Jesus, ever-flowing fountain, give us water from your well. In the gracious gift you offer, there is joy no tongue can tell.
–Delores Dufner, OSB
I have always loved water. Water is life, sustaining and supporting all living things. Water is strength, persistently carving its way through mountains of stone. Water is beauty, renewing and refreshing our minds and hearts. Water is health, restoring and healing what has been harmed. Water is joy, offering a wealth of opportunities for delight. Water is also a metaphor for our life in Christ.
When I learned that the 2026 theme for the Season of Creation in Christ was Living Waters, I immediately thought of the hymn “Come to Me, All Pilgrims Thirsty.” Although not specifically a creation-care text, the connection to Christ as our Living Water is a powerful one. Twenty years ago, when the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s current hymnal Evangelical Lutheran Worship came out, “Come to Me, All Pilgrims Thirsty” was one of my early favorites. Years later I had the opportunity to meet Delores Dufner, OSB, while on a spiritual retreat at St. Benedict’s Monastery (St. Joseph, Minnesota). I was invited to coffee hour with a few of the sisters there and Sister Delores was at the table. I remember my first conversation with her (I told her how much I loved this hymn!); it was the beginning of a valued mentorship and dear friendship.
“Come to Me, All Pilgrims Thirsty” is based on (and expands upon) the story of the woman at the well. The refrain is a prayer–asking Jesus to give us water from his well–followed by a statement of belief that the water Jesus gives contains “joy no tongue can tell.” What a beautiful interpretation of Jesus’ words: “The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life” (John 4:14b). While the refrain is spoken in our voice, the verses are specific invitations spoken in Christ’s voice: “Come to me, all pilgrims thirsty…Come to me, all trav’lers weary…Come to me, believers burdened…” The dialogical nature of this text adds to its power; we hear Christ’s invitation and we respond.
In Ezekiel 47:1–12, the text for this year’s Season of Creation theme, water flows from the Temple. Wherever it goes, life is renewed: the stagnant becomes fresh, the fish swarm, the trees bear fruit. What a beautiful image! The source and health of creation is God. Similarly, the image of Christ as an “ever-flowing fountain” is a vivid one. Connected to all of creation, we are sustained by Jesus Christ who, like water, is life, strength, beauty, health, and joy–“joy no tongue can tell.”
Carol Meier is a hymn writer and composer. She has won two Hymn Society competitions for new songs.