Welcome to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

The Reverend
Bruce MacLaughlin, Pastor
prbrucedml@rcn.com

2115 Washington Blvd.
Easton, PA 18042
Office: 610-258-0081

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From The Pastor, The Reverend Bruce MacLaughlin

Let me introduce you to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd where people connect with God and one another.

Some 2,000 years ago, God became one of us, to connect with us, and Jesus was born. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, God Is connected with our human pain and suffering. Through Jesus’ resurrection from the grave and ascension into heaven, God has connected us with God’s Joy and love that lasts forever.

Good Shepherd may look like a big church building but that’s only because it’s a church blessed by God with a big heart. There is ministry to the homeless, the hospitalized, the shut-ins, and many more. .

Good Shepherd may look like a big church building but that’s only a reflection of God’s generosity flowing through the members of Good Shepherd. Jesus gave his life so that we might live. Good Shepherd has a strong tradition of helping the needs of the Wilson and Easton communities.

Good Shepherd may look like a big church building but that’s only so it can provide a place for many different groups to meet and connect. Community groups (Girl Scouts, AA, and others) and congregational groups (Women of the ELCA, Choirs, and more) have, found Good Shepherd to be a good place to meet.

Good Shepherd is not about being a big building but being God’s people, responding to God’s love. Come and join us as God wraps us with love and fellowship through Christ Jesus. Come and learn of God’s joy and love. Come and share God’s blessings. Come, be comforted and connected to God and to others.

About Pastor Bruce:
The Rev. Bruce D. MacLaughlin was called as Pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in November, 1999. Before beginning his ministry at Good Shepherd, Pastor MacLaughlin served as pastor of Holy Trinity Memorial Lutheran Church, Catasauqua, Pa., The Lutheran Church of the Deaf in the Lehigh Valley, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Brandonville, Pa. and St. John’s Lutheran Church, Ringtown, Pa. Pastor MacLaughlin has also served as a member of NEPA Synod Council, Mutual Ministry Resource Person for the NEPA Synod, Registrar for Regional Youth Gathering, ELCA Region 7, Member and Chair of NEPA Synod Professional Leadership Committee, and a member of NEPA Synod Worship Committee.

Pastor Bruce's Sermons:

March 7, 2010 -Third Sunday in Lent
Isaiah 55:1-9
To those who have experienced long years in exile, the return to their homeland is a celebration of abundant life. God calls them into an everlasting covenant of love Those who return to the Lord will enjoy new life and forgiveness, because God’s ways are not our ways.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Paul uses images from Hebrew story and prophecy to speak the truth of Jesus Christ: He is our rock, our water, our food, and our drink Christ is the living sign of God’s faithfulness.

Luke 13:1-9
The Gospel reading for this Third Sunday of Lent contains two separate but related stories. Together, they paint a picture of impending destruction. A point to be made is that a response to disaster seems to be a change of mind-set, one more concerned with preparing for the in-breaking of the kingdom of God than with placing blame.

Sermon
Repenting of our past ways and following Jesus does not guarantee us safety from disaster, but it certainly opens the way to an abundance of life that is beyond what any disaster can destroy.

Before continuing let’s take a moment to focus our hearts and our minds on God’s revelation for us. Let us pray: In these forty days God, you lead us into the desert of repentance that in this pilgrimage of prayer we might learn to be your people once more. Through these words and the meditation of our hearts open our eyes to your presence in the world and free our hands to lead others to the Your radiant splendor of mercy. To you alone be dominion and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

At that time there were some people present who came to Jesus and told him about a devastating magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded, killing an estimated 802 people.

Jesus asked them, “Do you think that because these Chileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Chileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.”

Suffering — whether our own or other people’s, and whether from natural causes or human atrocities — always makes it much harder to believe that God is good Or that God even exists. In the face of the obscenity of innocent suffering, we are plagued with doubts, fears and uncertainties. Too many questions come up, complex questions, questions we find hard to face and even harder to answer. All to often we turn to simple answers, take the easy way out.

People came to Jesus telling him about some Galileans killed by a government backed death squad, and about some Jerusalemites who were killed in the collapse of a building. And in the reports Jesus hears the witnesses groping for simple answers to the “Why” questions.
Perhaps this happened to punish them.
Perhaps they were evil people and God is purging the world of them.
You know how the argument goes. We’ve all heard it. AIDS is God’s punishment
on sexual immorality; famine occurs to those who are lazy; that sort of thing. We will even hear it in the face of terrorist attacks. The argument for example goes: every affluent westerner is living a comfortable lifestyle that is built on the oppression of the world’s poor, and we have long been forewarned of the inevitable violent explosion of anger from the poor.

The desire for a simple explanation doesn’t go away though, and it is still strangely seductive when we see someone who, by our judgment, is evil gets caught or killed.

The view that health, wealth and security are evidence of the blessing of God and that disaster is evidence of God’s punishment was even more prevalent in Jesus’ day than it is now. It was the major motivation offered to people to inspire repentance and faithfulness to God.
If you are good, you will be able to relax and enjoy the good life.If you sin, beware of falling rocks and men with swords.

But Jesus would have none of it. “Do you think that this disaster proves that they were worse sinners than anyone else? No. Not at all.”

But Jesus doesn’t turn around and say they were actually very good people, who didn’t deserve it. Instead he turns around and says, “And you’d better repent because you might actually deserve the consequences of your actions.”

Jesus seems to be saying that the injustice is not that those who died deserved it, but that others get let off, so make the most of the extra chance you’ve been given.

Jesus is making it very clear that our own safety is not evidence that we are being rewarded.
Jesus is saying, as he says so often when people seek reassurance that they’re better then someone else, “If you think that someone else is more evil than you, you just haven’t faced up to yourself yet.” In the immortal words of an unnamed comic: “You need to take a good hard look at yourself.”

Now don’t worry if you’re somewhat confused - this is quite a paradox. Jesus is telling us to take warning from these disasters, that we should allow them to make us look at how we are living and whether we are on the right path, but he is also saying that being on the right path is no guarantee of safety.

He’s not saying “Repent and you’ll be safe”, he’s saying “You’re not safe. And maybe that will give you cause to think about your life.”

So if repentance is no insurance policy, what’s it all about?

The reading we heard from Isaiah 55:1-9 gives us a much clearer picture. Isaiah calls us to leave our way of life and change our way of thinking A change of mind and a change of life.

But it is not just a case of giving something up. It means to turn from one thing and to something else. “Turn to the Lord our God,” says Isaiah, “he is merciful and quick to forgive.”

And then in case we missed the point Isaiah reminds us that God’s ways and thoughts are nothing like our ways and thoughts. Isaiah knows that God is merciful and quick to forgive.Isaiah calls us to hear and respond to the extravagant generosity of God’s offer. To hear God saying “Do you hunger, then come and eat Do you thirst, come
and drink. Come and enjoy the best of food and wine, of milk and honey. It will
cost you nothing. Come to me and you will have life. Life, overflowing, abundant, extravagant life. Come.”

There is still no neat insurance policy against sickness or disaster, but there is an offer of a way into life, into a depth of experience and fulfillment that sickness and disaster cannot take from you.

We’ve seen something of what this looks like. We’ve seen it in a man who was so free, so deeply at peace that they could drag him outside the city naked and bleeding and spit on, and hang him from steel spikes driven through his wrists into a wooden beam, and instead of cursing them in bitterness and terror, he prays to his God for mercy to be shown to them, for their opportunity to turn around and join him at the overflowing table of grace.

So I need to hear.
Are you at the end of your tether? Come and I will give you rest.
Are you drained, running on empty? Come, drink and I will replenish you.
Are you feeling trapped, stuck on a treadmill that goes faster and faster but never gets anywhere?

Come to me, listen to my words, and you will enjoy peace and freedom beyond anything you could imagine.

We are not offered an escape from the world of death squads, earthquakes, killer viruses or car crashes. But in the midst of this world we live in, the table of the Lord is set.
The place where we are nourished and strengthened for whatever we will have to face is set before us.
The place where the broken body of our Lord is placed into our hands, giving meaning and hope in every brokenness is offered to us.

The place where the cup of forgiveness is held high, so too is the promise that we will never be lost. That God is going before us and with us through it all.[A rewriting or editing of “Is repentance good insurance?” A sermon on Luke 13:1-9, Isaiah 55:1-9 & 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 by Nathan Nettleton, 14 March 2004 © LaughingBird.net]

Amen

February 28, 2010 -Second Sunday in Lent

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
In this reading we hear how God promises a childless and doubting Abram that he will have a son, that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars, and that the land of Canaan will be their inheritance. Abram’s trust in God is sealed with a covenant-making ceremony, a sing of God’s promise.

Philippians 3:17-4:1
In today’s reading we observe that although Paul’s devotion to Christ has caused him to be persecuted, he does not regret the course he has taken. Writing from prison, he expresses confidence in a glorious future and encourages other Christians to follow in his footsteps.

Luke 13:31-34
In this gospel reading we hear that neither Herod’s plotting nor Jerusalem’s resistance to maternal love will deter Jesus from his sacrificial mission.

Sermon
“The older we get, the more we come to recognize the interconnectedness of the past, the present, and the future.

“We see the pendulum of fashion trends swing back and reintroduce styles that we remember from 30 years ago. We see how human relationships -- whether between individuals, between groups, or between nations -- are sweetened or embittered by the accumulation of past events. And we recognize more and more within ourselves the profound and continuing influence of our childhood experiences on our adult responses and behaviors.
“At a personal level, you and I experience every day an assortment of common emotions -- worry, hope, dread, regret, nostalgia, anticipation, and such -- all of which bear witness to the enormous impact that past, present, and future have on one another.” [Emphasis/“God of the Ages”/Second Sunday in Lent]

As we reflect on the past, present and future we can’t help but worry about the dangers all around us. Past experience dictate what we do in the present because of our worries for the future. Consider that even though we live frantic, hectic, on-the-road lives, it is still true that the greatest number of injuries and accidents occur in the home. Similarly, most car accidents occur when we are within five miles of home. Statistically, based on past experience, 5 miles from home is the most dangerous trip we ever make.

“The three readings from scripture today bear witness to the relationship of past, present, and future, but with a twist. The twist is faith. The twist is a recognition that we cannot really calculate the equation of past, present, and future without factoring in the God who is Lord of both time and eternity.” [Emphasis/“God of the Ages”/Second Sunday in Lent]

Before continuing on let us focus our hearts and minds on what God would reveal to us today. Let us pray: O Lord, send your word into our midst. Let us, like Abram, receive your word honestly, despite our fears based on past experiences. Encourage us to respond to your word faithfully, despite our future worries. Through these words let your word dwell in us. In Christ Jesus we pray. Amen

“Abraham's past and present did not add up to the future that God had in mind. His past and present, so far as he could tell, added up to some slave from Damascus receiving all of his inheritance.
“But God had a future in store for Abram in which a whole nation of Abram's descendants would inherit and settle the land where Abram lived. God’s future had descendants, as many as Abraham could count, spreading out over the land as far as Abram could see. With God, Abram's future was far more than a simple extrapolation of his past and his present.

“Paul, meanwhile, urged the Philippian Christians to let their present be a kind of extrapolation of their future. Paul laid out for them an understanding of what the future held, on the one hand, for those who were "enemies of the cross of Christ" and, on the other hand, for those who were believers following his example. In the present, in a prison, Paul's approach did not look so good. But Paul looked to the future -- God's future -- and lived toward that.

“Jesus predicted that his work would be finished on "the third day." Between that prediction and that victory, however, came a lot of seeming troubles, setbacks, and defeats. And we, in the midst of troubles, are likely to lose grip on faith and hope about the future. But, like Abraham and Paul, we know a God who will indeed fulfill promise ...” [Emphasis/“God of the Ages”/Second Sunday in Lent]

If we base our present behavior on the past, where is faith? If we base our present behavior on our projected future, where is faith?

Without faith, the dangers and troubles we face in life, will capture us.

For Abram, in the reading from Genesis, the danger was having no heir. Abram had family problems, his wife Sara had not been able to conceive a child, there would be no one to pass on his wealth too. Who would care for the family and family property? Abram also had another problem; he had trouble in believing God’s Word.
The dangers Abram faced could only be met with faith. Abram’s unbelief shifts to faith in light of God’s promises and assurances. God “goes all out” to overcome Abram’s pessimism and doubt in order to bring him to faith and confidence. Faith in God has a significant role in dealing with the dangers we meet day by day.

Paul was concerned about the dangers faced by those who’s god was their belly, who’s minds were set on earthly things. This is a real danger for us, living in a materialistic world. We are tempted by things and enticed that if we can accumulate the right amount of the stuff (money, prestige, control, power, material security) we will be safe and secure. We all too often are led to believe that the measure of a good life is house, furnishings, cloths, and the automobile we drive.

Jesus, focused on the future, is sustained by trust in God. He did it when tempted in the wilderness; he does it again when facing the dangers of earthly rulers like Herod.

There’s a story... “When his advancing army stormed into a small town the general called his scouts before him. ‘Where are the citizens of this village?’ he demanded.

“’They have all fled in fear,’ the scouts replied.

“’Is there not one left to pay tribute to our victory?’ the general shouted.

“’No one but the priest. He remains in the temple.’

“Quickly the general marched to the temple, burst through the doors and demanded to see the priest. After a search, the priest was found reading quietly in his study. The general, angry that the cleric refused to greet him as conqueror, shouted, ‘Don’t you know that you are looking at one who can run you through without batting an eye?’
“’Don’t you know,’ the priest replied, ‘that you are looking at one who can be run through without batting an eye?’

“For a moment the general stared in disbelief at the priest. Then, slowly, a smile danced on his lips. He bowed low and left the temple.” [“Without Batting an Eye” from “Stories for the Journey” William R. White, p95]

The priest was sustained by faith, a trust in God’s future. Trusting in the Lord the priest is encouraged, in the present, to stand firm. For it is the Lord that lasts, not this earthly life, but God’s eternal world.

Based on past experiences or a predicted future, “Life is filled with dangers; how we deal with that ever-present and annoying fact shapes us and our homes. Dangers can call forth greatness from us, heroism as well as creativity, or it can breed self-pity, bitterness, and a host of other evils. Dangers, if nothing else does, test our faith and our love of God.” [“A Pilgrim’s Almanac” Edward Hays, p91]

If you daily live out the profound belief that God is with you, then when dangers rise up and demand attention, you can respond, not based on the past, present, or future, but with faith. It is faith that breeds grace, peace, and confidence.

Amen

February 21, 2010 - First Sunday in Lent

Deuteronomy 26:1-11
The annual harvest festival, called the feast of Weeks, provides the setting for this reading. This festival celebrates the first fruits of the produce of the land offered back to God in thanks. In today’s text, worshippers announce God’s gracious acts on behalf of Israel.

Romans 10:8b-13
In this reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans, Paul reminds the Christians at Rome of the foundation of their creed, namely, the confession of faith in the risen Christ as Lord.

Luke 4:1-13
After being filled with the Holy Spirit at his baptism, Jesus is led in the wilderness. Through his responses to the temptations of the devil Jesus defines what it means to be called “the Son of God.”

Sermon
Let grace, mercy, and peace be with us in truth and love from God the Creator and from Jesus Christ, Son of the Creator, and from the Holy Spirit that weaves revelation in and around our lives. Amen

Most of these words I share with you today are borrowed from “Provoking the Gospel of Luke, A storytellers Commentary, Year C” by Richard W. Swanson.

Each year the first Sunday in Lent is about the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness. Swanson suggests that this scene is about testing and offers a unique way of viewing this. Swanson writes: “I know enough about electricity and wiring to be glad that it is hard to pass the licensure exam to become an electrician. I have thought enough about the dangers of working with natural gas lines to be extremely glad that plumbers must be licensed before they can work with such things in my home. …nurses talk about the struggle of preparing for their board exams; the pre-med types spend years preparing to take their MCATs.

“Testing has huge ritual significance in our lives. Years of preparation, years of study and practice come down to a period of intensely focused testing. The ritual of testing prepares the candidate for the realities of life, career, and service.” Today’s gospel reading, the story of Jesus in the wilderness “tells the story of Jesus sitting for his electrician’s exam. These are his comprehensive examinations.” They “prepare him for the realities of the task before him.”

Swanson recommends that to understand what’s happening with Jesus in the wilderness we need to look back to the beginning of the 3rd chapter of Genesis, “1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, … ‘Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'? … 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked;…”

Swanson then suggests a radically different idea, an idea that we need to approach with an open mind so we might grow. The idea he suggests is that “The first thing to get clear about in these two stories” Genesis 3 and Luke 4 “is that there is no devil in either one.
“That’s easy to see in the case of Genesis, since the word is never used. It’s a serpent, not a devil. But there is no devil in Luke either.

“Yes, I know,” comments Swanson, “that Luke 4 calls the character ‘the devil,’ but Luke doesn’t mean anything like what contemporary Americans usually imagine when we think of ‘the devil.’ Luke did not imagine pitchforks, horns, pointy tails, or the red long-johns that we see in cartoon devils.” The concept of devil has changed over the years. “That’s important to” understand. “What’s even more important is the recognition that Luke would not have thought of ‘the devil’ as the evil force opposed to God, the other side in the cosmic war, at least (again) not the way contemporary Americans seem to imagine this character.”

We need to look beyond the term ‘devil’ and look at what the character does in the story. What is ‘the devil’s’ function?

“The name ‘satan’ is actually a job title. Satan is sometimes compared to the district attorney in contemporary American life. In that role Satan investigates and accuses; Satan looks for things that are less legal than they should be. This comparison works pretty well,” continues Swanson, “but I like another comparison better. Maybe it’s because my grandfather was a carpenter, but ‘Satan’ has always seemed more like the cosmic ‘building inspector’ to me. Satan is the person appointed by God to inspect the structure of creation and of human lives. If there is shoddy construction, it is Satan’s job to point it out.

“Carpenters are supposed to build things according to the Unified Building Code, and the building inspector is appointed to make sure that they do.“That allows … us … to have a degree of certainty that our roof will not suddenly fall in. Inspectors make sure that there is no creative electrical work in a house and that the plumbing actually drains the way it is supposed to.”

Let’s apply this idea first to Genesis 3. “The new creation is tested, and a flaw is found. Human beings want to be ‘like God’, and will do almost anything to achieve this goal. When Jews read the story of Adam and Eve…, they see a description of the predicament in which all mortal life is caught. Human beings have two inclinations: one good and one bad. The good inclination makes us likely to follow orders, behave ourselves, and cooperate. The bad inclination makes us likely to make our own rules, push the envelope, and compete. The genius of the Jewish understanding of this story and of the two inclinations is that Jews recognize that human beings need both inclinations in order to live. We need to cooperate and compete. We need to clean our rooms and reach for the stars, and no real human accomplishment, from walking on the moon to running a successful business, would be possible without the productive tension between these two inclinations.

“In Genesis, the serpent’s testing reveals that human beings have some problems bringing their two inclinations into balance. Eve will push the envelope too far when she reaches for the stars. Adam will eat anything and never have a second thought. This is something all humans need to keep in mind.

“Now notice what the (devil or inspector) sets in front of Jesus in the desert. The first thing is food. Jesus, as a descendant of Adam, is given the chance to eat without a second thought.
“Jesus refuses, choosing instead to continue his disciplined fast. So far, so good. Jesus has demonstrated that, unlike Adam, he has some control over his appetites: he is not a drooling, burping brute. No great accomplishment, but a good place to start. The harder tests are still coming.

“Now Jesus is given the test that Eve was given. It is a harder test, but, given the task set before him, it is necessary. Jesus is given the chance to reach for the stars, and he is given the chance, not once, but twice. The (inspector) offers him authority over all the kingdoms of the world. It does not matter whether the (inspector) has it in (the inspectors) power to deliver on this offer. It only matters whether or not Jesus will take the bait. Can Jesus control his inclination to over-reach, over-compete? Jesus refuses, and refuses on the grounds that God is God and no one else need pretend to apply for the job. This is a great refusal. His Jewish grandmother would have been proud.

“Next Jesus is given a chance to set himself free from the laws of nature. ‘Set gravity aside,’ says the (inspector), ‘and really reach for the stars. Living without limits. God has no limits, and since you are God’s son, you should have no limit’s either.’ Jesus again refuses, and does so on the basis of Jewish oral tradition. ‘It is said,’ says Jesus (like the rabbis and his grandmother have said), ‘you shall not test the Lord your God.’

“Now the (inspector) departs until an opportune time. It’s only Luke’s gospel that includes this little note, but it’s an important note. It means that the inspection is not finished yet. The task is too large for just one spot check.”

Here’s my conclusion, based on Swanson’s unique perspective. As we are tested we will see our need for God in our lives. That we can’t, as much as we try, rely on ourselves alone. Test after test reveals that we can’t do life on our own, we need help from outside of ourselves, we need God.

The season of Lent is a time set aside in the church year for us to focus, to be tested, so that we will understand what Jesus does on the cross. That the more we understand our limits the more amazing the resurrection and it’s promise.

Amen

February 17 , 2010 - Ash Wednesday

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Because of the coming Day of the Lord, the prophet Joel calls the people to a community lament. The repentant community reminds God of his gracious character and asks God to spare the people, lest the nations doubt God's power to save.

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
The ministry of the gospel endures many challenges and hardships. Through this ministry, God's reconciling activity in the death of Christ reaches into the depths of our lives to bring us into a right relationship with God. In this way, God accepts us into the reality of divine salvation.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commends almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, but emphasizes that spiritual devotion must not be done for show.
Sermon
“Prayer is not a device like a remote control to make things happen. Instead, it's a tool to relinquish control to the awesome purposes of God.

[INTERACTIVE IDEA: Bring as many remote control devices as you can and lay them like surgical instruments on a cloth on a small table in front of the
audience.]

Have you heard the "dumb men" jokes? For example: What do men consider housecleaning? Lifting their feet so you can vacuum under them.“Or this: How do you get a man to do situps? Put the remote control between his toes. Okay, enough. Let's stay with the remote control for a minute.
“Fact is, we're not relating to our appliances the way we used to. When was the last time you dialed a phone? What ... five, 10 years ago? Everything is touch-tone now, and most kids think that dial phones went out with the dinosaurs.

“When was the last time you typed a letter? And do you recall your final trip to turn on the television? That is, an actual walk to the TV set to turn the switch by hand? Okay, maybe the battery on your remote went dead the other day, and you HAD to switch to manual control. No doubt that walk to the set seemed like a headache and a hassle!

“These days we have a remote control for everything: TVs, VCRs, CD players, camcorders, cable boxes, stereos, satellite dishes, model airplanes ... even gas fireplaces! Tired of having to move your body to your player piano in order to change music or lower the volume? No problem! Now you can operate your piano by remote from up to 100 feet away, including going through walls (www.pianocommand.com. Available: July 9, 1999).

“Maybe you have a problem that you can't keep track of your controllers. Well, if your remote has become remote, don't despair! A young girl named Natalie has invented a "Remote Control Finder." Facing the problem of never being able to find her channel-flipper, she taped a sound button to her remote, and also taped a button to her TV. That way, when the remote is lost, she presses the TV button, and the remote beeps. It's a kind of remote control remote control!,

“Silliness aside, we have clearly come into an era of remote control relationships with our electronic appliances. We like to push a button from across a room, factory or field, and get an instant and immensely pleasing result.

“Remote technology allows us to gain complete control, and we love it. But this craziness for controllers raises a troubling issue of whether we have come to expect remote control spirituality as well. Can we program God? Can we use prayer as a remote control device to get the "channels" and "programs" we want? Have we grown too accustomed to the idea of being in control?

“Sometimes it seems we have. And this is not a convenience issue -- it's a big problem.

“ Prayer is not a way to get what we want to happen, like the remote control that comes with the television set. Prayer is not about getting control; it is about giving up control.

“Prayer is a way to put ourselves in harmony with God and his creation.

“We set ourselves up for disappointment when we expect God to change the world according to our vision. Rather than God changing us.

“Prayer is an opportunity to experience humility and to recognize grace, to see ourselves as human and to see God something beyond who we are, something good and gracious.

Rachel Remen writes: "Once, when I was lying on an operating table waiting for anesthesia, one of my surgeons took my hand and asked if I would join him and his operating team in a prayer. Startled, I nodded. He gathered the team around the operating table for a moment of silence, after which he quietly said, 'May we be helped to do here whatever is most right.'" That's a simple but powerful petition. Remen felt her fears about the surgical outcome slip away after that prayer, and she went under anesthesia holding on to those few words with the deepest sense of peace. She knew that in that high-tech operating room -- one probably full of remote controls -- she was in touch with a power that greater than her, walking beside her. Those simple words helped her to embrace life, to find a peaceful home in any outcome, and to remember that there may be reasons beyond reason itself.

“We wander in the wilderness when we expect God to change our medical diagnosis, our career path, our teenager's behavior, our church's membership, our dating prospects or our political leadership.

“We find the path of promise, however, when we finally allow God to change US ... when we drop the remote and say, "Here I am, Lord. Show me the way."

“The time has come to consider the poor -- those that the Lord has always cherished and that he promises to deliver in the day of trouble. The time has come to depend more fully on God, and to connect our lives to this source of life. The time has come to see illness not as a punishment for sin, but as a chance to rely even more fully on God, and to see how suffering can serve as a path to new life. The time has come to live with integrity, actively loving both Lord and neighbor, and to lean ever more heavily on the One who is always at work to bring good out of evil.

“When we talk with God and open ourselves to God’s will, we become different. We become people who trust God more fully, and love our neighbors more intensely. We become believers who get up close to the poor, the needy and the outcast -- our brothers and sisters most in need of our intercession.
“When we pray as God wants us to, we become creatures who are finally open to the channels of divine love and purpose, and able to see God's hand at work in all of life.

“This isn't remote control at all. It's the best possible way to have a relationship with the One who watches over all creation, with endless love and grace. [From Homileticsonline.com/2-20-2000]

As we begin our Lenten journey I invite you to pray with me everyday at 2115, that’s 9:15 every night. I invite you to pray with me everyday at 2115 for Good Shepherd, that we might be God’s presence in our community. Pray for family members, that God would help them, embrace them, comfort them. Then pray for your neighbor both where you live and where you work.

Join with me so that together we might pray everyday at 2115. Stop what ever you are doing and pray. Let’s try this until Easter Sunday and see what happens. Pray that Good Shepherd be guided by God’s will. Pray that people you know who are being distracted from a relationship with God might be led here to Good Shepherd where they can connect with God.

What ever you want to pray for let’s just do it together everyday at 2115. I’m going to set my phone alarm for 9:15pm and stop whatever I am doing and pray. Will you join me?

Amen

February 14 , 2010 - Transfiguration of our Lord

February 7 , 2010 - Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 6:1-13
Through a vision in the temple, the eight-century prophet Isaiah is called by God to announce judgment against Israel. Like other prophets, Isaiah is initially hesitant because of his awareness of his sine and his shortcomings, but when the Lord calls, Isaiah responds, “Here am I; send me!”

1 Corinthians 1:1-11
Paul delivers in a nutshell the story of the gospel that was given to him. In the lineage of the Christian faith, we have received the good news of God’s love from generations of believers before us, and we continue to tell this story to the world.

Luke 5:1-11
Jesus’ teaching of God’s word has begun to draw great crowds. For Simon, James, and John, Jesus’ teaching inspires hospitality, then obedience, and then risk. After Jesus’ creative power is revealed, fear and amazement leads these three fisherman to leave everything behind in order to become apostles.

Sermon
During this season of Epiphany we have been hearing stories about Jesus calling disciples and about people following Jesus. Like last week’s OT reading from Jeremiah, where we heard about God calling Jeremiah to be a prophet, today we heard about God calling Isaiah to be a prophet. In the gospel reading where heard about 3 fisherman following Jesus. So, this Epiphany theme continues, what does it mean to follow Jesus?
Before exploring this, let’s take a moment to open our hearts and minds to God’s revelation. Let us pray: Lord, we come away from our busy weekday lives to give you thanks and praise for the way you have blessed our lives. We thank you, also, for the vision of your kingdom, and pray that each of us may hear your call to be a part of witnessing the day when your will is done on earth as it is in heaven. In the name of the one who sheds light into our darkness, Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen

Following Jesus involves “action, adventure and a willingness to explore new territory, whether we’re Boy Scouts or disciples of Christ.

It was August, 1964. I was 1 month away from turning 15. “The sun had just risen when we began our trek up Baldy Mountain. At 12,441 feet, Baldy is the highest peak in the Philmont Scout Reservation, a high-adventure backpacking camp run by the Boy Scouts of America in New Mexico. We were told that from the summit of Baldy, we could enjoy a spectacular view of the mountains, forests and lakes of northern New Mexico.

“ But the summit was still a dream when our crew of eight Scouts and one adult started out, hiking through a dense pine forest in the early-morning light. Reaching a gorgeous, gurgling mountain stream, we took a turn and headed down a wide and comfortable trail for about a mile. Turned out to be the wrong trail. Realizing our mistake, we turned around and hiked back.

“This detour added an extra two miles to our trip, and you might think we would be discouraged by it. But the extra distance had a surprising benefit.

“One Scout who had been struggling at the start of the hike gained confidence throughout the detour, and when the group got back on track, he felt strong enough to hike to the summit. His success required venturing out, beyond his comfort zone. And so does ours.

The Boy Scouts of America have been challenging young men to push their limits for a century now. In fact, tomorrow — February 8, 2010 — is the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the organization.

“Two-thirds of all astronauts, and 11 of the 12 men to walk on the moon were Boy Scouts. Nine of the 100 members of the United States Senate are Eagle Scouts. Eagle Scouts were disproportionately represented among Hurricane Katrina’s volunteer relief workers. Both adventurer Steve Fossett and moviemaker Steven Spielberg were Boy Scouts — although Spielberg has resigned from Scouting’s advisory board because of its zero tolerance of homosexuals. Spielberg made a nine-minute film at age 12 to earn his Boy Scout photography badge. Eight billion dollars later, it seems that movie-making has worked out pretty well for him.

“The great appeal of Scouting is that it challenges young men to explore a wide range of outdoor activities and educational programs, and to make surprising discoveries about themselves and the world around them. They find that the comfort of staying home is really no match for the amazing things that happen when they venture out.

“Venturing out. We, as followers of Christ Jesus, are called to venture out into deep water, not to stay in shallow water .

“In today’s gospel reading Jesus is standing by the lake of Gennesaret, also known as the Sea of Galilee or Tiberius, and the crowd is pressing in on him to hear the word of God. At the shore of the lake, he sees two boats — empty because the fishermen had left them to wash their nets. Jesus gets into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asks him to push the boat away from the shore. There Jesus keeps a safe distance from the smothering press of the crowd and is able to teach them (vv. 1-3).

“When Jesus finishes his speech, he decides to extend his lesson with a dramatic illustration. He challenges Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch” (v. 4).

“Put out into the deep water, says Jesus. Jesus doesn’t say, “Hey, it’s shallow over here, try this.” He’s saying that the real possibilities exist where life gets deep and risky. He invites us to venture out, take a chance, be active and adventurous. Jesus wants Simon to act like a Boy Scout.

“Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing, laments Simon. He sounds like he wants to stay close to shore, safe and comfortable because his time on the water hasn’t yielded any fish. But Simon isn’t going to be stubborn about this. “Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets,” he offers. And he does (v. 5).

“The result? Simon and his fellow fishermen catch so many fish that their nets are beginning to break. They call for their partners in the other boat to come and help, and they end up filling both boats to the point that they’re beginning to sink (vv. 6-7).

“It’s an unexpected, amazing and overwhelmingly abundant catch. All because they were willing to follow Jesus’ words and scout the deep water.

“That’s the challenge for us today: to venture beyond our comfort zones and put out into the deep water in lives of Christian discipleship. Too often we stay close to shore, safe and comfortable, when Jesus is calling us to be active, adventurous and willing to explore new territory. That’s where the fish are. That’s where the growth happens. That’s where we can make surprising discoveries about ourselves and the world around us.

“ Just ask any Boy Scout. We scout the deep water when we venture out to share the Christian faith with our neighbors. Jesus says, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people” (v. 10), and this challenges us to reach out to our friends and neighbors with the gospel message.

“ But how can we do this? In her book Unbinding the Gospel, which 8 of us studied before Christmas, Martha Grace Reese says that “our most important discovery is that a vivid relationship with God lies at the heart of real evangelism.”

Evangelism is really just sharing our relationship with God with others. To share our faith you have to ask yourself, “Has being a Christian made any difference in my life?” If so, then you’re going to want to share this reality with other people.

“Quite simply, evangelism, sharing your faith with others, is grounded in the realization that your life is better because of your relationship with God, and this is a relationship that can benefit others as well. “

Reese says evangelism is all about relationships. Not high-pressure conversion programs, not knocking on doors and handing out tracks, but relationships. We need to reflect on our relationship with God, and then find natural and sincere ways to share that relationship with others.

“We scout the deep water when we embark on short-term mission trips to repair damage done by hurricanes, when we commit ourselves to tutoring low-income children who are struggling in school, when we create alternative worship services to reach the unchurched of our community. All of these require an active and adventurous spirit, plus a willingness to explore new territory.

“The important thing is to venture out, beyond our comfort zone.

“ Meanwhile, back at the ranch … back to the Philmont Scout Reservation. After we reached the summit of Baldy Mountain and enjoyed the magnificent vista, we headed down the other side. The trail was clear above the tree line, but once we entered the woods the path was lost. Throughout the dense forest was a mixture of lush vegetation and decaying logs and plants. The forest floor was thick and spongy, full of rich soil and natural mulch. It became clear that the life of that forest was rooted in death — in a fertile mixture of growth and decay.

“The same is true for us. We don’t achieve the abundant life that Christ desires for us by playing it safe. No, if we’re going to experience growth in Christian faith and understanding, we have to venture out and take some chances. As Jesus says to his followers a little later in Luke, “Those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it” ( 9:24). “That’s the message of the forest floor. Life comes from death — from allowing our comfort and control to die just a little bit, as we follow Jesus in faith. And we all know what comes after death, don’t we? Resurrection.

“We eventually made it out the other side, not by following a path but by having faith in our navigational techniques. We hiked through the deep vegetation until we came to a clearing, and then we rediscovered our path.

“ Each of us is challenged to take similar chances as we follow Jesus along the path of life each day. We’ll have our setbacks and disappointments, and we’ll certainly lose our way at certain points in the journey.

“But we’ll make amazing discoveries as well, if we venture out into the deep water. There we will find abundant gifts because we’ve respond obediently to Jesus’ words. ” [Homiletics/February/2010/p46-48 (Gave me the words to share my story of Philmont.)]

Through the waters of baptism Jesus has laid claim to our life. As we encounter Jesus in our life through our church, through friends and family members, through moments of grace and joy, our story with Christ Jesus grows. This good news is your gift to share with those people you love, your friends, and maybe even a stranger or two along the way. As you share your story of Jesus acting in your life, you are fishing for people, just like those ordinary and exceptional first disciples.

Amen

January 31, 2010 - Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Jeremiah 1:4-10
God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet and consecrates him in the womb. Jeremiah’s task is to preach god’s word in the midst of the difficult political realities of his time, before the Babylonian exile. He is to make god know not only to Judah, but also to the nations.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Christians in Corinth prided themselves on their spiritual gifts. Paul reminds them that God gives us many gifts through the Holy Spirit, but the purpose behind all of them is love, the kind of love that God showed us in Jesus Christ.

Luke 4:21-30
Today’s gospel reading picks up where we left off last week. People in Jesus’ hometown are initially pleased when he says that God will free the oppressed. Their pleasure turns to rage when he reminds them that God’s prophetic mission typically pushes beyond human boundaries so that mercy and healing are extended to those regarded as outsiders.

Sermon
“God called Jeremiah to be a prophet who would seek to restore a broken
relationship between God and God's chosen people. The Israelites had lost their
first love, love of God. When we stop loving God, we stop loving each other.
Jesus informed the Jews that God's love included all people, not just a chosen
few. Paul helps us understand the power of love to re-form individuals and to
transform the world.” [Emphasis/Jan. 31, 2010/Gary Thompson and Schuyler
Rhodes]

Before taking a closer look at the gospel reading let us take a moment to focus our hearts and minds on God’s revelation for us today. Let us pray: God of our lives: In the midst of distractions, worries, fears, remind us to look up and to keep looking up in hope. God, help us as members of the body of Your Son, in this place, to stay alert to your Word. Grant us courage to follow the light of any star you may have placed in our personal skies. And grant us patience so that we may remain faithful to You, our loving God, who keeps promises. In Christ Jesus the one You sent to light up our darkened world, we pray. Amen

“Jesus had come home. He had come to Nazareth. It was there that he read the text we heard last Sunday, from the prophet Isaiah. It is then that he said: ‘This text is being fulfilled today, even as you listen.’ It was then that He told them the kingdom of God is now.

“We start today’s gospel reading with the sentence that ended the gospel reading last Sunday It is one of the rare times that we find a text repeated twice in the same liturgical year.

Imagine, that “if Jesus had spoken to them this way, before he had left them, before he had been baptized, before he had received the Spirit, before his miracles, it would not have meant very much.

“He just would have given a commentary as one was supposed to do at such a service in the synagogue. They would have listened to His commentary with the same kind of interest and fruitfulness as when they had listened to so many other similar commentaries and sermons before. Thinking…that’s interesting, or that’s original, or that’s well-put, maybe even remarkable, or not bad for
Joseph’s son.
“But the person Jesus who was speaking to them that morning had changed when he left home. They had heard about his baptism; they had heard about the opening of heaven – heaven that seemed to have been closed for so long by then.

“They had heard about the healings, exorcisms, miracles. Is it possible they
could have been annoyed and scandalized by those stories?
“Had he forgotten about them?
“Had he forgotten about his village?
“Were there no sick people in Nazareth?
“Did they not appreciate a good glass of wine like the people in Cana?
“Why all those miracles in strange places? Why not in Nazareth?

“Hearing those stories had they remembered the rumors and tales told around his birth? Hadn’t there been stories about angels and shepherds, about wise men from afar and stars, about children killed and a flight to Egypt?

“And maybe that’s why, at first, they jumped up with joy, when he told them the kingdom of God had come to them. That he had come to tell them that it would start with them.

“He won the approval of all, and they were amazed at the graciousness of the words that came form his lips.

“But then he continued, and instead of calling his miracles in Cana and Capernaum a mistake, instead of apologizing, he started to speak in even more general non-Nazareth-only terms.

“He made it clear, that his kingdom was not going to be just for them, but for all. He mentioned Sidonians; he mentioned Syrians; and they all got enraged.
“When they were thinking about home, they thought only about themselves, their land, their water, their blood, their health, their clan.

“When Jesus spoke about home, he thought of them, all right, but his home was not only them, his home was God’s home.

“Coming home to Nazareth to them, Jesus asked them to come home with him, to God’s place, the place we all come from, the whole of humanity, the human-divine extended family.

“They were not ready for that! Are we in this world, in this continent, in this country, in this community? Are you? Are we?” [“Jesus, Hope Drawing Near – Reflections on the Gospels for the C-cycle” Joseph G. Donders, pp54-58]

Ready to embrace the loneliest, the poorest, the weakest, those who are not like us, the ones most in need of acceptance or are we ready to put up fences and walls that keep them out. By counting the windows and lepers as important to God Jesus turns our world upside down and introduces us to God’s good news.

Amen

January 24, 2010 - Third Sunday after Epiphany

NEHEMIAH 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 “The exiles have returned and rebuilt Jerusalem. Now Ezra, the priest, reads the law of Moses to them in the public square. When they hear it, they weep for their sins and for the long years in exile, but Ezra reminds them that the joy of the Lord is their strength.” [“Sundays and Seasons, Year C, 2010” p88]

1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-31A “The apostle and pastor Paul uses the metaphor of the human body to describe how intimately connected we are in the church. For this struggling congregation in Corinth, Paul delivers a vital message of unity that is a mark of the church today.” [“Sundays and Seasons, Year C, 2010” p88]

LUKE 4:14-21 “Near the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, he visits his hometown of Nazareth. In the words of Isaiah, he states and claims his identity, purpose, and mission.” [“Sundays and Seasons, Year C, 2010” p88]

SERMON

“Passionate spirituality is the energy source that fuels every church, providing the energy and momentum to move forward toward mission. …passionate spirituality is a renewable energy form - more like solar or wind energy than like gas. When passionate spirituality is embraced it never runs out. It continues reproducing itself when we tap into the source and stay connected. Passionate spirituality goes beyond our personal devotional times to our encounters with God in moments of daily life, and the various ways we experience and engage with God’s presence. The outpouring of passionate spirituality is an integration of our inner life with God into every aspect of our outward lives as well, resulting in stories of changed lives and transformation.

”What does Passionate spirituality look like? It’s confession and repentance. It’s a commitment for Christ’s mission expressed in today’s gospel reading. It is prayer. It’s knowing what are spiritual gifts and using them as intended. It’s dependence on God, relying on God. It is nurtured through acts of prayer, fasting, repentance, healing, giving, and other spiritual disciplines. Passionate spirituality is seeking God’s will in all that you do. It’s daily walking with Christ.

Nehemiah is passionate about God and God’s desires for our lives, expressed in the “law”. Paul’s passionate spirituality sees what the body of Christ can accomplish if the body of Christ understands spiritual gifts. Jesus’ intimate relationship with God, empowered by the Spirit, enables Jesus to bring the good news of God’s reign.

All three lessons relate passionate spirituality and to building up the body of Christ on earth. Before going further and recruiting your participation in this sermon let’s take a moment to focus our hearts and minds on God’s revelation for us today in these words. Let us pray:

“O God, we come together to explore the meaning of our membership in the body of Christ. As we examine Your word and ourselves, keep ever before us the example of Christ Jesus whom You appointed the head of the body. So guide our reflection on the life of Jesus that we might find Your purpose for ours. In Christ Jesus who has brought light into our darkness, we pray.” Amen [“Litanies and Other Prayers for the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C” Phyllis Cole, Everett Tilson, p39]

Using Paul’s image of the body “12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.”

I’d like you to create a visible image of this body. I invite you to participate in a post-it-note art project. Think about the image Paul is using, “27Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” What part of the body are you? Feet and legs? Hands and arms? Heart? Eyes? Ears? Mouth? See yourself as this body, which part are you?

Come up/down here, get a post-it-note that represents who you are (Feet and legs, hands and arms, heart, eyes, ears, mouth) and put it where it belongs on the outline of this body. Any questions?

The Book of Nehemiah, one of the history books of the Bible, continues the story of Israel’s return from the Babylonian captivity and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah was a Jew in Persia when the word reached him that the Temple in Jerusalem was being reconstructed. He grew anxious knowing there was no wall to protect the city. Nehemiah invited God to use him to save the city. God answered his prayer by softening the heart of the Persian king, who gave not only his blessing for Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem and build a wall to protect Jerusalem, but also gave supplies to be used in the project.Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem and, in order to accomplish his mission, is made governor. In spite of opposition and accusations the wall was built and the enemies silenced. Despite much opposition, the people, inspired by Nehemiah, gave tithes of much money, supplies and musclepower to complete the wall in a remarkable 52 days and Jerusalem was secure.

Without the collective God given gifts each person possessed this could not have been accomplished. The same is true here at Good Shepherd. Without our collective efforts we cannot be the body of Christ. Look at the gifts God has given us. We need each other to accomplish God’s will.

Christ Jesus came to announce that the time the Lord had chosen, the jubilee year, the year when all debts are forgiven, the year when the soil takes a rest and so does everyone else, had come. This is the mission of Jesus. This mission is seen in the good news for the poor. Worldly values care little for the poor, the poor have always been disposable, but Christ Jesus came to say God values the poor. And lower than the poor are those warehoused in prisons, God cares for them too and promises release. The mission of Christ Jesus is to bring us freedom from our human predicament. To open the eyes of those who are blind and bring healing to those who suffer.

In the waters of Baptism we are joined to Christ and become the body of Christ on earth. We become the feet and legs, hands and arms, heart, eyes, ears, mouths of Christ that accomplishes this mission.

In their Jubilee year pastoral letter, in 2000, entitled, "Eucharist without walls" Archbishop Weakland and Bishop Sklba wrote: ‘We yearn for the day when all will be one in the Eucharistic Lord. Until then, we are anointed through confirmation to bring the fruits of the Eucharist into the world around us, making Christ's presence real to others. Those fruits are seen in our loving service of others, sharing Christ's healing and nurturing presence through reaching out in love and generosity…. The challenge of our generation is to reflect more and more on how Christians, those who live in Christ's Eucharistic presence, are to bring that presence into the work they do. Our lives must be integrated in Christ.’” [Kim Beckmann, NewProclamation.com, Year C, 2009-2010: Advent through Holy Week]

With this being said, may we commit ourselves to nurturing passionate spirituality so that we may connect with God and each other and participate in Christ’s mission.

Amen

January 17, 2010 - Second Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 62:1-5
The people’s return to Judah after the exile was marred by economic and political trouble. Nevertheless, the prophet declares Jerusalem and Judah will be restored. God will rejoice over Jerusalem as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride; and the people are called to the celebration.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11
The congregation at Corinth experienced division as people were comparing one another’s spiritual gifts, thinking some to be superior to others. Paul invites this fractured community to trust that God’s Holy Spirit has gifted them all perfectly for their mission together.

John 2:1-11
Turning water to wine at the wedding in Cana is described in John’s gospel as the first of Jesus’ signs. Through many such epiphanies, Jesus reveals that He bears God’s creative power and joyful presence into the world.

Sermon
It is rumored that “A former US president and his wife visited their old hometown and stopped for gas. The gas attendant just happened to be an old acquaintance who had once taken the First Lady to a high school dance. Driving away, the former president remarked, ‘Aren’t you glad you didn’t marry him, honey? You’d never have gotten out of town.’

“His wife flashed a mockingly sweet smile and retorted, ‘If I had married him, he would have been president and you would still be washing dishes!’

“We influence one another, especially in the deep commitments of marriage. None of us would be the same had we connected so significantly with other people in our lives.” [Emphasis/January/2007/p22]

“The texts for this Sunday invite us to consider what happens when the wine runs out. In the midst of human suffering (Isa. 62:1-5), questions regarding the nature and mission of the church (1 Cor. 12:1-11), and the depletion of our resources for joy and celebration (John 2:1-11), God is faithful to provide a new way. In each instance, it is God's creative, renewing, and restoring mercy that brings new life and hope. [John S. McClure, “NewProclamation, Year C, 2003-2004: Advent through Holy Week”]

Before taking a closer look at our gospel reading, let’s take a moment to focus our hearts and minds on God’s revelation for us today. Let us pray: “Almighty God, even as You spoke to Your people through the prophets in ages past, reassuring them of Your love, through these words and the meditation of our hearts, speak also to us today. Let these words remind us that you do not forsake us in time of need. Turn our hearts and minds from the shallow promises of the world to the only true source of our faith, hope, and trust – Christ Jesus our Lord in whose name we pray. Amen” [“Lectionary Worship Aids, Cycle C, Series VI” H. Burnham Kirkland, p37]

In your imagination or minds eye, come with me. “It is one of those bright, beautiful summer days when just enough cool air is blowing to make the hot sun a welcome friend. As you approach the outskirts of the small town, near Nazareth, you notice that the house all appear to be deserted. Turning the corner of the narrow main street, you discover why – there in the middle of the square a celebration is taking place.

“You hear happy sounds: the hand-clapping and stringed music of a group dance, frequent laughter, the undertone of animated conversation.

“Drawing nearer, you learn what happy event has gathered the townspeople together – it’s a wedding. Everyone seems to be having a wonderful time – from the radiant bride and self-conscious groom to the red-faced servants who are dashing with food and drink from one to another of the tables set out for the guests.

“One of the guests sees you approaching and with a friendly smile invites you to join the celebration.

“’Welcome friend, come dance with us to honor the bride and groom. But first, here – some bread and some cheese to nourish you. And here – some wine as we drink to the happiness of the couple and wish them many find and healthy children.’

“And so you are pulled into the circle of celebrants and find yourself enjoying the fun almost as if you were not a stranger but a longtime resident of the town.

“A half-hour or more passes when you notice a small group with their heads together. Judging by their concerned faces, they must be discussing a matter of serious importance.

“A minute later a woman walks past you and approaches a man watching the dancing with obvious enjoyment. From the way she addresses him you gather that the woman is his mother. You overhear only her first words to him: ‘They have no more wine.’

“A cause for serious discussion indeed – a wedding party just coming into full
swing and there is no more wine.

“It is not that the people were drinking excessively – drunkenness was a great disgrace in those days – but for the provisions to run out at a wedding would not only dampen the festivities but would be a terrible humiliation to the couple and their families.

“Attributed to the rabbis is the saying: ‘Without wine there is no joy.’ Not necessarily because of the alcohol content but because the fermentation of grape juice to wine is symbolic of the transformation from sorrow to joy, from burden to freedom.

“But what can this man, who is certainly only a guest, do about the problem? You watch then as servants are summoned to the man’s side and you hear (or you think you hear, because the words make little sense to you) his instructions to fill some stone jars with water.

“You watch with keen interest as his instructions are carried out. It takes some time. The servants have to travel back and forth from the well, procuring 120 to 180 gallons of water.

“One of the servants draws a cup of water and offers it to an important-looking man standing next to the bride and groom. He drinks and you see his face break into an appreciative smile, with obvious pleasure. You overhear him say to the bride and groom, ‘Usually the best wine is served first and the cheaper sort is served after everyone has had plenty to drink, but you have kept the best wine until now.’

“Your astonishment at his words is matched by your eagerness to taste this miracle wine, now being passed out by the servants, amid hearty cheers from the crowd.”
This event of water becoming wine takes place at the beginning of a man and a woman’s committed life together. It is also, according to the gospel of John, the beginning of Jesus’ miracles. Both the bridal couple and Jesus taste the beginning of God’s glory that day. It was the beginning of even greater things to happen and the glory of God being revealed.

There are still several more events in which wine is a prop revealing God’s good news. Jesus says that new wine must be put into new wineskins, a reference to the ‘new wine’ of his own teachings. Gathered around a table in an upper room, Jesus takes a cup of wine and calls it his blood. He says to this disciples, ‘From now on, I tell you, I shall not drink wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in the kingdom of my Father.’ (Matthew 26:29)

Those who met Jesus that day, in Cana, saw Jesus has just one of the happy crowd enjoying the fun. But to those who were to become his disciples, his intimate companions, it was a significant beginning.

Amen