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I read an article in the Buffalo News several years ago that was titled, "In Times of Stress, Just Call on Rover."

"Sir, Give Me This Water ... "    March 7, 2010         Jack Keating

John 4: 5-42             Lent 3            Cicero United Methodist Church

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I read an article in the Buffalo News several years ago that was titled, "In Times of Stress, Just
Call on Rover." It went like this:

When it comes to times of stress, the most reassuring companion isn't your sweetheart... it's your
schnauzer. A study has found that people who were under stress showed the least amount of tension when
accompanied by their dog. The stress levels were highest when the people were with their husbands and
wives. "I think that dogs are non-evaluative, and they always love us," said Karen Allen, a research
scientist at the State University of New York at Buffalo's medical school.

This item caught my attention, not because of what it says about stress and our spouses I don't
happen to find it's assumptions to be true in my experiences of the 30 years in which I've been married to
Becky. No, it caught my attention because of what is suggests about how dogs love us - and of the benefits
that we reap from that kind of love.

There is something very biblical in the assertion made by Mrs. Allen that non-evaluative love,
non-judgmental love, reduces tensions.

In fact, the scriptures testify that this kind of love does far more than reduce tension ... in fact it
gives life, it gives hope, it gives assurance.... to all who receive it.

Non-judgmental- accepting - all embracing love is the essence of the gospel message: it lies
behind such statements as:

"Do not judge others lest you be judged - for the judgment you give will be the judgment you receive."

And it is the root of what has happened whenever we find Jesus being criticized by the scribes and the
Pharisees for the company he keeps.

Jesus accepts and embraces those whom others find wanting. He loves those who seem unlovable
- to others - and to themselves.

Now, I'm not much of a gardener, but one thing I do know is that every plant needs water to grow.
And I know this as well - the plants that are in the driest soil:

- The ones that are struggling the hardest and are beginning to wither

The ones whose leaves are beginning to curl and which look worst than the rest need more water than those
that are in damp ground and whose leaves are rich and full of moisture.

And I know too that dry plants respond better to water than they do to added heat - that they thrust
down their roots to where they can find it or turn their leaves over so that they can better receive it - and
receiving it - they change - they begin to look better - they begin to grow - and in time - they produce the
fruit that they were designed to produce.

We are the plants in God's garden - placed here for a reason and a purpose - and some of us are
awfully dry - and some of us aren't.

But each one of us, whether we be dry or moist at this very minute, needs the living water that
Jesus says he has come to give:

the water which wells up to eternal life,

the water which overflows and brings life to other plants near it.

A small boy was sent to bed by his father. Five minutes later Dad heard ...
"Da-ad ... "

"What?"

"I'm thirsty. Can you bring a drink of water?"
"No. You had your chance. Lights out."

Five minutes later he heard ...

"Da-aaaad?"

"WHAT?"

"I'm really thirsty. Can I have a drink of water?'

"I told you NO! If you ask again, I'll have to spank you!!"
Five minutes later Dad heard,

"Daaaaa-aaaad ... ?'

"WHAT?"

"When you come in to spank me, can you bring me a drink of water?'

We all thirst for something. We long to feel loved. We long to experience happiness and joy. We
desperately search for meaning and significance.

A few years ago Sprite had a marketing campaign that sought to entice us with it's slogan, "Image
is nothing. Thirst is everything. OBEY YOUR THIRST!" (Like a sugared-up, fizzy, lemon-lime beverage
has the ability to satisfy the deep longings of your soul!!!)

Many people do obey their thirst. They drink up what everyone around them calls love. They
pursue what their neighbors call happiness, and they try to find meaning and significance as defined by Dr.
Phil, Oprah and MTV. The result is an even greater thirst that seems as though it will never be satisfied.
Jesus teaches us about thirst, and how to quench our thirst when he met up with the woman at the well.

I give thanks to God today for His love - for that love shown by Christ - that love

Which was poured out on me when I was a withering and perishing young man - new in a big city and
which even now is poured out on me - even though I am far from perfect.

I give thanks for his love which has given me hope that I never had, a peace that at one time I
could only have longed for, and an assurance that I thought I would never see it work in my life.

In giving thanks before you today I do what thousands, indeed millions of people have done
before me, I do what the woman at the well did after first encountering Jesus: I point to the one who is the
Savior promised from long ago, I point to the one who has accepted me - the one who calls me brother and
does not hold my human failings against me, the one who encourages me and challenges me and never -
even when I argue with him- rejects or condemns me.

That is what Jesus did with the woman at the well. He accepted her.

He accepted her even though she was a Samaritan and an enemy to his people. He spoke to her of
God even though she was a woman and not thought worthy of such conversation. He offered her his
blessing - even though she debated with him and questioned his statements.

He regards her as a dear sister - and gives her the same title of endearment he gave to Mary when
he calls her woman in verse 21 and asks her to believe his words concerning how the time is coming when
true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth.

And that is why she sang his praises in her village. Because of his acceptance - because of his

love.

It was not just because he knew her past - It was not just because he could tell her things that no
stranger should know that she spoke of him to her friends and neighbors.

It was because in knowing her - in knowing her nationality, her gender, her religious attitudes and
the mixed history of her marriages .... He none-the-less treats her as if she was an equal, as if she was a
person worthy of respect, worthy of affection, worthy of love.

And that is where it is at.

When we treat others as we ourselves would like to be treated, when we can talk to kings and
beggars and not show any preference to one over the other, when we can debate with both sinners and
saints and have both feel that you respect them, when we can open our home to both friends and strangers
and have both feel welcomed, when we can encounter people and not judge them- not put them down - not
patronize them .... then we know something of God's love and then we show something of God's love.

But it probably will not be easy. But I can promise you that when we obey Him, when we do what
he tells us in the Bible, He satisfies us. And understanding that means to do what God says, no "ifs" ,
"ands", or "buts".

God says it, and we do it. Period.

• It will be painful at times ... because God cannot comfort us if we never experience pain.

•      It will be dangerous at times .... or else we would not need God's protection.

•      It will be overbearing at times ...... or else we would not need God's strength.

• It will be scary at times ... which is why God promises never to leave us.

If you and I are going to do what God says ... then we must first believe that he knows what He's
talking about and that He knows better than we do. Obedience means doing what God says even if it
is not popular; even is it might not be what we want to do.

Imagine that you work for a company whose president found it necessary to travel out of the
country and spend an extended amount of time away. So he says to your and the other trusted employees,
"Look, I'm going to leave. And while I'm gone, I want you to pay close attention to the business. You
manage things while I'm away. I will write you regularly. When I do, I will instruct you in what you
should do from now until I return from this trip."

Everyone agrees. So he leaves and stays gone for a couple of years. During that time he writes
you often, communicating his desires and concerns. Finally he returns. He walks up to the front door of
the company and immediately discovers that everything is in a mess --- weeds are flourishing in the flower
beds, windows are broken across the front of the building, the receptionist at the front desk is dozing, loud
music is roaring from several offices and two or three people are engaged in horseplay in the back room.
Instead of making a profit, the business has suffered a great loss.

Without hesitation he calls everyone together and with a frown asks, "What happened? Didn't
you get my letters?" You say, "Oh, yeah sure. We got all your letters. We've even bound them in a book.
And some of us have even memorized them. In fact, we have a "letter study" every Sunday. You know,
those were some really great letters."

I think the company president would ask "But what about my instructions?" And, no doubt the
employees would respond, "Do? Well, nothing. But we read every one!"

For this year's celebration of Valentine's Day, over $1 billion was spent on chocolate, $1 billion
on cards, and 218 million roses were sold in pursuit of or in an attempt to demonstrate love.

But it was God who sent the first Valentine. He showed what true love is. He demonstrated His
love for you and me over 2000 years ago when He sent his One and Only Son to pay the price for your sins
and mine.

Listen, God didn't just love you enough to tell you about it. He didn't just love you enough that
He settled for having it written in the clouds by angels in flaming chariots. He didn't love you enough that
he stopped at sending you a love note, or a card, or calling you. He loved you enough that He sent his Son,
Jesus Christ.

So you see, when it comes to demonstrating love, FTD was not fragrant enough, chocolate was not
sweet enough, and Hallmark couldn't find the right words to set you free.

Blessed be God, day by day. Amen.