“Signs”
A Sermon by Rev. Patrice Ficken
John 2:1-11
Sanbornton Congregational Church
January 14, 2007
(Please do not re-print or re-use without permission of the author)
This sermon is dedicated to the nurses and staff of the Hospice of
Opening Prayer:
Let us pray,
Oh Gracious God,
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn”
And so we ask you to bless each one of us this day
Bless each of the losses we mourn
Help us to find strength, wisdom and understanding through all our shared grieving so that our mourning may turn to dancing, our sorrow turn to joy,
By the grace of your steadfast love. Amen.
“This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:11)
When I received word that my father had a stroke, the waiting began. The questions: how serious, could he, would he recover? Should I go to him now or wait? What if he needs long-term care? Every phone call put me on edge – what news would it bring? What if I didn’t get there in time?
I started looking for signs, something, anything that would help me to know the right thing to do, the right timing, the right next step. On New Year’s Eve, the word came that dad didn’t have long – maybe two to four days. The longed for clarity was given. We left for
Humans have always looked for signs – in the moon, the sun and the stars; in the cycles of nature. In times of trouble and difficulty, we especially long for help, some direct and clear guidance; some confirmation from Divine sources that the path we are on, the choices we are about to make or have made are the right ones.
Our scripture this morning finds Jesus, his mother, Mary and newly called disciples at a wedding banquet. When word comes that the wine is running low at the reception, Mary gives Jesus a nudge, “How ‘bout it?” She seems to say. I can’t help but wonder what their family dinners were like….
Jesus is apparently reluctant to reveal himself just yet and he resists his mother’s urging. Perhaps he knew that once he tipped his hand, his life would change forever; he would be set on a course that he would not be able to turn away from. Yet Jesus goes ahead anyway and proceeds to tell the servants what to do. Maybe he himself received a sign, an internal nudge, a tug on the edge of his sleeve.
At first this miracle seems somewhat mundane, trivial. If Jesus wanted to reveal himself – why not do it with greater fanfare? Something more spectacular? Something more in the line of the special effects we’re used to seeing in movies.
Instead, Jesus simply directed the servants to fill the empty stone vessels with water and turned the water into wine. And not just any wine, but the “good stuff” as declared by the steward who said that this bridegroom saved the best for last.
One thing that can be said for sure of my father, is that he always loved a good party. Nothing brought him greater pleasure than a gathering of good friends, good food and his favorite drink – a cold beer or a Canadian Club on the rocks.
How fitting then, that after keeping vigil at dad’s bedside on Tuesday, January 2, that the hospice nurse encouraged us to go out and have a nice dinner together. She sensed that dad was waiting for something, perhaps waiting for us to leave to take the final steps of his journey. And so we did.
We had a beautiful dinner together, a dinner he would have so loved and enjoyed with all his “girls” there, with family all around him. It will be a moment forever frozen in time for me: the faces around the table, softly lit by candlelight, sharing memories of childhood, the sense of dad close by.
Apparently, the hospice tried to reach us during dinner but the call never came through. Dad would have wanted it that way, he would have wanted us to enjoy our dinner to the last, to linger over coffee and dessert, to enjoy the moment and each other’s company.
When we returned to the hospice, the nurses greeted us – “He passed at 8:40 p.m.” How much better that way – to be told in person, to be held by the nurses in compassion and love, to be able to go to him and see that his struggle ended and he was at peace.
Two days later, my sister Kathy suggested we go to the pier to watch the sunset. We gathered with many others. We heard languages from around the world. Fishermen cast their lines. The air was soft and warm. Then, excited cries – see, dolphins! The pier almost swayed with the rush of people to the side of their sighting. We looked, we watched as their fins popped up in the water.
The sun moved lower and lower in the sky – and then, out of the water, in a spectacular leap the dolphin rose up in greeting. Like watching fireworks, the crowd OOED and AWED in appreciation for each exuberant leap in the air. What total joy! What a blessing and a gift! The show ended with a spectacular sunset – the orange glow now enlarged on the horizon over turquoise waters setting off all the colors of the rainbow in the sky.
The sign that Jesus gave at that wedding banquet certainly revealed something about Jesus’ divine nature, his complete connection to God. But even more so, it revealed something about Jesus’ human nature: his love for his friends, his love for the goodness of life and celebrating the moment, his love of a good laugh and a good glass of wine.
In this moment, Jesus revealed the life that he calls us toward: the life of that exuberant dolphin, the life of pure joy – promised to us here and now; and promised to us in our time of passing.
His act reminds us, that at our most empty point, when we feel that our lives have run dry of meaning and beauty, when we find ourselves in the dark, heavy moments of loss or grief – that Jesus invites us to the wedding banquet. Jesus fills our empty jars with water, the symbol of new life and says – “Here – Drink, Eat, this meal has been prepared especially for you. I have saved the best for you, the best for last. So, be joyful; be the life of the party. Live life to the full. Do so, with my blessing. “
Amen.
