READINGS Exodus 17:1-7 John 4:5-42

“I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock and water will

come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Exodus 17:6

“How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” John 4:9

Reader 1: Wilderness. Desert. Barren earth, wide blue sky. And terrible thirst.

Reader 2: Where can we find water? How shall we survive? Why has God abandoned us?

Reader 1: Today we look within and feel our own emptiness. We see our laziness.

We can be judgemental. Unkind. We search for abundant life.

Reader 2: In the face of global problems that threaten to overwhelm us, we feel our own

helplessness. Where is the water that refreshes in this vast wilderness?

Reader 1: Like the children of Israel, we long to see our God strike rock and let water flow.

Reader 2: God is at work all over the world in unexpected ways. In the Pacific, women

experience wildernesses: they suffer some of the highest rates of domestic abuse in the world

and although creative and strong, struggle to have their voices heard in Church and society.

Reader 1: Our Uniting Church partners are working with networks of women to support them as they stand up against violence, learn

new skills and create an income for their families. In deserts of prejudice and discrimination, living water flows.

Reader 2: Today we celebrate the strength of women, drawing from the well of courage, strength and creativity in the most difficult

of circumstances.

Reader 1: Let us pray. God of the wilderness Strike the hard places within our lives And open us to living water. When we fear that the desert is endless Lead us to quiet pools And teach us to drink. Today we celebrate that even in the most barren places Seeds of hope are watered: In the Pacific, women and men work together to prevent violence against women Cultures evolve and change Families are strengthened. May your living water sustain us, well up in us, overflow in us As we stand beside our sisters and brothers Seeking new life in harsh places. Amen.