Horizons magazine is published by Presbyterian Women (PW) the national women’s organization of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Issue link: http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/521232
And Let Everyone Who Is Thirsty Come, Come to the Waters BY JUDY RECORD FLETCHER Come to the Waters is the 2015-2016 PW/ Horizons Bible study and Judy Record Fletcher is its author. In this article, Judy introduces you to the study she knows so well. We invite you to use Come to the Waters with your circles and study groups and allow it to inform and guide your Bible study this year. About the Author I am Judy Record Fletcher and I am the author of the 2015–2016 Presbyterian Women/Horizons Bible study, Come to the Waters. As a PC(USA) teaching elder I have served one congregation as its pastor and another as copastor with my husband, David. Much of my early ministry focused on youth ministry. I led retreats and events, wrote materials and preached in a variety of denominational settings. During the last 14 years of my ministry, I served as executive of Synod of the Sun (Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana) where I witnessed strong, vibrant churches and presbyteries living out their mission. Throughout my ministry I have writ- ten, taught and led a variety of Bible stud- ies using sound prac- tices I learned in seminary. My approach to Bible study is best called participatory, in which folks get involved as they talk, reflect and discuss. My hope for you and Come to the Waters is that you will engage each lesson and discover what God is saying to us through Holy Scripture, and that we will all grow in our faith through this study. About the Theme Come to the Waters considers water images and stories in the Bible. With over 800 references to water in the Bible, there was no shortage of passages from which to choose. The water stories are rich in imagery. We begin with the chaotic waters of creation in Genesis and end with the River of Life in Revelation. Sometimes there is too much water, as with floods, and some- times there is too little water, as with droughts in the desert. In the Old Tes- tament, we learn about the nature of God and how God has dealt with creation and people throughout history. The people of the Old Testament knew what it was to thirst for days with no water and then to have that thirst quenched with water provided by God. They experienced God's protection from raging waters. Water wells were central in the towns; marriages were C o m e t o t h e Wa t e r s a u t h o r J u d y R e c o r d F l e t c h e r w i t h h e r m o t h e r , E l d e r S a d i e R e c o r d . 38