A sermon delivered by james-a-hackney-llp at zion-episcopal-church-washington on March 8, 2026 (published March 19, 2026 by John Patrick Herold).

Core Message

Based on John 4:5-42 (Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well), the sermon explores how Jesus crosses social, cultural, and religious boundaries to offer "living water."

Key Themes

• Unexpected Witnesses: God routinely chooses unlikely messengers—such as the Samaritan woman with a complicated past—to open doors of faith.
• Truly Seen and Welcomed: Preacher Hackney shares an Eastern North Carolina story of a marginalized woman welcomed by a country store pastor to illustrate how Jesus sees us fully without rejecting us.
• Worship in Spirit and Truth: True worship is a matter of the heart, not confined to holy places, but meeting us at kitchen tables, hospital rooms, and "wells at noon."
• Lenten Practice: Lent is not about rehearsing failures but bringing our thirst, shame, and histories honestly to Christ.