Sunday, March 12, 2023

Third Sunday in Lent

The Revised Common Lectionary passages for the Lord’s Day are:
– First Reading: Exodus 17:1-7
– Psalm 32
– Second Reading: Romans 5:1-11
– Gospel Reading: John 4:5-42

The liturgical color for the day is: Purple

But where is the water to come from?

The sad irony is the disciples missed the giftedness of the woman who had been with Jesus at Jacob’s well.  They were carping about who Jesus should associate with, while she had abandoned her water jar, scurried off to town and was living discipleship for her world—“come and see.”  “Come and see….the Messiah?”

Her identity, her mission, her goal, her reason for living changed as she left her water jar behind.

But where is the water to come from? 

The tragedy is, when confronted with fear, we freak and panic just like the whole congregation of the Israelites.  So rather than trusting in the providential God who had carried them this far, and had only yesterday fed them with manna—rather than trusting in that God they quarreled with Moses at the first sensation of dryness in their mouths.

But where is the water to come from?

It is our nature.  And it is our culture.  We live in a quarrelsome, sometimes even angry, fearful, and anxiety ridden time.  There is no doubt.  You will quarrel.  We will quarrel.  We have done it in the past; it will happen again.   By our nature, we Presbyterians are quarrelers.  We quarrel over strategic plans, we quarrel over programs, we quarrel over theology and doctrine, we quarrel over mission and money.  We quarrel over what should be the next priority.  Such is not a bad thing—it can be healthy and help us identify our real needs.

The tragedy is, oh beloved Church, when we get so quarrelsome that we get caught up in it being about us rather than it being about God.  We become the center rather than God.  It is not “Come and See me” and it is not “Come and See us” either—and I dare say it is not even “Come and See the Church.”  It is “Come and See…the Messiah!”

But where is the water to come from?

“Come and See…the Messiah!”

—

Rev. Dr. Daris Bultena
General Presbyter and Stated Clerk