Sermon June 29, 2008 - A Cup of Water
Pastor Wesley Howell

It’s graduation time. I’ve mentioned my “grief” with the content of Graduation ceremony speeches. “Now it’s our turn to go out and change the world!” Well, that’s fine. But it’s SO big – too big. People want to change the world but not their own part of it. People want to change others but not themselves.

Jesus has been “nailing” us over the past few weeks. Really hard stuff like “Who ever loves father, mother, sister, brother, more than me is not worthy of me.” He’s not fooling around. He wants to make sure our priorities are straight and that God is NOT just an addendum to the many clubs/tribes we want to sign up for. Who’s the number one priority? Jesus. And then we can go from there…but don’t slip off. So the priority is hard…but what does he ask us to do?

Healing. The healing God began in Genesis. It doesn’t have to be huge; and it begins with healing…you.
A little prayer offered on our behalf, to drive away the darkness, to destroy the isolation? I was talking with one of our members in a health center and he said, “You know…just to know people are praying for me…they care.”

Doesn’t a part of us hunger for that?

Of course, we do. This is God pouring grace into our fragmented lives, which is all well and good; if only God's grace weren't so scary; if only it didn't come with so much risk!

Extending the circle to another involves the risk of rejection, the risk of laughter, the risk of tears, and the risk of love.

I've heard it said that the problem with others is that they are just so “other.” They’re not LIKE us. They might not like us. They might refuse our kindness. They might wound us. They might persecute us. Others might crucify us.

And worst of all, others might change us, so much for small acts. There’s no such thing as a small act. Because even offering a glass of water means we have to step outside our self made walls of protection. It is a risk…but it’s also rich life.

But this is Jesus. He's always trying to change us. He never leaves us alone.

He wants us to be good. He wants us to be faithful. He loves us and expects us to love others.

Jesus knows we were not created to live alone. God’s heart is so big and full of love it cannot help but offer grace and redemption and call us back. And it grows. It grows when we offer kindness, gentleness, and mercy, when other lonely lives become wrapped up in our own. God's love that was first opened to us is extended to someone else.

And before you know it the cup of water we are offering to another becomes our salvation, as barriers fall, hands touch, and lives become entwined.
Getting involved with this kind of God, even when it seems small and harmless, is always risky. Whether we are casting out demons, preaching in the streets, being persecuted for our faith, or simply offering meager acts of hospitality to others, we always risk finding salvation. This is the great irony of the gospel. We reach out…we risk. Sometimes we get stepped on; but it’s a risk he was willing to take.
Jesus has high expectations. He’s been nailing us over the past few weeks. He EXPECTS us to do it…to live it out.

But…the funny thing is that WHAT he expects us to do is simply to reach out. That’s the start. You want the world to be peaceful? Then YOU be peaceful. Want your family to be caring? Then YOU be caring. Want the congregation to be friendly…spiritual? Then it starts with you. You BE what you want. Don’t just fuss about everyone else and try to make THEM what you want. Simple as a cup of cold water given because of who and whose you are. We don’t have to save the world…but he does expect us to heal our little corner of it.