I am praying for the clergy and laity of the Mountain Sky Conference as we continue to journey through Lent.
I love this week’s lectionary text from John 4. Jesus is traveling in Samaria and comes to a well. He does two very outrageous things: he speaks to 1) a woman who is 2) a Samaritan. These are two things Jewish men simply did not do. And he goes further: he asks this Samaritan woman for a drink of water. Jesus asks someone who is the “other” in his culture and is also considered a social outcast even within her own community for nourishment. And yet to this woman, Jesus reveals himself as Messiah for the very first time.
Jesus crosses social boundaries and touches the life of this woman. Not only is she transformed by this encounter, but she becomes the very first evangelist as she tells others that Jesus is the Messiah.
I don’t know about you, but my greatest spiritual lessons have been given to me by those I least expected. I have been brought closer to God by those who I frequently have overlooked or discounted, whether it was because of what they looked like, who they were, or what they had done.
I give thanks that no one is beyond God’s loving grasp. God sees, claims, and empowers even those the world rejects. Are you open to those unusual evangelists who have been touched by an encounter with God, who just might help you grow in your faith?
With love,
Bishop Karen
PS: Join friends of the MSC Monday-Friday, 6:30am (Mountain) for Lenten Digital Devotions. These short devotional times (usually 15-20 minutes) are a great way to start the day! Just log on at:
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