54 - Creation - Sandra Lewis

54 - Creation - Sandra Lewis

Author: Exploring Bible Words in Greek and Hebrew May 14, 2026 Duration: 45:06

Yatsar is what a potter does to clay. Yatsar is also what God did to us. Yatsar is a cognate for another Hebrew which means to squeeze, to push, to pressure and to be distressed.

This is because the image of formation that yatsar evokes is shaping something like a potter shapes a pot. The potter squishes, squeezes, pushes and pressures the clay. I will bet that the clay if it could talk would say it was feeling a bit distressed!

I discuss this with Sandra Lewis, the missionary who created Grace & Peace Community Ministries in Richmond, Virginia to serve families in Richmond’s inner city, with a special focus on those on Raven Street, a division of Mosby Court. This has always been the most violent, dangerous and poor place in all of Richmond. But Sandra went into the neighborhood to show Christ’s love through service. She currently serves 80-100 households surrounding Raven St. in Mosby Court, a public housing community, helping single mothers, kids and others with education, health services, work training, spiritual training and basic needs. Antsy kids love to create stuff with their hands, so Sandra is continually creating art projects and opportunities for them. Yatsar was on her mind because she’s just recently started up a new pottery opportunity for the kids, which came from her study of Diana Glyer’s recent book all about pottery, entitled Clay in the Potter’s Hands.

So Sandra’s mind is on pottery and yatsar And that’s where we will start our conversation with her!

This episode digs deeper into “yatsar” (יָצָֽר - meaning ‘formed’) in Genesis 2:8.

Genesis 2:8 - “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.” (NIV)

Mentioned:

Grace & Peace Community Ministries

Grace & Peace Community Ministries Facebook

Clay in the Potter’s Hands - Diana Glyer

The Problem of Pain - C.S. Lewis

The Circle Maker - Mark Batterson

Area 10 Church - Richmond, VA

National Community Church - Washington, DC

Tyler Staton

Can Can Brasserie

Psalm 63

The Market at 25th

A Call to Mercy - Mother Teresa

Banff & Lake Louise

What is a Bammerhab?

“You have not given me into the hands of the enemybut have set my feet in a spacious place.” (Ps. 31:8 - NIV)

The phrase “in a spacious place” is the Hebrew word: Bammerhab.

Thanks to:

Aaron Woodard for Graphic Design

Dave Allam of Allam House for podcasting techniques

Bible Hub for Greek / Hebrew resources



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bammerhab.substack.com

The journey through ancient texts often hinges on a single, potent term, a concept that loses dimension in translation. Bammerhab-Words from the Word is a quiet, focused excavation of those foundational terms. Each episode is a deep dive into a specific Greek or Hebrew word from scripture, peeling back layers of historical context, cultural nuance, and original meaning. This isn't about rushed readings or surface-level commentary; it's a deliberate unpacking, led by a writer with a scholar's curiosity and a storyteller's touch. You'll hear how a word's usage in everyday ancient life informs its theological weight, discovering connections and insights that typically remain hidden in plain sight. The aim is to enrich personal study and reflection by returning to the source material, offering listeners a more textured, grounded understanding of familiar passages. This podcast lives in the details, believing that a closer look at the building blocks of language can lead to a fuller appreciation of the text itself. For anyone interested in the intersection of faith, language, and history, these explorations provide substantive, contemplative material. Find more from this exploration of Bible words in Greek and Hebrew on the associated Substack page.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 55

Bammerhab: Bible Explainer
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