Are we going over?
Yes, yes we are.

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

Anne Rice, writing about the life of Jesus, describes Cana as follows: “It’s a winter of no rain, endless dust, and talk of trouble in Judea. All who know and love Jesus find themselves waiting for some sign of the path he will eventually take. After his baptism, he is at last ready to confront his destiny. At the wedding at Cana, he takes water and transforms it into wine. Thus, he’s recognized as the anointed one and called by God the Father to begin a ministry that will transform an unsuspecting world.”

We have been following Jesus’ path from His birth, the visit of the shepherds, His circumcision, the visit of the Magi, and His baptism. After His baptism, John pointed out that Jesus was the One everyone expected, the Messiah. He told his followers to follow Jesus. Disciples began to flock to Jesus because some had heard the Father’s voice from heaven and had seen the Spirit descend on Him. Others followed based on John’s word. What a great build-up.

We are at Cana today. We know something amazing is going to happen. This period of build-up has to be fulfilled. We can sense it. It is like being at the top of a rollercoaster, knowing what’s coming next. Yet we are fearful. We might even wonder if we will be stuck without ever going over. Suddenly, we are rushing headlong filled with the thrill of the moment, feeling exhilarated. No fear, only joy.

The disciples were now rushing headlong. They experienced the power of God at work in Jesus. God was among them, what an amazing rush.

Church and the life of faith is more than pretending we were there or sitting on the edge. Each week we live with Jesus by our presence in the community of faith, entered by baptism.

Just as Jesus intervened to help the newly married couple He continues to intervene in our lives. In our weekly worship and Holy Communion we don’t just remember His great deeds, we don’t just retell an interesting story, we become a real and living part of that story. We are there with Him in the very same way His disciples were. We have the same pledge.

We could sit at the top of the rollercoaster with anticipation or fear. Like Ryder, who joins with us in taking that plunge off the edge into the life of faith today, we live a powerful and exhilarating life by going over. Fear is destroyed by joy. Adventure is here. We are transformed and we transform others. We are in the present with Jesus, over the edge, alive.