Clergy Notes — January 26, 2025

The letters of Paul to the Christians of Corinth make for fascinating and instructive reading. The passage from Paul’s first letter today precedes the well-known, and often misunderstood, passage set for next Sunday.

Paul reminds the Corinthians that to follow the way of Christ means being part of a community. Yes, our individual faith – our relationship with Christ – is vital to us, but we are made aware that we do not develop or grow in faith without being in relationship with others.

When we consider the community of which we are a part, we recognize that many people, including ourselves, make up the community. Each and every service at St. James’, (which is at the heart of our lives as followers of Christ), depends on the presence, participation and offerings of many individuals. This is the case for both on-line as well as in-person services. We can’t drink coffee or enjoy the snacks unless someone prepares them. Without someone to set up Zoom links or prepare worship bulletins we can’t participate. We cannot appreciate the warmth of the building without financial offerings. We won’t enjoy flowers in church unless people offer to arrange them. Without our choir or sanctuary guild our experience of the service would be very different. And so it goes on: many aspects of our life together rely on the skills, experience and offerings of our fellow attendees.

And what do we have to offer? First and foremost, our regular presence at the 9:00 am and 10:30 am (as well as weekday) liturgies. We cannot be part of the body of Christ without being here.

And what next? All of us have gifts we can offer: speaking to the person sitting close to us in church; asking people we don’t know how their week was. Or can we help with coffee hour or a social event. Taking the bulletin home and using it to stay informed and take part in events, but also to pray for those who are mentioned in the Prayers of the People. Not sure what you can offer? Speak to a Warden or Mother Amanda. There are always ways to use the skills and experience we have to make our contribution.

Most of all, to be an active member of the body of Christ, come to worship, pray and be open to the possibilities of what we can contribute to enlarge and enhance the life of this community.

Fr Stephen Rowe

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Clergy Notes — January 19, 2025

Today we hear about Jesus’ first miracle. At a wedding reception in Cana of Galilee, he saved the host from social disgrace by changing water into wine. John tells us that there were six stone water jars at the gathering, needed for the elaborate rites of purification. Some years ago when I was preaching on this Gospel, I thought that it might be interesting to work out, as near as possible, just how much wine was created. We are told that each jar held “between twenty and thirty gallons” of water. So let’s take the midpoint of twenty five. This is the equivalent of almost 570 litres, which makes 760 of our standard 750ml bottles!! That is a great deal of wine, especially when you consider that the guests were already fairly drunk, having consumed all of the host’s initial supply. And we further learn that it was extremely good wine. The kind that is behind locked doors at the liquor store, not on special offer at the check out.

For me this is another example of God’s amazing, outrageous, over-the-top generosity. It goes alongside Jesus feeding a great crowd from the contents of a small boy’s lunch box. Five thousand men, plus the women and children, were given so much to eat that they were almost throwing up (the Greek word is quite vulgar) and there were many baskets full of leftovers. On another occasion, a group of frustrated fishermen are told by Jesus to try once again. Trusting his advice, they catch so many fish that their nests begin to tear and when they haul them aboard the boats, the vessels  look like they are about to sink.

God is never cheap or parsimonious. With Him there is a promise of “full measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over” .

Fr. Neil G.

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