The Rock, The Road, and The Rabbi
Mary Frances Logue brought a book to me a few weeks ago before our vacation. She
only asked that I read it and consider it a gift. When we returned I went into their
Sunday School class, head down, to let her know I had not read anything the entire
time I was on vacation. However, I started reading the book the next week and really
enjoyed the stories and information from Kathie Lee Gifford’s book The Rock, The
Road, and The Rabbi. Throughout the book, Kathie shares her experiences of going
to Israel and walking through the steps of Jesus and his disciples. Along with her is a
Rabbi named Jason Sobel who brings Biblical stories to life by sharing history or his
own perspectives that we may neglect in Biblical interpretation. I’ve found the book
to be a joy to read and thought I would share key thoughts with you over the next
couple of weeks that I hope encourage you in your faith.
Chapter 10
The Wedding in Cana is one of the most beautiful stories in the Bible to me. I’ve had the
privilege in ministry to officiate several weddings over the years and everyone is special
and beautiful. The greatest aspect of the wedding is always the feast or as we call it the
reception. Everyone gathers, praises the couple, and dances the night away. One of my
greatest memories of a wedding was watching my grandmother dance with Eli when he
was a toddler a few years before she passed. She had a beautiful dress on (She rarely
dressed up) and Eli a little brown suit and pink tie (he was the ring “bear” as he called it)
She laughed until she cried and Eli danced until he fell asleep. When I think of a
wedding, apart from my own, this is a memory I treasure. The joy, excitement, laughter,
and the connecting of generations.
Kathie writes about her visit to Cana: “When Jesus turned the water into wine in Cana,
the six stone pots that contained the wine held twenty to thirty gallons each. This was
no small miracle! In the Bible, God had directed his people to make wine a part of their
festivals throughout the year, celebrating God’s bounty with gratitude and joy. This
wedding in Cana was a celebration-and Jesus enhanced the celebration with His first
public miracle. Come….to Cana!
Jesus chose a wedding to reveal His glory to the world! Jesus often reveals himself in
the goodness of life if we are willing to look closely. His bounty on our lives causes us to
live with gratitude and joy because he is faithful. What if we treated every day as a
wedding day? How much joy would there be in the world? The truth is we can! If we
open our eyes to see the good rather than focus on the negative, we can experience God
in a way that enhances our lives significantly!
The wedding I spoke of earlier where Eli danced with my grandmother is a great
memory. However, there is also pain there. My grandmother has since passed after her
battle with dementia and the family member whose wedding we attended has
disconnected from the entire family. You see, in most cases, gratitude and joy are a
choice. Weddings make it easy, but we eventually leave the feast and get back to the
daily routines of life. I could choose to see the negative in that moment and live in the
pain or I can see the beauty in it. I choose the beauty! What do you choose?
Keep The Faith,
Pastor Tommy
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