Isaiah 12: 1-6 (links validated 11/14/24a)

Many of us have little experience with genuine thirst. We open our faucets thoughtlessly and know water will come out every time. We waste no small amount of water, letting the shower run for a few minutes so the water is nice and hot even before we get in, we flush the toilet just to get rid of a single tissue, and so forth. Most of us have never known a truly thirsty day in our lives. True, sometimes we have a medical procedure coming up at 10:30 one morning and so the doctor orders us to be “NPO after midnight,” meaning no food or water until the test is finished. Some while ago I had to have no water 5 hours before a procedure and even that short period of time was enough for me to complain how dry my mouth was. But in the grand scheme of things, those few waterless hours are nothing and there is not even a remote chance we will become dehydrated. Yet even so we can complain loudly about how thirsty we are and oh won’t it be great to get a glass of ice water once that scan (or whatever) is finished! People in the Ancient Near East knew about hot, arid climates and they knew what it was like to be far from the next “watering hole” where they might get a drink. The idea of abundant wells and having constant access to them would be a source of joy to such people in ways many of us can but dimly imagine.

“Surely, It Is God Who Saves” | Text: Adapted from Canticle 9, “The First Song of Isaiah,” in the Book of Common Prayer (based on Isaiah 12:2–6) | Music by Uptown Worship Band

(If you haven't done this choral with your music ministry [full-blown with organ, guitars, children, handbells, etc. or simply with just piano or guitar), you don't know what you're missing!! I still get goose-bumps listening to this piece!! Watch the little girl in the red dress to the right of the screen!!)

("A schoolteacher entered his room a few minutes early and noticed a mealworm laboriously crawling along the floor......")

The actress, Helen Hayes, tells the following story in her autobiography. It was Thanksgiving Day and she was cooking a turkey for the feast. It was the first time she ever attempted to cook a turkey. Before serving she made an announcement to her husband, Charles, and her son, James. She said, "Now I know this is the first turkey I have ever cooked. If it isn't any good I don't want you to say a word. We'll just get up from the table and go to a restaurant." Then she returned to the kitchen. When she entered the dining room with the turkey her husband and son were seated at the table with their coats and hats on. Obviously, her family didn't trust her cooking skills. When it comes to putting our trust in someone or something, we often do the same. The Hayes family had already made up their mind. Unfortunately, they didn't even try. Why is it so difficult to trust? Sometimes we are afraid...

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