[Mcgregorpage] McGregorPage 540, Epiphany 2, Jan. 14, 2007

[rmcgregoralbq at aol.com]

Epiphany 2, January 14, 2007

Isaiah 62:1 5
Psalm 36:5 10
1 Corinthians 12:1 11
John 2:1 11

There Is Another Way

Jerusalem will be a testimony to the salvation of God.  The spiritual 
gifts of the church will be a testimony to the salvation of God.  The 
wine at the wedding will be a testimony to the salvation of God, and 
the salvation of God is for all, even the animals, as the Psalmist 
reminds us.

Realized eschatology serves as a testimony to the nature and power of 
God.  It is God’s nature to love us, indeed, in some sense to marry us. 
  God’s love results in visible evidence of marriage between God and 
creation such as a restored community of Jerusalem (people being the 
object, not geography), the community having the gifts appropriate to 
their marriage with God (Paul lists them in part.) -- the wedding 
having the wine for the celebration to continue. God’s love embraces 
everyday human life.

When God takes us in marriage, God takes us for better or for worse, 
for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, profound and 
simple, spiritual and material, righteous and sinful.  When we are 
faithful partners in this marriage, the whole world is blessed with a 
vision of the glory of God -- the knowledge that such a marriage is a 
possibility here and now and the promise that such a marriage is God’s 
ultimate will.

This marriage relationship between God and us requires a subtle balance 
of initiative and submission, self-assertion and servanthood (like any 
marriage).  There are those who meet God at the altar, but after the 
kiss, when Mendelssohn cranks up, duck out the side door leaving God to 
recess the center aisle alone.  They want to get that wedding ring out 
in the light where they can have it appraised. Take the Orthodox in 
Israel who insist that their marriage with God means God will give them 
Jerusalem and Palestine with it.  Never mind that their political 
pressure results in other people taking up arms to get them their 
prize.  They are busy admiring the ring.  Meanwhile the promise of God 
that Isaiah articulated goes begging another era seeking a more 
faithful marriage partner.

Take us, while we are taking.  We build fortresses of redeemed 
community with spires in the air and budgets in the stratosphere to 
hold them up.  Whom finally do we convince of the marriage of God and 
the beloved?  The world?  No.  Ourselves, sorta.  We lean against the 
wall outside the sanctuary and admire the ring God so lovingly just 
placed on our finger.  The recessional music is still playing inside.  
The world looks on.  “Is that God alone we see in recession?” some ask. 
  “No, I can’t see.  Too many people.  I don’t think it is God at all,” 
some answer.  “Where is the bride?  I thought this was going to be a 
wedding.” The world is looking for this marriage pair, Christ and his 
church.

There is another way for this wedding to end --  bride and groom faces 
aglow surrounded by all humanity, up the aisle opening to a world 
redeemed -- fish smile in sparkling lakes and children eat their fill 
and people say, “It was a marriage made in heaven.”

May these thoughts strengthen you.

An Open Letter to Fellow Pastors
>From Roland McGregor, United Methodist Pastor
 (an e-mail service)

[See Web Page address below for a Children’s Message coordinated with 
these lections.]

http://www.webspawner.com/users/ChildPage/

Multiple Sermon Starter Essays are available at
http://www.webspawner.com/users/McGregorPage/

The MCGREGORPAGE is available free to your email inbox
To subscribe, write the word SUBSCRIBE in the Subject line and send it 
to mcgregorpage-request at intenex.net.

To unsubscribe, write the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject line and send 
it to mcgregorpage-request at intenex.net.

You may contact the author at RMcGregorAlbq at AOL.COM.


      --Copyright 2007, Roland McGregor, all rights reserved—
You have permission to share this material with any individual provided 
that you include the source with e-mail address.



________________________________________________________________________
Check out the new AOL.  Most comprehensive set of free safety and 
security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from 
across the web, free AOL Mail and more.