Where Should We Worship?


Jesus was once traveling with his disciples through Samaria when he sat down to rest. The Samaritans and the Jewish people didn't get along too well, and generally avoided each other all together. Jesus, however, came as a Savior for the whole world. Tired from his journey he sat down to rest, and the disciples went to see if they could find something to eat. A Samaritan woman came along to draw water from a well where Jesus was resting, and he asked for some. This was shocking to her in itself due to the prejudice of the day, but the encounter would become even more shocking as he told her all about her life. 
The story is a great one with many lessons, but the one I want us to catch today is Jesus' response to a question she asked. "Where should we worship?" She points out how they worship at a particular mountain, but the Jewish people worship in Jerusalem. So who's right? 
We still ask these types of questions about worship. We ask questions about the style of songs we sing, standing, sitting, and kneeling, the name on the church door, and more. 
Jesus response to her is, "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." John 4:23.
He tells her that God is more interested in where her heart is in worship than where her body is in worship. It would be a real misunderstanding to interpret that as lessening the importance of church. Yet, if we're honest, it's easy sometimes to get our bodies to church even when our minds and hearts aren't really there. If we aren't careful we will then pat ourselves on the back for getting our bodies to the right location, but this isn't really the kind of worshipper Father is looking for.
I have found that if I'm not careful I can sing, clap, and lift my hands at church, but I'm just doing it with my body. Me spirit isn't in it. My mind is elsewhere. My heart is crowded with other things. That's not what God is looking for.
Whether we're gathering for Sunday praise or worshipping along in our cars let's focus more on where our hearts are in worship. If your heart is in the right place your body will end up there anyway, but the opposite isn't always true. 
Following the Son,

James A Williams 

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