Have you ever had the experiencing of making a mess out of something, and longing for a chance to start over with a clean slate? Most of us have. Most of us yearn for the kind of place described by Louise Fletcher Tarkington:

"I wish that there were some wonderful place
In the Land of Beginning Again;
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never put on again."

There is such a place. You are in it. The Church, especially when it celebrates Holy Communion, is the Land of Beginning Again. Our text today is a distinctive jewel of John's gospel. The account of Jesus' encounter with an adulterous woman is a treasure beyond measure. No other incident in his life, except his death, so clearly revealed the heart of God.

On day a poss…