Lent 6: Wine into water

John 2: 1-11 tells the very well known story of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana.

This story always seems to come as a surprise to me - part of me slightly disapproves at the idea of Jesus using his God-given powers to provide around 150 gallons of wine for a party.

Not only this but the wine Jesus produces is very good wine - better than all the other wine drunk that night. (2: 10)

I think I am surprised and slightly shocked at this story because a part of me believes that a life following God will exclude all fun and excess and will be a good, but stern and possibly boring, way of life.

Like turning my chocolate into celery sticks - healthy, but rather dull - I think deep down I expect God to turn the "wine" in my life into "water".

I have so far read very little in the Bible to suggest that a life with God means a "stern and possibly boring" life.  I have read quite a lot to suggest that with God we will have more than enough - an excess of good things (how we interpret "good things" is another matter).  I think it is some of Church tradition dating right back to the Pharisees which gives us the idea that God will turn our wine into water (and we should be grateful for it!).

Lets start believing that God wants to turn our water into wine, our sadness into joy, and our mourning into celebration, and not the other way around.