Third Sunday of Lent: Living Water

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John 4:10-14
Jesus responded, “If you recognized God’s gift and who is saying to you, ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would be asking him and he would give you living water . . . Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,but whoever drinks from the water that I will give will never be thirsty again. The water that I give will become in those who drink it a spring of water that bubbles up into eternal life.”

Last week Rwth shared with us about the baptismal life. There was so much good stuff in that sermon, you should back and watch it on YouTube.  But what stayed with me this week was that we should not think about baptism as some past event in our lives – one we may not even remember.  Baptism is living water. We were baptized but it is an ongoing experience. We are called to live the baptismal life. 

She said: In little and big ways, our old self and its brokenness can be cleansed and healed.  Each day we can practice living our new identity as Christians. We can tap into the freedom and power to resist evil and repent of sin.  We can continue to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to live lives well-pleasing to God.  Baptism truly is a “new birth by water and the Holy Spirit” into the kingdom of God—and it happens day by day in our ordinary lives.

The living waters that Jesus offers is no less than the baptismal waters which continues to quench our thirst. When we enter the Lenten desert we have the opportunity to drink more deeply from the baptismal well that springs up within us.



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