Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” -John 4:21-24 NRSV
Don't you love how Jesus tells the Samaritan that worship is not about where we worship but how we worship. Throughout history humans have always wanted to make worship about a place. About Jerusalem, Mecca or Rome. About a Temple, Mosque or Cathedral. About a Priest, Imam or Pastor. Jesus tells us that the place is not important.
So what does it mean to "worship in spirit and truth"? I think that it first acknowledges that God is a spirit that does not live in a place such as a Temple, Mosque or Cathedral. God is everywhere. No one can put God in a holy box. As such our worship must be reflected in everything we do and everyplace we go. It must be a reflection of the spirit that lives in us and be filled with truthful integrity. Our outside must match our inside when we worship the Lord.
Come Spirit of the Living God. Fill us. Renew us. Live in our daily praises and worship. Teach us to live.
... this devotion is part of an ongoing series on the Gospel of John.
Amen Bob, Amem.
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