This week has been rather hectic! Apart from planning and leading worship in our Christmas services in our new church (Sea Point Methodist in Cape Town), my HP laptop has really given me trouble. The sound card has been dead for a few weeks now, but after waiting two weeks for the technicians to get the replacement main board to fix it, the wrong part was delivered! And then, the board they found to try and make it work anyway has left me without access to my hard drive. As a result, I decided to go ahead and take a plunge I’ve been contemplating for a long time – I replaced my old and dying laptop with a Macbook. This is my first post using this strange, but beautiful new machine.
The readings for this week in the Lectionary (Epiphany 2 – January 17) carry themes of love, caring, marriage, and the gifts that are always given when love is present. The possibilities for exploring how Jesus is revealed in love, and in us when we love, are very exciting. I offer just a few here.
READINGS:
Isaiah 62:1-5: Isaiah’s prayer for Jerusalem, and prophecy that God will restore her to be a place that people celebrate – even as bride and groom celebrate each other.
Psalm 36:5-10: A song of celebration for God’s unfailing love and care which includes all humanity and all of creation.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11: Paul’s teaching about spiritual gifts.
John 2:1-11: Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding in Cana.
REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
God’s love for God’s people, and God’s commitment to care for all of humanity are described and celebrated throughout the Scriptures. Many of the readings for this week draw on the wedding metaphor – the celebration of Jerusalem like a groom who rejoices over his bride; the song of a God who loves unfailingly; the first sign of John’s Gospel, performed at the wedding feast. In the midst of all of these images is the truth that Paul describes in his letter to Corinthians – love always delights to give gifts to its beloved. As has been famously stated: “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” What this week in Epiphany seeks to show us is the complete, unconditional, self-giving love of God revealed in Jesus, but also the warning – the extent of our following Christ in the way of love is revealed by the extent of our giving. No giving, no love!
CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The central culture in the world of human affairs has evolved as one of getting and consuming. Of course, as will have recently been preached around the world, Christmas reveals this clearly and disturbingly. And the cost we have paid has been deeply felt in the last year. However, as Christ revealed in his life and teachings, the ‘culture’ of God’s reign is one of giving, sharing and preserving. Only by allowing this ‘Christ-culture’ to permeate our lives and world can we ever hope to address the great crises of our time – poverty, human trafficking, dread diseases, terrorism and war, and climate change. Imagine the difference if nations sought ways to give to one another, rather than exploit; if organisations sought to do well only by doing good; and if individuals learned that love for our neighbours is expressed through giving of time, resources, compassion and energy.
LOCAL APPLICATION: Every week in our churches an offering is received “for the work of God”. The Gospel question that we must face is this: How much of this offering is used to give to those who most need it – to uplift the surrounding community or to make some small contribution toward addressing the world’s crises – and how much is used to benefit only the church which receives it? All too often the message we send as Church is that our giving to God is much like paying taxes – not a gift of love, but a burden to be avoided or at least mitigated, as much as possible. Yet, as we allow the season of Epiphany to reveal to us again the Christ who died for love of us, we cannot help but recognise that our poverty in giving is a reflection of the poverty of our love. May the revealed Christ teach us to love truly – practically, sacrificially, generously, extravagantly.
RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Extravagant Love
Water To Wine
Where Is The Love?
Hymns:
This Is My Father’s World
The Church’s One Foundation
In Christ There Is No East Nor West
Come And Let Us Sweetly Join
Best For Last (New Hymn)
I Stand In Awe
Unfailing Love
However (Free download from the link on the right of this page)
May The Words Of My Mouth
Liturgies:
A Liturgy for Communion
A Liturgy for the Eucharist
Video:
Water To Wine
What Does Love Sound Like?
I Love My Wife
Images:
Cross Heart
