Pastor Sullivan's Blog

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Typically the wedding isn’t about the guests. This particular wedding in Cana of Galilee was like any other Jewish wedding, bride and groom surrounded by family and friends celebrating the fact that the Lord had once again given an Adam his Eve. Jesus and His disciples were there and by His presence there Jesus sanctified the estate of marriage as something good, holy, and God-pleasing. It was a joyous occasion, that is, until the wine ran out. It may seem like a paltry problem to us, an embarrassment at worst. It’s not a problem like leprosy or death. But it was a disaster nonetheless because the lack of wine threatened to end the joy of the newlywed’s beginning of a life together in the blessed estate God had established in the Garden of Eden. Mary, perhaps a relative of the bride or groom, goes to Jesus. “ They have no wine, ” to which Jesus brushes her off, “ Woman, what does your concern have to do with me...

Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. “ This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory. ” It is tempting to despise this first miracle of Jesus and think little of it. When we compare this first sign of Jesus to the miracles He would later perform, this one feels different. Healing a leper by touching him, exorcising demons from people, healing a paralytic with just a word, raising Lazarus from the dead, all these seem to be more in line with Jesus’ divine power. It also seems that the need that Jesus meets in this miracle is different from His later miracles. The leper, the demoniac, the paralytic, and the mourning sisters of Lazarus all have dire need of Christ’s help. They struggle against deformity, decay, and death. At this wedding in Cana, the need appears less serious. A man and a woman were married. They are so poor and destitute that they run out of wine during their wedding feast. This is a t...

Order of Holy Communion - Pg. 15 Hymn # 134 Songs of Thankfulness and Praise Hymn # 129 Hail, Thou Source of Every Blessing Hymn # 30 Oh, that I Had a Thousand Voices   Introit ALL THE - || earth | shall | wor- | ship | You, * And sing praises | to | You, | O - | God. || They will sing | praise | to | Your | name; * - | O | — | Most - | High. (Psalm 66:4; 9:2 paraphrase) || Make a joyful shout to | God, | all | the | earth! * Sing out the honor of His name; make | His | praise | glo- - ri- ∙ | ous. || Say to God, “How awe- | some | are | Your | works! * All the earth shall sing | prais- | es | to - | You.” || Come and see | the | works | of | God; * He is awesome in His doing toward | the | sons | of - | men. || Blessèd be God, who has not turned | a- | way | my | pray-er, ∙ * Nor His | mer- | cy | from - | me! (Psalm 66:1–5, 20) || All the earth | shall | wor- | ship | You, * And sing praises | to | You, | O - | God. || They will sing | praise | to | Your | name; * - | O | — |...