Finding Faith ... in our delightful and mirthful God!

EDITOR'S NOTE: On Oct. 23, 2021, I was ordained as a minister of word and sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and installed as pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. I also served the same church for four years from October 2017 to October 2021 a synodically authorized minister. The journey together these past four years has been an amazing one, full of learning, growing and a deepening of my theological mind. This sermon took place on Jan. 16, 2022, the Second Sunday after Epiphany.

This week's gospel: John 2:1-11

The Wedding at Cana

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.

The message:

So here is positive proof that a Bible text study really can happen anywhere, and also that there is always a new perspective in which to study every scripture text.

The other night Shelley and I were out for dinner, and I asked her if she knew which gospel story was coming up this Sunday. After thinking about the time of the season, she offered up a few guesses but came up empty and eventually asked what it was.

“The wedding at Canna,” I said. … And she said, “Oh, the one where Jesus sasses his mother!”

And I was like, “The one where Jesus sasses his mother?” … And she said, “Yeah, look it up. He calls his mom ‘woman’ and talks back to her after she told him to help out the wedding party.”

Sure enough, Shelley was right. … “Woman, what concern is that to you and me?” says Jesus. … Now, I’m pretty sure a response like that would have gotten many of us in pretty deep trouble with our mothers!

And you know what else was reiterated to me in re-reading this passage with Shelley’s perspective in mind?

I realized that mother’s really are always right. … Even when the Son of God was full of doubt, his mom was like, “Ahh, no, this is actually your time to come out. Your ministry begins now, son.”

And, of course, she was right … because turning water into wine really does become Jesus’ first miracle. And thus this act becomes the very first revealing -- or epiphany -- of who God is after he’s come to live with us in the flesh.

From this very first inauspicious act, Jesus’ course here on earth is set, and he will come to reveal himself through greater and greater miracles. … All starting with turning water into wine.

So, since the last time we were together we’ve celebrated the day of Epiphany and entered into the season known as Epiphany that will take us through Ash Wednesday.

Now, I realize that in today’s world we’ve really watered down the meaning of the word epiphany to the degree that we use it causally when we discover a new food we enjoy or we discover a fact we never knew before. … We call almost any learning an epiphany now.

But the actual definition of epiphany is the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles in the story of the Magi … the Wisemen. … We know that when the Wisemen visit the baby Jesus, it is the very first time that Christ is revealed to anyone who is not Jewish. … In other words, the very first time any Gentile gets to know Christ, the savior come to earth in human flesh.

And thus we celebrate the feast of Epiphany as this grand, momentous milestone. … As we should.

And so in the season of epiphany we are going to be presented with many scriptures that tell us of times that Jesus -- or God -- manifests himself to the world, both Jews and Gentiles alike.

And here in the gospel of John, that very first manifestation is when Jesus turns water into wine. … As an aside, note that this isn’t Jesus' first miracle in all of the gospels. For you confirmation students out there, if you want extra credit, turn in a note that includes Jesus’ first miracle in each of the gospels and I’ll knock off one worship note!

So, the wedding at Canna. … What a delightful story, isn't it?

So much of what we discuss every Sunday up here is so heavy. Salvation and crucifixion and redemption and justification and the like. … And then along comes this light and almost comical story.

Jesus and his mom, and I suspect the rest of his family too even though we aren’t told so, are at the wedding of someone they knew. Could have been a relative or a neighbor or just someone else in the village. Because in those days, weddings were big affairs.

Generally the entire village was invited, and it was an occasion in which the families of those being wed were obligated to play host to everyone. And there were expectations. … It was to be a feast after all, food and wine and the best entertainment. … And shame would follow if your wedding feast didn’t live up to expectation.

So when the wine gives out, and Mary turns to Jesus to say, “They have no wine.” … This is not a development without consequence. … To us in our 21st century mindset, we probably see this as a mere inconvenience. … But in the 1st century Middle East, running out of wine could be a black mark on a family’s reputation.

And so Jesus’ mom says, “Hey this is your time. What are you waiting for. You have the ability to help out this wedding couple. So do something about this.”

After a brief moment of disobedience, Jesus ultimately does obey his mother. … And he orders the servants to fill up six vats -- each holding 20 to 30 gallons -- of water. And they listen; in fact they fill each vat to the brim, we are told.

Then Jesus does whatever it is he does when he’s working a miracle … and tells one of the servants to take some of the freshly produced wine to the chief steward. And we are told that he is astounded at the quality of the wine Jesus produced.

In fact, I would describe his reaction as delighted. “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.”

In other words, this is the first indication that we are given that Jesus -- our God made manifest in a human body -- isn’t about living according to earthly customs. … Not only is going to refill those wine vats, but he’s going to do so with the good wine even though he wouldn’t have had to.

Over abundance. … Grace upon grace. … That’s what six vats of 30 gallons each gives you. An overabundance of the good wine that your guests will revel in. With our God, there’s no skimping by; there’s not just enough. … No. There is always more than enough, and whatever it is -- even wine -- it’s going to be the best of the best.

This is what epiphany is about. … This is God revealing himself to us. … This is God revealing himself in his full glory. … This is a manifestation of what grace upon grace is. So much wine that it probably could get everyone at the wedding in trouble!

As I mentioned earlier, so much of what we discuss here on Sundays is so somber. … So this story is such a delight and reminds me that not every miracle that God delivers us is a healing or bringing someone back to life.

Sometimes, God’s gift to us is simple delight or joy. … Like he did for the wedding couple and their guests. … And we need to continuously remind ourselves that joy and surprise and delight are among God’s gifts just as much as healing and everlasting life is.

As I studied this text this week, it reminded me of our Sunday schoolers Christmas program they performed here just about a month ago already.

If you haven’t yet seen it, I would highly recommend that you go back to our Facebook or YouTube page and watch the program. … It was delightful.

But there was one particular moment that still brings a smile to my face every time I think about it.

As you can imagine, the kiddos were as adorable as could be, dressed up in their Mary and Joseph and shepherd and animal costumes. And to be expected with a Sunday school program, not all went just as planned.

At one point, our youngest Sunday schoolers missed a cue and exited the stage early for a costume change. And Renata quickly scurried backstage to get them to return to the program, which resulted in our sheep-turned-wise men actors ending up on stage with sheep ears on their heads and their royal Wiseman gowns on as well!

It was a magical touch of the unexpected! And I’m quite certain that God enjoyed the moment of mirth just as much as our congregation.

Joy, delight, surprise … All are gifts from God.

Just as Jesus turning wine into water … or our kiddos ending up on stage as half Wiseman, half sheep … God reveals himself sometimes in the most unexpected places and circumstances.

And it should remind us that life isn’t all toil, all about struggle. Sometimes it is about revelry. And God can be complicit in making enough wine for the wedding guests just as he can be in healing and raising us to new life.

So please, take the time to see where God might be revealing himself in your everyday life. … You just might be surprised at how delightful and mirthful our God is!

And that is the Good News for this Second Sunday after Epiphany, Jan. 16, 2022 … Amen.