I’LL DRINK TO THAT!
Have any of you seen Pulp Fiction? A strange film. Soon after I put the tape in I was thinking, “okay, I could’ve sworn I rewound this.” You see, it started in the middle, it ended, then at the end it started at the beginning and then by the time they got back to the middle, the middle had changed… then it was over. And I was thinking, “I don’t get it.”
That was postmodernism slapping me in the face. I am reluctant to even mention “postmodernism” because this isn’t a sermon about postmodernism. However, are going to tread on some postmodern turf today, and I don’t want your experience with it today to be so rude as some that I’ve had. We’ll begin in postmodern mode – meaning you’re going to think I’m winging this and that my sentence structure really sucks – then move through a modern analysis complete with comparisons and contrasts, and proceed to a postmodern theme packaged in a modern framework – which means you’ll probably be in the “I don’t know what he’s talking about, but I think I know what he’s trying to do” phase and we’ll conclude by proposing a toast. When was the last time you said, “I’ll drink to that!” in church? Now, if you’ve already decided that I’m just going to waste your time, let me just say that you may be right. Even I nodded off while reading through this.
Anyway, for those who are yet awake, I want you to understand how my mind wanders through life’s questions. Sometimes they’re really important, and sometimes - they’re not so important, like: Darth Vader vs. Superman. Who would win? I don’t know, but I think about these things. I know, you’re either thinking get a life, or I really didn’t want to know this much about him… And there may even be a few who are thinking, and this is really scary, there’s someone else in here who thinks about the same kinda stuff I do… But there are times that I do think about more serious stuff, like, if Jesus was here, breathing and walking around among us today, who would be His favorite Christian broadcaster? Would it be Him? Would He have a bumper sticker on His Hummer that reads “I ‘Heart’ Me?” I wonder if He would have His own clothing line called “What Would I Do?” where WWID is boldly embroidered on every little headband, key chain, and T-shirt. And I wonder what he would say about forgiveness? (And how much Yiddish would he throw around in those conversations?)
“Those goniffs? Be nice to them, it’ll be just like putting hot coals down their backs.”
“And her? She’s a real yenta, and more than a little meshugge. But be nice to her, it’ll be just like putting hot coals down her back.”
“But him? He’s a real no-goodnik. (Yeah, that’s really Yiddish.) For him, just go straight to the hot coals down the back. That’ll be nice enough.”
But today, I wonder,
Who should be thirsty for this (communion)
cup?
To that question I think Jesus would hold up this cup and reach out and say, “All of us.” I can’t help but think of a conversation Jesus had one afternoon with a woman at a well. For those who want to multitask, you can find the story in John 4 (page 128 of your pew Bible). It’s a conversation about being thirsty and never being thirsty. It’s a story about water from a well and living water from God. It’s a conversation about taking our relationship with God beyond the confines of location and methodology out to the broad and limitless expanses of spirit and into the pure beauty of truth. And it’s a thoughtful conversation. Jesus asks questions, then the woman asks, then Jesus asks again… And when He gives an answer he speaks in metaphor, which was his way of telling her, “You and I already have enough reasons to distrust each other so I’m going to make sure there’s no way we are going to get in an argument about any of this.”
This “living water” conversation uses water images that speak loudly about the God of Universe who does not “belong” to any person or people and who cannot be confined into any physical space or ideology. Yes, the water images speak loudly. Ever kept water in one place too long? It starts to stink. It becomes toxic. Ever tried to stop a wave from crashing? I can’t even stop a toilet from overflowing! No single metaphor or analogy can ever capture the fullness of God, but Jesus is clear on this: like water bursting from a dam the God of the Universe cannot be confined or packaged for our convenience. God seeks worshippers who will respect this and who are daring enough to worship in the limitless freedom of spirit, and the unimaginable beauty of truth.
Furthermore, if Jesus’ water metaphor is accurate then just as water from the well keeps us alive, this living water isn’t a one-time deal. It is a lifestyle and an integral part of our journey. It energizes us, replenishes us, cools us, cleanses us and refreshes us. Like water from a well that penetrates to our very core to infuse and bathe each individual cell, the living water Jesus speaks of can penetrate every crack and crevice of our being. In contrast to well water, which satisfies us temporarily and is only available if we are in the right place at the right time with the right tools, this living water is supplied by God, it is of God, and it is available wherever God is. It is something we will always need. In fact, the more we need, the more we get.
Now, here’s where I try to sneak some postmodern language past you by hiding it in the comfortably modern framework of “purpose” and “goals.” Hopefully this will illustrate, in a practical way, why Jesus offers this living water so willingly and why we need it so abundantly.
In short, Jesus tells us we need this living water because we are here for a purpose. If Jesus was here, breathing and walking around among us today He might propose that our purpose, or the reason we are here, is to (paraphrasing and expanding on what He calls “the greatest commandments”):
“Love God and love and care for all of creation.”
And of our goals, or objectives, He might say (and here I paraphrase Jesus’ last words to his followers in Matthew 28):
“Live as I lived
Serve
even those who don’t, and together
Convey
God’s love for all creation through your prayers, words and actions.”
With each of these phrases we get a glimpse of how important this concept of “living water” is and why we need it so much as we live the life Jesus has in mind.
Now, about this cup. Who should be thirsty for this? To that question I think Jesus would hold this cup up and reach out and say, “All of us.” Is it the “living water” that Jesus spoke of in John 4? I don’t know. But if I understand what Jesus is saying about “living water” and when I put that together with what we understand about this sacrament, then I can see Jesus, still holding up the cup, saying to us, “This is who I am. I poured myself out for you. This is me and if you drink this, it means you’re going along for the ride and that you will try to live as I lived and teach I what taught. But you’re not in this alone. We do this together. Besides, there’s that living water you asked for.”
“And now,” he would go on, “I propose a toast! To all who drink this cup, remember there is a spring of living water in you. Let it saturate you and penetrate your entire being. May you experience it in your worship and as you care for creation. Allow it cleanse and purify you as we walk together. Let it replenish you when you are with friends and invigorate you when you meet someone new. May it cool and refresh you as you gather to consider and then live out our purpose together. And as beings created in the image of God, may it flow from you in all your prayers, words and actions.”
I’ll drink to that!