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Water, our shared symbol, is a most fitting place for people of all faiths to unite and lead.
Check out what some faiths groups in your state are doing about safe water. The U.S. spends just one one-hundredth of a percent of the federal budget on global WASH! Let’s remind Members of Congress that every health and development plan, policy and legislation, must include WASH. Fun and fruitful ways to engage congregations: Healing Waters International The Water Project Living Water International Rotary World Vision Water is Life (Catholic Relief Services) Find out what's going on in your denomination:
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Photo: Haik Kocharian
No more rusty pumps! Let’s make sure our charity work, works. Many houses of worship enthusiastically commit to installing “the village water pump”, but 50% of these one-off projects fail. A pump and posing for the photo-op isn’t good enough. We’ve got to dramatically ramp up and provide far wider support to what works, not to what makes us feel good. Before you donate: Ask how the organization makes sure its water projects are sustainable.
Photo: Amsha Africa Foundation 
Photo: Haik Kocharian
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Photo: H2O for Life
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Engage Your Youth:
H20 for Life and Faiths for Safe Water co-created an easy-to-use, faith-based curriculum that will enhance religious school study and youth group activity. Over the past 11 years, H2O for Life has engaged more than 1,500 U.S. schools and 625,000 youth. They've learn about the global water crisis, their global footprint, and through creative action and events have raised $3.5 million dollars for WASH programs in schools around the world. Funds are matched by trusted implementors; it's a funding model that has made a $7 million-dollar impact on more than 865 global school partners, impacting over 385,000 students in the developing world who now have access to clean water and sanitationstudents at school. Students choose the school they wish to partner with from a long list with WASH needs...So a Spanish-speaking church might want to fund a project in Latin America; a Baptist church may want to fund a Baptist school in Africa; a synagogue may have a particular connection to Rwanda, and so on... H2O for Life has lots of FREE materials, including
Check out our multi-faith curriculum here and click through Intro To the Water Crisis H2O for Life in the media: Reader’s Digest Today Show Good Morning America Students “rapping” for water |
Learn About the Role of Water in Religion:
Water in Religion provides a fascinating overview of the vast role water plays across the world's religions.
Water in Religion provides a fascinating overview of the vast role water plays across the world's religions.
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Sacred Water: Sustaining Life: A wonderful look at water and faith created for the Festival of Faiths, Louisville, KY.
Water and Faith Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs comprehensive report entitled Water and Faith: Rights, Pragmatic Demands, and an Ethical Lens Faith In Foreign Assistance (FIA) seeks to strengthen U.S. public support and funding for global health and develop assistance through the voice and lens of faith. Learn the myths and facts of foreign aid. Why is the Bible and Water Important to Christians? |
Photo: Haik Kocharian
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Photo: Haik Kocharian
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Share Inspiring Music: Rondi Charleston: Land of Galilee more about Rondi at: www.rondicharleston.com Anna Huckabee Tull: Sweet Water more about Anna at: www.customcraftedsongs.com |
Photo: Haik Kocharian
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Offer a "Sermon for World Water"
Every year since our inception, Faiths for Safe Water has published "Sermon for World Water" on March 22, World Water Day . Our hope is that congregations around the U.S. will annually offer its words and message from pulpit to pew, during services, on websites, in newsletters and bulletins or via social media:
Part 1: Blessed by Water
Part 2: 7 Ways to Make World Water Day Your First Step to a Better World
Share This Story:
Two neighbors, both wealthy landowners, began to make improvements on their land. But each began to dig up parts of the other’s parcel with their workers trespassing on each others' land.
One day they confronted each other asking who had given them permission to dig up the other’s land. "Your land?" each neighbor asked with evident surprise. ""You are mistaken, my friend," said the other neighbor, "this land is mine." "You are the one mistaken. It's mine," replied the other.
As the landowners were about to come to blows, an overseer stepped forward and declared that such a legal dispute could be resolved only by a rabbi, A leading rabbi agreed to travel to see the land in question.
After each man presented his case, the Rabbi suddenly put his ear to the ground. The two glanced uneasily at each, other afraid to show disrespect to the distinguished rabbi, but unable to comprehend what he was doing.
Suddenly the Rabbi stood up and spoke: "I have given the two of you the opportunity to state your claims to this piece of land, but then I listened to what the ground has to say for itself.
"The ground finds it amusing that the two of you are having such a heated argument over who it belongs to, because it told me that you both belong to it."
Every year since our inception, Faiths for Safe Water has published "Sermon for World Water" on March 22, World Water Day . Our hope is that congregations around the U.S. will annually offer its words and message from pulpit to pew, during services, on websites, in newsletters and bulletins or via social media:
Part 1: Blessed by Water
Part 2: 7 Ways to Make World Water Day Your First Step to a Better World
Share This Story:
Two neighbors, both wealthy landowners, began to make improvements on their land. But each began to dig up parts of the other’s parcel with their workers trespassing on each others' land.
One day they confronted each other asking who had given them permission to dig up the other’s land. "Your land?" each neighbor asked with evident surprise. ""You are mistaken, my friend," said the other neighbor, "this land is mine." "You are the one mistaken. It's mine," replied the other.
As the landowners were about to come to blows, an overseer stepped forward and declared that such a legal dispute could be resolved only by a rabbi, A leading rabbi agreed to travel to see the land in question.
After each man presented his case, the Rabbi suddenly put his ear to the ground. The two glanced uneasily at each, other afraid to show disrespect to the distinguished rabbi, but unable to comprehend what he was doing.
Suddenly the Rabbi stood up and spoke: "I have given the two of you the opportunity to state your claims to this piece of land, but then I listened to what the ground has to say for itself.
"The ground finds it amusing that the two of you are having such a heated argument over who it belongs to, because it told me that you both belong to it."
Some Bible Quotes You May Know:
I was thirsty and you gave me drink. . . .As you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me. [Matthew 25:35,40]
After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the scripture), ‘I thirst.’ [John 19:28]
If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked that person who would then have given you living water. [John 4:10]
And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because that little one is a disciple, truly, I say to you, the giver shall not go unrewarded. [Matthew 10:42]
And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before your eyes to yield its water; so you shall bring water out of the rock for them; so you shall give drink to the congregation and their cattle. [Numbers 20: 7-8]
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of that one’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ [John 7:37-38]
We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up. [2 Samuel 14:14]
You visit the earth and water it,
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it. [Psalm 65:9]
“Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.”
[Proverbs 25:25]
Those who walk righteously and speak uprightly,
who despise the gain of oppression,
who wave away a bribe instead of accepting it,
who stop their ears from hearing of bloodshed
and shut their eyes from looking on evil,
they will live on the heights;
their refuge will be the fortresses of rocks;
their food will be supplied, their water assured. [Isaiah 33:15-16]
For my people have committed two evils:they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water. [Jeremiah 2:13]
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. [Amos 5:24]
Pope Francis speaks of water often:
Throughout his much-anticipated encyclical, "Laudato Si'" ("On Care for our Common Home,") water runs deep. The pope calls for reducing water waste, increasing funding to ensure universal access to basic water and sanitation, and increased education and awareness, especially in the "context of great inequity."
"Our world has a grave social debt towards the poor who lack access to drinking water,” he wrote, “because they are denied the right to a life consistent with their inalienable dignity. “(italics in original). The Pope names "water poverty” a threat:
Excerpts from Pope Francis' World Day of Prayer for the care of creation (SEPT 2018):
"I would like to draw attention to the question of water. It is a very simple and precious element, yet access to it is, sadly, for many people difficult if not impossible. Nonetheless, access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights."
"I feel the need to give thanks to God for “Sister Water”, simple and useful for life like nothing else on our planet. Precisely for this reason, care for water sources and water basins is an urgent imperative."
“I was thirsty and you gave me to drink” (Mt 25:35). To give to drink, in the global village, does not only entail personal gestures of charity, but also concrete choices and a constant commitment to ensure to all the primary good of water."
I was thirsty and you gave me drink. . . .As you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me. [Matthew 25:35,40]
After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the scripture), ‘I thirst.’ [John 19:28]
If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked that person who would then have given you living water. [John 4:10]
And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because that little one is a disciple, truly, I say to you, the giver shall not go unrewarded. [Matthew 10:42]
And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before your eyes to yield its water; so you shall bring water out of the rock for them; so you shall give drink to the congregation and their cattle. [Numbers 20: 7-8]
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of that one’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ [John 7:37-38]
We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up. [2 Samuel 14:14]
You visit the earth and water it,
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it. [Psalm 65:9]
“Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.”
[Proverbs 25:25]
Those who walk righteously and speak uprightly,
who despise the gain of oppression,
who wave away a bribe instead of accepting it,
who stop their ears from hearing of bloodshed
and shut their eyes from looking on evil,
they will live on the heights;
their refuge will be the fortresses of rocks;
their food will be supplied, their water assured. [Isaiah 33:15-16]
For my people have committed two evils:they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water. [Jeremiah 2:13]
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. [Amos 5:24]
Pope Francis speaks of water often:
Throughout his much-anticipated encyclical, "Laudato Si'" ("On Care for our Common Home,") water runs deep. The pope calls for reducing water waste, increasing funding to ensure universal access to basic water and sanitation, and increased education and awareness, especially in the "context of great inequity."
"Our world has a grave social debt towards the poor who lack access to drinking water,” he wrote, “because they are denied the right to a life consistent with their inalienable dignity. “(italics in original). The Pope names "water poverty” a threat:
- “Everyday, unsafe water results in many deaths and the spread of water-related diseases,” wrote the pope, “including those caused by microorganisms and chemical substances. Dysentery and cholera, linked to inadequate hygiene and water supplies, are a significant cause of suffering and of infant mortality."
- Reduced food production is a threat due to droughts and disparities in water availability.
- Groundwater contamination and waste is “in the developed world but also in developing countries which possess [water] in abundance."
- The trend toward privatization and commodification of water threatens what the pope calls a "basic and universal human right," and warns that “control of water by large multinational businesses may become a major source of conflict in this century."
Excerpts from Pope Francis' World Day of Prayer for the care of creation (SEPT 2018):
"I would like to draw attention to the question of water. It is a very simple and precious element, yet access to it is, sadly, for many people difficult if not impossible. Nonetheless, access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights."
"I feel the need to give thanks to God for “Sister Water”, simple and useful for life like nothing else on our planet. Precisely for this reason, care for water sources and water basins is an urgent imperative."
“I was thirsty and you gave me to drink” (Mt 25:35). To give to drink, in the global village, does not only entail personal gestures of charity, but also concrete choices and a constant commitment to ensure to all the primary good of water."