Tag Archives: Life in Christ

The Source of Life

Ordinary Time

January 16, 2022

Scripture Reading: 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.

I hosted a singer from Europe several years ago while she was touring churches in the USA when she sang at our church. I was notified ahead of time I would need to stock wine for her to drink as she never drank water. I wondered what I had gotten into but I went to the liquor store and found the wine she required. It was an inexpensive common wine, which surprised me. I thought I was dealing with a diva. She was a wonderful person and I enjoyed her company. Raised, in eastern Europe, she learned early that the water in her community was not safe to drink and everyone’s water, including the children’s, was laced with a little wine to kill the deadly germs in the water supply.  She only added enough of the red wine to turn her water pink. With her career taking her all over the world, she treated every venue in the same manner.

I do not know what symbolism John intended when he wrote the above scripture, but reading it just now reminded me of my European guest. Turning water into wine was a life-saving act to her and most likely was true in first-century Israel.  John continues this theme a little later in the book when he quotes Jesus as saying, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) We are called to be in the world but not of the world and we are called to live and love like Jesus no matter where in the world we might find ourselves.

Prayer: God, enable me to follow your lead in interacting with the people whose paths I cross.  Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Trespasses and Sins

Lent

March 12, 2021

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10
You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life

What is holding us back from being the person God created us to be? Ephesians talks about trespasses and sins holding us back. The word trespass is somewhat archaic to us today. It is a violation of moral or social ethics or an infringement on others’ rights. Since I grew up on a farm, I first learned that trespassing was hunting on someone else’s property without permission. I fear our society has siloed sin into things we would never do so we can condemn those who do those things. However, we must take these words to heart because they can and do make us dead to the abundant life Christ desires for us.

We are having a tough time trying to deal with racism and other forms of oppression. Both infringe on others’ rights. There is an abundance of legislation being considered in many states across our nation trying to define legal ways to limit people’s right to vote. The sponsors did not like the results of the last election. How are our lives improved by denigrating anyone else?

I have probably said this before, but I am stunned by our society, which self-righteously claims to be a Christian nation, basically ignores the Ten Commandments. Adultery, lying, stealing, envy, idol worship, particularly greed and lust for power, are either ignored or identified as pathways to success. History has long demonstrated that such behavior never ends well.

Lent is an excellent time to review how our relationship with Christ shapes us, not how we mold that relationship to support our driving desires.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we fail to love you and follow you as our guide. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.