A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" - John 4:7
After a while, it gets to be kind of funny.
This was last night.
We're in our church sanctuary, doing our adult group Bible study at Vacation Bible School. We're studying the questions of Jesus in the Gospel of John. We had just started the second night's class with Jesus's question in John 4, which is "Will you give me a drink?". No sooner had we been confronted with Jesus's question, when in walks Chad.
Maybe Chad was the guy who came and left on Sunday morning. I don't know. But what I do know is that Chad definitely looked and smelled different from the rest of us.
As he walked in, I offered him a cup of cold water in the form of a welcome, which he took to mean that our class was willing to drop everything and get him what he needed. By God's grace, we offered him what he most needed because it's what we all need most, namely, time with God through his Word. Through the years, when this offer's made, most people leave. And I have to go chase them and explain.
Chad stayed.
He sat in the pew. For two hours. With exhausted eyes, that became more energized as he listened to other people talk about their own soul's thirst and how it is ironically satisfied when we work out our faith in love and give Jesus a drink of water by serving those in need.
I thought Chad was both being fed by God's Word and also wondering, "Let's see if these people help me."
So after two hours, we wrap up. Nobody has left. So I turn to Chad and thank him for staying. He vulnerably spews out his story and his lesser needs. I tell him what we have and are glad to share.
I ask Randy if he'll walk back to the kitchen with Chad while I linger for others who may want to talk. Everyone starts handing Randy money. Most everyone walks back to the kitchen with Randy and Chad. Randy asks Chad for his keys to go fill his truck with gas. Debbie goes to get pull up diapers for one of Chad's kids with autism. Jen sits and visits with Chad. Cathy gets him some groceries from our kitchen. And, well, you get the point.
It was all genuine. Sincere. Loving. Giving. People together. Time in God's word. Time to listen to needs. People. Serving Jesus. By serving each other.
A cup of cold water.
For everyone.
Just like God planned.
Praise God!
(For an archive of "Day of Praise", please visit my daughter Calley's website at http://dayofpraisepc.blogspot.com/?m=1)
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson
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