SsAM eBlast Reflection of January 16, 2022:
We are Vessels of Christ!
by Christina Brennan Lee
The Gospel for this coming Sunday is as familiar to nearly anyone of any faith or culture around the world as it is to those of you receiving this: the Wedding Feast at Cana; Jesus changing water into wine.
Even on the streets of the town that might be Cana — no one knows for certain where the storied Cana is — Christian and non-Christian vendors sell very terrible wine on the streets! Of course, people buy it because it has a label that says, Cana. But the point of the telling of this story is to show the first miracle in the public ministry of Jesus, the moment that cemented his relationship to those who were just beginning to follow him, the moment when they were amazed. My favorite part, however, is the brief conversation between Jesus and his mother:
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.” [John 2:3-5]
Jesus didn’t feel ready. His mother, clearly knowing her son was ready for bigger things, overruled him. He obeyed, and perhaps discovered more about himself than he realized. Even the volume of the wine speaks to us as he asked for the vessels to be filled to the brim and the abundance of that good wine flowed freely.
We are each the vessels of Christ continually filled with the abundance of His Presence, members of His Body, called by name to follow and believe. As Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians reminds us, we are also filled to the brim with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It remains for many of us to be willing to discern and accept what our individual gifts are and how best to make use of them. As Isaiah tells us, we are called by a new name and God rejoices in each of us. The Psalmist soothes us in his love song to God with the words: How priceless is your love, O God! Your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings. [Psalm 36:7]
As we go through these next few days until you hear the words being read, let us each reflect on what does it mean to be a member of the Body of Christ. Not one small figure in a huge population, but an actual, functional, known and named by God, gifted member of Christ’s own Body. Have you ever wondered which of His miracles calls you to follow? Now is a good time to begin.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Every week, Christina Brennan Lee writes the Prayers of the People we use in our worship services on Sundays. She also leads weekday prayer services. Click here to see her People’s Prayers website.
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