their rare sojourns home to Whitefish, Montana. It is his refuge where he can talk to God and examine his own heart. While on the road, the Potter’s Field Ministry is also upheld in prayer and assistance by a seven person support staff including Roberta, Lorie, Renee, John, Fran, Kevin, and Vicki. Mike and Pam know that the ministry would not survive without such dedicated workers for the Lord behind the scenes.

While they feel honored and privileged to be serving God together, Mike and Pam are first to admit that their marriage is not perfect. Nevertheless, people comment most, not on the pottery or the singing, but on the way God uses them together in harmonious service. Now the Lord has Pam embarking on new opportunities to speak and sing to women’s groups, and as a team they are called to marriage retreats to speak and teach­two sinners whose marriage was rescued from the depths of hell.

Fortunately, their brittle, hard-hearted lives were softened by the bloodstained hands of the Master Potter, who molded them into one vessel with plenty of cracks from their broken past revealed so that His light would shine forth into a dark world that can see hope from what once was shattered shards­a modern-day miracle available to all who have come to the potter’s field and are broken.

Tom Ish is editor and publisher of Creation Illustrated. For booking information or a video tape on the Potter’s Field Ministry, call (406) 862-9673; or write to: Potter’s Field Ministries, P.O. Box 608, Whitefish, MT, 59937; or email: ephtwoten@aol.com.