Something remarkable happened on April 5, 1877. Helen Keller described this in her autobiography. Her incredible teacher, Anne Sullivan, was struggling to help Helen, who was both unable to see and unable to hear, to understand the difference between “mug” and “water”. She wrote, “We walked down the path to the well-house, attracted by the fragrance of the honeysuckle with which it was covered. Someone was drawing water, and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand, she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten--a thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me.”
“Someone was drawing water.” In lands where water is scarce, the very presence of water is breathtaking. But in a culture like ours, with easy access to bottled water, tap water, and an abundance of rivers, streams and oceans, we might forget, ironically, that our bodies are composed of at least sixty percent water. Water is at the heart of who we are. Its absence quickly threatens us, and its presence, if we allow it, can open us deeply. Around the world, religious communities find a great deal of solace and thrill in the presence of water.
One day, Jesus asked someone at a well for a drink of water. This opened into a deep engagement that pushed the boundaries of gender, race and religious understandings. But mostly, it was a conversation about the nature of thirst: thirst for water, thirst for God, thirst for connection and deep knowing. Jesus told this woman, who deduced quickly that he possessed the gifts of a prophet, about a water that would reach to the most deep places in her being…deeper than all the things she had been taught, deeper than all of the limitations that had been placed on her. She would need to read all of her own history, and all the history of those who came before her, in the light of this water.
We’ll chat about this conversation on Sunday, as the sermon is titled, “The Thirst Which Drives Us Deep.” The Scripture for the day is John 4: 1-27, to be read by Terry Clapacs and Leana McClain. We will also hear an update on the Refugee Task Force from Craig Stewart. We’ll sing, pray and have a moment for children. The Chancel Choir, accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs, will lead us musically.
If you have been a part of the St. Mark’s community for years, or if you are just discovering us, we look forward to connecting with you on Sunday. To join the 10:30 service online, visit www.smumc.church, and click on the Live Stream banner.