In this capstone Soap and Water episode, Pastor Mitzi Johnson sits down with our scripture reader Francis Cianfrocca to reflect on the series. They discuss how the podcast came to be and how they hope it has served the Soapstone UMC congregation and beyond. They talk about choosing a Biblical translation, literary genres in scripture, favorite passages, and preparing to read scripture orally. Thank you for listening to Soap and Water, a podcast for the pandemic era. May the God of all, heal us. May the Spirit of truth, guide us. May the peace of Christ, abide in us. And may our hearts and world be washed anew in God’s love.  

...but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.

So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.”
Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

For thus says the Lord: Only when Babylon’s seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his own town.

And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.” And he stood up and went to his home. 

When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.

O Lord, how manifold are your works!
    In wisdom you have made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.

Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
    creeping things innumerable are there,
    living things both small and great.

There go the ships,
    and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.

These all look to you
    to give them their food in due season;

when you give to them, they gather it up;
    when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
    when you take away their breath, they die
    and return to their dust.

When you send forth your spirit,[a] they are created;
    and you renew the face of the ground.

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

So God created humankind in his image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.

Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of food?

“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the deer?