Loving God of highways and byways, paths and trails, bless and protect the goings and comings of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from John 7: 37 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, 38 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.' " 39 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. (NRSV).
I woke up wanting to write something about this being the last day of our 2011 Southwest Texas Annual Conference. I thought about it being a Family Reunion, but we didn't all wear the same t-shirts. Then I thought, what biblical text talks about something like what we do and experience when we're together as annual conference? Yes, in some ways it is like a family reunion; you both look forward and dread coming to it. There are "relatives" you look very much forward to seeing and some not so much. And then I looked at the Lectionary for this coming Sunday. Wait, that's tomorrow. And it's from the alternate recommended Gospel reading, the one above from John 7. Annual Conference is both a family reunion and a festival. We celebrate being a family, but we also celebrate both past, present and future events. We start, like most family gatherings, asking, "What have you been up to since the last time I saw you?' We ask our "young" that question in what is the Clergy Session, where someone will give a report on our "children" and who is up to what and then we celebrate. Then, like most family reunions, we spend time remembering those whom we have lost since the past year. We cry yet we give thanks to God for their lives. Our annual conference begins with a memorial service. We have a great meal after hearing someone speak fittingly about those who have gone on to the big family reunion in the sky.
As a festival we celebrate what God has been doing in our midst and we make plans and pray about what God can do next if we only allow God to move among us. And we hear from those leading us great, inspiring messages about precisely what we can receive to do what we need to do next. In this passage, Jesus boldly spoke of what He offered to those gathered, as He has done during our time together: No one should leave this place thirsty. And no one should leave the annual conference today without that hope that we have received more than enough water to share with others, especially those from the family-to-be that we have not yet met or invited into the family of God. We leave this place as believers with hearts filled to the brim with expectancy and joy of what is yet to be, because in some, the Holy Spirit has not yet entered in that mighty way that awakens the movement that is Christians alive and seeking to make new disciples, new members of this powerful family.
May it be that next family gathering, next festival celebration, God will ask (in the positive way!), "You did what?" and we'll respond, "We made new disciples, new friends, we shared the Living Water with them all." And God will say, "Well, all right!" Que asi sea! (May it be so!)
PRAYER: Loving God, I thank you for family and for festival celebrations. May I leave this place and this time filled again with the Living Water that is Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit to make new disciples and new family members of this great family of Yours. May the boldness that is the Holy Spirit alive and at work in me help me to reach more. I pray this in faith, in the name of Christ Jesus my Savior, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
