01/19/2025 ~ Second Sunday after the Epiphany ~ Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 36:5-10; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; John 2:1-11 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/1049339279

Revealed Glory

“Jesus did this, performed the first of signs, at Cana in Galilee; in this way Jesus revealed glory; and the disciples believed.” — John 2:11.

Charisma is an interesting word since it has multiple definitions. If someone is charismatic it can mean a person has divinely conferred power but it can also mean someone who has compelling attractiveness, charm, can inspire devotion in others.

But people who sell snake oil, from prelates to presbyters to politicians, can be charismatic. That does not mean you should buy snake oil from them.

Now, when it comes to the positive meaning of charisma, I have been afforded the privilege to be in the presence of and learn from teachers who have charisma in the positive sense— no snake oil. These are two examples from my experience.

One teacher is the well known writer of musicals, the late Stephen Sondheim— lyrics for West Side Story, music and lyrics for Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd among many, many shows— all these are his. Stephen would come by the A.S.C.A.P. Musical Comedy Workshop, a Master Class for aspiring writers of musicals to offer advice and support. I was a member.

I want to address how Sondheim worked as a teacher, as he had a distinct presence— charisma. There are YOUTUBE videos out there of Sondheim teaching. You can GOOGLE them, look at them, see him working with acting students as they perform his songs. These videos put Sondheim the teacher on display.

In one video a song he wrote is sung by three people who intone the
three different parts of the song. Two of the three students are very good. The third does not have the level of execution, the expertise, displayed by the other two. That student struggles.

How does this composer respond? Gently— Sondheim does not berate the person of lesser ability but works with this individual. How?

Sondheim knows songs are not just ink blots on paper or sounds. Words have meaning, express emotion. Notes just don’t go up and down. Notes express emotion.

So Sondheim enters into a dialogue based not on what the words and notes say or how they sound, but what they mean. Indeed, he invites each of the three students to bring what they can to the table, encourages each student to give their own interpretation. Sondheim does this with the one who struggles and with the other two students each at their own level. (Slight pause.)

Another wonderful teacher I had is the late Dr. Ann Johnston, my Hebrew Scriptures professor at Bangor Theological Seminary. Ann was a Roman Catholic nun who had a PhD. in Hebrew Scriptures— an interesting combination to say the least.

She would assign at least four papers a semester. But for one paper Ann would always offer the option of writing a creative paper as opposed to an academic paper.

You could write an academic paper but alternatively you could write a play, a poem, a short story, draw, paint or sculpt something— that would be your paper. If you wanted to create a piece of visual art you did need to offer a short explanation. But that was simply for clarity.

Another student once said to me Ann just wants you to re-write the Bible. “No,” I said. “She wants you to be so emotionally engaged with it that you are able to convey to others what the Bible says but use your own words.” (Slight pause.)

This is what is found in the Gospel According to the School of John: “Jesus did this, performed the first of signs, at Cana in Galilee; in this way Jesus revealed glory; and the disciples believed.” (Slight pause.)

I’ve said this before. Stories in the Bible about miracles are not about miracles. To explore that, I’ll start with the obvious. Jesus and the disciples were Jewish.

Given that, what does it mean that Jesus revealed glory? Modern culture totally misuses and/or fails to understand the meaning of the word Glory as it is used in Scripture. In Scripture the word Glory often describes the real presence of God.

Indeed, the Latin words in a hymn used in the church for millennia are Gloria in Excelsus Deo. These can be translated as Glory to God in the highest.

But Excelsus Deo can also mean Highest God. And one title of God used in Scripture is Highest God. Hence, Gloria in Excelsus Deo can mean this Highest God displays Glory. In short, Gloria in Excelsus Deo can mean this God, called the highest God, is present.

And what does this passage which contains a miracle say about Jesus? It says Jesus revealed Glory. Put another way, in Jesus it is revealed that God is present.

Again please note, the point of the story is not the miracle, turning water into wine. The point of the story is the presence of God is revealed.

And the result of this— the result— is the disciples believed. But nowhere does it say the disciples knew about the water/wine transformation. So if Glory does not refer to the presence of God, the fact that the passage says the disciples believed makes no sense. Additionally, in John Jesus seems more God-like than in any other Gospel. Hence, when John tells us the disciples believed, what we need to hear is the disciples believed in the presence of God and this presence is revealed in Jesus.

All that brings me back to the word charisma and its definition. Charisma can mean a person who has compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion. Charisma can also mean a person who has divinely conferred power or talent.

In this story those two definitions to come together, merge. Jesus is not just a person who has compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, although some would have you believe that’s all Jesus is and that’s all Jesus does.

Jesus is not just a person with divinely conferred power or talent, although some would have you believe that’s all Jesus is or that’s all Jesus does. Jesus is both compelling and divine.

Coming back to my experience, Stephen Sondheim and Ann Johnston were good teachers because they realized people learn when they become emotionally engaged. And so Sondheim and Johnston taught their students, helped their students to learn, by encouraging them to engage on an emotional level. (Slight pause.)

I believe we all have charisma. I think a sign of real charisma is simply sharing. I also think we can all teach and we all have something to teach.

You see, teaching is about sharing— sharing your passion, sharing your emotional life. And when we share our passion, when we emotionally engage, we set an example. I also think the best way of setting an example is by performing acts of unconditional love. Indeed, I think Dr. King, whose day we celebrate, taught as much by example as by rhetoric.

So to reiterate, the miracle stories are not meant to encourage us to go “ooh” or “aah” and wonder about miracles. Miracle stories are there to encourage us to engage our emotions and become emotionally engaged about the reality of God.

We need to remember the words we find in Scripture are not just ink blots on paper, something to simply recite, just to know by rote. We are called to understand Scripture for ourselves and become emotionally engaged with what we find there.

I will speak for myself but I hope I am speaking for everyone. What I find in Scripture— and what I find in Scripture does engage my emotional life— what I find in Scripture is the peace, hope, joy, freedom, equity and love of God. Amen.

01/19/2025
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “This is, of course, the weekend of National Holiday known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Dr. King wanted us to be emotionally engaged and this is a quote from Dr. King: ‘We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice, leaders not in love with publicity but in love with humanity, leaders who can subject their particular egos to the pressing urgencies of the great cause of freedom…. a time like this demands great leaders.’ Of course, Dr. King died in 1968.”

BENEDICTION: The love of God must be lived and shared. So, let us go forth with the praise of God on our lips for the steadfast love of God will light our paths as God keeps us open to new ways of doing and learning. And may the love of God guide us, the word of the Christ empower us and the gifts of the Spirit dwell in us, this day and forever more. Amen.