Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Third Sunday after Epiphany. Our Church Services today are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you can find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "O Thou, Who at Thy Eucharist Didst Pray"
Today's Gospel
John 2:1-11 The Wedding at Cana
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 me and to you? 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 person in charge of the banquet.” So they took it. When the person in charge tasted the water that had become wine and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), that person 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.
Reflection
Before I start this reflection, my thanks go to Ruth who gave me a lovely book at Advent called the Preacher’s Companion, which has in part inspired some of my thinking today.
In John’s gospel, he recounts the first of all of Jesus’ miracles. The scene is set at a wedding, a time and place of happiness and joy. It’s also a scene that is ordinary, something that we are all familiar with. But then disaster seems imminent - all the wine has gone! We do not know why Mary was the one to deal with this issue, but it is clear that she had no doubt whatsoever that Jesus could resolve the embarrassing issue.
To be honest, it appears thatJesus’s initial reaction is quite dismissive, almost rude to his mother when he effectively says, ‘so what?, what’s that got to do with us?’
Nonetheless, Mary is resolute and tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them. Then Jesus, without any fuss or fanfare, turns the water into gallons of the finest wine. This indeed is a miracle and the first of many signs that Jesus is the Messiah. He takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary.
But the most amazing thing is that ‘How did Mary know?’ There has been no previous signs or inkling that Jesus had the power or will to do anything like this. Through the grace of our Lord, she instinctively knew that it was Jesus’s time to step into the limelight. You will hopefully recall that Mary stored and treasured what was said about Jesus just after He was born, [Luke 2:19] and likewise she heard and marvelled at the prophesy of Simeon in the temple. We should not therefore be surprised that Mary might expect Jesus to do something miraculous when his friends needed help. She was fully prepared to expect the unexpected.
Most of you will remember David Halford who was our associate priest for many years, and he would regularly remind us in his sermons, that when we have faith and expectation, we can all see the wonders of God at work in the ordinary every day things in our lives. So too, we can also see the work of Jesus in the everyday, even mundane things in our lives; we just have to set our expectations, observe and recognise His hand at work. Perhaps when something good comes out of a bad situation, when someone unforeseen or a stranger helps us out, or just those times when everything just works out fine first time. We should not be afraid to ‘join the dots’ and wonder if Jesus was providing a helping hand.
Miracles happen, and the ordinary can become extraordinary when we do what Jesus wants us to do and humbly trust in Him. Paul
Our Prayers
Loving Father
We give you thanks for the presence of your son Jesus Christ.
Who watches over us and reaches out to help us.
Help us to recognise His hand at work in our lives.
and to give Him thanks and praise.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Rejoice, the Lord is King"
Notices
This afternoon at 3 pm, we join our fellow Christians from the local area in the Churches Together in Lees and District service to mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. All are warmly invited to join us.
