"Varieties of Religious Experience: Quenched by Living Water"

SERMON TITLE:                 “Varieties of Religious Experience:  Quenched by Living Water”
SERMON TEXT:                  John 4:7-15, 39-42
PREACHER:                         Rev. Kim James
OCCASION:                         August 7, 2016, at First UMC
 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
                While I was in college, earning my bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Religion, I learned of a book by William James called The Varieties of Religious Experience.  William James published that book in 1902, while he was a professor at Harvard.  I never actually read the book, but the title and idea fascinated me—the idea that there are a lot of different ways that people experience God in their lives. 
For these first few weeks of August, I’m going to use William James’ book title for a sermon series in which we’ll look at three different biblical characters and see what kind of religious experience they had.  Maybe their variety of religious experience will confirm an experience we’ve had, or maybe it will open up a new way for us to connect with God.  Today, we start with John chapter four and the woman at the well.  Let’s learn from her religious experience of being quenched by living water.

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