Drip Sweet Wine

Good Morning and Welcome to Worship! Worship is often the first place that new people come into contact with this growing community of faith. And so, if you are joining us for the first time, I say to you what is said every Sunday: You are welcome here. Here is a place where all are welcome. For such is the love of God for God’s Very Good Creation.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise God, all creatures here below; praise God above, ye Heav'nly host: praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kindom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kindom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

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Let us pray for the needs of the world.

Loving, Ever-Present God, you are the giver of living water, the source of deepest compassion, the fountain of eternal love. Therefore, we pray to you …

Wellspring of Divine Love, hear our prayers.

For all who are thirsty — Thirsty for a life of meaning, Thirsty for a word of grace, thirsty for a drink of water…

Wellspring of mercy, hear our prayers.

For all who are weary — Weary from life’s long journey, Weary from quarreling and testing, Weary from pain and grief …

Wellspring of mercy, hear our prayers.

For all who feel broken — Broken by mistakes and broken by suffering, Broken by hard disappointment, Broken by acts of violence …

Wellspring of mercy, hear our prayers.

Living God, through your Spirit, pour your love into our hearts, Your grace into our lives, Your healing into our world, Until the earth is transformed in your way of love as the waters cover the seas …

In Your name we pray.

Amen.

Loving God, through the reading of the Scriptures and by the power of your Spirit, may we hear for ourselves the good news of your love for the world and may we be filled so that we might go forth to pour out God’s love upon the world. Amen.

Water from the Rock ¹ From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. ² The people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” ³ But the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” ⁴ So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do for this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” ⁵ The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile and go. ⁶ I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷ He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The Restoration of David’s Kingdom ¹¹ On that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, ¹² in order that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name, says the Lord who does this. ¹³ The time is surely coming, says the Lord, when the one who plows shall catch up with the one who reaps and the treader of grapes with the one who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. ¹⁴ I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. ¹⁵ I will plant them upon their land, and they shall never again be plucked up out of the land that I have given them, says the Lord your God.

In the Gospel lesson, Jesus speaks of living water to a Samaritan woman who is drawing water in the noon day sun. Father Richard Rohr, in his insight on the prophet Amos, speaks of God loving us until we will love God back. God is seeking to drip the mountains with Sweet Wine. Where do you see evidence of God’s extravagant love in your life? Where do feel it is missing? Is that God not loving you? or is it you getting in the way of God loving you? What might you do to turn back to the Way of Love?

My siblings, the fields of God are ripe for harvest! Already, God is gathering fruit for eternal life. With rejoicing, let us offer our lives to God, that we might share what we have with one another and experience God’s abundance.

Loving God, we are the people of your pasture, the sheep of your hand. As you have fed us by your mercy, may it be our daily bread to do your will; and may we follow the Way of Jesus that brings transformation and shared abundance.

The hour has come and is now here for us to pour out the love of God for the community before us. May the love of God and the way of Jesus spring up like living water to fill your heart and flow through you into the world beyond these walls. Amen.