Hello, Reader!
Join us this morning for Mass with Rev. Eileen Shanley-Roberts as we continue our Lenten journey!
Don't forget to make sure your clocks are set right!
Reflection on the Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent 2026
Join us as we explore our thirst for God!
Old Testament – Exodus 17:1-7 The Israelites travel through the wilderness and camp at Rephidim, where there is no water. Faced with severe thirst, they argue with Moses and test the Lord: “Is the Lord among us or not?” Moses cries out to God, fearing the people are ready to stone him. The Lord tells Moses to strike the rock at Horeb with his staff, and water flows out for the people to drink. The place is named Massah (“testing”) and Meribah (“quarreling”) as a reminder of Israel’s lack of trust. Even after seeing God’s deliverance from Egypt, they doubt His presence when hardship comes.
Psalm 95 The psalm starts with a joyful call to worship the Lord, the Rock of our salvation—the God who holds the depths of the earth and the heights of the mountains in his hands. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. But the tone quickly shifts to a warning: “Oh, that today you would listen to his voice! Do not harden your hearts.” The psalmist recalls Massah and Meribah, where the ancestors tested God despite witnessing his works. Their hardened hearts kept them from entering God’s rest. Today, while we can still hear his voice, let us not follow their example.
Epistle – Romans 5:1-11 Paul celebrates the blessings of being justified by faith. Through Jesus Christ, we gain peace with God and stand in grace, boasting in our hope of sharing God’s glory. But Paul goes even further — we also boast in our sufferings because suffering produces endurance, endurance develops character, and character builds hope. This hope does not disappoint because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Christ died for us when we were still weak, sinners, and enemies of God. If God reconciled us to himself through Christ’s death while we were his enemies, how much more will Christ’s life save us now that we are reconciled!
Gospel – John 4:5-42 Tired from his journey, Jesus sits by Jacob’s well at noon. When a Samaritan woman comes to draw water, he asks her for a drink — a request that crosses several social boundaries. Their conversation unfolds in layers: Jesus speaks of living water that forever quenches thirst and becomes a spring leading to eternal life. He reveals his knowledge of her personal life, and she recognizes him as a prophet. Jesus teaches her that true worship happens in spirit and truth, not tied to any specific place. When she mentions the coming Messiah, Jesus declares, “I am he.” The woman leaves her water jar behind and brings her entire town to meet Jesus. Many believe first because of her testimony, then because they meet Jesus themselves and recognize him as the Savior of the world.
Reflection The central theme of these readings is spiritual thirst and the living water that truly satisfies.
The Israelites experience physical thirst in the wilderness and question whether God is really with them.
The psalmist warns us not to harden our hearts as they did, but to hear God’s voice today.
Paul teaches that even our sufferings can produce hope because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. And Jesus offers the Samaritan woman—and through her, an entire community—living water that satisfies eternally, flowing not from Jacob’s well but from Christ himself. Her testimony reminds us that encountering Christ transforms us into witnesses who invite others to come and see.
As we continue our Lenten journey, we are invited to acknowledge our own spiritual thirst and drink deeply from the water only Christ can give. The question posed at Massah and Meribah remains: “Is the Lord among us or not?” The answer comes in Jesus, who crosses every boundary to offer us life—and calls us to worship in spirit and truth.
You can read the full reflection and Scripture texts on today's services webpage.
The podcast of today's service will be available later today on your favorite podcast platform, or you can listen here.
Upcoming events
- Join us for the Living Compass Lenten Study on Tuesdays at noon in classroom 1. You can bring your lunch along.
- Silent Film Night will take place on March 28, 2026, at 6 pm for our fifth season! We will screen two films: Spring Fever (1919) and The Life and Passion of Jesus Christ (1907). Bring a friend!
- Maundy Thursday service on April 2, 2026, at 6 pm with Canon Scott Leannah.
- Good Friday service on April 3, 2026, at 6 pm, also led by Canon Scott Leannah.
Don’t forget to review this week's announcements and the church calendar.
If you feel inspired to pray for others, we encourage you to include those on our prayer list in your prayers to help strengthen our community.
If you need inspiration for prayer, remember the Book of Common Prayer or these prayers to guide your prayer journey.
Blessings, and have a great week!
