"Thou of life, the fountain art. Freely let me take of thee. Spring thou up within my heart."

"Thou of life, the fountain art. Freely let me take of thee. Spring thou up within my heart."
Hymn: “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” – Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

Tune: MARTYN

Okay, it’s really three hymn-lines today, but they hang together well! It’s all about water spraying, drenching and springing up.

We lived in the Kansas City area for a few years in our trek across the country; it seemed God was saying, “Go east, young man.” Denver, Kansas City, Chapel Hill. While serving in that great Midwestern city, we learned it is a beautiful town – sort of a hidden jewel. It is nicknamed the City of Fountains; they say it has more fountains than Rome. In the downtown sector, you can literally see a fountain every couple of blocks, especially around their famed Plaza. Not only are most of them spectacular, but they seem to symbolize refreshment! I loved the sound of water splashing – sometimes roaring. They are the life, the fountain art of the city!

 

Like most cities, people were forever jumping into the pools beneath the statuary – frolicking about, acting childish, cooling off. Remember the opening of FRIENDS, when the six young adults were acting silly in one of New York’s fountains? There is something magnetic about fountains, drawing us into their liveliness… bringing us joy. There is something freeing about taking off your shoes and wading in the effervescence. There is something invigorating about sensing the spray across your face.

Jesus, the lover of my soul is all that (magnetic, freeing, invigorating) and more. He is the original Old Faithful, spouting forth blessings at exactly the right time! He is not only the redeeming fountain filled with blood… he is also the sustaining fountain of life – life!

My relationship with Christ is constantly bubbling up within me, restoring my joy, renewing my outlook, reviving my spirit, bracing my hope.

The kicker in these hymn-lines is the two brief, sincere, needful prayers: “O great Fountain of Life, spring up within my heart. Amen.” “O wonderful Refresher of all souls, let me freely take of thee. Amen.”

If you don’t live in Kansas City, you may not walk past a grand sculpture spewing forth refreshing liquid today; but I encourage you to pray those two short prayers over and over throughout the day… and maybe all your days. Jot them down on a Post-It Note and repeat them to God almost as your mantra* for the day. Let’s see if it makes a difference in our outlook and our attitude.

Christ stands with his watering can in hand, ready to pour. Come, stand under the stream. Run through the sprinklers. Have a more-refreshing-than-usual kind of day.

Hear a Great Unaccompanied Singing of This Hymn

 * - a sound, word, or phrase that is repeated by someone who is praying or meditating; a word or phrase that is repeated often or that expresses someone's basic beliefs