Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Where Should I Worship?



The Samaritan woman at the well, after hearing Jesus tell her everything about herself, decides that Jesus is a prophet. And if he is a prophet, he must be sent by God. So, she wants to know where she should go to worship God. The Jews and the Samaritans disagreed about this. The Samaritans thought there was a holy mountain. The Jews argued that one must worship in Jerusalem. Jesus had other plans. With the coming of Christ, everything would change. The God who had chosen to dwell in the tabernacle and the temple, the God whose presence was in the Holy of Holies, would break forth in Spirit and be worshiped everywhere.

I wonder if at times we have come to associate God too much with a particular place. I wonder if church has for many of us become a holy mountain or a Jerusalem. I wonder if we think we must go somewhere to meet God. Sometimes I wonder if we wouldn't all be better off if the pews were empty a little more often as we recognized God's presence everywhere.

On the other hand, I also wonder if sometimes we go to places where God is present without ever truly seeking God. The Samaritan woman's questions were the stirrings of someone who had recognized God at work and wanted to respond in worship. When I see God work, how to I respond? Does it drive me to worship? Not necessarily to a place, but at least to a posture?

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