[00:00:00] Welcome to central. We are so delighted that you have joined us today. And before we get to the message, I want to spend just a few moments as pastor and I just want to rally us together and talk about this. crazy world we're living in. The world of Coronavirus. And, you know, back in March, when we started on this thing, we had no idea, just absolutely no idea that this thing would linger and that it would intensify to the degree that it has. And you know, it's one of those things that has put an incredible amount of stress on all of us. And certainly done the same thing for our church. And yet, the reality of it is, is that I believe God is doing exactly what God wants to do in and through us. [00:01:00] And I just want to say thank you church for being the kind of church you are. I am so incredibly proud of you and the difference you've made in the way you've worshiped, the way you've served, the way you've prayed, the way that you've cared about people. And, I just want to let you know, we will open up our churches as soon as it makes sense, I promise you in the worst way I want us to be back together and yet again, I just praise God. I want to read a passage of scripture real quick. You know, it's interesting. We often personalize this, but I want to talk about this passage in a corporate sense, James chapter one verses two and three. Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature, and complete, not lacking in anything. And what I'm watching God do in us is he's creating something new. He's creating something dynamic. He's using these experiences that we're going through [00:02:00] to make us a better church. And so church, I just wanted to tell you again, I'm proud of you and assure you we will open as soon as we are able. Well, listen, last week, Caleb commented on the fact that we were wrapping up the summer series. Oh The Places We Will Go has been such a wonderful time. We're reading books together and just getting insight from different pastors. And I've enjoyed that. I hope you have, as well. I want to let you know that in a couple of weeks, we're going to begin our first fall series,

in the beginning of August, it's called Love Beyond. Love Beyond. It's kind of the theme of our church that we're learning how to love beyond. And we're going to talk about some beyonds we need to go into, and I'm excited for that. But today we have something very, very special. Months and months and months ago, we plan to end the summer with a special guest. And, the special guests that is here today is Jeremy Jernigan. And Jeremy is of course my son, Lisa and my son. And, we're absolutely delighted to have him back. Now, if you've been around Central, you know who Jeremy is. Jeremy was [00:03:00] on our church staff here for about 13 years and literally started in our youth ministry. And kind of just worked into an executive pastor position. And about three years ago, he accepted a call, to go become a lead pastor up at Abundant Life Church up in Portland, which he has done for the last three years. And, it was really hard to say goodbye and let him go. But God has used him and blessed him and he's grown immensely through that experience. And so we thought it would be really a great way to end our summer by bringing him back. So we made plans for that months ago. Now listen, I want to tell you a couple of things about Jeremy. And I'm biased. Okay. I got it, but he's a great communicator and very gifted in the words that he uses. He is also an author. He is a conference speaker. He's got a blog that gets read all over the place. And any way. He is a thinker for God and just loves to use his mind and challenge people to do that. So he's going to do that. Now. We're going to begin a series today called Reflections. He's going to lead this for the next two weeks. He's going to be here [00:04:00] and again, I'm as excited as I can be. Now. There's one last thing real quick, just so you understand who he is. He's a husband, he and Michelle been married almost 15 years. He's a father. They've got five kids. The oldest is 11. The youngest is four. And again, just a family guy. And I just couldn't be more proud of who he is. So without going any longer, let me ask you to do what I'm going to do, and that is welcome Jeremy back home to Central. So, hey Jeremy, come on out here. Here he is. All right. Wonderful. Good to have you, man. Thank you. Well, Central it is so great to be back with you, so great to come home and be a part of this. And it's an interesting time though. I've come back and I've met some new staff members here and I'm meeting them with masks on. And so I'm not really sure what they look like. And if I were to see them a few months from now with no masks on, I'm not sure I would still recognize them. And that's kind of the world we're living in, where, where you don't fully see people right now. And we're [00:05:00] interacting in unusual ways. And a lot of this is through technology. And so we have masks on and we have screens that we're looking at each other through, and it's just created a totally different environment. And yet some people are, are trying to figure out how do we thrive? In an environment like this. And I want to give you a little, a heads up on a product that you may be interested in. And this is something that I have seen that I get a laugh at. It's called the work from home jammies. Let me show you what these are. These a whole outfit you can wear. Where the top part that you're going to see on a video looks really formal, but the rest of it is, you know, pajama material. And it's just kind of like the mullet for your clothes, you know, business on top. Party, everywhere else. And, they've designed these for people who know I gotta be in front of a screen on my laptop or whatever, but I want to be comfortable throughout the day. They even make them in a variety of [00:06:00] colors. Cause you can't wear the same pajamas every week or every day. So. You can have different color options of what you want to do to change it up and keep it going. And, they figured out that there's only so much that a computer screen or a camera is going to pick up. And so they figured out the angles here, right? Because, this top part is really the only angle that matters when you're sitting in front of your computer. And the rest of it you want to be comfortable. You want to feel good. Now it's funny. This is why a lot of us. We have Zoom fatigue. If you've heard that phrase, because we're trying to figure out a bunch of context clues from less details from, from less data points to draw from then than we normally get. And, that has just become normal in our world. And it has shaped so many things. Well, like you heard already today, we're going to begin to series called Reflections and I'm so pumped to be back with you guys. So excited to spend a couple of weekends sharing some things that, that I have found to just to be [00:07:00] incredibly encouraging to me through the scriptures. And we're going to look at two weeks, around this idea of things that happen around water. You know, that's where the reflections idea comes from. In John chapter four and John chapter five. And so if you've got your Bible today, I would encourage you to get it out. We're going to look at a story together. So today we're going to be in John chapter four and then next week we're going to be in John chapter five. As we look at another story around water and we see what Jesus does. Now today, I want to share a story that is a very popular story. If you have grown up in the church, if you have read your Bible before you have no doubt heard this story, and if you have, I want to offer you a different take on it. Something that I have recently seen in it that I think really brings the story to light and in new ways. And, if you've heard it before, this might be a little bit different than you've heard it, or maybe how you've imagined it in your head. If you've never heard it before, and this is like your first time at church and you're just like plugging in with [00:08:00] someone else and you don't really know what you're in for. This might be way easier for you. Just to see it with a fresh perspective, because a lot of us, we have ideas when we read scripture of this is what this is. And recently I've changed a little bit of my own view when it comes to the story that we're gonna look at today, and if you will, I want to invite us to consider maybe when it comes to the story, we're going to see in John chapter four, we've only seen a little angle of it. Maybe there's more, if we would widen that lens a little bit, maybe we would see some details that might bring it out for us and it might invite us to experience Jesus in new ways today. And I pray that that will be the case for you as we dive into this together, as we explore the different angles of this. And so if you've got your Bible, we're going to be in John chapter four, beginning with verse three. And so I want to read this and then we'll unpack it. Jesus left Judea and he returned to Galilee. He had to go through Sumeria on the [00:09:00] way. Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's Well was there and Jesus tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. This is the context that John gives us to this story. Now you might have an immediate question who are the Samaritans, right? So we have this group introduced. Jesus is going to be hanging out in their village. Who are they? Well, one of the things that I think has helpful to understand, when we ask who the Samaritans are, is to know that they had a fourfold creed and their creed was based on these four things. There is one God, which is Yahweh. There's one book, which is the Torah. What we know as the first five books in particular of the Old Testamemt. There's one place to worship. Which is Mt. Gerizim and there was one prophet, and that was the prophet Moses. Now the Samaritan Israelites, had this. But then you had Jewish Israelites [00:10:00] and Jewish Israelites agreed with them on the first two. Okay. So they would say one God, Yahweh. Yeah, we agree with that. That's good. One book Torah. Yeah, we can agree with that. But the one place I go, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. No, no, not that. Not Mount Gerizim. This would be Jerusalem. That's where you're going to worship and they would have a sharp disagreement here. And then one prophet they would go, no, no, no. It's more than that. You have other profits as well. You have the other writings in the Old Testament. That's where they would, again, start to diverge a little bit. So you have a lot of similarities between these two groups, but then you also have some key differences. And for those of us who are very removed from that, that may sound a little bit confusing. Like how do I know how to understand the relationship between these two? Because some of them sound kind of similar and some of them sound like they may have been significant differences. Well, here's the best analogy I can give to you. I'm a huge baseball fan. And if you know me or, you know, my family, you know, that there happens to be one team in [00:11:00] particular, that we are kind of obsessed with as a family. And that is the New York Yankees. Now, if you know anything about the New York Yankees or you know anything about baseball, you know that there is a key rivalry. In fact, some would say the greatest rivalry in all of sports is the Yankees and the Red Sox'. Now the Yankees and the Red Sox' is this ultimate duo. You know, these two, when these battle, the ratings are high, the views are high. Everyone wants to see these two teams go at it. And as a Yankee fan, you just, you have to participate in this rivalry as a fan. And if you're a Red Sox fan, you know what I'm talking about as well. Every now and then someone will say something funny to me. Like I like the Yankees and I like the Red Sox' and I'll say, oh, so you don't follow baseball. Like that, that's what that means. Because if you follow baseball, you know, you can't like both teams. And if you do like both teams, you're liking something else. Right. You're [00:12:00] not liking the, the baseball that's being played because that's just part of it. There are these two rivalries. And, and again, if you are a fan of either one of these teams, you can't turn it off. I was renting a car one time and, I was wearing my Yankee hat and no joke. The guy at the counter said, oh, my mom is a diehard Red Sox fan, like just prompted by. He knows the rivalry sees the Yankees hat. He says that without even thinking about it, the first thing out of my mouth was, oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I don't know where that came from. I don't know why I said it to this guy. It just came out. I'm so sorry to hear that your mom is a die hard Red Sox fan and he looked at me and that's when I went, oh, I'm so sorry. It's just like, it's just naturally built in, I don't know how to turn it off because if you're a fan of either one of these seams, you are naturally brought in to this rivalry. Now, but here's, what's interesting. If you put me into a room with someone who doesn't like baseball at all, that they want to watch [00:13:00] football, or they want to watch basketball or pick any other sport. I will have less in common with them than I would a Red Sox fan. Now again, you're going well, how could that be? He said, these are, these are bitter rivals. These two teams are bitter rivals, but at least a Red Sox fan loves baseball. So we have this shared a love for the sport, but, but we also have these huge disagreements within that sport, but we actually probably have far more to talk about than me and a diehard football fan and me and a diehard basketball fan, because those are totally different. sports. I think this is a helpful way to understand the Samaritans and the other, you know, Jewish Israelites, because there were these things they had in common that you go, oh they look very similar, but there are also really big differences. And there was a ton of animosity and the animosity between the Jews and Samaritans makes the Yankee, Red Sox thing look like it is nothing compared to [00:14:00] this. They hated each other. They would have avoided each other, and this is where Jesus is going to go. And this is the setting for what John is going to give us to this incredible story. Now, I told you I'm going to give you a different angle. I think that the reason why we, we don't necessarily see everything John is trying to show us here is I think we miss an important detail in this story. So I want to, I want to show you this. We just read it, but go back to verse five and I want you to notice what John says. Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to a son, Joseph. Did you see it? Did you see this huge detail, this huge plot twist that John is throwing in there? Did you catch it? Now, most of you are like, I've got no idea what this guy's talking about right now. What detail am I supposed to catch here? You and I don't read the scriptures the way that Jews tend in the scriptures. They read them with the Old Testament, with what we know [00:15:00] as the Old Testament firmly in mind, firmly in place that gives them context for what they read you and I are not as familiar with the Old Testament, because if we were, we might think of a verse that would come to mind when we read this. And in particular that versus Joshua 24 verse 32, it's in the Old Testament. It says this. The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought along with them when they left Egypt were buried at Shecem, in the plot of land that Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor for 100 pieces of silver. So this is an Old Testament verse that is connecting the location to what John is doing now in particular, John is calling to mind this verse, this idea, and I think he is introducing a silent witness into the story. And you go, who's a silent witness? The bones of Joseph. And you going, this is getting weird, but I want you to think from their point of view, he is introduced, hey, who [00:16:00] standing here or buried here, laying here, right? Is the bones of Joseph. Remember Joseph. He's drawing everyone's attention back Joseph, as they set up this story, which again, as a storyteller is not a random detail. John is planting the person of Joseph into our minds to go, hey, think about Joseph, when you see what's about to happen with Jesus in this story. Now, I don't have time to go into the story of Joseph that begins in Genesis 37. If you want to go and read that this week, that's an incredible story. And we'll help you see some of the fascinating things with this story, but I want to encourage you. I think there's a parallel happening here. I think John wants us to see this woman that Jesus is about to meet through the same lens as we see Joseph in the Old Testament. Now I get that you're going, that's weird. I've never thought about that. But if John is introducing the bones of Joseph into this story, I think there's a reason why, and, and I want to show you how these, [00:17:00] these parallels play out. Verse seven says this. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water and Jesus said to her, please give me a drink. And he was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. Remember, that's this rivalry. We do not like each other. She said to Jesus, you are a Jew. And I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink? And Jesus replied. If you only knew the gift that God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me and I would give you living water. But sir, you don't have a rope or a bucket she said, and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water. And besides, do you think you're greater than our ancestor, Jacob [00:18:00] who gave us this well. Again, think about where they're located. It's a key detail to this story. How can you offer better water than he and his sons, Joseph. And his animals enjoyed. And Jesus replied anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh bubbling spring within them giving them eternal life. Please, sir the woman said, give me this water, then I'll never be thirsty again. And I won't have to come here to get water. Now go and get your husband, Jesus told her. And this s where it gets a little weird in the story. I don't have a husband, the woman replied, Jesus said, you're right. You don't have a husband. For you have had five husbands and you aren't even married to the man you're living with now. You certainly [00:19:00] spoke the truth. Now, again, this was kind of going really well for a moment there. Like, oh, this cool conversation about water and Jesus is going to give, you know, this real great water for her and she won't be thirsty. And then it gets really awkwardly personal, uh, go get your husband. It's like, whoa, Jesus, what are you doing here? And then we find out this woman has a past. This woman has got a story that is shaping this. Now, if you've ever studied this passage before, a lot of attention is given to the time of day. This is noon. And again, we're in a summer in Arizona. I don't want to go, just hang out outside at noon right now,

just for the fun of it. Noon is not the ideal time to go and draw water, in the heat of the day. She's likely avoiding people. She's trying to go to the well, when there are not going to be other people around. But question is why, why does she feel marginalized? Why does she feel like she doesn't fit in with everyone else? Now the way [00:20:00] I've always looked at this and the traditional way of understanding this is that she is a overly sinful woman. This woman's got a past. I mean, she is like a pariah. Like if you only knew the things that this woman has done, nobody wants to touch her. Nobody wants to get near her. I mean, she has got a lot of baggage. But friends. I actually think that there's a more compelling way to understand this story. A more compelling way to see what is happening in this. And I want to show you why. Now you're going, okay. Well, if it's not the traditional way of understanding it, what else is going on here? How else could we view this passage? Well, we have to use our imaginations either way, because we don't really know why she had all of these husbands and, and there could be a variety of explanations to this. One could be maybe several husbands have died. And she's outlived a number of husbands. That could be one explanation. Maybe a number of husbands had been unfaithful to her. That could be another explanation. What [00:21:00] I have come to believe, and again, this is just my take on this. You are free to disagree with this. If this doesn't make sense to you, but what I find to be the most compelling reason why she might have been in this situation is that she likely was unable to conceive. She could not have kids, I think makes the most sense and probably was divorced multiple times over when her husband's figured this out. So this woman had probably tried to start a family. Couldn't have kids and each time a husband learns this, the husband moves on and gets rid of her and you're going to, whoa, whoa, whoa. Why are you putting it all on them and not on her? Well, if you understand ancient Israel, and the culture there, women could not initiate a divorce. So we tend to put all the emphasis on her of what was she doing. But if you understand their culture, women didn't have the to do this, and we can go to the Old Testament again, to see this [00:22:00] explained very clearly check out Deuteronomy chapter 24. It says this. Suppose a man marries a woman but she does not please him. Okay again, this is kind of sounds harsh to our ears even. Having discovered something wrong with her, maybe she couldn't have kids. He writes a document of divorce, hands it to her and sent her away from his house. When she leaves this house, she is free to marry another man. But if the second husband also turns against her, writes a

document of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away, or if he dies, the first husband may not marry her again. Why? For she has been defiled. Now, again, I know that you might have this reaction to that. That is the culture in which this story is taking place. That that is how it worked. And hopefully you can see all that kind of sounds like this woman, even the way this is being carried out. So [00:23:00] maybe that she had been defiled because she had had husband after husband, when they realized you can't give me kids. We can't have a family together. Now you're going, okay. Hold on, Jeremy. There's another detail there. That's still a problem though. Jesus said that she lived with a man. Who was not her husband. To, which we all go, oh, this is, you know, they're having premarital sex. This is what this is about. But again, we don't know that it doesn't say that in the text. We usually jump to that conclusion. Now, if this is a defiled woman, maybe she's living with some extended family member. Maybe she had to find some situation of some man, that would provide for her and take care of her in a less than ideal situation just to survive. Because if she really was a defiled woman who had, had been rejected by husband after husband, maybe she had just figured out some way to exist. And I think a more likely explanation of this is that Jesus is [00:24:00] looking at this woman, not calling out all these horrible sins that she's done, but speaking to the pain in her life saying, I see the pain that you have experienced. The author Parker Palmer says this. The human soul doesn't want to be advised or fixed or saved. It's simply wants to be witnessed, exactly as it is. And I think this idea is what we're witnessing with Jesus. He is witnessing this woman. He is seeing this woman. Exactly as she is. And if we go with this understanding with this reading, this would be in line to the story of Joseph. To the story of what Joseph had experienced throughout his lifetime and the pain that Joseph had had to endure as well. And Jesus sees this woman, he speaks to her. He says, I know you, I know what you've been through. I know the pain [00:25:00] you carry. Go back to chapter four. You see what, what her reaction is to this. Verse 19. Sir, the woman said you must be a prophet. So tell me why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim where our ancestors worshiped. So I think she's going okay, I like you, but you're not a Samaritan, you're a Jew. And so we've got some theological things we've got to work through. What about this place of worship? And Jesus replied. Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. Now we read that and we're like, yeah, that's not really a big deal where you worship. To them, that is monumental stuff Jesus is saying. It won't matter. And they're going no, that's one of our four big things of our creed is, is where you worship. This was a huge disagreement. It'd be like me just flippantly saying it doesn't matter if you're a Red Sox fan or a Yankee fan, it makes no difference at all. [00:26:00] People are going, no, it matters. Right? She's going, what do you mean? It doesn't matter. Where you are worship, but she's trying to process this. Verse 22. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship. While we Jews know all about Him for salvation comes through the Jews, but the time is coming indeed it's here now when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, the Father is looking for those who will worship him that way for God is spirit. So those who worship him must worship in spirit. And in truth. The woman said, I know the Messiah is coming. The one who is called Christ, when he comes, he will explain everything to us. Then Jesus told her I am the Messiah. You just can imagine the goosebumps she got as she stared at his face and went, what? I am the Messiah. Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking [00:27:00] to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask. What do you want with her? Why are you talking to her? The woman left her water jar beside the well, okay. Why was she there? To get water. She leaves her water jar beside the well, and ran back to the village, telling everyone come and see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could he possibly be the Messiah? So the people came streaming from the village to see him. Now, why do I think that the way we often view this story of, of her as an overly sinful woman, why do I think it's not the most compelling reading of this? Because if this were the overly sinful woman, I do not think that verse, we just read what have been true. I mean, can you imagine if, if she is the outcast of the village, she comes running back and goes, hey, everybody, come see a guy that told me everything I've ever done, come and see that they'd be like, Karen, we all know everything you've ever done. Like that is not [00:28:00] news. Everybody knows that. Why would we come see that? I don't think that the whole village would come streaming if that were her the story. But what about this? What if her whole demeanor her whole life had been marked by depression? Had been marked by loss and the rejection that she had felt. And so the only version of her that they had ever seen was this depressed mopey version of herself because man, life has been rough on her and then suddenly, for the first time ever, they see joy in her face and they think what on earth happened to her? What on earth changed this woman from the woman we know who is never happy is just kind of like life has been hard and suddenly has found joy. We have got to see that. What had changed in this woman for the entire [00:29:00] village to come streaming, to see Jesus. The pastor Judah Smith says this about this story. It says. Remember, she was at the well in the blazing heat of the noon sun. This was to avoid people and not be seen. But she left seeking people, the ones she had been avoiding. What just happened? What just happened? The village is so moved by this they're going, we have got to see what has transformed her. We have got to see what has just taken place. And if you go down a little bit to verse 39, you get to the reaction of this. It says, many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, he told me everything I ever did. When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. Then they said to the woman, [00:30:00] now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world. They are saying this about a Jew because this woman had been so transformed that now the Samaritans are coming to put their trust, put their faith in the person of Jesus. You know, if you go back and you read through the book of Genesis and you read the story of Joseph's life, you'll realize that God allowed terrible physical, psychological, and social injustice to happen to Joseph. It is a heartbreaking story to read about, but you'll also read that God used that suffering to greatly bless others, that the suffering that Joseph had to endure ultimately created incredible blessing to the people. around him. What if this is a story like that? What if this [00:31:00] is a story that John is telling us about a woman who had to suffer so much pain and probably thought there was no redeeming value in any of it. And yet she met a person who says, I'm going to take this pain and I'm going to use it for the blessing of others. I'm going to use your pain. I'm going to use your story. To help heal not only you, but to help heal the people around you. And so church, what, what pain have you experienced? What pain do you bring with you today? You know, when we talk about our successes, it's often hard to connect with one another. You go I I'm envious of that. And I wish I could have done that. You begin to tell stories of pain and all of a sudden we all can relate. We can all go. Yeah. I've I've felt that I've been there. I've had to endure that. Right? What pain have you had to endure? Jesus knows all about it. He has witnessed you. He has witnessed your [00:32:00] pain and I think he wants to do something with it. So here's my encouragement for you today. Pain takes on a purpose when given to Jesus. When this Samaritan woman was willing to give this pain over to Jesus. She now had a story to tell. She now had something to offer all of these people in her village. They came streaming to see what she had. Pain takes on a purpose when given to Jesus. Now, as I close don't, don't miss one huge detail of the story, right? Her situation didn't change. If indeed her issue was that she couldn't get pregnant. She doesn't suddenly have a child. She doesn't suddenly have a husband. It's not that her story is fixed in the ways in which she might want it to be fixed, but she found joy in the person of Jesus in the midst of her pain. And that is the same invitation for you and [00:33:00] I today that we can find joy in who Jesus is in the midst of our pain. Not once it all gets resolved, not once it all gets fixed, not once it all resolves and I get those things that I've been needing. No, in the middle of it, you can find the healing that you're looking for. You can find joy in the person of Jesus. And you can realize you have something to offer those around you. I want to close with a quote, this is from a woman who is currently fighting cancer, not, oh, I beat cancer and it's resolved, and I'm on the other side of it. Who is in the midst of it, who is not knowing where this road goes. And in the midst of that perspective, I want to leave you with these words from Stephanie Sparkles. She says, I love when people that have been through hell walk out of the flames carrying buckets of water for those still consumed [00:34:00] by fire. Could it be that we would get buckets of living water, not only for our own nourishment, but to go and extend to those who are dealing with their own pain as well. Let's pray together. Jesus, may we experience this living water that you have for us, these buckets of water that you will give us a drink that will, will fill us in ways that nothing else will. But may we realize that not only is that to bring healing to our pain often in the midst of our pain, but it's to give us something to offer those around us. That we now have hope and healing for them as well. And may you use us the way you use Joseph. To redeem and restore and to bless so many others. May you use us today the way that you use the Samaritan woman, to bring hope and healing to her village. May you use the pain in [00:35:00] our lives as well to bring joy to us and to bring healing to those around us, we pray in Jesus name. Amen.