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By JANET TUCK
The work of Living Waters
for the World has provided Car-
olyn Winfrey Gillette the ideal
opportunity to do the thing she
is passionate about: set new lyr-
ics to a familiar hymn tune.
The result is a new hymn,
“Once a Woman Seeking Wa-
ter,” given to Living Waters for
the World just in time for the
March 22 celebration of World
Water Day.
Based on passages from
John 4 and Matthew 10 and 25,
the hymn centers around the
woman at the well.
It focuses on the gift of wa-
ter, the life it brings, and on the
bonds formed when water is
shared. And it captures the es-
sence of what Living Waters for
the World is all about.
Gillette and her husband
Bruce are co-pastors of the
Limestone Presbyterian Church
in Wilmington, Del.
The hymn has already be-
come a standing part of worship
at Clean Water U training ses-
sions.
In addition to the hymn,
other worship resources can
be found on the LWW website.
These resources are available to
educate congregations about
the world water crisis and how
they can respond.
Once a Woman Seeking Water
Tune: BEACH SPRING 8.7.8.7. D
(“God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending”)
Once a woman seeking water at a well not far from home
Met a thirsty, waiting stranger from a people not her own.
Would she give a drink of water and respond to human need?
Could she know the joy and wonder she, the giver, would
receive?
She drew water for the thirsty; Jesus offered something more:
Living water, God’s own mercy, love abundant, freely poured.
One, a blessing for the body; one, a blessing for the soul!
Both are gifts of our Creator — gifts that help to make us
whole.
Still God’s people carry water from their wells and mountain
streams;
Still at rivers women gather, sharing labor, sharing dreams.
Still a cup of water given in a dry and weary place
Is a blessing overflowing from the fountain of God’s grace.
God, we ask your richest favor on the work we seek to do;
May we gladly share clean water and your living water, too.
May we see the face of Jesus, and how far your love ex-
tends,
In the ones we call our partners — no more strangers, now
our friends.
— Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
World Water Day is an an-
nual day of awareness sponsored
by the United Nations. Gillette’s
hymn celebrates both water and
the grace that comes with the
giving and receiving of water.
It may be used for free by local
congregations who support Liv-
ing Waters for the World.
“We are deeply thankful to
Carolyn Winfrey Gillette for the
gift of ‘Once a Woman Seeking
Water.’ How blessed we are!”
commented LWW executive di-
rector Wil Howie.
Carolyn Winfrey Gillette is
a popular writer of new hymn
texts to well-known hymn
tunes. Her hymns have been
featured on PBS and the BBC
and are used by the Office of the
General Assembly, Presbyterian
Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian
Hunger Program, Presbyterian
Peacemaking Program, Presby-
terians Today magazine, Theol-
ogy & Worship’s Hungry Hearts
newsletter, and Call to Worship
journal.
She is the author of
Songs of
Grace: New Hymns for God & Neigh-
bor
and
Gifts of Love: New Hymns for
Today’s Worship.
Janet Tuck is communications di-
rector for the Synod of Living Waters.
This article is provided courtesy of Pres-
byterian News Service, which first pub-
lished it.
By JEFF WAGNER
“Wanted: Detail-oriented 101
to complete a clean water team
for a project in Ghana.”
That may sound like an ad-
vertisement in the Help Wanted
section, but I’ve heard similar
comments at CWU, at church
and presbytery meetings, LWW
functions and on-line submis-
sions via the LWW web page.
So wouldn’t it be great if
there was a place where water
projects and water teams could
connect or where a CWU grad
who attended CWU on their
own could find a clean water
team that’s looking for the skills
they possess?
Now there is! LWW has
launched an ‘Opportunities Fo-
rum’ on hoop.la. The forum is
a place where Network Coordi-
nating Teams (NCTs) and Clean
Water U grads can connect with
one another and partner to
bring God’s gift of clean water
to even more people who des-
perately need it.
The forum is accessible via a
link in the sidebar on the LWW
Network
Coordinating
Teams will post potential proj-
ects in their respective countries
when available and LWW volun-
teers looking for projects can
post a personal profile describ-
ing the opportunity they are
seeking.
It is up to the NCT or indi-
vidual to make the connection
between resources and oppor-
tunities, keeping LWW out of
the role of “match maker.”
A job aid as well as video
tutorials are available on the
Download Files section of the
LWW website .
So if you are looking for a
project, someone to round out
your Clean Water Team, or are
simply curious about what op-
portunities are available, check
out the Opportunities Forum!
Jeff Wagner of Louisville, Ky., is in-
formation technology administrator for
LWW. He may be reached at
jeff@
livingwatersfortheworld.org.
On-line forum links volunteers, opportunities
Two at the well: LWW given its own hymn