Enough for a Party!

January 19, 2024 John 2:1-11 Enough for a Party! 2nd Sunday After Epiphany Year C Fill My House with Hoping Prelude Greeting Call to Plenty Leader: A miscalculation has occurred. The wedding guests have drunk all the wine before the party is over. At times life can feel like we’re “running out” of so much and scarcity is shutting down the party. In these moments, we are invited to turn to the currency and economy of Jesus. In this new worship series, we will be reminded that in Jesus’ economy, the true measure of abundance is fullness for the entire community, not just for some. Let us build the Kin-dom of God by drawing from jars of Hope, Purpose, Healing, Meaning, Vision, and Grace for all people. In this world of striving, we feel the yearn to earn. The world measures our worth in those earnings. But Jesus had different ideas. Where they perceived that things had run out and dripped dry, he saw the possibility for transformation. When we feel our own resources are lacking, we can view our lives and practices again from the economy of Jesus. Let us pray: God of Abundance, we come to you today, lifting to you our emptiness, our longing, our hoping for a better world. In the midst of our fear, remind us of your transforming and overflowing love and the jars of plenty out of which we can live abundantly in service to all people, especially those who are struggling in body, mind, and spirit. Amen. Song Fill My Cup (Sung Twice) UMH 641 A Sermon for all Ages The Jesus Piggy Bank Responsive Reading with Refrain Psalm 36 UMH 771 Welcoming of New Members Baptismal Covenant I UMH 33 Scripture John 2:1-11 Sermon Enough for a Party! When you think back on your life, what was one of the best days of your life? That is an interesting question for me to answer. Because for me, I don’t judge my days by what happened within the actual day. I judge a day by how much I waited and anticipated the day beforehand. And that would be the time my parents took me to Six Flags in St. Louis. I was seven, and I was excited for weeks. I remember we started the ride to St. Louis in the dark, I fell asleep. My greatest memory was waking up at seven in the morning, and the car was parked right up under the six flags at the front of the park. The day in the park lived up to all of the hype – it was a great day. An adult equivalent would be the day I would leave for the airport to go to a foreign country. For many people, the best days of their life are usually days of big transitions. When the Wine Fails You have heard a bride say it. You have heard a new mother in the maternity ward say it. You have heard a graduating senior say it: This is the happiest day of my life. Some days are like that; they're special. There are great days in all of our lives. I wonder what was your most wondrous moment? For me such days are filled with extraordinary hope and joy. For me it was the birth of my daughter because it was shared with my wife and family. [state yours]. Life involves many happy affairs--the birth of a child, the gatherings of Christmas, a summer vacation. It is often said that to love and be loved is the greatest happiness in the world. For most of us, then, the most significant movement of hope and joy is our wedding day. It's the day we celebrate before God and all our friends the love in our life. Marriage vows are the most profound vows one can make. No other vows are more tender, none are more sacred. No other pledge will so radically shape and claim an individual. The two become one. A home is born. A haven for family is founded. Your place to be is created. But, alas, in too many marriages and in so many lives the wine fails. Brett Blair , www.Sermons.com. Adapted from John K.Bergland, Abingdon Preacher's Annual, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992. Sermon Opener – Saving the Best Till Last The Jews attached great importance to the high moments of life. Thus a wedding was not just a brief ceremony, but an experience shared by the entire community. The typical wedding feast could last up to seven days. That sounds strange to our modern way of thinking, but this offered a bright interlude in an otherwise dreary existence. The ceremony would begin on Tuesday at midnight. After the wedding the father of the bride would take his daughter to every house so that everyone might congratulate her. It was a community experience. Weddings were a time of joy. Our scripture is about someone’s best day – the day of their wedding. It must have been a special day for Jesus as well. In some way, he was connected to the brides family.- either neighbor, cousin or good friend of the family – because he was there with the celebrations. Jesus loved to party, he was not afraid of having a good time. He loved to celebrate with the people. This day, this wedding was a really important day for Jesus, for John the gospel writer, and even for us as the reader. Whenever we are reading from the book of John, we know that it is a feast day, a party day in the church. We are celebrating today by welcoming new members, remembering Jesus, it takes a special group of people to come out to hear the book of John on one of the coldest days of the year – but we are here. Any day that Jesus shows up in the church, it is time to party. Today we are celebrating because this is the day of Jesus first miracle. The book of John takes place over a three year period. In John’s gospel, Jesus performs 7 miracles. This is Jesus’ first one. This is even a special day for gospel writer John. John says that this is what happened on the third day of Jesus ministry. On the first day he gets baptized, on the second day he calls us disciples together, and on the third day – he attends a wedding and performs a miracles. When we think of the miracles of Jesus, we usually think of how he improves the life of an individual. – either he helps them to see, or to hear, or he cures them of an illness that has prevented them from having a normal life, or he answers a prayer and brings a loved one back to life. In some way he transforms the situation and changes the whole trajectory of their life. But this time no one is sick or crying or for that matter in need. This time they are all gathered having a good time, when his mother asks for a miracle to make sure that they have an even better time. This miracle doesn’t change one life, it affects the mood of the whole party. They never even realize what Jesus has done, all they know if that the wine keeps flowing. For them, wine symbolizes the good things in life. For us, this miracle symbolizes God’s abundance. Sometimes in life, God shows up, and provides for us and we don’t even realize it. When Jesus appears in our life, a good day turns into a great day. There are days when God gives us things beyond anything that we ever expected – sort of like going to an amusement park as a kid for the first time in your life. I told you that my best day in life was going to an amusement park for the first time. That is still my best day. As a matter of fact, I loved it so much that my first job – was working at an amusement park. Even going to the amusement park every day to work, still didn’t become a chore. I loved going to work – I still love going to amusement parks. (Even though I don’t do rides anymore as an adult). As an adult, I get to come to church everyday and see Jesus everyday! Somedays it is a challenge, but I still love to see Jesus everyday. My 2025 spiritual practice is to intentionally look for God in everyday – and recognize God when God appears. God has a funny way sometimes of just sneaking up on you when you least expect it. You can’t prepare for a miracle – they just happen. Unless we are intentionally looking, we miss most of them. But life is so much better when we look for Jesus. Years ago when Johnny Carson was the host of The Tonight Show he interviewed an eight year old boy. The young man was asked to appear because he had rescued two friends in a coalmine outside his hometown in West Virginia. As Johnny questioned the boy, it became apparent to him and the audience that the young man was a Christian. So Johnny asked him if he attended Sunday school. When the boy said he did Johnny inquired, "What are you learning in Sunday school?" "Last week," came his reply, "our lesson was about when Jesus went to a wedding and turned water into wine." The audience roared, but Johnny tried to keep a straight face. Then he said, "And what did you learn from that story?" The boy squirmed in his chair. It was apparent he hadn't thought about this. But then he lifted up his face and said, "If you're going to have a wedding, make sure you invite Jesus!" The little boy was on to something. Weddings are time of Joy. At the wedding, which Jesus attended in Cana of Galilee, there was great joy but a problem developed. There was a shortage of wine. Not only was that a social embarrassment, it was also a symbol. For a wedding to run out of wine was an omen that there was little chance of this particular marriage reaching its full potential, maybe joy was not meant for this couple. When we the last time that you invited Jesus into your day? Life gets so much better when Jesus is around. Jesus loves to party. In my first newsletter article here, I said something about lets have some fun in church. I got a very stern email from someone telling me that church is not supposed to be fun. Faith is very serious business. That person was not wrong. Optimism - Turning Water into Wine In his second year at college, Martin Short lived at home, helping to care for his sick father. Listen to what he says about this tragic moment: "When my dad died at the end of my sophomore year, I stopped and took stock of my life. There was this real sense that my childhood was officially over. I decided that I wanted to be an actor. I knew I was loved as a kid. The thing you can always rely on, your core person, comes from your family's attention and love. When my mother got sick, and I'd see her fight to survive, it gave me an early view of bravery and what life was about. I was able to prepare for it. Your mother dies, and you're 18, and you face a choice. Are you going to take drugs? Become a drunk? Or are you going to try to become more spiritual? Why not go with the thing that seems more positive?" Then he thought for a moment: "Why do I tend to be optimistic?" And then he answered, "Because the alternative is just crushing to my soul." Brett Blair www.Sermons.com. Quote taken from "When you're funny, you're blessed," Parade, January 23, 2000, p. 5. How Does Jesus Show He Is the Greatest? Imagine that the Bible was lost and somebody today was given the task of recording, to the best of their ability, the deeds and words of the Son of God. They were to give an account of the good influence that Jesus had had in people’s lives. What do you think would have been recorded as the first instance through which Jesus showed his greatness? Imagine that there would be a poll among the Christians of the 21st century where they were to answer the question: how does Jesus show you that he is the greatest? I’ll tell you one thing I don’t think would make it among the top ten: Jesus showing up at a small town wedding, making water into wine. But that’s what the apostle John reports as Jesus’ primary miracle, when he revealed his glory to the disciples, when he showed them his greatness. Why couldn’t Jesus have found a better purpose when he performed his first miracle? Why couldn’t he have intervened in some of the many political conflicts of the time and put an end to war? Why couldn’t he have done something with the world’s food supply and put an end to world hunger? Why did he choose a small town wedding where he had to provide some more wine? These people had been partying for days and they had probably had enough to drink already. Why does Jesus choose to provide wine at a rural wedding when he would reveal his glory? This story tells me that Jesus’ concern is to help individuals and make them happy. How different this is from so many religious ideas about who Jesus is and what he does. Some people have thought that a follower of Jesus should abstain from marriage. Some people seem to think that a good Christian must not be too light hearted, but that a good Christian must be very serious. How very different the real Jesus is. He comes to a wedding. And he decides to perform his first miracle to help people enjoy themselves and have fun. Sigurd Grindheim, The One Who Gives Abundantly The Font Becomes a Punch Bowl Imagine if a church member threw a party in the fellowship hall. While the crystal punch bowl is carried down the steps, it accidentally slips and smashes on the floor. Uncle Joe says, “Don’t panic. I know something we can use.” He goes up the stairs into the sanctuary, hoists the baptismal font over one shoulder, and carries it down to the fellowship hall. Then the caterers fill it with Canada Dry and cranberry juice. The font becomes a punch bowl. Get the picture? It’s disruptive ... like what Jesus did behind the scenes at the wedding in Cana. It goes to show there’s no telling what rules Jesus Christ will break, in order to disclose the presence and power of God. All we can be sure is God’s glory will not be reduced to traditions and rituals. According to the Fourth Gospel, Jesus Christ is not interested in maintaining stale religious customs and established patterns. Rather he is concerned with bringing us into the presence of the eternal God. William G. Carter, Praying for a Whole New World, CSS Publishing Company. Jesus is the greatest savior – because Jesus is the life of the party. A life centered around Jesus makes every day a party. Let us pray…… Song Freely, Freely UMH 389 Prayers of the People Leader: In the economy of Jesus, we are saved from the expense of a “this for that” accounting. We are freely given so much love that it overflows and surpasses our need. And so we come to God in prayer that we might give back from the surplus of that saving grace. Leader: Each week of this series we will be focusing on naming gifts of abundance we have received in the week, instances where we have seen the abundance of Christ at work in the world, and we will ask for the wisdom and strength to change so that abundance is more available to all. There are notecards in the pews/seats and, if you wish to do so, you are invited in the pause between these petitions to write your observations and we will add them to the six stone jars as a sign of thanksgiving and commitment. In this pause, O God, we ponder the many gifts you have given us. Our gratitude seems never enough for the plenty you provide. We call to mind the gifts of creation, of relationships, of sustenance. [pause] In this pause, Christ Jesus, we ponder the ways your love is still at work in the world. Our awe and wonder at the goodness of others is profound. We call to mind acts of kindness, generosity, and selflessness. [pause] In this pause, Holy Spirit, we come asking you for strength. The temptation to live by the economics of not-enough is so strong in us. We ask for revelation in our thinking and doing, so that we might live with hope in the house. [pause] Loving God, Christ Jesus, Holy Spirit, we are yours. We bring to you now the concerns of our day, of our communities, knowing that already you are present, already you are working to bring about comfort and healing. Today we pray for… Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment In this season of Epiphany, we’re reminded of many ways God shows up in our world. God’s Spirit is the giver of gifts, Paul reminds us. And there are MANY gifts! And, it’s all God’s doing! We don’t often speak about our particular spiritual gifts…but today I invite us to consider what gifts we each have been given. (If you want to name names and gifts, go for it! Or, you might lift up remembered gifts shown by those no longer still alive but remembered by those present. Or you might invite each person to turn to someone near them to share a 1 minute story of a spiritual gift they particularly appreciate in someone within the congregation.) Our congregation is blessed by these and so many other gifts, including the gifts each of you offer today. Some are encouragers, some are teachers, some share wisdom. We’re grateful for all, and now each one of you to share your gift of financial support for this congregation and our ministries. Let the light of YOUR gifts shine today as we receive our morning offering. Prayer of Thanksgiving Generous God, thank you for the many gifts you shower upon us. Accept these gifts as one expression of our gratitude for all we’ve received. Bind us together as one part of the Body of Christ, eager to share your Love with the world. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook The jars are full in the Kin-dom of God. The house is full of the hope we need and the hope we are called to give away. We are transformed in the economy of Jesus, bearing the witness of dividends of grace. We have heard the call to invest our interest in the transformation of our communities. And so we go, doing likewise in the world, with the help of God, the guidance of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Now and forever. Amen. Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Look around you, dear people. God's joy is poured out for you so that you might be a blessing to others. God will continually walk and work with you, relieving your burdens and giving you strength. Go into God's world, rejoicing! AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley Additional Illustrations Inviting Christ Brings Joy Why do we bring Christ into the wedding ceremony? Because if we would only bring Christ into our marriages, we would have better marriages! A few years back psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers was quoted as saying that for about half of all American couples, marriage is a “quiet hell.” Many other marriages have degenerated into a “tired friendship,” as someone put it. I submit to you that this is a tragedy, and in order to prevent such tragedies, we ought to take the traditional marriage ritual seriously and invite Christ to be a guest at our weddings, just as He was invited to the wedding at Cana in Galilee. Above all, in this quaint and lovely little story, John is proclaiming the Good News that Jesus Christ is the Life of every party, that he is the one who livens things up, brings life abundant for all, even anonymous brides and bridegrooms in an out-of-the-way peasant village located somewhere (where, we are not sure) in the Galilee. As William Barclay put it in his commentary on this passage: “...whenever Jesus comes into our lives there enters a quality which is like turning water into wine. The trouble with life is that we get bored with it. Pleasure loses its thrill. There is a vague dissatisfaction about everything. But when Jesus enters our lives there comes a new exhilaration!” Donald B. Strobe, Collected Words, www.Sermons.com When You Have Christ In the middle ages, Thomas À Kempis wrote: "When you have Christ, you are rich. He is enough. He will provide everything you need so you won't have to count on others without him. People change and fail. You can't depend on them. Those that are for you today may be against you tomorrow. They are as variable as the wind. But Christ is eternally faithful." Mary Trusted. Mary knew that she could count on Jesus and so can we. Billy D. Strayhorn, Wedding Bell Blue Give Your Dilemma to The Lord Dr. Charles Stanley, a prominent minister of a large church in Atlanta, tells the story of a time when their church needed two million dollars to relocate to a larger facility. The only problem was they didn’t have the money. One day, the board members told Dr. Stanley to get a loan from the bank because the deal sounded good. However, Dr. Stanley told the group that they needed divine direction, so they all packed their gear and took off for a state park for the weekend for a time of prayer. All weekend they prayed earnestly that God would give them direction and help them resolve the problem that they were facing. When they finally left the park, they still didn’t have any clear direction about how to purchase the building. But they were committed to waiting on God. A few days later, Dr. Stanley had a message to call a man He had never met. He lived in another state. The man said that he wanted to help Dr. Stanley’s ministry. Immediately, Dr. Stanley called him back, and the stranger said, “I have had you and your ministry on my mind the past several days. I notice that you never ask for money on the broadcast, and I was wondering if you have any needs.” Dr. Stanley explained the situation about the building and how they needed two million dollars to purchase it. The stranger said, “I think I can handle that.” And he gave that church two million dollars. That church had a problem; they gave their problem to Jesus; and their problem was solved. Keith Smith, Anything Is Possible With Jesus

Miracles Abound

John 2:1-11 Miracles Abound 2nd Sunday After Epiphany January 16, 2022 Year C Opening Song Welcome Reminder of COVID protocols Call to Worship (inspired by Psalm 36:5-10, John 2:1-11) We come this day, Precious God, as people in need of your steadfast love: with you is the fountain of life; in your Light we see light. We gather this day, Water-changing God, as people looking for signs: with you is the fountain of life; in your Light we see light. We worship this day, Gifting God, as people who confess Jesus as our Lord: with you is the fountain of life; in your Light we see light. ~ written by Thom Shuman, and posted on Lectionary Liturgies. Stewardship Moment When we come to this moment in our worship, we often try rationally to encourage generous giving by each person. Looking to the story of Jesus and his Mom at a wedding feast, however, we see how this mother pushed Jesus into an act of generosity (even if it was to get his Mom off his back!). A contemporary poet puts it this way: What Makes You Think You Don’t Need It? This Jewish mother knew the score; She knew her son could do much more Than just sit back, all uninvolved; And so, this ponderer resolved That she’d weigh in, and speak her mind, E’en though, this son of hers, unkindly Snapped! Sometimes you need a push To get yourself up off your tush; And if that’s true of even God, Perhaps for you, it’s not so odd. Scott L. Barton https://lectionarypoems.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-second-sunday-in-ordinary-time-c.html Consider this your push to act out the generosity which God models for us each day: give to strengthen and encourage those who will receive a blessing from your gift! Prayer of Thanksgiving Giving God, Thank you for challenging us today to get off our tushes (or soften this language, i.e.: “challenging us to do all we can do to share our treasure.”) Please accept these gifts. Inspire each of us toward true generosity, and use what is provided to accomplish far more than what any one of us could, or would, do alone. We offer this prayer because of Jesus, who turned water into wine, and inspires us to turn our bottled-up natures into ever-flowing springs. AMEN Passing of the Peace Scripture John 2:1-11 Common English Bible Wedding at Cana 2 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. 3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They don’t have any wine.” 4 Jesus replied, “Woman, what does that have to do with me? My time hasn’t come yet.” 5 His mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby were six stone water jars used for the Jewish cleansing ritual, each able to hold about twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some from them and take it to the headwaiter,” and they did. 9 The headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine. He didn’t know where it came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. The headwaiter called the groom 10 and said, “Everyone serves the good wine first. They bring out the second-rate wine only when the guests are drinking freely. You kept the good wine until now.” 11 This was the first miraculous sign that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. Sermon – Miracles Abound There are 25 recorded miracles of Jesus in the bible. The book of Matthew tells us of 20 miracles of Jesus, the book of Mark records 18, Luke tells of 20 miracles. The book of John is much more conservative. And yet the miracles in John are not even mentioned in the other three gospels. John only tells 7 miracle stories. This is the first on them. It is not very flashy or even significant. No one is saved or healed, or even has a change in life. As a matter of fact, John does not even like the word miracle. For him, these are signs – events the direct us to the wonder of God. They are very subtle ways that we can tell that God has entered into history and is on our side. Usually, when we think of the word miracle – we think of something that happens that defies the laws of reality in order to make things go our way. Repealing the Laws Author Jay Kesler says that shortly after he got his driver's license he wrecked his dad's car. The crash tore away the front fender, two doors, and the rear fender. After Jay found out everyone was okay, he stood in the ditch and prayed, "Dear God, I pray this didn't happen." He opened his eyes and saw that the car was still wrecked, so he closed his eyes, squinted real hard, and prayed again, "Dear God, it didn't happen." Then he opened his eyes, but, he says, it happened anyway. Have you ever been there? Have you ever asked God to move Heaven and Earth over something trivial, something impossible, something absurd? "Oh, Lord, please don't let it rain for my daughter's wedding," (ignoring the fact that there are others who are depending on rain for their wellbeing.) "Lord, please let the answer to question 8 be four hundred years," (Do we really expect God to change history so that we can pass an exam?). "Oh, God, please let mine be the lowest bid." (Yes, Lord, take your heavenly eraser and blot out everyone's bid and make them higher than mine.) Have you ever asked God to repeal the laws of gravity, undo the past, change weather patterns or something equally as absurd just for your convenience? I suspect we all have at sometime or another. So, we can appreciate our lesson from the Gospel. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com We have all hoped for those kinds of miracles, and everyone once in a while we get lucky and those kinds of things happen in our life. But in reality, have those things really taught us anything of value about our faith or about the true nature of God. Delmonico told on radio: A man seated in a wheelchair at the Vatican suddenly got up and walked away. Everyone was amazed and shouted and praised God for the miracle. But the man hadn’t been ill. He was just resting for a little while in a vacant chair. God is accustomed to doing miracles every day and they appear quite commonplace. On the other hand, some things which seem miraclulous just aren’t explainable yet. God most often works within God’s own natural law. John uses this story to introduce us to the signs of God’s presence to help us to see the true miracles are very subtle. As I have looked back, I don’t choose to preach on this story very often. But this year I thought it fit into the epiphany theme of looking for signs of God’s presence in our lives. In this story we get to see the human side of Jesus. Jesus comes to a party to have fun and to forget about his work of saving the world. He even tells his mom, to leave him alone because a his time had not come. We also get to see firsthand his relationship with his mom. How did she know that he had the means to save the party by bringing more wine? Wine at a party was a sign of abundance, or celebration, of joy in life. Somehow she knew that the messiah would have all of these qualities. One thing that I learned just this year about this story - Jesus used the stone jars to store water for purification rites. These 25 gallon jugs would have been filled with water so that the guest could wash their hands and feet before entering into the party. By the time Jesus came to help, the jugs would have been empty, but the story says that Jesus filled them again. And the water tasted just like wine. Jesus is not just turning water into wine, he is calling for a whole new age. He is taking the water for obligation, and sin and guilt and turning it into something new and fun. He is turning a burden into a celebration. He turned a dead ritual into a live party. The point of John’s story – is this new wine made all of the difference in the world. The true miracle is that big changes start with small changes of the heart. This is the first sign of a new day. For John, Christ is the first sign of new life. Jesus loves to party, and when we invite him in it makes all of the difference in the world. When we look for Jesus we are never disappointed. Give Your Delimma to The Lord Dr. Charles Stanley, a prominent minister of a large church in Atlanta, tells the story of a time when their church needed two million dollars to relocate to a larger facility. The only problem was they didn’t have the money. One day, the board members told Dr. Stanley to get a loan from the bank because the deal sounded good. However, Dr. Stanley told the group that they needed divine direction, so they all packed their gear and took off for a state park for the weekend for a time of prayer. All weekend they prayed earnestly that God would give them direction and help them resolve the problem that they were facing. When they finally left the park, they still didn’t have any clear direction about how to purchase the building. But they were committed to waiting on God. A few days later, Dr. Stanley had a message to call a man He had never met. He lived in another state. The man said that he wanted to help Dr. Stanley’s ministry. Immediately, Dr. Stanley called him back, and the stranger said, “I have had you and your ministry on my mind the past several days. I notice that you never ask for money on the broadcast, and I was wondering if you have any needs.” Dr. Stanley explained the situation about the building and how they needed two million dollars to purchase it. The stranger said, “I think I can handle that.” And he gave that church two million dollars. That church had a problem; they gave their problem to Jesus; and their problem was solved. Keith Smith, Anything Is Possible With Jesus My point for the story is not to focus on the 2 millions dollar donation, but to focus on the fact that the gift came out of everyone going to God in prayer. Years ago when Johnny Carson was the host of The Tonight Show he interviewed an eight year old boy. The young man was asked to appear because he had rescued two friends in a coalmine outside his hometown in West Virginia. As Johnny questioned the boy, it became apparent to him and the audience that the young man was a Christian. So Johnny asked him if he attended Sunday school. When the boy said he did Johnny inquired, "What are you learning in Sunday school?" "Last week," came his reply, "our lesson was about when Jesus went to a wedding and turned water into wine." The audience roared, but Johnny tried to keep a straight face. Then he said, "And what did you learn from that story?" The boy squirmed in his chair. It was apparent he hadn't thought about this. But then he lifted up his face and said, "If you're going to have a wedding, make sure you invite Jesus!" The little boy was on to something. Weddings are time of Joy. Have you invited Jesus to your party? Or are we like the town who Whole town bought water There was a town, who had a tradition that whenever there was a wedding, you were supposed to bring a jug of wine from home, and put in the collective pot – so that there would be enough wine for everyone. Well times have gotten tough for this one particular family – and they decided that instead of bringing wine to the wedding, that they would bring a jug of water. Their little jug of water would not make a difference in the collective pot of wine – so they thought. It turns out every family felt the same way – everyone bought water instead of wine. Jesus is the wine of our celebration! Jesus us the life of our party! Jesus is the source of our faith! Let us celebrate our faith in Jesus Christ – be in service to the world, but be in all that you do, be in faithful service to God! Let us pray….. Prayer Lord of Light and Joy, the daylight hours are becoming longer for us. Evening comes a little later, and the dawn is earlier, but the darkness in our hearts persists. We continue to look at the miraculous ways you work in our lives as mere stories or happenstance. How foolish we are! From the beginning of all that is, you have poured your love and light into this world and into our lives. You have offered us countless blessings and opportunities for service, some of which we have followed, and others that we have ignored. You have forgiven and healed our spirits. We continue to bring before you the names and situations of people that are in direst need. We ask for your healing mercies and yet we wonder if you really are with us. Turn our moaning and crying into songs of praise and hope. Give us spirits of trust and rejoicing, that we may truly be your people all of our days. Prepare us for joyful service in your world; for we ask this in Jesus' Name. AMEN. Lord’s Prayer Song They’ll Know we are Christians by our love TFWS 2243 Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Look around you, dear people. God's joy is poured out for you so that you might be a blessing to others. God will continually walk and work with you, relieving your burdens and giving you strength. Go into God's world, rejoicing! AMEN. Community Time Benediction And now, from the One who is indeed the giver of all good gifts: go and share what God has given you; go and proclaim that God's love is here; go in the power of God's Spirit to make all things new. Children’s Sermon Hello, children of God! Have you ever seen a miracle? Do you know what a miracle is? It’s something that just shouldn’t be physically possible. It might even seem sort of like a magic trick. I want to show you a little trick now. I’m going to take this ordinary water (hold up water in a clear glass or bottle) and transform it into something new! Does that sound strange? Just watch. I mean, I like drinking water and all, and it’s great for hydration, but sometimes it can be a little boring. Sometimes I want something more exciting and flavorful. Well, what if I took this plain boring water, and I poured it into another glass? (As you speak, pour the water into another clear cup with drink powder hidden at the bottom. Watch as the liquid and powder blend to make a new juice.) Wow! It’s something completely new now! This will be a much more interesting beverage to enjoy. Well, that was not exactly a magic trick or a miracle, was it? In fact, that was just the trick of a little drink powder in the bottom of a glass. But there are a lot of times in the Bible when we read of Jesus doing amazing miracles. He did things to help people that may have been impossible. Yet nothing is impossible with God’s help! Do you know the first miracle that Jesus ever did? He transformed water, too! Only He didn’t use drink mix. You see, Jesus was at a wedding, and in those days weddings lasted a few days and included a lot of eating and drinking in celebration. Well, something unfortunate happened: the wedding ran out of wine! That would be like going to a birthday party and not having any cake. It would make the host look bad, and make the guests a little upset. Now, running out of wine might not seem like the most important thing to be concerned about, but Jesus’s mother Mary knew that He would care, and that He could do something about the situation. She came to Jesus and told Him what was going on. At first, He tried to tell her it wasn’t yet His time to be demonstrating God’s power. But Mary believed in Him. She knew He could do anything, and she told the servants to obey His instructions and do whatever He told them to do. Jesus told the servants to fill some large jars up with water, and serve it to the master of the house. They did what He asked, filling the jars with water. Only instead of plain water, when they served the master, he drank wine! Not only that, but the best kind of wine, and he commended the groom for saving the better wine for later in the celebration. With the belief of Mary and obedience of the servants, Jesus kept the guests well supplied! This miracle, the first one we read about in the Bible, reminds us of a couple of special things. First, it tells us that God truly cares about our lives, even the little details. He wants us to enjoy life, and even something like running out of drinks matters to Him. We also see how important it is to trust that Jesus can do anything. Do you know what else is awesome about this story? This was not the last miracle Jesus did! He did a lot of amazing things during His life on Earth, but did you know He continues to do miracles now? When you think about it, there are many marvelous little miracles that happen every single day. Even just waking up in the morning or taking a breath are miracles in a sense. Jesus is still present with us. He loves us and cares about us. He can make amazing things happen in our lives. Whether it’s something as simple as finding your favorite flavor at the ice cream store, or healing after being hurt or sick, God is working in every aspect of our lives. And He’s already done the greatest miracle, conquering death to pay for our sins! So we can give thanks each and every day for all of the moments, big and small, in which we recognize the presence of Christ. Let’s pray and thank God for marvelous miracles every day… Additional Illustrations Sermon Opener – Saving the Best Till Last The Jews attached great importance to the high moments of life. Thus a wedding was not just a brief ceremony, but an experience shared by the entire community. The typical wedding feast could last up to seven days. That sounds strange to our modern way of thinking, but this offered a bright interlude in an otherwise dreary existence. The ceremony would begin on Tuesday at midnight. After the wedding the father of the bride would take his daughter to every house so that everyone might congratulate her. It was a community experience. Weddings were a time of joy. At the wedding, which Jesus attended in Cana of Galilee, there was great joy but a problem developed. There was a shortage of wine. Not only was that a social embarrassment, it was also a symbol. For a wedding to run out of wine was an omen that there was little chance of this particular marriage reaching its full potential, maybe joy was not meant for this couple. So Mary approaches Jesus and asks him to do something. His response? "Why do you involve me woman?" Sounds harsh, so unlike him, and it has long puzzled biblical scholars... Inviting Christ Brings Joy Why do we bring Christ into the wedding ceremony? Because if we would only bring Christ into our marriages, we would have better marriages! A few years back psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers was quoted as saying that for about half of all American couples, marriage is a “quiet hell.” Many other marriages have degenerated into a “tired friendship,” as someone put it. I submit to you that this is a tragedy, and in order to prevent such tragedies, we ought to take the traditional marriage ritual seriously and invite Christ to be a guest at our weddings, just as He was invited to the wedding at Cana in Galilee. Above all, in this quaint and lovely little story, John is proclaiming the Good News that Jesus Christ is the Life of every party, that he is the one who livens things up, brings life abundant for all, even anonymous brides and bridegrooms in an out-of-the-way peasant village located somewhere (where, we are not sure) in the Galilee. As William Barclay put it in his commentary on this passage: “...whenever Jesus comes into our lives there enters a quality which is like turning water into wine. The trouble with life is that we get bored with it. Pleasure loses its thrill. There is a vague dissatisfaction about everything. But when Jesus enters our lives there comes a new exhilaration!” Donald B. Strobe, Collected Words, www.Sermons.com A Whole New Era What about the underlying meaning? What did this strange first miracle signify? In a departure from custom, John fails to interpret for us the miraculous "sign," which for him almost always means a symbol, a kind of acted parable. Some commentators see in it a preview of the last Supper, when Jesus transforms not water into wind but wine into blood, his blood shed for all humanity. Maybe. But, I think not. I prefer a more whimsical interpretation. Tellingly, John notes that the wine came from huge thirty-gallon jugs that stood full of water at the front of the house, vessels that were used by observant Jews to fulfill the rules on ceremonial washing. Even a wedding feast had to honor the burdensome rituals of cleansing. Jesus, perhaps with a twinkle in his eye, transformed those jugs, ponderous symbols of the old way, into wineskins, harbingers of the new. From purified water of the Pharisees came the choice new wine of a whole new era. The time for ritual cleansing had passed; the time for celebration had begun. Prophets like John the Baptist preached judgment. Jesus' first miracle, though, was one of tender mercy. The lesson was not lost on the disciples who joined him at the wedding that night in Cana. Don't let it be lost on you! Adapted from Phillip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew, Grand Rapids: Zondervan 1995, p. 168. _________________ In the middle ages, Thomas À Kempis wrote: "When you have Christ, you are rich. He is enough. He will provide everything you need so you won't have to count on others without him. People change and fail. You can't depend on them. Those that are for you today may be against you tomorrow. They are as variable as the wind. But Christ is eternally faithful." Mary Trusted. Mary knew that she could count on Jesus and so can we. Billy D. Strayhorn, Wedding Bell Blues Celebrating the New I once heard a speaker criticize the Lutheran Church by saying, "We have all the right words to a party, but we haven't learned how to pull it off, yet." Seldom do our worship services feel like wedding celebrations -- where 180 gallons of wine would be served during a week-long celebration. Maybe all this talk about 180 gallons of wine can encourage us to be more celebrative and joyful in our receiving and sharing of God's grace. At the same time, I often wonder what Sunday services would be like if we put in as much time, effort, and money as we do for weddings. The six stone water jars, each holding 20-30 gallons equals 120-180 gallons of wine! That's a lot of wine. I noted above that an abundance of wine was an OT eschatological symbol. The abundance of God's grace is a theme that can flow out of these huge jars. Something I hadn't noticed before is that these jars were empty. The servants have to fill them with water before the miracle occurs. Jesus is not transforming the purification water that was in the jars into the wine; but he is transforming new water that has been placed in the old containers. O'Day suggests: "New wine is created in the 'old' vessels of the Jewish purification rites, symbolizing that the old forms are given new content." Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes Humor: Miracles There is a time-honored story about a skeptic who was continually harassing the local pastor. His one delight in life seemed to be making the pastor appear inadequate intellectually. The pastor bore these challenges to his theology and faith with great restraint. One day the skeptic was heckling the pastor about his views on miracles. "Give me one concrete example of a miracle," the skeptic taunted. "One concrete example." Whereupon the pastor hauled off and kicked the skeptic furiously on the shin. The skeptic couldn't believe it! The pastor asked, "Did you feel that?" "Yes," the man said as he nursed his sore leg. "If you had not," said the pastor, "it would have been a miracle!" King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com

The Greatest Gift

January 20, 2013 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2:1-11 2nd Sunday after Epiphany Year C “The Greatest Gift” Pastor turns water into wine One day a young girl was helping out in service, as a communion steward. The pastor got ready to wash his hands, so he called the young girl over. As he was washing his hands, he saw that the liquid was purple. He whispers to the little girl, I thought I told you bring me water, this is wine. It was water when I bought it to you…replied the little girl. The inaugural event of Jesus Today we can celebrate that this is the official inauguration of the 57th president of the united States. This is a new day for him, a new day for us. We can only anticipate the good things ahead for the next 4 years. This familiar story of Jesus turning water into wine, is in many ways, the inauguration of jesus as the messiah. The first demonstration of his power. What is the meaning of this story? John does not give a whole lot of explanation of why he was at this party, why his mother thought it was so important for him to help out, it does not even tell us how he was able to turn water into wine. Maybe John feels that this story does not need any explanation – the story is a point within itself. From this story, we learn that Jesus likes to party. He likes to have fun and to celebrate. We see that God is a God of joy and of celebration. But we also see that God is also a God of mercy – who will supply our needs and who will help us when we ask. John the Baptist speaks of a God of justice who judged, but he is also a God of mercy who helps. When we give what we have, God gives us more – that is the point of my sermon today. God doesn’t come to us in extraordinary ways, but in the simple ways in our life. Most of the times in places where we are not expecting anything great to happen. Sign vs. miracle If you read the other gospels, there are 35 miracles that Jesus performs during his ministry on earth. But interestingly enough – John is not concerned about miracles. In the book of John there are seven signs of Jesus power – this is the inaugural sign. I am trying to get you all out of here early, so that the district superintendent can come. Every time I say that I am going to give just a short sermon – more and more good things that you need to know come up. I don’t want to give you a list of all seven signs in the book of John – but if you need to know ask me I have them listed. 1. Water into wine – chapter 2 2. Healing of the officer’s son – chapter 4 3. Healing of the cripple – chapter 5 4. Feeding the multitude – chapter 6 5. Walking on water – chapter 6 6. Healing of a man born blind – chapter 9 7. Raising of Lazurus – chapter 11 Sign is God coming into your life in a meaningful way The point for john is that God is not always in the unusual – but the usual. We don’t have to look up in the sky and look for money to fall out of the sky - God does not usually work that way – God works within our lives. Speaking of money falling out of the sky – this is a true story A knowledge of the Bible can be rewarding, as any Bible college professor can attest. Especially Richard McNeely of Biola College in suburban Los Angeles. Somehow he got picked as a contestant on the television game show “50 Grand Slam.” The show is based on the contestants’ knowledge of the given topic of the day. On McNeely’s day, the topic was the Bible. When it was over he had won the top prize of $50,000. God usually works within the confines of our lives. A sign is a act of our everyday lives that brings wonder and meaning to the event. Something that happens in your life, and you know that only God could make that happen. A sign of God’s presence is not a quick fix, not a big thing but a bunch of little things, a sign is not always in the estatic – but in the purposeful. Paul does not want us to be ignorant Speaking of knowing the difference between a sign and a miracle. I thought it was interesting that the first line of the scripture in 1 Corinthians says – now concerning spiritual gifts, I don’t want you to be uninformed. The King James says it better – I don’t want you to be ignorant. Now, let me pause for a moment to point out something interesting . . . Paul used that particular phrase--“I do not want you to be ignorant”—six times in his letters. . . twice in reference to the Jewish people, whose disobedience brought judgment, once in reference to his plans to visit the church at Rome, once regarding the sufferings he and his team had endured throughout Asia, once in reference to the end times and the resurrection of the dead, and here, where he says “I do not want you to be ignorant” about spiritual gifts. Excitement not necessarily a sign of God As I was researching this sermon, many people were saying that in Paul’s time there were a lot of charismatic people. People who believed that their excitement and charisma meant that they were holy. And Paul wanted new Christians to understand that excitement and charisma was not always from God. Sometimes their water is just that – water and not wine. There excitement is not infused with the presence of the holy spirit. Charismata – excitement and meaning That is why he says that no one speaking by the spirit of god ever says Let Jesus be cursed. If their actions don’t demonstrate the love of Jesus – then it is not from God. Then he goes on to talk about spiritual gifts. Or charismata as they are called. Along with excitement, there has to be meaning and understanding – the two have to go hand in hand. Paul goes on to give a list of spiritual gifts – once again this is a sermon within itself. I just want to say that it is not an exhaustive list – it is just a list of sign in your life that the holy spirit is present with you. Gift from the common good Paul says that to each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good. Gifts are given to you for the good of the community, not just for you. When people say that god gave them a gift, you ask and what are you doing to help others with it? Gift is not a talent A spiritual gift is not a talent. A spiritual gift is not really what you do – it is why you do it. Does what you do glorify God? Scripture says that we all have talent – we don’t all realize where that talent came from or why we were given it. How do you get a spiritual gift? – through prayer and through practice, but most of all honoring the grace of God. Discernment How do you know if your gift is from God, or man or the devil? The community has the gift of discernment. God gives us joy and excitement, but he also gives us knowledge of right and wrong in the scriptures. Remember Paul says I do not want you to be ignorant. – He makes important statement that the most important gift that we can have is to be able to say that Jesus Is Lord. We can only say that if the holy Spirit is present amongst us. True faith – is to be like Jesus mother Mary – to have faith in Jesus to complete the task. Faith produces results Faith calls forth the presence of the holy True faith is from God Whatever we do, whatever our gift (and we all have one) – we have to be faithful in our service to God. Whole town bought water There was a town, who had a tradition that whenever there was a wedding, you were supposed to bring a jug of wine from home, and put in the collective pot – so that there would be enough wine for everyone. Well times have gotten tough for this one particular family – and they decided that instead fo bringing wine to the wedding, that they would bring a jug of water. Their little jug of water would not make a difference in the collective pot of wine – so they thought. It turns out every family felt the same way – everyone bought water instead of wine. In community our gifts matter Paul’s point for us – is that in community all of our gifts really do matter, and that God has given us all a gift or two. But they are only useful when we are faithful to Jesus as the Christ. Jesus is the wine of our celebration! Jesus us the life of our party! Jesus is the source of our faith! This week as we celebrate the contributions of Martin Luther King, as we celebrate the second inauguration of our President. Let us also celebrate our faith in Jesus Christ – be in service to the world, but be in all that you do, be in faithful service to God! Let us pray…… Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant (1 Corinthians 12:1, NIV). Why do we bring Christ into the wedding ceremony? Because if we would only bring Christ into our marriages, we would have better marriages! A few years back psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers was quoted as saying that for about half of all American couples, marriage is a “quiet hell.” Many other marriages have degenerated into a “tired friendship,” as someone put it. I submit to you that this is a tragedy, and in order to prevent such tragedies, we ought to take the traditional marriage ritual seriously and invite Christ to be a guest at our weddings, just as He was invited to the wedding at Cana in Galilee. Above all, in this quaint and lovely little story, John is proclaiming the Good News that Jesus Christ is the Life of every party, that he is the one who livens things up, brings life abundant for all, even anonymous brides and bridegrooms in an out-of-the-way peasant village located somewhere (where, we are not sure) in the Galilee. As William Barclay put it in his commentary on this passage: “...whenever Jesus comes into our lives there enters a quality which is like turning water into wine. The trouble with life is that we get bored with it. Pleasure loses its thrill. There is a vague dissatisfaction about everything. But when Jesus enters our lives there comes a new exhilaration!” Nearly one hundred years ago, there was an American inventor named Louis Enricht who announced that he had discovered a cheap additive that would turn ordinary tap water into automotive fuel. At the time World War I was raging in Europe and gasoline was enormously expensive. Enricht claimed that his new additive would bring the per gallon cost down to a single penny. That certainly got everyone’s attention. Enricht even gave a demonstration to a crowd of reporters. He had the reporters check that his jug was full of ordinary tap water, then poured in a small amount of greenish liquid, stirred it up, and invited everyone to test this miraculous mixture in their own vehicles. They did and it worked! Enricht’s demonstrations were so convincing that even the world famous automaker Henry Ford offered him millions to buy the rights for his additive. And no wonder. We’re still looking for such a cure to our energy ills today. Actually, Enricht had merely discovered that if you add a very cheap chemical called acetone to water it will run an engine for a while. Then it will destroy it. But before anyone found that out, Enricht had managed to convince not only Henry Ford, but several other famous American businessmen who should have known better, to give him millions of dollars for his worthless invention. Enricht was a scam artist. His invention looked convincing, but ultimately it destroyed the engine it was supposed to power. The power of Christ, on the other hand, took that which was inferior ordinary well water and made it rich and full and delightful. Anything Christ touches is going to be improved by that touch. The water was not only going to be transformed to wine. It would be the best wine possible. In this he was but reflecting the nature of God. God is a giving God. The God who has given us a beautiful and a bountiful world does so because that is God’s nature. Andreas Schroeder, Scams, True Stories from the Edge (Buffalo. NY: Annick Press Ltd., 2004), p. 1., adapted by King Duncan,www.Sermons.com A Whole New Era What about the underlying meaning? What did this strange first miracle signify? In a departure from custom, John fails to interpret for us the miraculous "sign," which for him almost always means a symbol, a kind of acted parable. Some commentators see in it a preview of the last Supper, when Jesus transforms not water into wind but wine into blood, his blood shed for all humanity. Maybe. But, I think not. I prefer a more whimsical interpretation. Tellingly, John notes that the wine came from huge thirty-gallon jugs that stood full of water at the front of the house, vessels that were used by observant Jews to fulfill the rules on ceremonial washing. Even a wedding feast had to honor the burdensome rituals of cleansing. Jesus, perhaps with a twinkle in his eye, transformed those jugs, ponderous symbols of the old way, into wineskins, harbingers of the new. From purified water of the Pharisees came the choice new wine of a whole new era. The time for ritual cleansing had passed; the time for celebration had begun. Prophets like John the Baptist preached judgment. Jesus' first miracle, though, was one of tender mercy. The lesson was not lost on the disciples who joined him at the wedding that night in Cana. Don't let it be lost on you! Adapted from Phillip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew, Grand Rapids: Zondervan 1995, p. 168.

The First of Many Miracles to Come

January 17, 2010 First of many miracles to come Third Sunday of Epiphany Year C John 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11 Word Jazz – that is a form of poetry much like the spoken word, this is from Britain – someone’s take on the story of Jesus turning water into wine So in our need for hope for survival It’s time to turn the pages of the Bible To the wedding in Cana in the land near Galilee Where Jesus and his mom enjoyed festivity Noshing on the free eats Eating on the free treats Sipping on the red wine Having quite a swell time “Hey, bartender, can you top off my glass What’s that you say? There’s no wine in the flask? Ran out so soon? That’s so low-class!” Midnight rolled around No more wine was found Tuesday the party popped Wednesday the party flopped Jesus said “Let’s go Come on, Mom, let’s blow.” But Mary told him “No! It isn’t time to go The wine has got to flow The people need to know That – we can! “Okay, okay” She heard him say Beneath his breath He was bored to death But he did her will And went to fill The empty jugs That stank of swill That cheap red wine That wasn’t so fine Show them what it means to be an agent Instead of a victim Change the system Instead of waiting for the system to give you spare change. Did I not sing the Magnificat when you were conceived? Is it not in revolution that we’ve always believed?” Most of the guests went home after the wedding and said, “Jesus performed a miracle and turned the jugs of water into jugs of wine. That proves you should believe in him. When things get bad, just pray to him and ask him for another miracle while you wait on the sofa.” But a few of the guests stayed after the party and asked Jesus how he did it. He told them how he did it and told them they could do it, too. He said to them what his mother said to him. “Change the system. Be an agent. Don’t be a victim. Let go of yesterday. Don’t get uptight about tomorrow. Work with what you’ve got. Be birdlike. Be barnless. I am the vine, you are the wine, don’t whine, take your time, and run with what you’ve begun.” These few are the ones that do, and you can, too. It’s true. So let us make the besta for the lasta… From Cana to Costa Mesa…. Amen! This is a very long poem – I only read parts of it for you. But it captures the point that John was trying to make perfectly. That this was the first miracle of Jesus career – but the whole point for us is that the best is yet to come. The miracles of life are not the huge things or the horrible things – it is in what we are willing to look forward to. Unlike the other gospels where Jesus does up to 30 miracles – John only focuses on 8. Eight turning points in Jesus’ life where he showed others that he could make a difference. In the other stories, Jesus is out on the front lines of help – he is healing the sick, enabling the discouraged, coming back to life. But in this story he , his mother and his first five disciples are at a party- drinking wine and celebrating and having a good time. And his mother becomes concerned that the wine is running out. It’s just something that we as Christians would say – what difference does that make for us. Why should we be concerned about the wine. When we are not supposed to get drunk. But for this culture – wine was a sign of prosperity, a sign that things were going well. Wine overflowing was a sign of the presence of God – it was a preparation for the party to come, when God made everything right in our lives. Jesus says that my time has not come, but his mother tells him that the time is now- Time to show the people the God is not just present in our suffering, but in our celebration. God doesn’t just want to hear our bad news, but our good news. Not only is God happy for us – God guarantees to make the celebration even better than you can imagine. So Jesus uses his power for the first time at a wedding. If the wine had run out – people would have been talking about this family for years. They would have expected them to make it up by giving extra gifts for everyone else who ever got married in the neighborhood. And of course you cant have a wedding without gifts. At another party – the guest were expected to bring the wine. Everyone would bring a jug and poor it all into a community pot – so that everyone could celebrate and have a good time. Times were hard for one family – so that decided that they would fill their pot with water – no one would never know – there was no way their jug would matter, if everyone else bought wine. It turns out that everyone felt that way – and the community had to celebrate with water – no one had filled their jug with wine. The point is – that in community – all of our gifts really do matter. And that no one’s contribution is more important that the other. That is the point that Paul is making to us in the 1Corinthians text. Unlike this couple – people were beginning to think that their gifts were more important than anyone elses. If they gave the better gift, then they also have a right to control everyone else. They had a right to judge the contributions of others. And there were willing to give- but only to those in their church. God gives every church a different set of gifts, given the different set of people in the church. Each person has a unique gift. And yet Paul reminds of that even though the gifts are different- the Spirit that brings them is the same. Jesus is still coming to the party – bringing his special gifts with him. And he gives them freely to us – so that everyone can enjoy. What gifts do we have amongst us – and how do we use them? Show them what it means to be an agent Instead of a victim Change the system Instead of waiting for the system to give you spare change. Did I not sing the Magnificat when you were conceived? Is it not in revolution that we’ve always believed?” Mary said to Jesus, “This poetry is nice But sorry son it just will not suffice – No time to rhyme, son, It’s time to run, son, You gotta work with what you’ve got. And you’ve got a heck of a lot! Enough of yesterday and tomorrow Seize today, son, and run with what you’ve begun…. Mary motivated, Jesus activated. The bride and the groom Came out of their room Emerged from their gloom And shared a glass… And told the guests: “This isn’t normal! It isn’t formal! This big faux pas On Mardi Gras Has changed the rules And made us fools… How did this come to pass? Give us another glass! The wine that’s best Was saved for last!” It was the Merlot of mindfulness It was the Syrah of sincerity It was the Cabernet of kindness It was the Chardonnay of social change It was the Zinfandel of fidelity It was the Rose’ of righteousness It was the Pinot of patience It was Jesus’ Juice of Justice…. In other words – this is epiphany – time for us to see things differently. Time for us to put our gifts into our lives. Time for us to realize the spirit is working in us so that the party that has been going on for generations continues. I am not as poetic as Jim Burklo – who wrote the word jazz – but my point is that the spirit flows freely in us – the gifts are the fruit of the spirit. Let us thank God for the abundance we have been given – and let us look forw