This past Sunday I decided to deviate from the Lectionary and preached over the beginning of the second chapter of John, the Wedding at Cana. This bit of scripture is well known to most of us as the first miracle by Jesus in the Gospel of John. Much is made about this being Jesus' first miracle and also much is made about the quantity of the wine that was created and it's focus upon the abundance. I chose to look at the scripture from a somewhat different direction (directions actually). One of the wonderful things about scripture is that much like a faceted gem one can look at it from so very many different angles and observe so much more beauty... sometimes a new beauty upon each viewing.
The sermon isn't terribly long so please take a listen.
John 2:1-12 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Wedding at Cana
1 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.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days.
At the beginning of the sermon I do mention my friend Kelly Wills. Kelly passed away yesterday after a series of progressively more serious health incidents. A few months ago Kelly had a serious stroke which left him unable to swallow and unable to walk. After fighting back and getting well enough to come home for Christmas he came down with pneumonia after the first and was hospitalized. Finally, while at the hospital he went into cardiac arrest and was only resuscitated with great difficulty, this left him in a coma and on a ventilator. Yesterday he passed from this world and into our Lord's Kingdom. I ask for prayers for Kelly's wife Patti and all of Kelly's family and friends.
I confess that Kelly's death has hit me particularly hard. Kelly was a friend of mine from my Jaycee days, he was the local president of the Millard Jaycees when I was a District Director and his chapter was a part of my District. Kelly was a very important part of our District becoming the number one District in Nebraska and the number two District in the USA. He went on to be the US Jaycee President a few years later and was always an inspiration to everyone he met.
Beyond our Jaycee involvement though Kelly was a great friend and a great confidant to me during a very difficult time in my life. His generosity, kindness, and concern will always mean the world to me. The knowledge that he was almost to the day one year younger than I am... is also a very sobering fact. He has passed far too early and far too young... God bless you, Kelly!
It's been a difficult year thus far with the loss of Kelly, the suicide of the son of an old friend, learning of another old friend with a diagnosis of advanced cancer, a relative of mine losing his business, and several other incidents that I'm not at liberty to discuss. At barely a week and a half in, 2017 has already become packed with heartache and tragedy.
Hug your loved ones, call your friends and family... not one of us is promised tomorrow.
Thank you for taking a swing through this small and quiet corner of the internet.
Be a blessing to someone today!
In His Grace & Love,
Roy
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