Water to Wine

Listening recently to Rob Bell talking about wine and heaven, a thought struck me that seems to come right from what we've been thinking about lately. The D.C.K.L. and how God acts in response to it.

In the miracle of changing water into wine, the text actually never says that Jesus changes water into wine. That's how we talk about it, and that's fine, but it really doesn't say that Jesus did anything to accomplish the miracle. The story reads like this: Mary says to do what Jesus says, Jesus tells the servants what to do, they do it, the water is wine somehow.

I connect that with something I read in "The Gospel According to Moses," by Athol Dickson, which says that Jesus is the Word, the Law, the Old and the New Testament, all of it from beginning to end, and I've got a new thought rolling around my mind involving the D.C.K.L.

As I've said before I believe that the sequence of deliverance, community, knowledge, and land (D.C.K.L.) is the pattern of living that we live out to prepare the way for God. It's the biblical way that has been shown to us throughout Scripture. If we accept that Jesus is the Word, all of it, from beginning to end, then it is what Jesus is telling us to do.

Now here is where we connect to the water to wine story. Jesus told the servants what to do and they did it. Then, somehow, the water was turned to wine. When the master of ceremonies tasted it, he remarked what a great wine it was. Who actually changed the water to wine? The servants certainly don't take credit for it. Jesus never touched the wine. What turned the molecules into wine? How does that happen?

We don't know. We don't need to know. What we do know is who did it. God. There is no doubt. The servants didn't, Mary didn't, the master of ceremonies didn't. This only leaves us with God. Jesus told the servants what to do, they did it, and God worked.

This is how I believe salvation works. Jesus (the Word) has told us what to do. We need to do it, to prepare the way. Then God works. We don't know how, we don't know all the steps, but in the end, salvation is accomplished.

Lord, may I live with this knowledge in mind daily, aware of my chances to deliver, to provide care and community, to help people see and know You, to bring Your realm of power right here, right into this earth. May salvation be accomplished by You, in whatever way You do it.

Not Always Finding

Lord, everyday as I sit to read the Scriptures I hope that You jump out of them straight into an application, something that moves my everyday life. It's happened so often, or You've connected ideas right in front of my eyes, or You've helped me see a situation in a new way. Well...

It doesn't always happen. There I said it. It's a frustrating reality, and I'm not sure how it fits in to faith. We had a great discussion at Sparky last night about our new ideas in forming a biblical community, our Exodus Community. I'm really excited about getting things about and moving. I'm excited to begin new relationships, meet people with different viewpoints but who mostly want to move in the same direction, towards You. I'm exciting about making my pillow (though I must think of a creative design).

This morning I really wanted to find some overarching theme that would just continue to build these thoughts and dreams and instead I read about Lazarus being raised from the dead. It seems strange to complain about reading a story of a resurrection, but it just felt, well, still dead. Even if it had captured me, I'm not sure it would have led me to immediately see how You are working in my life right now.

I have really appreciated the focus that I've already found in eleven days of searching. I've been proud to take the time to focus on You early in the morning. Maybe the times where I don't find immediate focus are to challenge me to think about You throughout the day, maybe they are because I'm doing something wrong in seeking You, maybe because You don't immediately want me to find You. I don't know. I just kwow that there are times when I am not always finding.