Meditations for Lent 3

By the well of Jacob,
Jesus met a woman;
by the well of Jacob,
on foreign, enemy land.

By the well of Jacob,
Jesus asked the woman:
from the well of Jacob
to draw him, please, a drink.

By the well of Jacob
the woman asked him, Why,
by the well of Jacob
he came, he stopped, he spoke?

By the well of Jacob
Jesus told her of water
that neither the well of Jacob,
nor any other well could supply.

By the well of Jacob,
her thirst fast awakened
by the well of Jesus,
holy mystery of life.

To the well of Jacob
she summoned her neighbours – friends;
where, at the well of Jacob,
once she had been alone.

By the well of Jacob,
Jesus’ friends now returned;
by the well of Jacob, you’re
doing what? They were bemused.

By the well of Jacob,
they offered him food to eat;
at the well of Life I eat,
by living the Way of Love.

By the well of Jacob,
Jesus met a woman;
by the well of Jacob,
on foreign, enemy land.

(Sarah Agnew, Pray the Story)

In this story of Jesus’ encounter of a woman beside a well in the heat of the day – or of a woman’s encounter with Jesus in the heat of the day – we have some invitations into life, full and rich life.

Life that is crossing borders and boundaries into ‘foreign’ territory and assuming a posture of humility – may I have a drink? Where might we do that this week?

Life is watered by a Source not earthly but permeating all that lives; Life is tapping into that well, that depth, that Source, and quenching our thirst with relief unknown from any other water. What are our daily practices for drawing on that well, that Source? What does our daily trek to the well look like? Lent is a fabulous season to review our spiritual disciplines, perhaps try something new for a season to give it a go, renewing our commitment to the regular trip to the well, the Source, of the Living Water that quenches our thirst.

Life is in the stories: stories of ancestors that tell us where we came from; stories of our encounters and discoveries that enrich our present living with new vigour and meaning; stories of the Sacred to give us hope for the future. What stories will we listen for this week? To whom might we tell our story in a gift of mutual vulnerability? How will we enter the story of the Sacred each day?

Life is full of mystery, so much beyond the reach of our understanding, so much to reach for, strive for, look towards. When we encounter the mystery this week, will we stumble, will we stop, will we stand in awe and wonder and be grateful?

By the well of Jacob,
Jesus met a woman;
by the well of Jacob,
on foreign, enemy land.

By the well of Jacob,
Jesus asked the woman:
from the well of Jacob
to draw him, please, a drink.

By the well of Jacob
the woman asked him, Why,
by the well of Jacob
he came, he stopped, he spoke?

By the well of Jacob
Jesus told her of water
that neither the well of Jacob,
nor any other well could supply.

By the well of Jacob,
her thirst fast awakened
by the well of Jesus,
holy mystery of life.

To the well of Jacob
she summoned her neighbours – friends;
where, at the well of Jacob,
once she had been alone…

By the well of Jacob,
Jesus met a woman;
by the well of Jacob,
on foreign, enemy land.

(Sarah Agnew, Pray the Story)

You give us faith
to make us right
with You again.

You give us peace
to bring us home
to You again.

You give us grace
in which we stand,
in Your presence,
in Your love,
in Your honour.

Thus we withstand
our suffering,
and we endure;
we find resilience,
and we grow;
we develop character,
and we hope –
we hope, for Your love,
our faithful Holy One,
is poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has
been given to us.

You give us Your Spirit,
breath of life,
wind of flight.

You give us Your Wisdom,
welcoming light,
path of right relationship.

You give us Your Love,
source of life,
home each night of sorrow
and day of quite exquisite joy.

We stand in awe,
grateful for such gifts, inspired
to fly, to love, to shine light
in the world.

Thank you.

May it be so.

Amen.

Drink icy cold water on a hot day, or after a long walk or cycle or run. It is sharp through your throat, chest, stomach; sends shivers down your arms and back and legs. You just shivered then to think of it, didn’t you?

Sharp and shocking through your whole body.

And refreshing. This water is the very thing for which your body longs; it is the only thing you can imagine wanting in that moment, the only thing you can imagine needing, ever. It is – just right.

Is that how it feels, when that Holy invitation hits our ears, heart, mind, being? When Jesus says: I am living water. We shudder at the icy shock to our dry, thirsty being. We shiver to receive the very thing for which we have thirsted: hope, peace, invitation, life. This Holy water is the only thing we can imagine wanting, needing, ever again. It is just right.

Maybe the heat isn’t done; the walk, the ride not yet over. But now, we feel we can go on.

We note that Jesus didn’t fix the woman’s social situation of no husband, current man not her husband. But he did give her hope that life is not limited to that situation. Jesus gave her light for the dark she still experiences; water for the journey that still tires; hope to endure, build a character of courage.

And what is more, Jesus gave her such light as to shine beyond her, through her, to others. Jesus gave her water from a boundless source, enough to overflow beyond her, through her, to others.

I want to invite us to consider two things in response to the story today.

First – how Jesus has been that icy cold water for you when you needed needed a drink.

Second – how that life-giving water is not only for you, but flows beyond you, through you, to others.

So we consider, what heat bears down on our community? For what do our neighbours thirst?

How are first nations people in these lands now called Australia parched of justice, opportunity, life?

In this week of international women’s day, how are women even in our seemingly equal and enlightened society still parched of justice, opportunity, life?

How are refugees, the under- and un-employed, and homeless parched of justice, opportunity, life?

And how is, and how can you be, Clayton Wesley living water in this thirsty world?

How can you participate through Hope’s Café or the op shop?  Directly, with your time? Indirectly, with support for the work and the volunteers?

How can you take the hope, the water, you receive when you gather with your community of faith here, when you take time in your spiritual practice beyond these gatherings, and offer hopeful presence where you are each day?

You give us faith
to make us right
with You again.

You give us peace
to bring us home
to You again.

You give us grace
in which we stand,
in Your presence,
in Your love,
in Your honour.

Thus we withstand
our suffering,
and we endure;
we find resilience,
and we grow;
we develop character,
and we hope –
we hope, for Your love,
our faithful Holy One,
is poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has
been given to us.

You give us Your Spirit,
breath of life,
wind of flight.

You give us Your Wisdom,
welcoming light,
path of right relationship.

You give us Your Love,
source of life,
home each night of sorrow
and day of quite exquisite joy.

We stand in awe,
grateful for such gifts, inspired
to fly, to love, to shine light
in the world.

Thank you.

May it be so.

Amen.

Sarah Agnew, Pray the Story, sarahagnew.com.au/pray-the-story-podcast