What Are You Expecting?

What Are You Expecting?

John 2:1-11

In earlier posts I have talked about the characteristics of gatherings in general and how they relate to worship gatherings. There are roles we assume at gatherings. Within those roles are expectations. For example, we go to a wedding and expect to see a bride and bridegroom. We go to a circus and we might expect to see lions and tigers or trapeze artists. If we are a leader at a gathering there is a certain degree of cooperation we might expect from the audience. For instance in the theatre we might expect the audience to sit and behave in a certain way; respectfully and attentively.  We come to gatherings with expectations. 

Sometimes our expectations are limited. It might be our first time to the circus, or our first meeting of a support group and we are unsure what to expect. We might attend a gathering and have little or no expectations. We might be surprised by some gatherings and come away saying, “that was not what I expected”.

So it was with the wedding celebration Jesus attended in the account referenced above. The headwaiter, bridegroom and other wedding attendees had expectations. They were expecting the best wine to be served at the beginning of the party and as the day slipped away, so would the quality of the wine.  Due to a miraculous intervention by Jesus, the wine took a turn for the better at a time when the party was facing an embarrassing crisis. That was not what was expected.

I recall the very first New Year’s Eve party I attended. When I was about 9 years old, my parents allowed my 7 year old sister and me to stay up and wait for the New Year. My parents had some friends over and my sister and I “camped out” in my room with a few snacks to sustain us through the evening. As I recall, a stuffed dog and doll were also in attendance. With clock setting nearby, we ate and waited for the New Year to arrive.

I have had disappointments in my life, but this one surely left me flat. Midnight came and nothing happened. It was well past my bedtime, so it is safe to say I was tired and my head hurt. I remember lamenting to my parents, “So that was it?”, “Nothing happened!” They answered with an  insightful question, “what did you expect?” Well, I didn’t know exactly. I don’t remember having any expectation.

As you prepare to worship this Sunday, what are you expecting?  Will you be like I was on that New Years Eve long ago and simply endure the event with little or no expectation, or will you be involved enough to notice the wine changed.  Just as Jesus was at the wedding, He will be at your worship gathering.  Will you notice what He does? Oh, and by the way, He comes with expectations also.  What do you think He is expecting?

the friar