Selling Water by the River

One of the nice things that churches do is give away bottled water during hot summer months. Some congregations put labels that invite people to share in their congregation's ministry.

One of the stranger things that Christians do is try to bottle the water of life with denominational labels. In my library is a book left over from my Zen period. It is a training manual from a Zen monastery titled Selling Water by the River. Sometimes I reflect on rows of churches [like those along 39th St in Independence or thousands of other streets across America] as little kiosks set up along the river of the water of life ... trying to label and sell what is obviously available for free! I guess we each believe that we have a flavor or additive that somehow improves the grace of God! [I've thought of some fun labels: Robert Schuler's Orange County Soda; Jimmy Swaggert's Lake of Fire; an emergent always fresh/never recycled; Saddleback's Useful; Willow Creek's Each Time Like the First Time; of course my own Methodist/Always Lukewarm.]

I understand the need and desire to hold, contain, or understand something. Years ago in Israel I bought several little ceramic bottles of water from Jacob's Well. For $2 it seemed a nice sacramental reminder of ancient history along with my visit. You could hear the water swishing in the little clay pot. The cork was sealed with wax.  Oddly enough ... even though the bottle was sealed ... the water evaporated before I returned to America. The bottle (wax seal intact) sits in my office as a gentle echo of Jesus encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well ... and his encouragement to drink from well-springs that will truly quench our thirst.