Have you ever had a chance meeting with someone who came to influence your life in a profound way? Today we will look at such a meeting that changed the life of a woman of Samaria forever!

At the beginning of John Chapter 4, Jesus is leaving Judea to travel north to Galilee. The most direct route was through Samaria. Strict Jews would take a round about route from Jerusalem to Jericho, cross the Jordan River to the east side, north through Perea and recrossing the Jordan into Galilee. The Jews of Samaria had inter-married with Gentile people during the Assyrian captivity. (2 Kings 17) Samaritans were despised by the Jews for this inter-marriage and their designation and belief that Mt. Gerizim was the place appointed by God for sacrifice (verse 20). We find Jesus (in verse 5) coming into a city called Sychar (Shechem in O.T.) .The patriarch Jacob had a plot of land near Sychar, and had dug a well. It was still being used some 17-18 centuries after Jacob. So verse 6 tells us that Jesus, weary from his journey, sat on the well about the sixth (noon) hour.

A woman of Samaria comes to draw water from the well. Jesus asks her for a drink of water (verse 7). To the woman, it was unheard of for a Jew to ask a Samaritan for anything. Also, just the fact that Jesus, a Rabbi or Teacher, would even speak to a woman in public was highly unusual. (Wickliffe Bible Commentary). The Jews had nothing to do with a Samaritan. Jesus, however, was not a typical Jew and begins a conversation with the woman that changed not only her life but the lives of many of her fellow citizens.

I wonder how many people reading this article have had the experience of drawing water from a deep well? You had to labor a bit to get the cool water from below. Jesus tells the woman " --------If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living Water " (John 4: 10). (A little later in John’s Gospel Jesus said "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly (heart) shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the spirit, which they that believe on him should receive------.John 7 : 38-39). He would have given her this spirit and it would be the "earnest" (down payment or deposit) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory--- Ephesians 1: 14.

The woman did not understand and asked Jesus how he would get water without a bucket and rope to draw with. Are you greater than our father Jacob? She didn’t know how much greater he was. She was talking to the Messiah of Israel (verses 25-26) and the Savior of the world. Jesus tells her that drinking of the water from Jacob’s well would be a continual process (verse 13) but listen carefully to his words in verse 14.

"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life "(Jesus used a different word for well in verse 14 than the word in Verses 11-12. The word here in verse 14 means "fountain"). The water she was drawing would not satisfy her eternal needs. God had accused His people, through the Prophet Jeremiah, of the following.

"For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 2:13). The woman still did not grasp the meaning of Jesus’ words but was receptive to his teaching.

Oh how man today has forsaken the Lord God. Man seeks for material things that do not satisfy his greatest need and that is salvation through Jesus the Christ! Like the woman at the well, we must be receptive to the call of Jesus, believe in him and the "living water" will be a fountain springing up into everlasting life (verse 14).

Revelation Chapter 21 verse 6c promises, "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."

Revelation Chapter 22 verse 17c " And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will (desires) let him take the water of life freely."

Pastor Mark Tabor and the congregation of Harvestime Temple would like to invite you to join them for an awesome time of praise and worship with Special Musical Guest, Kim and Brian Tabor on Sunday, August 24 in the 10:00 a.m. service.

Harvestime Temple is located at 101 Roosevelt Drive in Mount Vernon. For more information call the church office at 838-5447.

The Wolfgang Classical Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dennis A. Noon will present their summer concerts in mid-August.

The free concerts will be given at Old North UMC, 4201 Stringtown Road in Evansville on Sunday, August 17 at 7:30 p.m.; then at First UMC Wesley Hall, 601 Main St. in Mt. Vernon, IN on Tuesday, August 19 at 7:30 p.m.

The 30 member ‘Wolfgang’ will present a varied program of classics, marches and Broadway music including: Tchaikovsky’s "1812 Overture", "The Star Spangled Banner" led by tenor Teddy Marks with audience participation, 3 John Philip Sousa marches, selections from "Phantom of the Opera", "Concertino for Clarinet" featuring soloists John Spradley and Lonna Berridge, Wagner’s "Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral", "Adagio" from the Mozart Clarinet Concerto featuring soloist Samantha Emery, and "Stormy Weather" featuring vocal soloist Laura Beck. The piano-duo team of Janette Prickett and Nancy Noon will be featured, playing "Jazz Theme and Variations" by Arletta O’Hearn.

The members of Wolfgang are: Flutists Michelle Forche, Jona Witherspoon and Roni Marks; Oboists Lea Volmer, Perry Grimwood, Nicole Schapker and Krissy Morgan; Clarinetists Andrew Statham, Lonna Berridge, John Spradley, Chris Roberts, Lee Ann Hoenert, Samantha Emery, Evan Ramos and Chris Volmer; Saxophonists Jeanne Johnston and Melinda Grace; Trumpeters Mark Roethemeier, John Grace and Larry Davis; French Hornist Chris Price; Trombonists Sandy Marks, Lloyd Novak, Melanie Edling and Craig Edling; Tubists Thomas Hemmenway and Adam Hobbs; Percussionist Jim Bonser, Timpanist Vonnie Bonser, Pianist & Keyboardist Nancy Noon.

The Wolfgang Classical Wind Ensemble was organized in the spring of 2006 for the advanced students of Mr. Noon. The ensemble now continues for the express purpose of rehearsing and performing in a group of equally talented adults and advanced students.

A walk/run to benefit the Evansville District Council of The St. Vincent de Paul Society will be held Saturday, September 27 at 1:00 p.m. at the Evansville State Hospital.

The Evansville District Council is a part of the largest organization of lay Catholics in the world. Now celebrating its 175th Anniversary . There are conferences in 142 countries and in the United States , there are over 115.000 members in 4,600 conferences.

Volunteers from 27 local parish based conferences make thousands of home visits every year bringing spiritual support, financial help and human caring to those who face utility shut-offs, evictions, furniture and appliance needs.

These local Posey County churches will be represented at this charity walk: St. Matthew’s, St. Phillips, St. Wendel and St. Francis Xavier. We are in need of sponsors or fellow walkers or runners. The walk or run is 1 mile or 3 kilometer, whichever fits you. No charge to walk or run but the first 500 will receive a free T-shirt.