In the story of Jesus turning water to wine at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1-10), he tells the servants to fill six stone jars with water and bring them to the master of the feast.

When the person in charge tasted the water that had become wine and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), that person called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

I’ve been meditating on this passage for the last few weeks. It’s a story that is especially near and dear to me, and I happen to be preaching on it this weekend. A thought came to me that won’t necessarily “fit” into my sermon. So I thought I’d share it here.

Denominations, churches, ministries, institutions, and programs (etc.) are like the stone water jars in this story. First of all, they are often necessary conduits for God’s work in the world. They symbolize our own human participation in the miracle that Jesus performs. These servants had to pour 120-180 gallons of water into these six jars (made by human hands) and carry each of them to the master of the feast. Without a dolly, I presume.

Much human effort went into the creation and usage of these stone jars. A lot like the ministries and institutions that we create and maintain. Again, these jars are necessary and crucial to God’s work in the world.

However, the miracle is not the jar itself but in what it contains. In this story there are six jars full of water turned to wine. Over the next few days, I would imagine as one jar is emptied it is simply set aside and another one is set in its place.

Institutions and ministries can have long seasons of peak capacity and usage. But eventually things become empty and hollow. This may not necessarily be a sign that something is wrong. It’s just that it’s time to move to the next jar of wine. Don’t mistake the jar for the wine. Celebrate what God has done, but look for what God is doing now.

Selah.