Lessons for January 14, 2007 – Second Sunday after Epiphany

The first lesson

Isaiah 62:1-5
 
    Because I love Zion, because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch. 
    [2] The nations will see your righteousness. Kings will be blinded by your glory. And the Lord will give you a new name. [3] The Lord will hold you in his hands for all to see—a splendid crown in the hands of God. [4] Never again will you be called the Godforsaken City or the Desolate Land. Your new name will be the City of God's Delight and the Bride of God, for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his own. [5] Your children will care for you with joy, O Jerusalem, just as a young man cares for his bride. Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.  (NLT)

Psalm 36:5-10
 
L.  Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
C.  your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. 
L.  Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths.
C.  You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. 
L.  How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
C.  All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. 
L.  You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
C.  letting them drink from your rivers of delight. 
L.  For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.
C.  Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you; give justice to those with honest hearts.  (NLT)

The second lesson

1 Corinthians 12:1-11
 
    And now, dear brothers and sisters, I will write about the special abilities the Holy Spirit gives to each of us, for I must correct your misunderstandings about them. [2] You know that when you were still pagans you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. [3] So I want you to know how to discern what is truly from God: No one speaking by the Spirit of God can curse Jesus, and no one is able to say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. 
    [4] Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. [5] There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. [6] There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us. [7] A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church. 
    [8] To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another he gives the gift of special knowledge. [9] The Spirit gives special faith to another, and to someone else he gives the power to heal the sick. [10] He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and to another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to know whether it is really the Spirit of God or another spirit that is speaking. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, and another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. [11] It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. (NLT)

The Gospel Lesson

John 2:1-11
 
    The next day Jesus' mother was a guest at a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. [2] Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. [3] The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus' mother spoke to him about the problem. "They have no more wine," she told him. 
    [4] "How does that concern you and me?" Jesus asked. "My time has not yet come." 
    [5] But his mother told the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." 
    [6] Six stone waterpots were standing there; they were used for Jewish ceremonial purposes and held twenty to thirty gallons each. [7] Jesus told the servants, "Fill the jars with water." When the jars had been filled to the brim, [8] he said, "Dip some out and take it to the master of ceremonies." So they followed his instructions. 
    [9] When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. [10] "Usually a host serves the best wine first," he said. "Then, when everyone is full and doesn't care, he brings out the less expensive wines. But you have kept the best until now!" 
    [11] This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was Jesus' first display of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.  (NLT)