Editor’s Note: We continue to look at alternative texts today for Day 2 of this summer’s “The Water of Life” curriculum.
Prayer: Dear God, help me to find you and be with me in my seeking. Make me aware of all that you do to love me. Use me as a light for those who are trying to find you and know you. Amen. Reading: John 3:1-8 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: I know a few people (who will go unnamed) that are really bad at playing seek games—even in the light of day. I am thinking Easter egg hunts and stuff like that. I know it isn’t close to Easter, but they had a particularly hard time finding eggs that were in the open. You know, the really brightly colored ones, too! In their defense, sometimes finding is difficult. Playing hide and seek type games in the dark is even more challenging (and fun!). Nicodemus didn’t want to be found out. He only wanted to ask Jesus some questions. He didn’t want his friends to know that he was curious about Jesus and his teachings. I admire how much courage it must have taken Nicodemus to seek Jesus, and find the courage to ask the questions he was really wondering about. I am sure that he was a bit confused about Jesus describing to him the water-life of his love. The blending of water and spirit makes Holy Baptism and the life of the disciple that follows. Being born into water-life goes beyond regular water into life with God forever. I am glad that John bothers to tell us at the end of the story (Jn. 19:39) that Nicodemus was still around, honoring the care of Jesus’ body in death. He was still seeking. He hadn’t given up completely. Although, I am sure that he had a really big surprise when Sunday morning came rolling around and the stone had been rolled away! Oh how shocked he must have been to hear that Jesus’ strange answers about water-life were from a man that would not stay dead. Jesus’ water is truly alive! --Andrew Fitch
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Authors
Anyone is welcome to contribute! If you'd like to write for us, please e-mail [email protected] Email
Get our daily devotions delivered to your e-mail box each day by signing up below:
Archives
May 2022
Subscribe |