Messy Church is Friday, February 8 and the doors open at 5:30. The theme this month is The Wedding at Cana. We will be having finger foods, chicken wings, sausage rolls, mini pizzas, spring rolls and meat balls with veggies. The crafts have a wedding theme.

The Wedding at Cana

Our story this month is found in the Gospel of John. the only place that this story from Jesus’ life found. Jesus had recently been Baptized by his cousin John in the river Jordan and spent 40 days in the wilderness. He had called the first four of his twelve disciples. In today’s story he had travelled to Cana to attend a wedding, probably a family wedding. His mother seems to be in the role of one of the hostesses of this wedding. Jewish weddings at this time lasted several days. On the third day of this wedding, disaster struck. They had run out of wine. This would have been a source of great embarrassment for the family. Definitely not a great way for the couple to begin their life together. His mother approached him to tell him that the wine had run out. Jesus was not expecting this moment, and at first he refused, however he reconsidered, knowing the shame the family would experience, He quietly and in a non theatrical way saved the day. He told the servants to fill 6 large stone jars with water. He then told them to take some out and take it to the master of the banquet. When the master tasted it he was amazed. He then took the bridegroom aside and said, ‘Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.’ This was the first of many miracles that Jesus performed. In an everyday event, he revealed his glory.

This story has something to say to us and to our relationship with Jesus. Jesus performed great miracles of healing, of calming a raging storm at sea, of feeding 5000 with five fish and two loaves of bread, but this miracle in an everyday event also tells us something about Jesus. Jesus cares about us in our life changing challenges, but also in the day to day events of our lives. That is what is the essence of a loving relationship. Sharing our lives with Jesus, both in the everyday events and in the times when we feel helpless and hopeless, helps us to build a relationship that enriches our lives. Faith is ours in the asking, in the seeking, in the reaching out to Jesus. I am sure that the servants who filled the jars with water and then carried what they thought was water to the chief steward were completely shocked by his verdict that this was the best wine. Jesus is often found in the unexpected, in the most wonderful and surprising ways.