“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” John 4:19-26.

We often lament that we “miss worship” or “going to church.” I concur with those sentiments and miss it as well. I really miss the community being gathered together. Sunday mornings at home is a very disorienting experience for a pastor! However true worship is much more than a weekly event and as Jesus shared with the Samaritan woman true worship is not confined to a specific place.

The Samaritans and the Jews had long debated the proper place to worship God. The Samaritans believed that Mount Gerizim was the chosen place where they once built a temple. The Jews on the other hand believed that the proper place for worship was the temple in Jerusalem. As was often the case when faced with an either or debate, Jesus provided a new perspective. He told her that a time was coming when true worship would not be defined by a specific place or a man-made structure but by the condition of the worshiper’s heart. Those who worship the Messiah will view the whole world as “holy land” and through the Spirit will see the sacred throughout life.

In his thought provoking book The Dangerous Act of Worship, Mark Labberton writes that “worship names what matters most: the way human beings are created to reflect God's glory by embodying God's character in lives that seek righteousness and do justice. Such comprehensive worship redefines all we call ordinary. Worship turns out to be the dangerous act of waking up to God and to the purposes of God in the world, and then living lives that actually show it.” What if we experienced comprehensive worship by taking the time to talk with an isolated neighbor, virtually tutoring a child, or taking a prayer walk in nature?  As we await a full return to gathering in person, let’s find fresh ways to worship Christ by reflecting his love to others.

For Reflection

• How would you define worship?

• What are some ways that you can worship God in your daily life?

Prayer

Lord on this day give us the grace to worship you in Spirit and truth. Help us to see you in the ordinary moments of our day. May we hear your voice, experience your creation, and love our neighbors-living each moment of our life in a way that glorifies you. Amen.