Sunday's Service
Every Sunday, across the world, Christians share an agreed three year cycle of Bible Readings in Sunday worship, this is called the Common Lectionary. We offer materials including prayers bible study and worship resources for each one of these Sunday's via our Lectionary Bible Notes Section.
Epiphany 3
The lectionary for this Sunday uses the readings for Epiphany 2
The passage from John's Gospel today is one which causes some consternation. Jesus makes wine, lots of it, more than anybody needed. It is over the top and could easily be criticised as wasteful. Is that what God is like? Well the ministry of Jesus does show us what God is like, he is God in human form, and this incident is one of those extravagant moments when Jesus gives us a glimpse of the nature of God's provision for us.
The miracle tells us much. Perhaps it shows just how different the way things are going to be with Jesus when compared to the Old Testament. The Law was given for the nation of Israel and it was bad news for everybody else. God has shown grace and mercy to individuals like Abraham, but the God the Jews worshipped was a terrifying figure who demanded that innocent animals be sacrificed to atone for the sins of people. It was gruesome stuff and even then it was only these special people, the Jews who enjoyed God's covenant relationship.
So perhaps Jesus needed a really extravagant miracle, to show everybody that things had changed. Now the love of God was to extend to all people, he would go to the gentiles too, and there was enough grace and mercy to go round, enough for everybody - just like the wine.
Lectionary Material for every Sunday in Years A, B, C
Future Sundays with worship, prayer and teaching resources Sundays in the Lectionary
January 13 |
January 20 |
January 27 |
February 3 |
February 10 |
February 17 |
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Uses readings from Epiphany 2 |
Fifth Before Lent |
February 24 |
March 3 |
March 10 |
March 17 |
March 24 |
March 31 |
Each morning and each evening
let the peace of the Father, be ours.
Each day and each night
let the peace of the Son be ours.
Each dawn and each dusk
let the peace of the Spirit be ours.
Let the blessing of the three in one be ours;
both now and for ever. Amen.
Carmina Gadelica