West Texas Missioner: March 2014

Monday, March 31, 2014

ChinaAid: "Sichuan Christian physically, verbally abused, forced to stand in rain, cold"

SICHUAN, CHINA – A believer from the Youqing Church, located in China’s southwestern Sichuan province, was stripped of his clothes, bound and forced to endure cold temperatures and rain while being physically and verbally assaulted by local officials on March 1.

Yang, 50, whose first name is currently unknown, was lured to a local government department in Lifu Township, in Qu County, a subdivision of the city of Dazhou. Upon arrival, officials grabbed Yang and stripped his clothes from his body. He was then taken outside, where it began to rain, and bound with a rope. Temperatures that day ranged from a low of 27 degrees Fahrenheit to a high of 54 F.

“They bound him outdoors with a rope where they beat him. The outdoor temperature was very low, and it was raining,” said Pastor Wang “Joshua” Dao, who is familiar with the Youqing Church.

• more on this story from China Aid

From @austinseminary ... What to Do This Week of Lent

Written by professors, graduates, and others in the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary community, these reflections, prayers, and spiritual practices will take you along the journey with Jesus through the cross toward resurrection.

Day 27
Monday, March 31, 2014

Practices for the Week Ahead

Spend a few minutes in silence each day listening for how your life speaks to you. Notice what is flourishing. Recognize and celebrate what people, institutions, plants, animals, or gifts are alive to themselves, serving others and God. Second, notice what is dying. Recognize what of these is in the throes of dying. Allow yourself to grieve their loss, but also remember that all things will be given new life in the risen Christ. Allow yourself to hope for the coming redemption of all things great and small. Give thanks in all things.

For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. How often have you wondered, where are the young adults in the PC(USA)? Wonder no longer. The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is devoted to the theme of young adults in the church. Its stories, many told by young adults, lift up how Presbyterians of all ages are engaging and joining with Presbyterian young adults in reforming the church for Christ’s mission.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 31, 2014

LEHIGH PRESBYTERY, PENNSYLVANIA - Pastors and church members wonder: “How can we reach young adults? What can we provide them that will nourish their faith?”

One place that has served many young adults is Camp Brainerd. Many summer staff are either in college or newly graduated and trying to navigate independence. Through working and living together, they create a tight-knit community in which they can be honest, ask questions, give support, and hold each other accountable. They create a family with bonds that don’t break just because camp is ove.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

From @austinseminary ... Devotional for 4th Sunday of Lent

Day 26
Sunday, March 30, 2014

• 1 Samuel 16:1–13

People who know me and spend any time in my home know that I have a proverbial “green thumb.” I have several beautiful plants in my space. I love greenery and the gift of life that having them in a space gives. One of my friends once said that the plants that live in my house sing. And she is right. I think they sing, mostly, because I talk to them and encourage them to grow and blossom. They turn their leaves toward the sun and soak up the nutrients I provide through plant food. And when visitors come, my plants welcome them with outstretched foliage.

It is a rare thing for a plant to die in my care. I have taken plants that look as if they were already dead and washed off their roots, sometimes dried them off, re-potted them, fed them, sang to them, and before you know it: they’re back! I love that challenge. And besides, I hate to see plants die. For some time now, my own ability to nurture and cultivate houseplants has been tied to my sense of my ability to thrive. As I wrote in a poem once, “I can nurture life, if not in myself, at least in a plant, and that gives me hope.” The ability to nurture a plant or a soul and to see results is no small feat.

But in 2012, I did the unthinkable. I allowed not one but three potted plants to die. I made attempts to keep them alive, but unlike in the past, I made no heroic efforts to save them. When it became clear that my earnest efforts were failing, I rested assured in the fact that I had really tried. But I started saying to them (yes, to the plants): “I want you to live. I really do. I have watered and fed you. I’ve moved you to the sunshine (or away from it if that’s what was called for). I’ve sang to you and talked with you. But I can’t do anything else. I hope you will live. I want it. But I do know that things and people die.” And then these three plants died over the course of a couple of months.

In this Lenten season, I take this lesson of dying plants to heart. Things die. People die. Relationships morph and change and, yes, die. It is always sad to me. I can feel the grief welling up long before the final breath. I do not discard plants with a cavalier notion. Neither do I cavalierly let go of places, people, or things. But things do die. Even with our best efforts thrown into their life. And we have to let go.

I’m learning the lesson of letting go without God or anyone else having to pry my fingers away from its death grip on the dying or dead things in my life. The road to the cross, the Lenten journey, is a road to letting go in preparation for death. It’s the acknowledgement that we must. It’s not easy. But I’m trying to learn.

– The Reverend Valerie Bridgeman, PhD (MDiv’90)
President & CEO of WomanPreach! Inc.
Immediate Past President of
Austin Seminary Association

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

MINUTE FOR MISSION: LOUISVILLE PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY - Global students: their stories are captivating. Told by young adults who have served God in India, sub-Saharan Africa, and mountain villages in South America—and amid the crushing poverty of a North American city—they captivate, move, and inspire, not because of the exotic locations but because of the love, life, and light of God in which they’ve participated.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Sparkling Mission

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2

Annie Dieselberg, founder and CEO, heads the staff at NightLight, a ministry in urban Bangkok, Thailand, that reaches out to women and children working in the bar areas of the Nana-Sukhumvit district. Located in a neighborhood with a growing sex trade, Nightlight’s vision is to share the Light of the world in both word and deed to those who live in darkness, and to combat the sexual exploitation of women and children, both Thai and foreign.

Right now, Annie tells us, the greatest need at NightLight is to sell more jewelry. NightLight Design Co., Ltd. is a registered jewellery business which employs women coming out of prostitution or having been at risk of prostitution and/or trafficking.

If you are interested in hosting a jewelry party please write to NightLight, at jewelry@nightlightinternational.com , and they will assist you in setting that up. NightLight representatives are available for parties and events. If you’d like to host a jewelry party or have a representative at your event, contact Nightlight at that same e-mail link.
Remember the beautiful jewelry is also available on-line at store.nightlightinternational.com/

"God is going before us to the bars preparing the way. He is sending us to receive the women and give hope," Annie writes. "We ask you to join us in this adventure. Thank you to those of you who already do. You are saving lives!"

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

PRESBYTERY OF LAKE ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA - That was the greatest week of my life,” she said to her parents as they packed her belongings in the car. The week of camp was over, and campers were heading home. She had attended a week of counselor-in-training camp, learning how to share her faith, shepherd campers through a week of camp, and develop her leadership skills. She couldn’t wait for next summer. She said she was scared to go down the zip line. Now she wants to be the zip-line facilitator. Her parents immediately noticed her new confidence and self-esteem.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Friday, March 28, 2014

ServLife International: A Season of Opportunities, from the Field

ServLife International is a movement defined by values of God’s kingdom, not programs built around human efforts and activities. The reign and rule of God should be made apparent to every person on the planet, despite their religion, race or socioeconomic status. We believe that issues of justice are inseparable from the good news that Jesus Christ came to proclaim. ServLife exists to take the gospel of Christ and the hope of a better, more just, world to the lives of people we touch. This happens through individual contributions of time, creativity, resources and dreams.

A Season of Opportunities, from the Field

Ten years ago, Sangita’s life was drastically different. Before coming to ServLife’s Nepal Children’s Home at age six, she had already experienced a lifetime of hardship. As an infant, her mother tragically passed away, leaving only her father to care for her. Sadly, her father had no interest in her well-being and refused to be a part of her life, leaving her abandoned and hopeless ...

Read More ...

Get Involved

Friends,

As winter thaws and a new season approaches, we have some exciting opportunities for you to be involved in God's work worldwide. I'll soon be traveling to India and Nepal, which means if you sponsor a child, you have the opportunity to send a letter and a gift. This simple act is so meaningful to the children you sponsor. I hope you'll take advantage of it. All letters and gifts must be received by March 27.

As the work of God expands, we're excited to expand our staff as well. We're in the process of hiring a full-time Assistant Director and three interns. To invest your time and talents resourcing God's global kingdom, apply by March 15. You can find more info on our Careers page.

As we look forward to Spring, you also have a unique opportunity for hospitality. Udaya Bhatta, our Nepal Children's Director, will be visiting the USA in May, and we're in the process of booking speaking engagements for him. If you would like to meet with Udaya personally, have him speak to a small group in your home or book him to speak to your church or organization, email me at adam@servlife.org

Thank you again for your continued partnership and friendship!

Adam Nevins
Executive Director
ServLife International Inc.

Join Our Mission

ServLife International propels reconciliation and justice by building global community to plant churches, care for children and fight poverty. Compelled by the message, life and love of Jesus Christ, we seek to care for the spiritual, physical, social, and economic areas of life in northern India and Nepal. Learn more about our latest news, featured stories, and how to get involved at servlife.org


Support a Pastor Our church planters spread the love of Christ in some of the most difficult environments in the world. Support Them ... .	Sponsor a Child For only $30 per month you can help give a child food, education, care and, most importantly, hope. Sponsor Now ...	Fight Poverty The HOPE Fund, our micro-finance program, provides start-up funds for a small business, paving a way out of poverty for families in need. Learn More ...

ServLife International, Inc.
P.O. Box 20596
Indianapolis, IN 46220
USA

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

PRESBYTERY OF LACKAWANNA, PENNSYLVANIA - The Presbytery of Lackawanna has learned that the early faith experiences of the youth ministry leaders themselves often return as blessing to today’s youth.

With degrees in ministry and adventure education, Shawn Gray does double duty as Christian education director at Covenant Church and summer program director at Camp Lackawanna. His experience as an introverted youth who grew as a result of church ministry supports his belief that offering youth authentic relationships and showing interest in their passions will move church up their priority list.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

In the News ... "Homeless Man Receives Plane Ticket To Get Cancer Treatment"

Staff Report
KMID-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Meet Rene Valdez, a Midland man who's been surviving on the streets and now with lung cancer.

"They told that it's maybe a 40-percent chance that I don't come back. And I wanna say goodbye to my best friends," Rene Valdez said.

His best friends at Church Under the Bridge-Midland, a local homeless and low-income outreach ministry that aims at helping those in need.

"They were the ones that were there for me, all the time," Valdez said.

When volunteers heard about Valdez's diagnoses, they decided to help, posting on Facebook that they were working to get Valdez a plane ticket to Scottsdale, Arizona to get treatment.

• read/watch the rest of this story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

PRESBYTERY OF KISKIMINETAS, PENNSYLVANIA - Since 2007, volunteers from 33 Kiskiminetas Presbytery congregations, from teenagers to volunteers in their 80s, have rolled up their sleeves and dug into disaster-recovery work. Traveling in teams as large as 58 members, they’ve ventured to Mississippi, Iowa City, New Orleans, Nashville, and Queens to help individuals and families clean up, repair, and rebuild their homes.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

In the News ... "Bringing the Word to the people"

• Life Challenge Church Street Ministry celebrates seven years of reaching out

By Jared Wilson, Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - The Life Challenge Church in Odessa and its unorthodox approach with the Inside Out Ministries will celebrate seven years of service to the community during the month of April leading up to Easter Sunday.

The Inside Out Street Ministry is a group of church members as well as those members in the community who volunteer their time visiting neighborhoods around Odessa and extend invitations to kids and their families to come and be a part of their outside ministry and learn about making positive life choices.

The celebration will begin on April 17-18 with the Inside Out Ministry visiting local parks, apartment complexes and various other areas around town. Celebrations will culminate on Easter Sunday as the church produces a drama titled “Story re-made” at 11 a.m. at the Life Challenge Church.

• read the rest of the OA story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

PRESBYTERY OF HUNTINGDON, PENNSYLVANIA - Huntingdon Presbytery is excited to see young adults leading and serving in its own congregations and others throughout the church. From small rural congregations where one or two young adults teach At State College Presbyterian Church, a full range of programs engage teens, college students, and young adults. Recently a young and young-at-heart group worked to repair homes damaged by flooding along the Susquehanna River. Another member of the congregation recently completed a year of service as a Young Adult Volunteer.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Reports From Lulwanda: Program Coordinator's Report for February 2014

Natalie Rolfe serves Lulwanda Children's Home in Uganda as program coordinator: organizing and coordinating the programs of the Home, school, and clinic; overseeing sponsor connection and relationships (on the side of the children); and hosting American visitors that come to the Home.

February, 2014

"February has been a month of “NEW” ... A new school year began for all of our primary and secondary students on the 3rd of February. Having enjoyed a 2.5 month break, all the children were eager to get back into the routine of school ... It is amazing to see how God spreads the story of the work He is doing at LCH ... Since July, not a week has gone by that I have not been asked, iTeacha, when is the Palmer family coming?' ..."

• read the rest of Rolfe's February, 2014 report
• February 2014 Photos, which go along with the news in this report

In the News ... "Midland mom remembers what it’s like to be homeless"

MRT Photo

Ragini Venkatasubban, Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Nursing school is always a challenge. It’s even more difficult when you’re a homeless single mother.

For more than six months, Lucy Gutierrez lived out of her car while attending nursing school.

The Lamesa native was the first in her family to graduate from high school and had secured a job working at a prison. Her shifts were long, sometimes 16 hours without a break. She barely had enough money to pay for groceries and even less time to spend with her daughter, Jobi Bernal.

She knew she couldn’t keep living like this, so she decided to become a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) to pursue her love of caring for the elderly. She enrolled in nursing school at South Plains College in Levelland, more than an hour’s drive from her home in Lamesa.

That’s when the trouble began ...

• read the rest of this story

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

PRESBYTERY OF DONEGAL, PENNSYLVANIA - The yearly Reality conference, an outreach of Donegal Presbytery, seeks to build relationships with the presbytery’s students and challenge them to live a life centered on the gospel. Over the last several years, this conference has been filled many with life-altering moment.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Monday, March 24, 2014

ChinaAid: "Two Nanle believers’ cases sent to public security bureau for further investigation, court considering venue change for pastor’s trial"

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

Two Nanle believers’ cases sent to public security bureau for further investigation, court considering venue change for pastor’s trial

Distributed by ChinaAid, March, 2014 ...

URUMQUI, XINJIANG, CHINA – The lawyers for two Nanle County Christians were allowed to meet with their clients this week in China’s central Henan province.

Lawyers Chang Boyang and Xu Zhongzhou met with Zhang Cuijuan, one of the detained Pastor Zhang Shaojie’s sisters, and Fan Ruiling, respectively ...

Zhang Cuijuan

Chang told China Aid that his Zhang Cuijuan’s case was returned to the Nanle County Public Security Bureau by the Nanle County Procuratorate for further investigation. “So far, her case has not been submitted to the procuratorate [after reinvestigation],” Chang said.

“Our meeting lasted less than an hour. Her condition was OK and was relatively peaceful. Her emotional state was OK, too,” Chang said. “So far, we have not seen the documents [stating her charges]. They said we can get them tomorrow. We don’t know whether they have changed her charge or not” ...

Fan Ruiling

Additionally, Xu was allowed to meet with Fan, who is also being held at the Puyang Municipal Detention Center on the charge of “gathering a crowd to disrupt public order,” on Tuesday.

Xu told China Aid that Fan's case was also returned to the public security bureau for further investigation.

“They were fighting for their rights. We think this does not constitute a crime,” Xu said of the charge against his client.

• more on this story from China Aid

In the News ... "Inviting God into marriage"

• Local church plays host to seminar on tying the knot

By Jared Wilson, Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - For many, marriage is a cornerstone to living a fulfilling life and a local church in Odessa is having a seminar to assist couples on making a happy marriage a reality.

On March 28 and 29, Grace Christian Fellowship of Odessa will welcome the teachings of Jimmy Evans and kick off the seminar “Marriage on the Rock: God’s Design for your Dream Marriage,” giving couples an opportunity to make a positive impact on their marriage.

• read the rest of the OA story

From @austinseminary ... What to Do This Week of Lent

Day 20
Monday, March 24, 2014

Practices for the Week Ahead

Telling our God-given truths takes practice. The following practices will help you to say with more boldness the truth revealed to us in the crucified and risen Christ: God is our God and we are God’s people.

As you reflect on God’s truth and your own truths, may you also be aware this week that the Annunciation takes place on March 25th. The Annunciation is when the angel Gabriel comes to Mary to announce that she will conceive and carry Jesus, the Son of God. How fitting that another truth of God is revealed to us this week.

The practice of Praying in Color can be a family practice and/or an individual practice. Use paper, markers, crayons, colored pencils, or any other artistic tools you have available. In a comfortable environment spend time with God, read John 5:4–52, and express the truth of who you are.

Monday: Start with the word “Holy.” Draw and color as you feel led to. You can use different colors, shapes, and designs to pray your thoughts around the word “Holy” as it comes to you. Express yourself freely and remember there is no judgment. It is truth between you and God.

Wednesday: Start with the word “Beloved.”

Friday: Start with the words “Child of God.”

Closure of practices on Saturday: How did praying in color practices help reveal truths you might or might not have been aware of? What sense of freedom did you experience in meeting God in this way?

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

PRESBYTERY OF CARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA - The mission advocacy committee of the Presbytery of Carlisle is constantly considering how best to promote mission—local, national, and international. For years, it has given mission grants to local organizations. Recently the committee also started making grants to heavily used food banks across the presbytery. In 2013 it assisted eight food banks and another nine organizations engaged in various ministries throughout the presbytery.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

From @JimDenison ... Lenten Devotional for Sunday, March 23

James C. Denison, Ph.D., is a subject matter expert on cultural and contemporary issues. He founded the Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, a nonsectarian "think tank" designed to engage contemporary issues with biblical truth in 2009. In the introduction for his 2014 collection of Lenten devotionals, "Resurrection: Finding Your Victory in Christ," Denison writes, "The world's religions are based on what religious teachers said — Christianity is based on what Jesus did. The fact that Jesus of Nazareth was raised from the dead is still changing our world 20 centuries later."

CLICK HERE for a free copy of Dr. Denison's 2014 Advent Devotional (in a downloadable/printable Adobe .pdf file)

DAY 19
Sunday, March 23

... then the end, whenever he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, whenever he abolishes allrule and all authority and power ... (1 Corinthians 15:24)

The Secret Service was established in 1865. Many people don't know that its founding purpose was not to protect the president but to ght currency counterfeiting. In recent years it's been busy in this regard. A new $20 bill came rst, with new color schemes and background art. New $50 and $100 bills were released next, as the Treasury continues to respond to counterfeiting techniques. But the criminals always have an answer. They "leech" the bills, bleaching out the ink and replacing it with higher currency features. Or they digitally reproduce them.

And so banks still teach their tellers to ght counterfeit bills the way they always have. They give them so much time with the real currency that they can spot a fake the moment they see or touch it.

Satan is the great counterfeiter. When you face the "father of lies" (John 8:44) today, what will you do?

What God's word means

When Jesus returns, the end ("conclusion, consummation") comes. As C. S. Lewis noted, when the author of the play steps onto the stage, the drama is over. At his second coming Jesus delivers ("hands over") the kingdom he initiated at his rst coming (Matthew 4:17). Proving that all authority has been entrusted to him (Matthew 28:18), he gives the kingdom to God the Father.

At that time, he abolishes ("invalidates, makes useless") all ("every") rule ("dominion"), authority ("absolute power") and power ("might, capability, strength"). These nouns refer to evil powers under whose dominion the world has fallen. They include human rulers (cf. Romans 13:1-3), but especially comprise spiritual authorities (cf. Ephesians 3:10; Colossians 1:16). Satan is the "god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4, NIV), the "prince of this world" (John 12:31, NIV) who controls this fallen age (1 John 5:19). Paul warned that "we do not wrestle against fl esh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). But when the "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" returns (Revelation 19:16), he will cast Satan into the lake of re to be "tormented day and night forever and ever" (Revelation 20:10).

Why Easter matters

Jesus' resurrection and return are more connected than many people realize. Jesus prayed for us before his death (John 17:20-26); he prays for us now in his ascended glory (Romans 8:34). He rose in a miraculous body (John 20:19, 26); he will return in heavenly splendor (Revelation 19:11-16). He rose from his grave to ascend to heaven; at his return, the dead in Christ will rise from their graves to join him there (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

If Jesus was not raised from the grave to glory, he could not return from heaven to earth. His resurrection was no more miraculous than his return will be. If we can believe in Easter, we can believe in the Second Coming.

How to respond

Hiroo Onoda enlisted in the Imperial Japanese Army at the age of 20 and was sent to Lubang Island in the Philippines. He was instructed never to surrender or take his own life. When Allied forces landed on his island, he and three other soldiers retreated to the hills. They continued guerrilla warfare against Filipino inhabitants and police.

After World War II ended, lea flets were dropped on their island calling on them to lay down their weapons and return to civilization. However, the four believed these lea ets to be enemy propaganda. One surrendered ve years later; a second was killed in 1954, and a third in 1972. Onoda refused to surrender unless the proper military authority relieved him of duty. Finally his long-retired commanding o cer, Major Yoshimi Taniguchi, was located. He was own to Lubang Island, where he accepted Onoda's surrender on March 9, 1974.

Jesus defeated Satan on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. He is more powerful than our enemy still today: "greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Like Hiroo Onoda, we can try to hold out against him in our strength. Or when the devil tempts and attacks us, we can turn to our risen Lord for help. When we do, we can "resist the devil, and he will ee from you" (James 4:7). Not "might" but "will"—guaranteed.

When temptation fi nds you today, to whom will you turn?

From @austinseminary ... Devotional for 3rd Sunday of Lent

Day 19
Sunday, March 23, 2014

• John 4:5–42

We are halfway through the Lenten journey when we cross paths with Jesus and the woman at the well today. A story so familiar and yet unfamiliar each time we encounter it. We struggle with this passage or at least I do. We usually read the passage by beginning with painting an unworthy picture of the woman at the well. We make moral judgments of her that follow her to the end of the passage. I invite you to leave the moral judgment of her behind; Jesus and John, the gospel writer, make no moral judgments of her and invite us into something deeper.

What you may notice when reading without judgment is that it seems so remarkably easy for the Samaritan woman and Jesus to set off on this truth-telling pursuit with each other. “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan. You are a male asking a female for water. You have no visible jar yet you claim to have an everlasting spring.” The Samaritan woman could have easily thrown in a lie without blinking an eye, especially when it comes down to the pressing demand of “Go and get your husband.” Rather she chooses to tell the truth about herself. I have no husband. In turn Jesus, publicly for the first time, reveals a truth about himself in a way he had not before. He simply says “I am the Messiah.” Truth-telling. I am your God and you are my people.

During Lent, we seek to tell more truths about ourselves and to discover truths revealed about the God we encounter at the well of our lives. We seek to take a hard look at what separates us from being who we are fully created to be. We seek to know our place in God’s story. We seek to know the truth of our lives. I believe the reason we tell the woman at the well story so often is because we want the freedom she possesses to tell the truth about who we are and who our God is. To say that our worth is dependent upon the truth revealed by Jesus at the well: “I am the Messiah. I am your God and you are my people.”

Our truth today lies in God who will journey through Samaria to do a little truth-telling about who each of us is and who our God is. Can we, during this Lent, tell the Godgiven truths about our God and about ourselves? Maybe it begins like this … I am a child of God, beloved, holy, etc.

Gracious God, you came to reveal yourself to us. May we tell the truth about who we are and who you are. For you are our God and we are your people. Amen.

– The Reverend Lisa Juica (MDiv’11)
Associate for Admissions