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This past Wednesday during the mid-week Lent “Dinner, Discussion, and Devotions,” we had a great conversation about “water”—the spiritual kind that keeps you going, that refreshes you.  In the John 4 gospel reading for this week, Jesus talks to a Samaritan woman at the village well about “living water.”  One of my questions on Wednesday night was, “What is your ‘living water’?”  After we sipped on that for a bit (pardon the pun!) the sharing ranged from nature, community, solitude, etc.  I especially loved the community part.  There we were in community sharing our “living water” with each other.  For me, that’s a big part of my “living water.”  (That, and solitude.)  One of the coolest things for me in ministry is seeing people share in the Spirit.  I can’t control it, and sometimes it’s even hard to prepare the environment for it, but when it happens it restores my faith.  I’ve usually always liked people, even though I much prefer to be in the background, I’ve never been a talker or liked being the center of attention.  That’s the introvert in me. 

            The other cool part about community and the gospel reading from John 4 is that Jesus knows the deep part of the woman at the well (“Come see a man that told me all I ever did!” 4:29).  That “deep” part is that she’s had five husbands and her current one is not her husband.  Reading between the lines—a Samaritan, and a woman—it would be easy to pass moral judgment on her.  The disciples come back after looking for lunch and wonder too…  The beautiful part is that Jesus doesn’t pass judgment.  He offers her his “living water.”  I think that a part of that “living water” is the fact that he doesn’t judge her.  Interestingly enough, she goes back to her village (community!) and shares her encounter with Jesus. 

            I see so much judgment and the alienation it produces in our society.  I think people are “thirsting” for community—community that is accepting, in which someone can have a place.  That won’t judge you in your vulnerabilities or pain or weaknesses.  Where we can encounter Jesus who knows our “deep parts” and offers us his “living water.”  I call that place the church.

Peace,

Pr. Christian