Summer blog

It feels as though summer has been with us throughout most of the year! Remember the unseasonably warm week we enjoyed in February? And then in May, the mercury in the thermometer rose higher than normal again. We live in interesting times.

During my decades as a Christian, I’ve learned that a large part of walking in faith with the Lord is about expecting the unexpected. Jesus’ mother, Mary, demonstrates this wonderfully at Cana in Galilee. I’ve always felt that she engineered the miracle of turning water into wine. In John 2, it’s made clear that Jesus and his disciples are just guests but, when Mary hears about the crisis with the drink, she knows that she needs to tell Jesus. Jesus appears to be a little reluctant to perform the miracle, but Mary knows her son, and she tells the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ (John 2:5)

That sense of expectation is a crucial part of the miracle that followed and, joy of joys, the reputation of the family was saved. The wine flowed and everyone rejoiced that the later batch was superior to the first! Mary initiated, and the unlikely setting of a wedding became the setting for the first of Jesus’ miraculous signs (John 2:11). We can easily look at late July/August and fall into the mistake of thinking it is ‘time out’ from God and his church. While it’s good to enjoy a holiday and take time to rest, let’s still be awake to the opportunities to share, pray and minister in the power of God. Even in the most unlikely of places and contexts; let’s always remember who we represent and what we are called to do, and let’s make sure we always expect the unexpected!

Please note that there will not be blogs over the school summer holidays.