Wine and Wonders

Monday, February 26, 2007 -- Week of 1 Lent

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 952)
Psalms 41, 52 (morning) // 44 (evening)
Deuteronomy 9:4-12
Hebrews 2:11-18
John 2:1-12

John intends to shock us. The volume of water in the stone jars is unusual. Six jars, each holding 20 or 30 gallons. That's an enormous amount of water, especially in an arid climate. It is much more than would be present in even a very large home in Jesus's life time.

When Jesus turns the water into wine, John calls it a sign. For John, a sign manifests the presence of God working through Jesus. Sometimes these signs are stunning and extravagant. In this sign, Jesus turns over 100 gallons of ordinary water into wine. Furthermore, the steward of the party remarks that this wine is unusually fine, especially for the later wine served after the guests may have lost their ability to tell much difference.

It is good to have an expectant eye open for the presence of extravagance. The poets and mystics help us. Today it is often the scientists who give us glimpses into the extravagance of God's creation. Yesterday's conversation with Lothar Schafer in our "Friends Talking" series left me with at least as much awe as the wine steward of the wedding in Cana. Lothar is a molecular chemist who has a gift for communicating about the quantum reality which constitutes the universe.

The universe and everything in it is best described as non-material. There is very little of what we would conventionally call matter or material. All that is is interrelated in a vast wholeness. There is consciousness at a rudimentary level even in quantum events. Everything that we think of existing begins in a state of virtual probabilities, forms that we can statistically discover, but which are open and free to relate in unpredictable ways to create the material reality that we see and experience. (My words don't do it justice.)

It is wonderful to be alive in a time like this. It is like hanging around the wedding party long enough to drink this late, newly discovered wine. How wonderful and extravagant creation is. What a joyful celebration it is to touch more deeply into the wonders of reality. There is so much more than we can see. There is so much more that is invisible than visible. And the visible is wonderful in itself.

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and wonders of his love."

Lowell
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.