January 19, 2025
John 2:1-11
Introduction
What are you whining about these days? People often “whine” about things like: work stress, personal problems, lack of money, weather, traffic, inconveniences, health issues, relationship troubles, social media comparisons, and even seemingly trivial matters— essentially anything that causes minor frustration or discomfort is often expressed in a complaining or self-pitying manner.
So again, I’m curious… What are you whining about these days? I’m not asking that question to condemn, criticize, or judge anyone. It’s a serious question that I want us to take seriously. I’m asking it because I find myself whining more these days and I wonder if that’s true for you too. I spent a good part of last week whining. I whined about this sermon—not about writing it but that no one would listen to it. I whined about prices at the grocery store and gas station. I whined about the weather being so cold and that no one was going to be at church. I even whined about how whiney my kids are.
I’ll admit it… it’s true… I’m a little, teeny, tiny, bit of a whiner. But I don’t think I’m the only one here who is. I’m guessing we’re all members of at least one whine club, and probably several. So let’s see who’s willing to follow my lead… and remember now, we are in church! Raise your hand if you’ve ever joined the Politics and Division in America Whine Club? Are any of you a member of the I’m Just Tired Of It All Whine Club or the I Don’t Understand Them Whine Club? How about the “Ok Boomer Whine Club” or the “Those Darn Whipper Snapper Whine Club.” And then there’s the Why Aren’t They Coming Back to Church Whine Club.
Contrary to what Mary says in today’s Gospel, and I’ll come back to that in a minute, there’s plenty of whine, W-H-I-N-E, to go around these days. But why do we join the various whine clubs? Because I don’t think it’s really about the circumstances or situations about which we are whining. Do you? I think it’s about something else.
I’ve attended meetings of all these whine clubs. Maybe you have too. What other whine clubs are you a member of? There’s a whine club for every complaint, situation, circumstance, fear, dissatisfaction, discouragement, fear, and worry. There is a whine club for every unlived life. And rather than whine, these clubs need to fill the jars.
Move 1
Has your whining ever really changed anything or made a difference for the better? I know mine hasn’t. In fact, the only thing my whining has done (besides annoy my wife) is distract me from the real issue and lets me avoid what’s actually happening in my life.
I take whatever energy and focus I might have and use it to whine about the situation instead of trying to do something about it or accepting the fact that it’s out of my control, but what is in my control is how I respond—how I let it impact me, my mind, heart, and spirit. And what happens when I use the remaining bits of energy and focus to whine, is that my glass is as empty after my whining as it was before my whining.
And what all of that means is exactly what Mary says in today’s Gospel, “They have no wine,” W-I-N-E. That’s the issue. When I have no wine, W-I-N-E, in my life, then I whine, W-H-I-N-E. My whining is both a symptom and a diagnosis of my heart
and my spirit, and both are about me, and not the circumstances or situations happening around me.
All that is to say, when the wine gives out… My life is empty, colorless, tasteless. Nothing is growing or fermenting in me. There’s no vibrancy or bouquet. When the wine gives out, I have no passion or energy. I’m tired, running on empty, and unmotivated. I lack imagination and creativity. When the wine gives out, depression and lethargy replace desire, interest, and curiosity. I’d rather play it safe than risk something new and different. When the wine gives out, I blame others instead of taking responsibility for my life. I’m no longer grounded in the present moment. Instead, I’m either trying to change the past or control the future. When the wine gives out, I’m disconnected from the infinite, and the largeness that is in my own life.
That’s some of what it’s been like for me “when the wine gave out.” What about you? Does any of that resonate with you? What happens to you when the wine gives out and you’re left just whining?
Move 2
Now it would seem reasonable for me to simply say the standard and cliché parental response to this whole “Whine club” analogy I’m getting at here. You know what it is, “Oh just quit your whining.” Or the classic, “Quit your whining or I’ll give you something to whine about.” A routine retort to whining I heard growing up didn’t include the word “whine”, but it meant the same— “Oh quit your belly aching.”
And while those sayings could be uttered, we know they’re not helpful or constructive. I think a better alternative for all of us would be to not abandon our whining but instead listen to the whining in our life today. What is your whining telling you? And probably more importantly, asking ourselves: What is the whining in my life telling me about the wine that has given out in my life today? Or more specifically… What is lacking in my life right now? What would give color and fragrance to my life? What would add vibrancy, passion, and energy? What would inspire and fill my life to the brim?
These are constructive efforts when we are whining. They can help us understand what’s really causing us to whine, to be distressed, discouraged, angry, scare, worried, or anxious—because it’s these causes that are making our wine—W-I-N-E—run out.
Move 3
Naming the causes to why our wine has run out is important. The bigger challenge, however, is how to get more wine when we feel empty, overwhelmed, or abandoned. But what if our whine, W-H-I-N-E, can become wine, W-I-N-E?
I know that might sound rather unlikely—easier said than done— but that is exactly the transformation happening in today’s Gospel.
The wedding at Cana went from whining about having no wine to having 120 or maybe even 180 gallons of wine—all by the hand of Christ. Transformation of water into wine can and should become a reminder to us—a motivational force for us—that such transformation can happen in our lives too: emptiness can be transformed to fullness, tastelessness can be transformed to mouthwatering delight, colorlessness can be transformed to vibrant red, stagnant can be transformed to fermenting joy—all by the hand of Christ.
Now I’ll admit… I don’t know how to make all that happen… and I suspect you don’t either. But the good news about this Good News is that we don’t have to. It’s not our work to turn water into wine—that’s the process of life “life-ing,” nature “nature-ing,” and God “God-ding.” It’s not our job because transformation is already happening. Transformation is always happening. Our work is not to turn water into wine, our work is to participate in the transformation already taking place.
And the way we participate in the transformation already taking place is to heed the words of Mary, who says to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you,” And what does Jesus tell them to do? He tells them, “Fill the jars… with water.”
When the wine gives out, Jesus tells the people, “Fill the jars with water.” Therefore, when the wine gives out in our lives, and in the lives of those around, our work is to carry water and fill the jars. And you know what? I can do that. And I know you can too. We know how to carry water and fill jars because carrying water and filling the jars looks like everything Jesus has told and shown us.
The water we carry that gets turned into wine by the hands of Christ looks like love, compassion, self-giving—it looks like courage, hope, and faith. The water we carry that gets turned into wine by the hands of Christ looks like wonder, beauty, and thanksgiving—it looks like hospitality and welcoming the stranger (including the stranger I am to myself). The water we carry that gets turned into wine by the hands of Christ looks like mercy and forgiveness—it looks like giving others and myself the benefit of the doubt and not judging. The water we carry that gets turned into wine by the hands of Christ looks like prayer, presence, and vulnerability—it looks like staying connected to and concerned about others. The water we carry that gets turned into wine by the hands of Christ looks like peace, justice, and human dignity—it looks like seeing and treating others as I would like to be seen and treated—as you would like to be seen and treated.
Transformation of water into wine is already happening. So if we are not seeing and experiencing it in our lives, it’s time to fill the jars… with water—that which we have access to already—and let the hands of Christ do the rest.
Conclusion
So I’ll ask my initial question again… What are you whining about these days? Because we all are, right? But that’s ok, because whatever whine club we have joined, it’s an opportunity to help us discover where the wine in our lives has given out. And when we figure out where the wine in our lives has given out, then we know where to carry water, and what jars to fill. Because carrying water to fill empty jars is what we can do. And from there, the hands of Christ are able to transform those waters into wine—the best there is—and change everything. Change outlooks and perspectives.
Change discouragement into encouragement; hopelessness into hopefulness; loneliness into presence; fear and worry into renewed life.
So if the wine has given out in your life today… or if the wine has given out in the life of someone close to you… what’s the water you can carry? Because with that water you carry…you can… fill the jars. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer, January 19, 2025
God of all nations and people, God of all races and backgrounds and histories, we praise you for all your faithful servants who have done justice, loved mercy, and walked humbly with their God. And today we come before you in the season when we honor one of your servants who stood up and proclaimed, “I have a dream”, changing lives and changing the world.
We join our prayers with so many others from around our country who are giving you thanks and praise for the life, work, and ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We have joined him in condemning racial injustice and inequality in our pronouncement, yet we cling to the privileges derived from social inequities. All too often we stop at the pronouncement of our condemnation, yet there still remains the complicity in maintaining systems of oppression and deferring the hopes and dreams of the oppressed.
We pray you give us the courage to go further than just words. Give us the strength to claim responsibility and justice through our actions. And may you give us the grace to change our behavior and attitudes, assuring us that we can make a difference.
And as we step into a new era of political leadership, we ask for your blessings and providence to be front and center for our entire country. May your presence and blessings be poured out upon President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance and their administration as they begin to lead the Untied States and the world. May your voice be heard in each day, and may the path they lead us upon be the one you call them to take.
O Lord, we pray you enable us all to “do justice”, “love mercy”, and “walk humbly” with you. May you use the vision of a beloved community, where there is no division only love and compassion to make your dream for our world a reality.
Hear now the prayers of our hearts as we lift them to you in this time of silent prayer
All this we pray in the name of Christ Jesus, who taught us to pray saying, “Our…”