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Who learned about the Water Cycle in 5th grade? If you didn’t, you’re about to. If you already did, this sermon is a devotional perspective on the water cycle. To review the arrows and directions of how water goes up and down and up again See this poster https://images.app.goo.gl/85CJvrzAZDprY5Vy6.
Why bother reviewing science that the Bible doesn’t seem to care about?
The Bible does care about water. In some places the vision of success for God’s plans and purposes is that all people are invited to come and do come drink from the river of the water of life for free and every tear is wiped away. [Isaiah, Rev 7:17, 21:6, 22:1, 22:17]
Today we are celebrating our inclusion into the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan. Anyone been to the River Jordan? I haven’t been there, but I am planning to go next year on the pilgrimage Deacon Mary Abrams is leading. I hope you can consider going and maybe we can dip our toes into the River Jordan.
Many in this room are already baptized, meaning buried with Christ in his death and raised with him in his resurrection life. We await the ascended life about which most of our information is Mystifying\ MIST-ifying. Because Jesus ascends to the right hand of his Father means Jesus can be anywhere he wants to be: in my heart, in the hospital with my loved one, with the friend I haven’t seen in years but I still dearly love. Pretty cool super power.
When Jesus ascended into heaven he and God the Father sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to earth on the day of Pentecost. Because of that Holy Spirit coming down from heaven to earth the good news of God’s love in Jesus’ sacrifice for all sins on the cross spread and continues to spread across the entire planet like an ocean. When forgiveness spreads prayers ascend from earth to heaven, prayers of thanksgiving and/or hope for forgiveness. Call it the cycle of Love.
Water moves in a cycle. Look up at the clouds which contain water which falls to earth as precipitation. Some water is absorbed by plants which then emit water as gas into the atmosphere. Some water runs into rivers and oceans. Some water percolates into soil.
Wouldn’t it make sense that the Grand Designer would use the same model of Creation as for Salvation.
So here is Jesus.
Look how happy he looks. You can read this painting two ways. First that Jesus is ascending from earth to heaven on the clouds to work his work of intercession and sending forth of the Holy Spirit. His earthly mission is fulfilled and he triumphantly takes the place his father prepared for him. Read more about the Ascension of our Lord in the book of Acts.
Secondly you can read this painting as a day foretold by prophets and exiles of the return of the Saviour who comes with clouds and thunder from heaven to earth for the final judgement where all who belong to God return to God and are caught up with him in the clouds to the crystal sea while throwing into the lake of fire everything that needs to be burned. You can read more about that in the “Book of Revelation”. Whether he’s headed from earth to heaven or heaven to earth I see the look on Jesus’ face as one of exuberance, satisfaction, and triumph.
Triumph is the feeling I get from this painting I recently acquired while on silent retreat. My friend insisted I take her painting when she saw how it captured my heart’s imagination. She said she bought it from a street artist in Houston, Texas and didn’t know if he was alive or not. The artist’s name is Ernest Snell, and Ernest is alive and painting.
He’s an army veteran from the 1970’s who, until recently, lived on the streets of Houston’s Third Ward. That didn't stop him from doing his art. "People would invite me to their homes and I would paint portraits for them. I kept my art supplies in my backpack and would get materials from the people who commissioned me."
Snell describes himself as a loner who is used to being by himself. He said he made the best of his life on the streets because of his reputation as an artist.
"I never took art lessons at all," he said. "I guess this is God's plan for me to do this art. It's hard to draw in the streets and when I thought I would quit, I didn't. I just became an even better artist."
https://www.foelberpottery.com/ernestsnell.html
Ernest is a man who understands and fulfills God’s purpose for him in God’s life. Ernest’s painting captures so perfectly the feeling I feel when I am swimming in the water. Whether I swim in a river, lake or ocean I feel life is on earth as it is in heaven-- because the water has been everywhere — again and again from earth to heaven and back again and again. The water cycle we learn about in 5th grade science class is the spirit cycle we learn about in Sunday School — literally and devotionally. And this painting has become my favorite ever icon.
Local galleries, friends and artists worked tirelessly to help Ernest who now lives in Veterans housing and continues to paint and sculpt thanks to the generosity of local artists and benefactors. Thanks to Joe John, you will be able to take home a copy of this painting. I hope it means as much to you as it does to me. Maybe you know someone who is thirsty for bit of triumph.
And would you use this painting to pray for me? Not only do I see earth and heaven united; I see France on one side and the White cliffs of Dover on the other side, and Jesus surfing the English Channel in the middle. I’m keeping that image in my mind while I train to swim the English Channel next year.
You belong to the water cycle with every respiration. Yesterday, you were baptized into the water cycle if you just opened the door a crack. If you have been baptized in Christ you belong to the Love cycle of prayer, hope, forgiveness, joy, triumph, judgement, and ultimately unity of heaven with earth. God’s love belongs to you with every respiration of his Son Jesus Christ our Savior, Cheers!
Water Cycle = Love Cycle
Transpiration = Jesus ascending
Evaporation = Prayers
Precipitation = Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost
Percolation, Absorption, Infiltration = Spreading of Gospel/Book of Acts
Water cycle-the cycle of processes by which water circulates between the earth's oceans, atmosphere, and land, involving precipitation as rain and snow, drainage in streams and rivers, and return to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration.
Love cycle- the cycle of prayers by which the Holy Spirit circulates between heaven and earth and spread across the earth involving love, joy, peace, forgiveness, patience, hope, mercy, and the unification of heaven with earth.
