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Home Page
The Rector's Welcome
Worship
Sermons
Music & the Organ
Newsletter
Schedule & Events
History
Programs & Ministries
Tour the Building
Links
Map & Directions
Monthly Calendar
Home Page
The Rector's Welcome
Worship
Sermons
Music & the Organ
Newsletter
Schedule & Events
History
Programs & Ministries
Tour the Building
Links
Map & Directions
Monthly Calendar
Fr. J. D. Ousley
27 February 2005Ex. 17 / Jn 4“Built-In Religion”
In the Name of God: Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. Amen.
Since I was a boy, I have played tennis. At least I've tried to play tennis!
At this time in my life when I play, I need all the help I can get. I enjoy reading books on how to improve my game.
One recent tennis book I've enjoyed is called, Winning Ugly. The author is Brad Gilbert; some of you will know him as a former professional and the coach of famous players like Andy Roddick.
Now Gilbert's book includes simple lessons that are valuable for ordinary tennis players, not just professionals. Such people may not play beautiful tennis but by working on some aspects of their game, they can improve. If they don't play perfectly, they can still "win ugly."
For example, Gilbert stresses the need for preparation. He lists all kinds of things you should pack in your tennis bag before you go to the court; people of my age should remember to bring a bottle of Advil!
He also advises drinking water or other fluids before you start to play. Not only will you insure that you never get dehydrated, but you won't need to drink a lot of water later on to quench your thirst, and you won't feel bloated.
Now both the Bible lessons we heard today are also about thirst.
The lesson from Exodus tells how Moses was instructed by God to strike a rock in the wilderness; water flowed from that rock for the people of Israel to drink. And besides quenching their thirst, the water from the rock gave an answer to the spiritual question the Israelites were asking, "Is the Lord among us or not?"
The second lesson from John's Gospel, describes a discussion Jesus had with a Samaritan woman at an ancient well used by her people.
Besides being very long, this story is quite complicated. But the basic question at issue is the same as in the story of Moses and the rock: Could the woman quench her thirst at this well? Was the Lord among the Samaritans or not?
The Samaritans were a religious group that considered themselves Hebrew but only accepted the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. Yet they were hardly a small group of dissidents. Jesus points out that the woman's ancestors had drawn water from the very same well that she was using.
We should note, too, that then as now, water was a scarce and precious commodity in Palestine. Wells, therefore, were much more than "watering holes." They were sources of life.
So it's not surprising that Jesus was able to steer the conversation around from physical need to spiritual: "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."
However, while Christ's promise is encouraging, reality has a way of striking back. Even living water doesn't seem to give us all we need. Our spiritual thirst returns.
This is an issue that we're discussing in this year's Lenten class, which is about "Optimism, Realism and Christian Faith." Christians would seem, by definition, to be optimistic. After all, in our baptisms, we're given the water that leads to eternal life. We couldn't have better news than that?
And yet the reality is, we Christians have depressing moments and bad days just like everyone else. We drink of the spiritual water Christ offers and we receive inner peace — and yet, after awhile, we again become worried and anxious.
Now, one way to combat spiritual dryness is to apply Brad Gilbert's advice to our souls. That is, we anticipate our needs; we drink spiritually before we're thirsty.
This is a worthy thought for Lent, when we look at the place religion can play in our lives. For example, every Lent I try to set myself the task of memorizing one psalm.
I repeat the psalm to myself at least once a day, as part of my regular prayers. Even though I find memorization hard, by the end of Lent, I have the psalm in my head. Later on, I find that the psalm is always there when I need it.
Much religion works this way. It becomes part of us at the deepest level. Our faith becomes living water that nourishes our souls when we're not even aware of it.
Those of us who visit people who are very sick may have had vivid proof of the existence of built-in religion. I go to see someone who is heavily medicated. According to the hospital, the person is "uncommunicative" and possibly in a coma.
Still, I offer prayers for the person. And as I begin to say the Lord's Prayer, the person suddenly joins me in saying it! The person may keep her eyes closed; she may say nothing else; yet she repeats the old familiar words.
Incidentally, this is also an example of why a "religious upbringing" is a gift to children. The Bible stories they learn, the songs and prayers they hear all become part of the structure of their inner selves. These lessons are never forgotten; they're always there when they're needed.
Like the water we drink before we're thirsty in order to prepare for sports, so the beliefs and practices of our faith are always "there," in our hearts.
Now skeptics sometimes say that religion is a "crutch" for people when they have problems. Well why not? If you're having a problem and you can't trust God, whom can you trust?
Yet saying religion is a crutch isn't the whole story. Jesus said that those who drank the water he gave them would never be thirsty. When he said that, he knew they would still have spiritual needs. But he also knew that the Holy Spirit would be within them before they needed him.
On this view, religion is still a crutch — but it's a crutch that you're given while you can still walk on your own. Your faith is in your soul before you need it!
All the spiritual exercises we do — our common worship, our individual prayers-all become part of spiritual preparation, our training in Christianity.
"Is the Lord among us or not?" The smallest steps in religion allow God to be "there for us" when we need him. God is with us — "A spring of living water" — a gift of the Holy Spirit within us.
And now unto that same God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be ascribed as is most justly due all might, majesty, power, dominion and praise, now and forever, Amen.