There once was a wedding. Months of careful planning had preceded the day the bride and groom would exchange rings and promises of love and fidelity. The bride had long had a dream of being married in her aunt's beautiful, idyllic garden; the fragrance of the roses wafting on the gentle breeze as she walked down the garden path to meet her groom. So sure of this dream was she, that she would not entertain any suggestions of an alternate plan in case of inclement weather. It was, after all, summer time and looking back on weather records, on that particular weekend for years past, she was assured that the biggest challenge would be how to keep the guests from fainting from the heat.

Every last detail had been carefully and lovingly addressed. Everything was perfectly ready, the bride, groom, wedding party, minister, location, food and drink, guests...everything. And then came the day of the wedding and like a bad dream all the best laid plans began to unravel. The bride awoke, early in the morning, to the thunderous sound of a torrential rainstorm (monsoon-like in proportion). Her sister, the Matron of Honour, who was also the bridal party's hairdresser and make-up artist, needed help to get out of bed as she had put her back out the day before and was in so much pain she could hardly move. That was how the day began... Fast forward to the early afternoon when it is still raining heavily, and most of the guests, all family members, had arrived and were scurrying around clearing the double carport, setting up tables under cover, and preparing food for the wedding banquet. Uncles, cousins and the groom were up on rooftops working together to string a huge white tarp (purchased that morning) over an area where small round tables would be nested together snugly for the wedding reception.

Finally, everything was ready. The men, who'd been soaked to the bone, changed into dry clothing and the wedding party dressed and coifed. The Matron of Honour, in flat shoes, was heavily medicated, and the wedding ceremony only half an hour late, the minister who was also the mother of the bride was flexible with her time. The guests were asked to assemble in the garden and much to everyone's amazement the rain lessened and then stopped. The bride walked gingerly down the wet garden path, the air was fresh and clean smelling, as it is after a cleansing rain, with rays of sunlight tentatively breaking through the dark clouds. The guests were jubilant and the wedding was a wonderful celebration of the gifts of love shared by all those gathered together that day.

My thoughts, this week, have fluctuated between remembering this experience of my younger daughter's wedding while thinking about the wedding in Cana as described in the Gospel of John, pondering Paul's words of encouragement to the early Christian community in Corinth and reflecting on the joyful faith expressed by the psalmist.

The common theme that I found in our scripture passages today is that of abundance: abundance of grace, abundance of love, abundance of gifts. The psalmist tells us that all people may take refuge in God's steadfast love and feast on the abundance that God provides. Paul describes the abundance of riches and diversity of spiritual gifts which God provides, to be used for the common good. John tells of the extravagant abundance of the finest wine provided when people are gathered to celebrate the gift of love.

Each of these scripture passages warrant full and thorough study and commentary which is not possible in the brief time we have during this reflection but I will share with you some interesting thoughts about them I've gleaned from my reading this week.

One commentary on the gospel passage, noted that, "Weddings are accidents waiting to happen. Something almost always goes wrong... [and in Jesus' time and culture]...the bride and groom celebrated the marriage not with a honeymoon but with a seven day wedding feast at the groom's home. [The wedding at Cana] is in trouble, because the wine is giving out before the party is over. The situation constitutes a crisis for the family who shoulders the responsibility of hospitality." (Feasting on the Word, Year C, Volume 1, p. 260)

Hospitality is, in Jesus' day, not just a nice thing to do but is rather a mandated duty to uphold. If someone showed up on your doorstep you were duty bound to extend hospitality and share whatever you had to offer. Life was often precarious and the future uncertain and one's own survival might hinge on the hospitality of others and so it was understood that in good times and in bad you were to share the gifts of your lives for the common good.

The ethic of sharing gifts for the common good is also a key theme in Paul's impassioned plea to the early Christian church in Corinth that Linda read for us. Paul tells them, "...there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)

Feasting on the Word, a biblical commentary, notes that, "The Christian congregation in Corinth is often lifted up as a prime example of the remarkable diversity that could be found in the early church. Worshiping together were Greeks and Jews, slaves and free people, men and women, rich and poor, united only by their shared confession of Jesus as Lord." (Year C, Vol. 1, p. 254)

Within this great diversity was the overarching unity of the bonds forged by sharing common beliefs and a commitment to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. The difficulty that Paul was seeking to address was that there was a hierarchy developing within the church which was placing greater importance on some spiritual gifts and activities over others.

We sometimes fall prey to the same folly, in our time and place. Some interesting observations, from Feasting on the Word, note that, "In today's society, when someone is called gifted, it usually refers to an ability that lifts the individual above the rank and file, implying greater promise and potential for success in that area of expertise or innate talent. The gifts that are affirmed reveal what society values most, such as intellectual prowess, athletic skill, or leadership potential. Paul's assertion runs counter to the cultural definition: he says that everyone is gifted." (Year C, Vol. 1, p.254) The commentary goes on to say, "In the culture that surrounds the church today, and often even within the church, individualism has been exalted to such high status that the phrase common good has nearly vanished from the lexicon. Paul's words offer a refreshing, even shocking reminder that faith, while personal, is never private, and that the gift each person has been given is meant to be shared." (Year C, Vol. 1, p.258)

That all spiritual gifts are of equal value and importance, that all are gifts from the same source (God), that all are to be utilized for the common good, and that there is unity in diversity, are all important things for us to remember on this first day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

And today, when we have received a special letter from the Moderator of the United Church of Canada asking us to use our diversity of gifts to care for our world and proactively address the root causes which threaten the survival of the Earth and all its inhabitants, we remember that each of us has gifts and passions to share with the wider church and the world. And, we give thanks that it is the same Spirit that activates these gifts in each one of us and it is the same God that calls us to respond by offering our gifts for the common good in a multitude of ways.

Now, more than ever, the faith we embody, the gifts that we share, the hope we act upon is needed in our world. By recognizing God's presence, and acknowledging our call to serve, we give thanks for the life and ministry of Jesus Christ who guides our way with abundant love and the promise of faithful companionship.

With this in mind, and with gratitude for the wisdom of the scriptures, I'll close with words of encouragement from author and theologian, Jan Richardson:

"Relational miracles aren't reserved just for couples who have covenanted to make a life together...In friendships, in families, in communities, in all the places where we honour the threads of connection and commit to engage the struggles and joys that come with them, the presence of wonder lurks, and the miraculous lies in wait for us to notice. When we do notice, when we see the plenitude present in our connections, it comes as a reminder of what we celebrate in this season of Epiphany: the life and work of God-with-us, who, in the person of Jesus, came to tangle himself up with us in the messy miracle of this shared life." (The Painted Prayerbook, internet resource, posted Jan.12, 2010 by Jan L. Richardson.)

Thanks be to God for the spiritual gifts entrusted to us and for the call to share our abundance with others.