“Our Time Has Come”

January 16, 2022

First Lesson John 2:1-11

2 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. ² Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” ⁴ And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” ⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” ⁶ Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁷ Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. ⁹ When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” ¹¹ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Second Lesson 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

⁴ Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; ⁵ and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; ⁶ and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. ⁷ To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸ To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

You might have noticed that we read the gospel lesson first before the epistle.  We don’t usually do that.  Our accounts of Jesus usually take priority over Paul’s letters.  And rightly so.  We call ourselves Christians not Paulians.  But today Jesus turning water into wine sets the stage for the second lesson quite well.  This is the first sign Jesus does and it feels like he was not even planning to do it.  His mother encourages him to intervene when the wine at the wedding banquet runs out.  This also serves as a reminder to always listen to your mother. Jesus does of course, but first he pushes back not really wanting to comply.  He says, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?  My hour has not yet come.”   In John’s gospel, Jesus speaks about his hour not yet coming several times (7:6, 7:30, 8:20).  But it is here, at his first sign that we see Jesus almost foretelling of the time that his hour will come.  He speaks about it three more times with the Passover, upper room and then his glory (12:23-24, 13:1, 17:1).  What at first sounds like “I’m not ready” or “I don’t want to do this now,” is really foreshadowing what Jesus will ultimately do for you and I on the cross.  The fact that it happens at a banquet, and he provides an extravagant amount of wine reflects the abundant and extravagant love that God showers upon us.

“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!” (Sermons.com, Brett Blair). Yes, we should invite Jesus, not just for the wine but for the extravagant love he shows us each and every day.

I mentioned last week that we are in the season of Epiphany, a time when God’s love is revealed.  Jesus turning water into wine demonstrates God’s love and companionship with those who serve. Even when we are hesitant, or don’t feel ready, God empowers us to be in God’s service.  One commentator writes, “The liberating news in this gospel is that the Reign of God has gotten rid of all hierarchies. ‘Epiphany’ is the manifestation of ‘one of us,’ a Nazarene who attends weddings, who celebrates life in togetherness. Jesus is showing us God’s glory, God’s sense of humor, God’s nearness, mingling. God is not an absentee landlord, the metaphysical god of the philosophers, the never-present father. No, Jesus will never say we are ‘too close for comfort.’” (WP Eliseo Pérez-Álvarez)

Today we ordained and installed our new officers.  They answered the call to serve this congregation with energy, intelligence, imagination and love.  They too might have been hesitant to serve, thinking my hour has not yet come.  Yet here we are.  To them I say you are not alone in your service.  God is with you as you give of your time and self.  Paul’s words help us to unpack what it means to serve God and what God has already done to prepare each officer, each one of us, to be of service.

Paul is talking about Spiritual gifts including wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues. Similar lists appear in Ephesians 4:7-13 and Romans 12:3-8  These later lists include roles and abilities like teaching, compassion, generosity, and evangelism.   All that said, Paul is letting us know that God provides these gifts for the support of God’s people, the body of Christ.  Let’s break it down into what, who and why.

What.  Each of us have our own gifts and abilities.  Some are good golfers, singers, leaders, typists. Some of us arrange flowers, are good listeners, have the knack for fixing things.   Paul is talking about the gifts we have and share that are God given, spiritual gifts used to further God’s purpose; like faith, discerning spirits and generosity.   We often use the word gifts but it is really a spiritual allotment; “those gifts which the Spirit offers”.  God’s spirit activated in us.  God providing what we need, to do the work we are called to do. I hope that is encouraging to our new officers and to each one of us.   The unique word Paul used helps to explain this.   “It is the word charismata (from which comes our English word, charismatic), typically translated as “gifts.”  But it also reflects the Greek word charis meaning grace.  So these diverse gifts flow directly out of God’s grace. (Working Preachers, Richard Carlson)  So as we offer our gifts as elders, deacons and members to God, know that God  provides the spiritual gifts, the grace, we need to accomplish God’s purpose.  God is close on purpose, helping us along the way.

Who.  Three times we hear about the variety of gifts, but it is the same giver. I think you can tell that it is God who is doing all this.  Paul uses the word Spirit but does so with finesse.  Consider the diverse gifts we receive from God- but over and over again we see that it is the same one who provides the grace, who does the giving. “same Spirit…same Lord (Jesus)…same God.”  Did you notice the trinitarian framework activated by the one and the same spirit?  The fullness of God is with you as you offer your gifts.  God can never be too close, rather God is close on purpose to activate and empower us to serve.  Even in the giving of grace, giving of gifts we see the unity and diversity of God and the unity and diversity within God’s body to provide what we need. Our act of ordaining and installing both in person and on Zoom represents the power and fullness of the same God who is with us in the sanctuary and with Matt, Erik and Gene in their homes.

Why.  Why does God provide these spiritual allotments, this spiritual help?  The fullness of God is given to us in gifts for the “manifestation of the common good.”  Manifestations are God revealing God’s self.  The common good is the building up of the body of Christ and being the hands and feet of Christ in the world.  God knows that one person cannot and should not do it all.  Rather God gives different gifts to different people so that the common good can be shared.   Someone asked me recently the difference between officers and the elders and deacons.  I explained that officers include all those currently serving in the leadership of the church. The elders have the responsibility to lead and guide the congregation while the deacons are to listen and support our people.  Each person, each officer has different gifts and will use them in unique ways as we partner with God in God’s purpose for St. Andrew Church.

How will God partner with you?  What will God do by way of your spiritual gifts. Pray about that, open your heart to what God is leading you to do.   In closing a poem by Madeleine L’Engle entitled Epiphany.
Unclench your fists
Hold out your hands.  Take mine.
Let us hold each other.
Thus is his Glory   Manifest.