Thirsty
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” -Psalm 42:1-2
As the weather warms and we spend more time outdoors, it is even more important to remember to drink plenty of water. When you are extremely thirsty, you can get headaches and all kinds of health problems. Imagine, for a moment, if you didn’t have access to safe drinking water? Imagine living in a place without running water or even access to water nearby. In many places in the world, people are required to carry water long distances and that water often is not safe for drinking and cooking. Last week I received an email from our PCUSA Mission Co-Workers, Larry and Inge Sthreshley, in DRC, addressing health problems at the 1,055 healthcare sites they oversee with the Covid-19 pandemic reaching the Congo. One of the main problems is water and handwashing stations. Many of these health facilities do not have running water and so they use a bucket system to wash hands which must be filled several times throughout the day.
Another of our Mission Partners providing safe and healthy drinking water in Guatemala is Living Water World Missions (LWWM). Our congregation has funded several water purification systems as well as sending individuals to Guatemala for the installations. We have a great team assembled to go in August, but are monitoring the situation to ensure safety for international travel in the summer. Presently, in Guatemala, LWWM staff are installing water purification systems in COVID-19 hospitals. They are doing what they can to help our partners in Guatemala during this crisis. You can see updates on their Facebook page and website: www.livingwaterworldmissions.
We often take for granted the luxuries and blessings we enjoy. I don’t think much about my water. We have plenty to drink, water the lawn, flush toilets, shower and bathe, and even fill our swimming pool! I am especially thankful that we are provided safe, clean, water and a virtually unlimited supply! We all need water to survive. Even the animals around us experience thirst. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 42, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God… When can I go and meet with God?” -Psalm 42:1-2 This is a sentiment I believe most of us are experiencing after 7 Sundays of online worship. The answer is that we can always meet with God, anytime, anywhere, but there is something precious about meeting with God’s people in a sacred space.
The answer to the question of “When can I go and meet with God?” is, we don’t know. I DO know that when we are allowed once more to congregate in worship together at Kennewick First Presbyterian Church, we are taking many precautions to ensure safety for our people. We want you to BE safe and also to FEEL safe when you arrive at the church building. We have technology enhancements to live-stream throughout the facility so that we can keep safe social distance and cleanliness. You may worship with a small gathering of people in the Garden Sanctuary while watching the service live-streamed from the main sanctuary simultaneously. We also have this capacity in the library, First Pres Center, and many of the Sunday School classrooms. We will have handwashing stations and masks available for use as well. If you feel safer worshipping from home, our live-stream worship is always an option for you.
As I mentioned above, we do not yet have a date we can open the facility and resume in-person worship. We will hold a wonderful celebration as soon as we are able! Until then, know that God is always with you. We are here for you in spirit and in support. If you ever need to talk to a pastor, please email and we can set up a phone counseling opportunity. These are stressful and anxiety-filled times, but God is faithful.
Lord, thank you for water. Thank you for the ways we can give a drink to someone who is thirsty. Bless people throughout the world who do not have access to safe drinking water. Help us to continue to provide for their needs through Living Water World Mission. Bless us as we long to worship together and give us strength when our souls are thirsty for you. Amen.
In Christ,
Pastor Hanna Peterson Shearer
