In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Where God and his Christ go, there will be abundance, there will be healing, and there will be a flourishing of life.¹ Our Old Testament reading from Isaiah predicts this, and our Gospel reading from John shows us this. Where God is there is always a possibility for renewal and for the miraculous to happen.

We hear about weddings all throughout Scripture, and the prophet Isaiah uses the imagery of a wedding to describe God's redemption of Israel. Isaiah speaks of a time when Israelites would return from exile and God would rebuild the nation. The prophet uses inspiring words to give hope to the people: "The nations shall see your vindication and all the kings your glory. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight…"² Israel will be transformed by the Lord! Israel will be like the bride and God like the groom. "As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you."³ The love that God has for his people is similar to the ideal type of love we celebrate in marriage. The giving away of one's self; the kind of love that values valuing your spouse more than yourself.⁴ Where both partners give of themselves to better the other; the kind of love that truly gives us life. Isaiah reminds the Israelites that it is God who brings them life; and that God has made them His beloved people, His bride; that with God, even in the face of desperation, there is hope of abundant life.

And we have seen desperation this week. We have seen desperation in the faces of Haitians in the news as they struggle with the sheer amount of destruction caused by the massive earthquake that hit in their country on Tuesday evening. The damage in Port Au Prince is horrific; 10s of thousands dead, millions of lives affected. And the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Haiti has suffered greatly. The Cathedral Church of Holy Trinity is in ruins, the convent for the Sisters of Saint Margaret, an Episcopal Religious order is gone. 4 people died during a service in an Episcopal Church in a small town just outside the capital.

Some have said that this natural disaster was the fault of the Haitians themselves for making a "deal with the Devil."⁵ That God sent this earthquake to punish the sins of the Haitian people. Not only is this insensitive, it is downright wrong! God is there in Haiti. God is with the suffering. God did not cause this earthquake to happen, these things unfortunately do happen in the world we live in. God is with those who have lost their homes and possessions, with those who have lost loved ones. God's indwelling spirit is with those who work to rescue people amid the rubble, with those who comfort the inconsolable. God has not punished the Haitian people; rather God is among them, mourning with those who have lost, rejoicing with those whose loved ones are found. Yes God is in Haiti, and Isaiah's words of hope ring true there. Just as Jerusalem was rebuilt after the exile, so too will Haiti.

Even among the news of death and destruction there is some good news coming out of the country. And there is hope and faith amidst this great tragedy. In a news report I read in the USA Today, one Haitian remarked that even though there was looting and delays in aid, "We have faith in God."

People throughout the world and throughout the Episcopal Church have given out of their abundance to help the people affected by this tragedy. Even as we speak, missionaries, Episcopal Relief and Development, the Red Cross, and countless other organizations are in Haiti, working to rebuild the country. The Church is working alongside with God, aiding in God's redeeming work in the world.

Jesus' miracle at the wedding in Cana reveals to us the God of life whose salvation in Christ brings life to the world. It also makes us pause and remember that the life we live, we live for Christ.⁶

We hear of Jesus' first miracle at a wedding feast in Cana. When we hear the very word wedding, our mind conjures up words of hope, faith, love, joy, and new life together.⁷ It makes sense that Jesus would have chosen this setting for his first miracle, albeit with a little prodding from his mother, Mary.

This story, this miracle, is a perfect story of the Season after Epiphany. It shows us the true nature of Christ, who Jesus really is. The wine has run out, yet Jesus takes ordinary water and turns it into wine. He takes the ordinary and he makes it holy.

And this should not anything new to us. We see it each and every week in the Eucharist. We take bread and wine, and it is made holy. Not through any actions of the priest, but because they are sanctified by the Holy Spirit. As Anglicans we believe that the bread and wine, becomes the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. We don't try and explain how it occurs, but we believe that it does. And when we receive the Body and Blood of Christ in faith, we strengthen our bond with Christ.⁸ We are reminded that it is we who are the people of God, as individuals and as a community. We are called to be a reconciled and reconciling community, who mission is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.⁹

The Eucharist reminds us that we are called to be the light of Christ in the world, that we are called to serve Christ. In Holy Eucharist Rite I, the words of institution end with "Do this in remembrance of me."¹⁰ We are reminded to become more fully of what we already are through our baptism; the Body of Christ in the world.¹¹

May we continue to be God's holy people in the world, may we shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, and may we continue to live abundantly in Christ.

Amen.

¹ Hoezee, Scott "Old Testament Commentary: Isaiah 62:1-5" found at http://cep.calvinseminary.edu/thisWeek/index.php?pNav=cep accessed 1/16/10
² Isaiah 62:2-4
³ Isaiah 62:5
⁴ The Rev. Ken Kesselus - 2nd Sunday after Epiphany - found at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/sermons_that_work_118184_ENG_HTM.htm
⁵ The 700 Club broadcast January 13, 2010 - http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201001130024
⁶ Beckmann, Kim L. "2nd Sunday After the Epiphany" New Proclamation: Year C. (Fortress Press: Minneapolis, 2009), 83
⁷ Ibid, 83
⁸ BCP, 860
⁹ Westerhoff, John H. Living Faithfully as a Prayer Book People. (Harrisburg, Pa: Morehouse Publishing, 2004), 87
¹⁰ BCP, p. 342
¹¹ Westerhoff, 92