“Water for Our Souls”

Third Sunday of Lent

Bulletin: March 12, 2023

Newsletter: March 5-12, 2023

Scriptures: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-5; John 4:5-14, 25-42

Songs:

Introit: Lamb of God (songwriter live, background, contemporary cover)
Jesus Paid It All (Newsboys cover; Celtic version; Rev James Moore and gospel choir)
All the Way My Saviour Leads Me (lyrics & melody, video, author, meditation)
Here Is Love (Welsh and English; hymn background in Welsh Revival; hymn and background)
Response: Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer (lyrics, Getty video)

Joel Russell-MacLean

This is God’s invitation to everyone and the focus of Lent:

We are all invited to return to God; to come home.

We are all invited to draw closer to the heart of our creator, whether it be for the first time or the thousandth time. Throughout the Sundays of Lent, we will look at various Scripture stories that invite us to return to our Lord.

Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love others.

However, perhaps we all experience the well of love and energy within us drying up at some point in life. Perhaps we have all hardened our hearts toward God or others in the midst of our journey.

The people of God journeyed through the desert for many years. In their thirst, they hardened their hearts against Moses and God. God did not abandon them. God provided water for them from a rock. Centuries later, Jesus would meet a woman beside a well. She had come to fetch water for her thirst. Instead, she opened up her heart. Jesus’ words changed her in such a way that she was able to go back to her community, leaving her bucket behind, and share her new life with others.

Today is the third Sunday in Lent, a season to prepare ourselves for the coming of Easter and to help us see the hardships of life and even our death in the context of the resurrection and life everlasting. Lent is a season of 40 days plus 6 Sundays to prepare our hearts for the realities of Jesus going to the cross, in all its significance. For some, this may be the first opportunity to observe Lent. For others, this may be very familiar.

From Fear to Love – Lenten Devotional

To supplement our Sunday services, we are also inviting everyone to join us in reading a short daily devotional by Henri J.M. Nouwen entitled From Fear to Love.

If you have not picked up a copy, it’s not too late to join in as we seek to collectively encourage one another to draw closer to the heart of our amazing and loving God.