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This week

I attended

a number of meetings

where plain speaking

was in short currency.

Not a particularly surprising problem

since most professions,

sports and groups

cloth themselves in jargon.

Needless to say,

generally,

that is not a damning fault.

But it can be

a massive failing

in the church.

Because it can result

in Christians avoiding

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the big questions

which ordinary people

ask of them.

And there is no bigger

a question

than where is God

where is God in my good times

where is God

when I feel becalmed

and drowning in mediocrity

where is God

when times are bad

and life seems

to be going down the tubes?

Yet, despite its importance,

that question

can leave us flummoxed

and quite frankly

waffling.

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Nevertheless,

it is a question

that needs replied to

plainly

as that alone

honours the direct speaking

of Christ himself.

Let us then

start by taking

the first of these

three sub-questions.

The query of

where is God

in our good times.

Well of course

he is with us

in those times.

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We may not realise it

but trust me

he is there.

It is simply a matter

of us

being distracted.

For when things

are on the up,

we are too often

caught

by a sense of well-being

and almost invincibility

that achievement brings.

As a result,

we forget God

we forget Christs past investment

in us

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from God

in the good times,

there is one more

which is far more insidious

even malignant.

And the third distraction

is a particular risk

to those of belief.

It was the very one

that Job typifies.

Put simply,

we think to ourselves

if things are going well

when will they not?

What is going on

in the unseen world

that will bring

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my seen one

crashing down?

Is, in fact,

God conspiring

with the devilish

to play havoc

in my life?

Certainly, there is no doubt

that at times of success,

contentment and celebration,

we can be dogged

with a lack of faith,

with fear

and with distrusting doubt.

For who amongst us

has not tinged

their enjoyment

of an achievement

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we attribute to God

what he has blessed us with.

Not only that

but in

our gratefully refocusing on God,

we bring alive

again

the memory of his bounteousness;

a level of loving

that makes it unthinkable

he would wish us ill.

Next it is to think carefully

why God has bestowed

such blessings upon us.

Needless to say,

he gives us credit

for our hard work

and dedication

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in the success,

yet it has also been

a team effort.

For, he has bestowed talents,

inspiration and opportunities

to make the doors open

and the crops bloom.

And so, he would

no more desire for us

to lose out

than we ourselves

would wish that

upon a beloved daughter or son.

Finally, instead of fearing

what is round the corner,

we must push

such ungodly thoughts

aside

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and live life to the full;

the fullness

that comes

from using our gifts

in the way

God wants us to.

For that is the best way

give thanks for our success;

that is the best way

to repay God

for his generous giving;

that indeed

is the best way

to be a joyful one

who has been bought

at a sorrowful price.

Well - to bring all this together,

lets look

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at the time of celebration

that the Lord took part in

and enjoyed for itself.

Since, in the wedding in Cana,

we do see Christ

in celebration mode.

Yet, we see also

much of why

we too should celebrate.

Moreover,

in this passage of John,

we find out how

God works in good times

for good times.

Now, first off,

this is a Jewish wedding.

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And Jewish weddings

during the time of Christ

were gala occasions

and grand parties.

They usually began

on Tuesday nights,

and the groom and his friends

would go over to

the brides house

at night.

On the way over,

the groomsmen

would be swinging

their olive-oil lamps,

having a fun time.

The men would gather

in front of the brides home,

and she would come out

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to the front steps.

Now, for the first time

in her adult life,

she would take off her veil

and show off

how beautiful

she really was.

This removal of the veil

was a special event.

Then, the groom

and the groomsmen,

would again

walk down the streets

with their olive-oil lamps swinging

and they would go over

to the grooms house

to begin a seven-day party.

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Yes, youve got it

a seven day party.

And during those seven days,

family and friends

would bring their gifts,

their hot food,

and their good humour.

However,

during this particular party time,

something did go wrong.

It was unfortunate

because the host

ran out of wine.

Now this was

a Jewish wedding

and not a Jewish wake.

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And so it was embarrassing

to run out of the bevy.

They didnt have

a Tescos or M&S

in Brook Street

to rush out to.

What to do?

Mary, the mother of Jesus,

intervenes.

Like so many mothers,

she seems to ignore

her son reticence

and speaks directly

to the servant,

Do what he tells you.

We can only guess

the look on Jesus face.

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Jesus, knowing his mother

and perhaps rolling his eyes,

said to the servant,

Fill those big jugs

out there

with water.

Next he turns

their contents into wine.

But these were very big jugs.

And so he made

a lot of wine

enough wine for a whole city

enough for the whole country

enough for the whole world.

Therefore we can imagine

that wedding couple

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many decades later

thinking of that day.

Maybe they still had

one dusty bottle

of Christs gift

still in the cellar.

Whatever

in the intervening years

that couple

would have had

their ups and downs,

there would have been

days of roses and ashes

and they would have known

celebrations and rotten times.

Yet they would never forget

how Christ

made that day

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so special for them.

They would always

recall that face saving gift

which meant so much

to their complete happiness.

And it was his concern

over such a little matter

that would have

given them confidence

through the years

that followed;

confidence that Christ

would look after

the big questions

whether celebrating

or mourning

and confidence

that he would restore

celebration

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