"That's where I want to go. I want to go to that riverside. I want to go to the River of life . . . River of love . . . River of faith . . . River of hope . . . River of transformation -- Where you go to be changed. And you got to work at it -- that's right! . . . River of sanctifcation . . . Where all life's graces and blessings fall down on you like rain . . . River of resurrection . . . Where everybody gets a second chance -- But you got to work at it! . . . River of sexual healing -- and companionship . . . I want to find that River of joy and happiness.
"But you don't stumble on those things by accident. You got to search them out, seek after them. And that's why we're here night after night after night after night. 'Cause you can't get to those places by yourself. You got to have help! That's where I want to go tonight. And I want you to go with me -- Because I need to go with you -- That's why I'm here! (Bruce Springsteen)
* * * * *
"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, through the middle of the street of the city." Right downtown! Inner city! River running through us!
"The River of Life, made of Jesus blood! That's the river you have to lay your pain in, in the River of Faith, in the River of Life, in the River of Love . . .
All the rivers come from that one River, and go back to it like it was the ocean sea and if you believe, you can lay your pain in that River and get rid of it . . . It's a River full of pain itself, pain itself, moving toward the kingdom of Christ, to be washed away . . ." (Flannery O'Connor)
"And the leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations."
The healing of all the nations . . . .
Jesus recalling how hard it remains for us living out range of tensions -- his absence and presence, silence and whisper, going and coming again, tension destructive, tension creative; so sometimes we just want to jump down and up in worship, screaming to Jesus, Come back! We can't take, or give, this fragiling love of yours anymore!
Baptism, Watermark, River Runs Through Us - avoiding safe banks, "out where the bottom starts to slip away!" Breath-seizing panic, at times "like a reed in some underwater wind," not at all sure of our doing, our meaning to do, waters deep, demanding "as outer space!" As inner space!
Help us! Help us! Help us! To open our "eyes in dark water," facing our deepest, abidingest fears: "'You baptized yet?' Freda called from the cottonwoods as I walked slowly down from the river, falling to the red clay bank, exhausted. I raise my arm and wave my hand once, a signal, yes . . . ."
(Lorian Hemingway)
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