Scripture
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be
thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give
them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become
in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”—John
4:13–14
 Reflection
We come, at last, to the end of our journey. We rest for a moment with
Jesus, at the well. At the top of the Temple worshiper’s path, the waters
flow and we are reminded of our commitment through the sacrament of
baptism. We remember that at the well, Jesus promised to give living water
to all who believed in him. The Temple’s pool of water includes the
caption, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give...will never
thirst.”
Think about that for a moment: “living water.” We know that bathing
cleanses us, but there is more to bathing than cleansing. We know how it
refreshes and energizes us when we are tired or soothes and relaxes us
when we are stressed. We may not be able to explain it, but we know.
How much more important would it be to bathe in living water—to have
our souls cleansed, refreshed, energized, or soothed and relaxed—our
never-ending thirst eased? The fountain symbolizes all that we have come
through to get to this place: our baptisms by water and fire, our
prayerful preparation, and our meditation and contemplation.
All that we are is prepared.
In the Temple, the pool of water is the last step before entering the
sanctuary. In our journey toward World Conference, we are finally ready
for the opening worship service—ready to feel God’s presence and
experience Christ’s peace.
Action
As the World Conference begins, take time to collect and consolidate
your thoughts and hopes from these meditation experiences. Make notes that
can be referred to after Conference with the thought of being able to
identify insights and changes that take place in your life and in the life
of the church during the week.
Prayer
Pray simply for the Holy Spirit to infuse our World Conference
discernment and deliberations so that we are empowered to share Christ and
share peace.
This pilgrimage of daily meditation has reached its destination. World
Conference begins with the opening worship and legislative meeting this
evening. May you continue to uphold the Conference in your prayers this
week, and may you be blessed by God in the days ahead! |
