Living Water: Flowing Water

SERMON TITLE:   “Living Water:  Flowing Water”
SERMON TEXT:    John 6:1-3, 5a, 10-11, 23-25a, 34-35, 53-55; and John 7:37-39
PREACHER:           Rev. Kim James
OCCASION:           August 22, 2021, at First UMC
 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
                This week I discovered that the state of Utah has a webpage called “Slow the Flow; Save H2O.” 
On that page is a heading that says, “Why water is amazing.”  Under that heading are these statements: 

• Water makes us—Most of the human body is made of water.
• Water provides—Water grows the food in Utah’s gardens and grocery stores.
• Water saves—Water is necessary to . . . extinguish fires [and] water regulates the temperature of our planet.
• Water is joy—From whitewater rafting to running through sprinklers.
• Water heals—Without it, dehydration causes headaches, illness, and organ failure.
• Water powers us—providing renewable electricity to our homes and industry.1

 
                While water is very important to us, however, it’s also limited in quantity.  So, as you might expect, Utah’s “Slow the Flow; Save H2O” website also lists “Simple ways you can conserve” like these:

• Quickly fix leaks [and] . . . keep your plumbing updated.
• Use more mulch around plants and shrubs  . . . [and use] a drip system.
• Don’t overwater.
• [Pull] your weeds [that] syphon water from other . . . plants.
• Adjust your mower to a higher . . . setting [because] longer grass . . . holds in moisture.
• Wash Fido near flowers [so your water can serve two purposes instead of one].1

 
                It’s wonderful that we’ve had so much rain this week.  But water conservation continues to be  necessary in this year of drought.  And, hopefully, with some efforts to slow the flow, we can get by until God replenishes our water basins and our streams are flowing fully once again. 
                Because of the drought, we’ve spent the past several Sundays focusing on “Living Water” stories from the Gospel of John.  So far, we’ve considered stories about transforming water in John 2, birthing water in John 3, gushing water in John 4, and walking water in John 5 & 6.  Today, as we consider the verses Charles read to us from John 6 & 7, I hope we will find ourselves refreshed and reinvigorated by some flowing water.    

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