Sermon

Working from a little-understood story in the Gospel of John commonly called “the woman at the well,” this sermon explores what it might mean for the wisest of teachers to sit and learn from exactly the person they were meant to ignore or discount entirely. In fact, this short text is the longest recorded dialogue the teacher named Jesus has in the entirety of the Christian scriptures. How are we shaped by dialogue rather than monologue? How are the relationships that shape us serve as living water in a dry land?

Rev. Nancy McDonald-Ladd is the UUA Director of Communications and Public Ministry.

• Living Waters and suggested service elements (PDF)
• Living Waters (Vimeo)
• Living Waters (with embedded captions) (Vimeo)
• Reading (Vimeo)
• Reading (with embedded captions) (Vimeo)

Rev. McDonald-Ladd has requested that music and hymns be selected by your congregation.

Background: For reference, and use in worship as congregations may choose: this sermon is based on the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, in the Gospel of John, Verses 4-28. Note that this is a rather intense scriptural passage for some UU contexts. For that reason, you can actually skip this and go to the context-setting reading.