HYMN – Be still for the presence of the Lord – H&S 13
1. Be still, for the presence of the Lord, the holy one is here;
come bow before him now with reverence and fear.
In Him no sin is found, we stand on holy ground;
be still, for the presence of the Lord, the holy one is here.
2. Be still, for the glory of the Lord is shining all around;
he burns with holy fire, with splendour he is crowned.
How awesome is the sight, our radiant King of light;
be still, for the glory of the Lord is shining all around.
3. Be still, for the power of the Lord is moving in this place;3.
he comes to cleanse and heal, to minister his grace.
No work too hard for him, in faith receive from him;
be still, for the power of the Lord is moving in this place.
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen
PRAYERS OF PENITENCE
Christ the light of the world has come to dispel the darkness of our hearts. In his light let us examine ourselves and confess our sins.
Lord of grace and truth, we confess our unworthiness
to stand in your presence as your children.
We have sinned:
Forgive and heal us.
The Virgin Mary accepted your call to be the mother of Jesus.
Forgive our disobedience to your will.
We have sinned:
Forgive and heal us.
The wise men followed the star to find Jesus the King.
Forgive our reluctance to seek you.
We have sinned:
Forgive and heal us.
Your Son our Saviour in humility accepted the baptism of John.
Forgive our pride and rejection of your ways.
We have sinned:
Forgive and heal us.
At a wedding in Cana Jesus changed water into wine.
Forgive our failure to let your transforming presence change us.
We have sinned:
Forgive and heal us.
May the God of love and power
forgive you and free you from your sins,
heal and strengthen you by his Spirit
and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen
THE COLLECT
Almighty God, in Christ you make all things new:
transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen
FIRST READING – 1 Corinthians 12.1-11
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 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. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
HYMN – Spirit of God unseen as the wind H&S 87 – Sky Boat Song
Spirit of God, unseen as the wind,
gentle as is the dove,
teach us the truth and help us believe,
show us the Saviour’s love!
1. You spoke to us, long, long ago,
gave us the written word;
we read it still, needing its truth,
through it God’s voice is heard.
Chorus
2. Without your help, we fail our Lord,
we cannot live his way;
we need your power, we need your strength,
following Christ each day.
Chorus.
GOSPEL – John 2.1-11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 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 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.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
SERMON
John’s account of the marriage at Cana in Galilee is a problem. It obviously has huge symbolic significance for John – he calls it Jesus’s first sign – the serious theological markers are everywhere, but he makes it all so homely – disturbingly so.
For a start this first sign, this revealing miracle, this bursting forth of Jesus into the world as someone special, extraordinary, glorious even, is not some stupendous exorcism, or wondrous healing of eye or ear or limb, but supplying some booze for a bit of a do. The only thing being saved is someone’s embarrassment. And that little exchange with his mother, what’s that all about? Is Mary doing the motherly thing and giving Jesus a push? In any other situation we might smile and think how typical of a mother. But throughout his Gospel John is at pains to show that Jesus isn’t pushed by anyone, wherever he goes he’s in charge.
It’s the very domesticity of this first sign that is so irritating. The very next thing that John tells us is that Jesus goes to Jerusalem and clears out the traders from the temple – now that would have made a much better start to the telling of Jesus’s ministry.
So what can have been so important about this wedding feast? We must note the theological markers, you’ve been told about them before I’m sure – the big stone water jars for ritual cleansing, only six, the number for incompleteness, and they’re empty, possibly standing for the Jewish ritual system, and Israel’s relationship with its God. Jesus fills them and turns the contents into wine. The abundance of wine, the free-flowing endless supply of wonderful wine was a prophetic characteristic of heaven, of the New Age, of the time when God would rule. The sign is done but no one is told about it, only the slaves notice what’s happened, and only the disciples understand its significance – the revelation of glory. Sign and symbol, good news and revelation only happen to those with eyes to see and hearts ready to perceive.
Jesus’s mother is prominent and yet not named, we will hear no more of her until the crucifixion, when Jesus’s hour truly comes. The rather unfortunate phrase, “woman, what concern is that to you and to me?” has been rescued by various scholars; firstly pointing out that gunai, translated as “woman”, really could be an affectionate term. Secondly, the meaning of the phrase might be quite different, one writer has even given it the sense, “why are you speaking to me of this need? With you, I understand” – quite a different meaning.
All very interesting, but not terribly useful. Maybe the point of this first revealing sign is in the very ordinariness of its setting. A banquet to celebrate a new relationship, an act of hospitality for the guests, a banquet that might last for days. And there is Jesus, and there too is the wine of the new kingdom, a conversation between mother and son and things are begun that have their inevitable ending in the cross and the empty tomb.
This story is an epiphany story, a story of the showing forth of Jesus, the revelation of his glory. A story also of incarnation, of God come into the ordinary, transforming the world, turning water into wine.
St Paul wrote of a similar transformation in his letter to the Corinthians. A community of ordinary people, come together in the name of Jesus, come together to proclaim him Lord, can also be transformed by the Holy spirit and together, with their various gifts, they may strengthen one another to the glory of God and the service of others. And they who apart were water – have become new wine.
Here this morning we celebrate both transformations. We prefigure the wine of the new kingdom with the wine of the last supper, become Christ’s blood. And we come together to worship and partake in this miracle of faith and, by coming together, open our souls to the Spirit’s grace and gift.
But we must always be careful – Sign and symbol, good news and revelation only happen to those with eyes to see and hearts ready to perceive – now as then. We must not underestimate our ordinariness – and its potential to reveal the glory of Christ.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Let us declare our faith in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the scriptures;
he was buried;
he was raised to life on the third day
in accordance with the scriptures;
afterwards he appeared to his followers,
and to all the apostles:
this we have received,
and this we believe. Amen.
1 Corinthians 15.3-7
INTERCESSIONS – Vera Oldham
Heavenly Father, you promised through your Son to hear the prayers of those who ask in faith. Give us more awareness of your presence with us, both in our worship and in our daily lives and give us the courage to live out your truth with joy.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer.
We pray for the world-wide Christian Church in all its diversity. We pray especially for those churches who meet in difficult and often dangerous circumstances. Let them know and feel your presence to both uphold their courage and strengthen their faith.
In our own church we pray for William, for all the team and all those who give their time and talents so generously in our Benefice. We pray for every member of this congregation and ask that you bless us all this coming week.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer.
We pray for our own nation, for Elizabeth our Queen, and for all those who serve the people at all levels of government. We ask that they be guided by you as they make the difficult decisions which will affect all our lives both in this country and elsewhere.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer.
We pray for our homes that they may be filled with your presence. Make them homes of peace, of kindliness and hospitality, of grace and goodness that you may be known to be among us. Lord help us to be more outward looking, to care for our neighbours and to be more aware of the needs of the people around us.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer.
We pray for our hospitals and nursing homes and for the work and devotion of carers whose skill and compassion bring both material and spiritual comfort at times of need. We ask your loving compassion on all whose lives have been marred by tragedy of any kind. We remember those who await a doctor’s diagnosis or an operation. We pray for all who seek healing and hope. We bring before you those most in need in our own community, the elderly, the housebound and those in care.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer.
Lord, we pray for those who have recently died and for those whose anniversary we recall.
We remember with deep gratitude those who have left their mark on our lives – but have now gone before us to be with Christ. We hold them in our hearts, knowing that you, Lord, hold them in yours and commend them into your everlasting care and protection.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, may we come to your table today with joyful and expectant hearts, and go out afterwards nourished and strengthened in spirit to serve you in the world, to the glory of your name.
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers, for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
HYMN – Among us and before us, Lord, you stand H&S 5
1. Among us and before us, Lord, you stand
with arms outstretched and bread and wine at hand.
Confronting those unworthy of a crumb,
you ask that to your table we should come.
2. Who dare say No, when such is your resolve
our worst to witness, suffer and absolve,
our best to raise in lives by God forgiven,
our souls to fill on earth with food from heaven?
3. Who dare say No, when such is your intent
to love the selves we famish and resent,
to cradle our uncertainties and fear,
to kindle hope as you in faith draw near?
4. Who dare say No, when such is your request
that each around your table should be guest,
that here the ancient word should live as new
‘Take, eat and drink – all this is meant for you.’
5. No more we hesitate and wonder why;
no more we stand indifferent, scared or shy.
Your invitation leads us to say Yes,
to meet you where you nourish, heal and bless.
BLESSING
May he who who by his incarnation
gathered into one things earthly and heavenly,
grant us the fullness of peace and goodwill
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be upon us and remain with us always. Amen
HYMN Hail Redeemer! King divine – H&S 41
1. Hail Redeemer, King divine!
Priest and Lamb, the throne is thine,
King, whose reign shall never cease,
Prince of everlasting peace.
Angels, saints and nations sing:
‘Praised be Jesus Christ, our King;
Lord of life, earth, sky and sea,
King of love on Calvary.’
2. King whose name creation thrills,
rule our minds, our hearts, our wills,
till in peace each nation rings
with thy praises, King of kings.
Chorus
3. King most holy, King of truth,
guide the lowly, guide the youth;
Christ thou King of glory bright,
be to us eternal light.
Chorus
4 Shepherd-King, o’er mountains steep,
homeward bring the wandering sheep,
shelter in one royal fold
states and kingdoms, new and old.
Chorus
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
In the name of Christ. Amen