“Those who drink of the water that I will give them
will never be thirsty.
The water that I will give
will become in you
a spring of water
gushing up with eternal life.”
—John 4.14
Grapevines are naturally quite drought-tolerant, but younger grape plants need to be watered regularly. As grapevines grow, their roots become established and they can be watered less frequently: their roots now able to store water for drier times. For grapevines intended for wine-making, growers purposely withhold water at times to generate a certain level of stress to the plant which will produce grapes with more complex flavors.
Like young grapevines, when we begin our spiritual journeys we need more frequent "watering," helping our spirit's roots grow strong and deep. Then we are more able to tolerate life's ups and downs: both in the the well-watered times and the dry, arid times. Perhaps as we endure the drier times, our spirits can mature and become more fully defined and distinct -- like fine wine! :).
When irrigation is needed for grapevines, soaker hoses are often used to deliver water directly to the grapevines' roots, conserving moisture. Soaker hoses also help keep the leaves dry, reducing the risk of the fungal diseases that can affect grapevines. Watering early in the morning is also more effective than watering at midday because less water evaporates.
Wise watering of our spirits can help us grow and be "disease" resistant. And just as the the grapevines are watered in the morning, many of us begin our days with prayer and devotional reading - "soaking" in God's word and presence - setting a tone for the day.
It is good for us to be aware of our spirit's deeper thirsting. Otherwise we can be like the woman at the well, coming again and again to draw water that must always be replenished and doesn't quench our deepest thirst.
Song: Let All Who Are Thirsty Come (Taize)
Jan Richardson writes eloquently about the woman at the well, quoting John 4:28: "Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city."
"She left her jar. She left her jar behind, that water-bearing vessel on which she depended for her very life. She abandoned it at the well. She had become the vessel. Filled with the living water that she found in the midst of her mundane, daily task, the woman goes to spill forth what she has found."
As we abide in God, as we live in the vine, this living stream of eternal life quenches our deep spiritual thirst, and flows through us to others.
FLOW (Pastor Steve)
I'm thirsty.
I've drunk, oh, from spigots and bottles
and hoses and fountains, piped in from vendors,
drunk in a thousand places -- and still thirsted.
Not my lips, but my soul.
The water I seek isn't for soup or laundry:
I'm seeking you.
I have no bucket, no special ability, just thirst.
And I come to this spring, bubbling up
from the deep water table of you, God,
this powerful flow, this living stream of water
gushing up in me, given, free, flowing,
your love rising from the depths unhindered,
this power to live with love and courage,
this joy and hope, this clear, sparkling beauty,
this living stream of your life, Beloved,
your eternal life, flowing through me,
not subject to weather or commerce,
or my doing or not doing, but steady, constant.
This is eternal life: not far-off or later,
but here and now, and infinite.
I am the well. You are the water.
Flow in me.
(Pastor Steve)
Song: Thirst No More (Sandra McCracken)
Lyrics: There is a fountain ever flowing
Where the waters are not spent
Here you and I, we trade our sorrows
For the love that will not end
chorus: Thirst no more
Thirst no more
Thirst no more
Come and drink
There is a river strong and mighty
Giving life abundantly
A fresh supply, a steady current
Joy unending, come and drink
Like a tree beside the water
Never dry, my roots grow deep
Storm or drought, I will not wither
There is a peace sustaining me
Suggested breath prayer (or create your own): (Pastor Steve)
in-breath: Love...
out-breath: flow in me...
For reflection:
1) What do you thirst most deeply for today?
2) What spiritual practices water you?
Are there any "watering" practices you might choose for Lent?
3) Richardson writes of the woman at the well: "This unmarried, unnamed woman of Samaria becomes an evangelist, a disciple, a witness to the Messiah. She is a vessel of living, liberating, life-giving water."
What wants to flow from you - as a vessel of living water?
Are there any earthly vessel(s) you need to leave behind in order to do that?
Resources:
1) Grapevine information - Julie Christensen, SFGATE newsletter, San Francisco, CA.
2) Richardson, Jan, The Way of Water, The Painted Prayerbook, February 20, 2008, www.janrichardson.com
3) Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Unfolding Light, www.unfoldinglight.net)
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