The wedding guests were waiting
but all the wine was gone,
so Mary went to Jesus,
"Please help our friends, my son."
Then Jesus said, "Bring water."
He turned it into wine,
and thus revealed his power.
It was the first great sign.
The father was a Gentile,
a Roman soldier too,
an enemy and stranger
to any faithful Jew,
but still he begged of Jesus,
"Come heal my dying boy."
"Believe in me, " said Jesus.
"He lives to bring you joy."
When everyone was hungry
and no one seemed to care,
a boy came forward, smiling,
"I have this food to share."
He gave his bread to Jesus,
his fish, though they were small.
Then Jesus blessed his offering,
and lo, it fed them all!
A mother shows compassion,
a father trusts God's way,
a child finds joy in sharing--
such are the signs today
that Christ still lives among us
and through love's faithful deeds,
works miracles and wonders
to meet our deepest needs.
Mary Nelson Keithahn, a retired United Church of Christ ordained pastor and church educator, has been a curriculum writer-editor, journalist, and lyricist for musical dramas and anthems. She still works out of her home in Rapid City, South Dakota, as a free-lance writer. In 2016 she published Elfie: Adventures on the Midwest Frontier, a chapter book for children, and Embracing the Light: Reflectioins on God’s Holy Word, a collection of meditations for individual or small group use. Augsburg Fortress also published Sing the Stories of God’s NEW People, the third in a trilogy of Bible story-based collections of songs for young children, written with her longtime colleague, John D. Horman. The two have written over a hundred hymns togethe… Go to person page >
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