It would be an understatement to say that this has been a week full of new and unprecedented challenges. The need for social distancing suggested by world leaders and medical experts is nothing like we have seen in our lifetimes. Business, schools, churches and families are all working to better understand what to do over the coming weeks for the good of one another and our world. Because of changes our congregation had to make, I have found myself drawn back to a story we talked about at the end of January: the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4.

 

Because of the limits of our time together on Sunday mornings, sometimes details in a story are left out or mentioned quickly. One of those details we did not spend much time on in John 4 reminds me of our current situation. The woman tries to change the subject of their conversation to the physical location where worship should take place. The Samaritans worshipped on Mt. Gerizim, while the Jews worshipped in Jerusalem. He answers her question starting in verse 21, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 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 is seeking such people to worship him.” Jesus opened her eyes to a much more important idea: the where is not nearly important as who is being worshipped and the heart of the worshippers. That is an encouraging thought for us in these strange times in our world.

 

Illness, weather, travel, work, caring for family members and other things of life have kept most of out of the church building on occasional Sundays of our lives. All of us not being there for more than one Sunday is unusual though. Yet we will still worship. We will worship wherever we are, because we know that God does not need a temple, a mountain, a tent or a church building to dwell in. God became flesh and dwelled among us. God continues to dwell with His people. We are His temple. We are His dwelling place. We will celebrate in different locations now and rejoice in the reunion when we are all together in person again.

 

Brian