When I was about 4 years old (1958) my parents sent me to Sunday School in a little Church in Donington, we were living in Albrighton at the time – not very far away. The father of a soon to be friend of mine kept his pigs in a rather muddy stream nearby.

The very first time I walked in there I found myself in the old church Hall where there were about 20 others, all separated into groups by age, an half a dozen at a time. I learnt many stories about Jesus and each week there was a stamp, featuring one of them glued into a little book to mark our attendance.

I am sure I must have heard the one about Jesus turning water into wine at the Wedding in Canaan.

This had no impression at that time and only seemed to show how clever my friend Jesus was. Every Lent, (I don’t know what to whom), we heard the oft remembered story of Jesus being tempted by the Boogie man. In one of those stories, after he came out of the desert Jesus went into Canaan with his disciples and his mother they had been invited to a Wedding Feast. Just like my mother, she was, always pushing me forward when I rather would remain in the background.

Apparently they had run out of wine and the wine Stewart was all in a flap because of it. Jesus’ mother pushed him forward saying do whatever he tells you, my friend told her that it wasn’t time yet for such things. But she pushed him forward just like my mother, it didn’t matter how I felt, she wanted the glory. My son the Miracle Worker – like a good Jewish mother.

I wasn’t so sure about that miracle and I wondered why Jesus would have done such an irresponsible thing. My dad was an alcoholic and I couldn’t understand why my friend would do something that was wrong – something to feed all the other alcoholics who might be at the Party – and they said it was the best wine yet. Later I was to come across some articles on the internet – whatever that would be and they said something like this. “That Jesus turned the water into wine to show that he was the source of life…”

Water to Wine – follow this for some explanations of the rationality of this miracle.

How could assisting alcoholics to become more so be anything to do with life? That afternoon I asked my friend why he had done so. he said,“yes it was a sign that he was a creator a life bringer but that he had given into his mother’s strong personality even if it just wasn’t the time or place to begin his work. I knew she was proud of me. So it was easier and I knew my Father would make good use of the event.‘ Well- that was what he said then and I am still puzzled.

How Jesus got his disciples