Sign as Seeing with Eyes of Faith

2 Epiphany c          January 17, 2016 

Isaiah 62:1-5         Psalm 36:5-10       
1 Cor. 12:1-11      John 2:1-11       

Lectionary Link

Can you ever look at this picture and see a duck?  And then you look at the same picture and then you see a rabbit?  Of course you can.  I have given you a copy of the famous duck/rabbit picture.  How many you can see the duck?  How many of you can see the rabbit?  The picture is one of a duck and a rabbit at the same time, but you only see either one at a time.  What is the switch in our brain which tells us that it is a rabbit?  What is the switch in our brain which tells us it is a duck?

I have provided you with another picture.  It is a picture of a glass of water.  And we can see the glass of water in two different ways.  If a person is very optimistic and positive what kind of glass of water does a person see?  A person sees a glass of water as half full.  And if a person is pessimistic and negative, then a person might see the glass of water as half empty.  So people might see the very same thing but describe the same in completely different ways.  If I see the glass as half empty, how can I switch to see the glass as half full?  How can I have a switch inside of me which will allow me to see the glass as half full?  Because if I can see the glass as half full then I will act differently than if I see the glass as half empty.  If I can only see things as being bad or lacking in my life I act differently than if I can see things as being good and hopeful?  How can I make a switch in how I see the world so I can live and act with hope?

Today I would like to speak about a faith switch that all of us can have which allows us to see what happens in our lives in different ways.  In the Gospel of John, the writer calls this faith switch the Sign of Christ.

Today, we have read a story about Jesus when he went to a wedding.  His mother Mary must of been helping to serve at the wedding of one of her friends because when the host told her that they were running out of wine, she went to her son Jesus and asked him to solve the problem.

For Mary the glass was half empty.  "Oh no, it is so embarrassing for my friend's family because we are running out of wine at the wedding."  Well, we know what happened.  Mary and the disciples of Jesus knew that with the presence of Christ, the glass was half full.  And they were happy when they turned their problem over to Christ.  The presence of Christ created a sign and the sign was an intervention inside of their hearts which turned on their faith switch and allowed them to see their situation differently.

The writers of the Gospel of John used what is called the Book of Signs in the Gospel.  There are at least seven signs listed in this book of Signs.  And each Sign is a teaching about how knowing the presence of Christ is an intervention in our lives which can help us turn on the faith switch in our hearts and mind.  And when this faith switch is turned on, we can see our lives in a hopeful way and we can act differently

In the book of Signs of the Gospel of John we are shown the situations in life which can make us think that life is bad and threatening.  In the book of Signs we are shown the things in life which can really put us in a bad mood.  What are those things?  Running out of wine at the wedding.  That seems trivial but it is very embarrassing.  The illness of one's child.  That is very frightening for a parent.  The loss of the ability to walk.  That is a great loss.  The loss of one's eyesight.  A really bad tornado on the lake.  A crowd of people caught out in the wilderness without enough food.   And the death of one's brother and friend.  These are the seven situations listed in the book of Signs of the Gospel of John.  And in each of these situations Jesus is seen as one who was able to be an intervening presence.  And the result is that people saw the situation differently.  His disciples and others came to have faith.  They came to have this faith switch turned on in their hearts and mind.  And this faith switch being turned on is the Sign of Christ.

Some people think the Gospels are really about the miracles of Jesus.  But the Gospel of John does not use the word miracle.  The Gospel of John uses the word signs of Christ.  Why is it important to understand the difference between sign and miracle?  For me the true miracle would be a world where we did not run out of wine at a wedding, where children never got sick, where everyone always had strong legs to walk, where everyone could always see, where all of the people of the world always had enough to eat, where storms and earthquakes would not frighten and harm people, and the true miracle would be if our friends and family member would never die.  Why aren't the Gospels about the miracles of Jesus completely changing the world to be a perfect place?

Why?  because the world is already perfect.  How is this world perfect?  It is perfect in freedom.  Freedom means that almost anything can happen and that is what is perfect about this world.  But it also means that because of freedom, some bad things can happen and so that means that this life is a test for us to learn how to live with all of the conditions of freedom.  And what is the best way to live in the midst of all of the conditions of freedom?  The best way to live in a world of freedom is by faith.  And we do this when we can have the Sign of the Presence of Christ to intervene within our minds and hearts and make this switch of faith to see the possibility of hopeful actions within all of the free conditions which happen in our world.

Lots of people believe religion is about trying to get rid of bad and unpleasant things in this world or to just see good things in this world and avoid the unpleasant things in this world.  The Gospel book of Signs within the Gospel of John is not about wishing we lived in a different world.  It is about learning to accept the conditions of freedom in this world and knowing the presence of Christ within our lives to be an intervention to make a switch within our minds and hearts and see hopeful possibilities.  What does a chef do with some really stinky fish heads?  A chef makes some delightfully tasteful soup.

So if life gives you lots of lemons what do you do?  Do you sit around and suck on the lemons and pout about how sour the lemons are?  No, you get water and sugar and you make lemonade.

What is perfect about his world is the condition of freedom.  And learning how to live within the awesome conditions of freedom is the everyday work of our lives.  And to do this best, we need the Signs of Christ.  We need to sense the intervening presence of Christ which allows us to make that switch inside of our hearts and mind and see this world differently and then act in hopeful ways.

This is the dynamic of faith which I find in the story of the water made wine.  It is the dynamic of faith which can happen in you and me as we know the presence of Christ and as we share the presence of Christ to others who need to have a Sign in their lives to help them live within the awesome conditions of freedom in this world.  Let us be thankful for the Sign of Christ to us.  Let us go forth and live as signs of Christ in our world.   St. Paul wrote, that  the way in which we live as signs of Christ is to find and develop and share the gifts of God that we have been given in our lives.  May God give us grace to develop our gifts and becomes Signs of Christ in this world, inspiring people come to faith which will enable them to see and choose toward hopeful possibilities.   Amen.

Sunday School, January 17, 2016 2 Epiphany C

Sunday School, January 17, 2016             2 Epiphany C

Sunday School

Themes

Spiritual gifts.

Have a discussion about the children’s gifts and talents.  Ask them if they all are equally good in everything.  Do they all excel in math? Or football?  Or singing?  Or sewing?  Or dancing?  Or baseball?

Why aren’t all people the same?  Would life be boring if all people were the same?  If everyone only played tubas what other wonderful sounds would we miss.

Remind the children that what we believe about baptism is that God gives everyone different gifts and all of the different gifts are needed to make us a better community and church.

Make a list of all of the things that people can do for the church.  When gifts are used in the church we call this “ministry.”  So everyone is a minister.  But we also do ministry outside of the church to when we go to school or when we are at play.

If we understand that God has given us gifts then we understand that our purpose in life is to serve God as a minister.  And we don’t have to be a priest or pastor to be a minister.  To be a minister means that we use our gifts to serve Christ and to help other people.

The Gospel is about when Jesus and his disciples went to a wedding.  Mary, the mother of Jesus told Jesus that they were running out of wine and she ask him to help.

Jesus told the servants to take jars of water and serve them to the guests.  And when the guests drank they thought that they were drinking the very best wine.

This story is a story about faith.  Sometimes life seems to be like ordinary water; but with faith can sometimes find that there are some extraordinary things within the ordinary.  Faith is the ability to find the extraordinary things within ordinary life.  It means we keep alive within us that wonder curiosity to always being ready to find wonderful things in life.  With the curiosity of faith we never have to be bored in life.  So when some people think that we are just drinking ordinary water, we in our experience can taste something extraordinary and wonderful.

A sermon on gifts

  How many of you received gifts at Christmas?  So you received some new toys and some clothes and many other things didn’t you?

  A long time ago, Saint Paul wrote a letter to his friends and he told, “You have many gifts.  And God has given you many gifts and you are to use those gifts to make your family and community better.”

  And as I look at all of you today, I see men and women and boys and girls who have many gifts.  I am not talking the gifts that you received at Christmas.  I am talking how God has made each of you special and how God has given each one of you different abilities.  Those abilities are what we call gifts from God.  And as we find our gifts and abilities as we practice our gifts and ability, we become better at using our gifts.

  There something else about our gifts.  Different people have different gifts.  Now if you have a gift that I don’t have, should I be jealous?  Or happy?  I should be happy, because we need different gifts and abilities to our community get more done.

  What if a music teacher came to class on the first day, and everyone in the class was a drummer?  If a music class had only drummers then that would be a loud class and only a certain kind of music could be made?

  What if a basketball team had only real tall players who were slow and could not shoot long shots?

  What if a football teams on had 300 pound linemen, and no smaller faster players to run and catch the football?

  God has made us all a little bit different and has given us different abilities and gifts.

  One of the first secrets of happiness in life, is to find our gifts.  Your mom and dad and teacher are encouraging you to try lots of things in life because the want you to find your gifts.  Because if you find what you are good at, then you will be happy.  And if you practice what you are good at, then you also have a wonderful ability to share with others.

  And the second secret to happiness in life, is to use your gift to make your family, and your community and your world a better place.

  And thirdly, all gifts are important.  And you have many kinds of gifts.  When you help clean your room or take care of your pets that does not seem like an important thing.  But all of our gifts are important.  And what is most important is our willingness to use our gifts to make our families and church and community better places.

  Today, I want you to remember that God has given to gifts.  God has given you special abilities to do some wonderful things in life.  But you will not know that you have gifts unless you work to discover them or if you do not share them with the people in your lives.

  Repeat after me:  God’s Spirit has given me gifts.   Help me God to find my gifts.  Help me God to share my gifts with others.  Amen.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Family Service with Holy Eucharist

January 17, 2016: The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Gathering Songs: Jesus, Stand Among Us.,He’s Got the World World, Eat This Bread, Shine, Jesus, Shine

Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.

Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Song: Jesus Stand Among Us, Renew! #17

1          Jesus stand among us, at the meeting of our lives, be our sweet agreement at the meeting of our eyes; O, Jesus, we love You, so we gather here, join our hearts in unity and take away our fear.

2          So to You we’re gathering out of each and every land.  Christ the love between us at the joining of our hand; O, Jesus, we love You, so we gather here, join our hearts in unity and take away our fear.

3          Jesus stand among us, the breaking of the bread, join us as one body as we worship Your, our Head.  O, Jesus, we love You, so we gather here, join our hearts in unity and take away our fear.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ¹s glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Litany of Praise: Chant: Alleluia

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia

O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia

O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia

O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia

O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia

O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

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.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Let us read together from Psalm 36

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, * and your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; * you save both man and beast, O LORD.

How priceless is your love, O God! * your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!

For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!

For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!

For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!

For work and for play. Thanks be to God!

For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!

For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!

For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.

   Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

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.

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon – Father Phil

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,

We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and

     resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.

We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is

     welcome.

We believe that Christ is kind and fair.

We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.

And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy.

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.

For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.

For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.

For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.

For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.

For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.

For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

Youth Liturgist:          The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

People:                        And also with you.

Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering

Offertory Hymn: He’s Got the Whole World  (Christian Children’s Songbook,  # 90)

1-He’s got the whole world; in his hands he’s got the whole wide world in his hands.  He’s got the whole world in his hands; he’s got the whole world in his hands.

2-Little tiny babies.   3-Brother and the sisters  4-Mothers and the fathers

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.

Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.

A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.

The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.  Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

Children may gather around the altar

The Celebrant now praises God for the salvation of the world through

Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;

You have made us in your image

And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:

Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.

And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph

And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.

Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat

  the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as  

  this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.

And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.  May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,

(Children may rejoin their parents and take up their instruments)

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven:  Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.

Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.

Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.

And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.

As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.

Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.

But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.

Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.

Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Hymn: Eat This Bread, (Renew!  # 228)

Eat this bread, Drink this vup, come to me and never be hungry.  Eat this bread, drink this cup, trust in me and you will not thirst.

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.

And His Presence has been known to us.

We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers

    and sisters in Christ.

Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the

     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,

As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song: Shine Jesus, Shine (Renew!,  # 247)

Refrain: Shine, Jesus shine, fill this land with the Father’s glory, blaze Spirit blaze, set out hearts on fire.  Flow river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy, send forth your word, Lord, andlet there be light.

1-Lord, the light of your love is shining in the midst of the darkness shining; Jesus, light of the world, shine upon us, set us free by the truth you now bring us.  Shine on me, shine on me.

Refrain

Dismissal:   

Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ. 

People: Thanks be to God! 

b   

I'll Have What She's Having

2 Epiphany c          January 20, 2013   

Isaiah 62:1-5         Psalm 36:5-10       

1 Cor. 12:1-11      John 2:1-11       

Lectionary Link 

  One of funniest lines in motion picture history was delivered by a character who was insignificant in the overall plot of the movie.  The movie was “When Harry Met Sally.”  Sally played by Meg Ryan is in a restaurant with Harry played by Billy Crystal.  Sally acts out in the restaurant a state of female ecstasy and when she finishes, a waiter in the restaurant is taking the order of a woman customer and she says in reference to the display of ecstasy by Sally, “I’ll have what she’s having.”

  The experience of drinking water and knowing it to be the best wine is what characterizes the first Sign of  Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John.  The Gospel of John is all about living a parallel existence:  Living in the world but not being of the world.  Having both a natural birth and a spiritual birth.  And what does this mean?  It means the Signs of the Awesome being made known within the ordinary.  While in the natural order everyone thinks that it is just plain water, those who live in this other order of life experience the drinking of the ordinary water as being the finest wine.  And when people see the result of people who have this access to this other way of perceiving the awesome within the ordinary, what do they say or think?  “I’ll have what she’s having.”  And this dynamic expresses the most powerful evangelism of all; when people observe and are drawn and confess, “I’ll have what she or he is having.”

  When people were introduced to Jesus, they were drawn and attracted.  Here in the very ordinary and depressed conditions of Palestinian life in the first century, people saw Jesus and said, “I’ll have what he’s having.”  And what was Jesus saying, “You can have all that I have; you just need to accept that you are a son or daughter of God.  You just need to realize your spiritual birth and heritage in the midst of this very natural and all too human world.”

  How is it that people come to say, “I’ll have what she’s having or I’ll have what he’s having?”  We come to say that when we see people manifest their special gifts.  Some of those gifts get shown on the great media stages of life; we see that in the public performers in politics, sports, theatre, music and cinema.  But we often live best when we can live in communities of mutual admiration.  St. Paul said that there were many gifts but one Spirit.  He wrote that there were different gifts.  One of the main tasks of human life is to find, to discover and develop our gifts.  We are happiest when we can discover the areas of creativity that energize us and that also turn out to be useful to other.  I think that each of us is called in life to access our life force, the Spirit of life and have it come to be manifest as the charisma or charm of our life.  Everyone has a different charm and each has to find one’s own charm.  How many times have we heard someone say something or we have read something and we’ve thought, “I wish I had said that or I wish that I had written that.”  A community is blessed when each can look at one another and say or think, “I’ll have what he or she is having.”  In the midst of our being all too human, we can still access the energy of the sublime that can exude the kinds of expression of attraction that become the glue of how a community maintains itself.  A community survives when each person works to discover the basic force of one’s life as Spirit or as charisma.  We owe it to ourselves to be released into our gifts for the common good.  This is to learn how to taste the ordinary water of life as the finest wine.

  God does extraordinary things through ordinary people who are willing to seek their gifts and not be “hired guns” with their gifts but those who give freely and authentically.  It is one thing to be gifted; it is another thing to discover our gifts, develop them and then share them to enrich the community.

  Following a solo recital in New York City, the great pianist Van Cliburn, was signing autographs and making small talk with his radiant admirers. Near the end of the line, a lady clutching his hands said to him, "I'd give my life to be able to play like that!"  Van Cliburn looked back at her with steady eyes and simply said, "Madam, I have."

  Each of us has to find the gift or gifts we have where we can give our lives.  We owe it to our own joy to do so and we owe it for the benefit of our community to feel the energy of our gifts go forth from our lives.  I have lived with you long enough to know that at various moments I could say about each of you, “I’ll have what he or she is having.”  We at St. John’s live and survive and go into our future because God takes us as ordinary people and allows the charisma or the gifts of the Spirit to arise in us to create enough mutual ministry and mutual admiration to propel us into the future.

  Let us today find the new gifts that God has for each of us as we seek to serve God here and as we work not to be successful or famous, but just be faithful to the highest values of life, namely the example of love and justice that Jesus Christ gave to us.  Jesus did his first Sign at the Wedding in Cana of Galilee; the Risen Christ still does Signs in our midst today which we can know when the gifts of God happen within ordinary people and we say with admiration, “I’ll have what she’s having; I’ll have what he’s having.”  Amen.