Good morning.
Today is Tuesday,
February 16th,
2021.
Oh Lord,
Let my soul rise up to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to God,
The three in one,
Creator,
Redeemer,
And sustainer.
As it was in the beginning is now and will be forever.
Amen.
Come let us sing to the Lord.
Let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Remind yourself that you are in God's presence.
Notice how God may be speaking to you today.
Let yourself dwell on a word or a phrase that catches your attention or moves your heart and let yourself simply respond to God in prayer.
Please repeat these words.
Hear the cry of your children,
Lord.
Come quickly and set us free.
Our reading today is John 4 verses 15 through 30.
The woman said to Jesus,
Give me this water so that I won't grow thirsty and have to keep coming all the way here to draw water.
Jesus said to her,
Go call your husband then come back here.
I don't have a husband,
Replied the woman.
You're right,
You don't have a husband,
Jesus exclaimed.
The fact is you've had five and the man you're living with now is not even your husband.
So what you've said is quite true.
I can see you're a prophet,
Answered the woman.
Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain,
But you people claim that Jerusalem is where God ought to be worshipped.
Jesus told her,
Believe me,
The hour is coming when you'll worship God neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You people worship what you don't understand.
We worship what we do understand.
After all,
Salvation is from the Jewish people.
Yet the hour is coming.
In fact,
It is already here when real worshipers will worship God,
Abba Father God in spirit and in truth.
Indeed,
It is just such worshipers whom Abba God seeks.
God is spirit and those who worship God must worship in spirit and truth.
Then the woman said to Jesus,
I know that the Messiah,
The anointed one,
Is coming and will tell us everything.
Jesus replied,
I who speak to you am the Messiah.
The disciples returning at this point were shocked to find Jesus having a private conversation with a woman.
But no one dared ask,
What do you want of him or why are you talking with her?
The woman then left her water jar and went off into the town.
She said to the people,
Come and see someone who told me everything I have ever done.
Could this be the Messiah?
At that,
Everyone set out from town to meet Jesus.
Please repeat these words.
Hear the cry of your children,
Lord.
Come quickly and set us free.
On Tuesdays,
We focus our prayer on our friends.
So I invite you now in a moment of silence to hold your friends before God.
Maybe you want to hold all of those who have blessed your life with friendship before God in gratitude.
Because what would life be without friends?
Or perhaps you have a friend who is heavy on your heart today.
And the spirit is leading you to hold that friend before God.
However you are led,
Hold your friends before God in this space.
Don't worry about diagnosing anyone's needs or telling God what to do.
Simply hold your friends before the Lord of love.
Bless all who call on you,
Almighty God,
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
From your goodness enrich us,
By your love inspire us,
By your spirit guide us,
By your power protect us,
By your love inspire us,
By your spirit guide us,
By your power protect us,
By your love inspire us,
By your spirit guide us,
By your power protect us,
In your mercy receive us now and always.
In the name of Jesus who taught us to pray,
Our Father which art in heaven,
Eternal God,
Earth maker,
Pain bearer,
Life giver,
Source of all that is and all that shall be,
Not only Father but Mother of us all,
May the hallowing of your name echo through the universe.
May the way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world.
May your heavenly will be done by all created beings.
May your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today feed us,
In the hurts we absorb from one another forgive us,
In times of temptation and test strengthen us,
From trials too great to endure spare us,
From the grip of all that is evil free us,
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love now and forever.
Amen.
God our Savior your living water flows freely.
Give us this water oh Lord that we may never thirst again,
That we might be born of water in the spirit.
Fill us with fountains of living water,
Springing up in us to eternal life.
Amen.
And now my friends may the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ go with you wherever he may send you today.
May he guide you through the wilderness,
Protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Go in peace.
