Now the Feast

but they all lead up to the day when Jesus appears in the hometown synagogue and after the scripture of the day is read, announces that he is the fulfillment of that scripture, right in their midst.

Wham! There goes our control of things.

Our careful management of God's future is undone.

As long as we keep it all safely in the distance, everything is fine.

Someday...we say to those oppressed.

Someday...the hungry will be fed.

Someday the needy will be sheltered, and so on and on.

No, now this hope of the prophets is fulfilled in your hearing.

Now.

Maybe the hymn is too gentle, the one that begins with that word “now”.

Now the silence, now the peace, now the empty hands uplifted.

Now the kneeling, now the plea, Now the Father's arms in welcome.

Now the hearing now the pow'r, Now the vessel brimmed for pouring,

Now the body, now the blood, Now the joyful celebration.

Now the wedding, Now the songs, Now the heart forgiven leaping.

Now the Spirit's visitation, Now the Son's epiphany,

Now the Father's blessing Now now now. [LBW205]

Maybe instead of gently rolling along, we need a melody that fairly shouts NOW.

because here at the beginning of Jesus' ministry in the Gospel of John,

John lays all the cards out.

He talks of God's glory,

of the “hour” arriving,

of the good wine, the best wine

the overflowing, superabundant wine of celebration,

the escatological celebration,

that is, the celebration that will happen when the kingdom of God is complete,

the great and final feast

is brought to life here in an ordinary wedding in a little town in the hill country.

Not much, just a hint, just enough that his disciples began to believe that he is the Messiah, the one sent from God.

Just enough that God's glory spilled out over that gathering of people

and they are astounded.

Some stumbled around with their eyes effectively shut to the event.

Some wondered and then decided not to think about it.

But some pondered, came closer, blinked a bit, saw something too wonderful for sight.

Did they understand much? Do we?

Not much.

Just enough to know that there is something here that we truly need.

Just enough to desire it.

Just enough to realize that the proper posture is with our hands out and our mouths and hearts open to receive what God is giving. Glory,

God's glory to transform your life and mine.

Bread and wine for our body and at the same time the Body and Blood of Christ for our spirit.

That sign, as John calls it, is what was anticipated that day in Cana,

and is worked now in our midst at Christ's Holy Table as well.

Imagine with me, if you would,

a play; let's call it Jesus of Williamsport.

In the course of this play, the actors take on the roles of Jesus and disciples and the crowd around them, but not set in ancient Judea but right here, today.

In the play, the actors are discussing how to interpret the parts, how to speak and what to say that will convey the same message as it did 2,000 years ago.

We can imagine the discussions, maybe even arguments about it all.

“Your line should be this way...

No, try it a different way...”

The actors keep referring to the Bible to see what it actually says...

and they gradually become the characters that they are portraying, and go on from there:

impetuous Peter, steady John, questioning Thomas and all the rest.

In the play, the young man who went away sorrowful from Jesus because he had many possessions to which he was clinging, came back, and took on a different attitude.

He still had a number of things, but they no longer had him by the throat.

He knew that they didn't really belong to him; he was but their custodian,

whose job it was to take care of those things and use them in ways that benefit many.

The story took over the young man, and changed him, transformed him, from anxious to joyful,

from a bean-counter, to a celebrator.

It's not just a play.

This is our life in Christ!

We're here learning the parts,

trying out new lines,

becoming the characters that God intends us to be.

In acting as if we are disciples, true followers of Christ,

Jesus comes among us, changes us,

makes us more than we could ever be by ourselves,

and gives us a glimpse of glory..

We may start out as part of the town-folk peering in the doorway to see what is going on inside.

Some may then try out for another spot in life, coming into the celebration-room itself.

(We call that process The Way.)

Some will realize that they are being invited by Jesus to not just be an onlooker but a participant in the gathering. (That's the congregation!)

Some will realize that they can sing for joy and lead the singing at the party. (we call them the choir)

Some will make sure that the table is set for the fest (the altar guild)

Some will make sure that everything and everyone has a place (the ushers).

Everyone can learn to speak and sing the table-grace:

Blessed be God...in all of the myriad ways that blessing can be voiced.

And the feast itself goes on and on.

It may pause here from Sunday to the next Sunday, but then we pick up where we left off.

And besides that there is take-out for those whose body will not allow them to be present.

And the wine...never runs out.

It wasn't even drinking water, but rather was for the special rites of purification by washing...bath-water!

It too is changed and feeds, comforts, and chastens all those who come near.

It is glorious!

The glory of God, a glimpse of it anyway, is present here as the Word is opened and the feast is shared.

Tryouts for new roles are going on right now.

Some are practicing, some are thinking, some are ignoring the whole event.

That's the way our life-play is lived.

Let me say it , again, as at the beginning:

Come in.

Become what you have not yet been.

Taste the water made wine.

Celebrate the feast of not yet, and now.

There it is in front of us

Can it be? Could it be?

God incarnate, for us?

It is time for the feast. Amen.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.