Have We Come To God to Quench Our Thirst? Does Living Water Flow From Us?

John 7:37-52 (NRSV)

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.' "Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, "This is really the prophet." Others said, "This is the Messiah." But some asked, "Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?" So there was a division in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why did you not arrest him?" The police answered, "Never has anyone spoken like this!" Then the Pharisees replied, "Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law-they are accursed." Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, "Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?" They replied, "Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee."

As I write this blog today, my heart is just so full of joy and celebration. Last night at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral my partner Jason and I were witnesses of a wonderful event. Three individuals, two of whom were former Roman Catholic Priests and one former Lutheran Minister were received as Episcopal Priests by retiring Bishop James L. Jelinek of the Diocese of Minnesota. Two of the three Priests who were received last night are openly gay men who are now empowered by the Holy Spirit and the Episcopal Church to minister to and with God's people. What a wonderful celebration of God's tremendous gifts shared in ministry and diversity. Thanks be to God.

Jesus Christ has come to quench our thirsting souls. It is true. We do not realize some times how thirsty we are, until at last we are able to get that drink of water or soda pop. When we finally do get to drink, it is as if we could gasp with relief that our thirst has finally been quenched. In the Gospel taken from today's Daily Office, Jesus invites everyone by saying that "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water." (John 7: 37 and 38). Notice here that Jesus said the word anyone. Jesus seems to imply that he is the "living water" that he earlier spoke at his encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter 4: 1-41. In Jesus who is God's perfect revelation, we receive the living water that comes from God to cleanse us from our sins in Baptism and prepares us to let the living waters of God's precious love flow from us. The living water that flows into us from Jesus is a pure water, life-giving and quenches our thirst for God. It is a river that we can continually come to. Though we can only receive the Sacrament of Baptism once, we can come to Jesus anytime we are thirsty for God's unconditional and all inclusive love and receive God's compassionate mercy. Our access to God came through the incarnate Word, who is Jesus the Christ.

When I hear the tragic stories of how lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people have rejected the Christian Faith mostly because of how those in the religious right have rejected LGBT people, while I totally understand their feelings, I am still disturbed. Many LGBT people have been falsely told that our being LGBT is a sin. The fact is, sexual orientation and gender identity and/or expression is morally neutral. Our being LGBT is no less morally sound than being a heterosexual is. A man is no more or less morally neutral than a woman is. Someone who is not white or caucasian is no better or worse than someone of a different skin color and/or nationality or ethnic background. Yet, for whatever reason as human beings we are blinded by our perceptions of other people. And we put systems in place of who should benefit because one is a heterosexual, white, healthy, male while someone else who is a homosexual, bisexual and/or transgendered, male/female who is not white, not healthy should live a life of second class citizenship. People's moral judgments begins and ends with what they think someone else should be. These judgments come from the same thirst that can only be quenched by God. They are judgments that come from a power hungry desire to control other people, and make claims where there is no right to make claims.

However, while LGBT people are morally neutral in our sexual orientations and/or gender identities and/or expressions we are people who struggle with sin just like anyone else. We come with thirsty souls in need of quenching. We have a need to experience the quenching power of Jesus Christ's living waters and when we sin we need to come to him and ask for God's forgiveness. When we make use of someone else for our own selfish sexual desires with no intention or desire to honor the other person as a child of God who should be loved and cherished, it means we are thirsty to be loved by God. When we refuse to deal in a healthy way with other addictions that we might have, it is a thirst for God that only God can quench. When we refuse to answer that call of God in our hearts to let God love us and allow us to love God back, that is our thirsty souls looking for the refreshment that comes from Jesus Christ who is the living water. How and when will we open those dry lands of our lives and let Jesus Christ quench our thirsty souls?

In the Christian Faith it is never enough to be quenched and to keep it all for ourselves. We are called by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to let the rivers of gladness flow from us who believe into the lives of others who are also thirsty. The quenching waters that come to us from Jesus are God's compassionate love that has accepted us as we are, and can heal us of our indifferences, prejudices, addictions and the need to do things all by ourselves. The waters that have quenched our thirst can flow into the lives of others. Whether that other person happens to be our partners, our boy/girl friends, our parents, PFLAG families, activist groups or those in need such as people with HIV/AIDS, or the LGBT people of Uganda. The living waters that come from Jesus Christ are for anyone. Can we think of anyone in our lives, community or world who could use the living waters of Jesus Christ from us to them today?

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the Peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for Epiphany, Book of Common Prayer, Page 214).

O God, the creator and preserver of all, we humbly beseech you for all sorts and conditions of people; that you would be pleased to make your ways known unto them, your saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for your holy Church universal; that it may be so guided and governed by your good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to your fatherly goodness all those who are in any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; that it may please you to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. (Prayer for All Sorts and Conditions of People, Book of Common Prayer, Page 814).