The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection of Leawood, Kansas, united States for Thursday, 14 April 2016 - "Why she needed a second chance"
Daily Scripture: John 4:16 He said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” 17 She answered, “I don’t have a husband.” Yeshua said to her, “You’re right, you don’t have a husband! 18 You’ve had five husbands in the past, and you’re not married to the man you’re living with now! You’ve spoken the truth!”
19 “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet,” the woman replied. 20 “Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you people say that the place where one has to worship is in Yerushalayim.” 21 Yeshua said, “Lady, believe me, the time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Yerushalayim. 22 You people don’t know what you are worshipping; we worship what we do know, because salvation comes from the Jews. 23 But the time is coming — indeed, it’s here now — when the true worshippers will worship the Father spiritually and truly, for these are the kind of people the Father wants worshipping him. 24 God is spirit; and worshippers must worship him spiritually and truly.”
Reflection QuestionsThe woman probably came to the well alone because of shame. Jesus frankly led her into talking about why she needed a second chance. She admitted he was right, but at first tried to shift the subject by raising a religious debate between the Jews and Samaritans (verses 19-20). Jesus didn’t take the bait. He said the key to worshipping God fully was not finding the “right” place, but laying aside shame to worship “in spirit and truth” (verse 24).
- In verses 16-18, Jesus showed the woman that he knew her past. She still seemed to resist opening up to Jesus about her life. When you have opened up to people about a challenge or struggle, has that proved beneficial or hurtful? How can you recognize trustworthy people? When has God supported and strengthened you through such “safe” people? Are you willing to be vulnerable to people like that when you need to be?
- Jesus said God is Spirit (a word that also meant “breath” or “atmosphere”). In other words, God is with us always and already knows all about us. What’s more, knowing each of us fully (even better than we know ourselves), God loves each of us deeply! So coming to God in total honesty is not cause for shame, but for worship and praise of his love, mercy, and grace. What's on your heart today? What do you need to bring to the Lord in full honesty, knowing that God loves you as his child?
Jesus, sometimes my shame makes me shrink from being completely honest with you. Help me to trust you and embrace the truth of your love and mercy so that I can more fully worship you. Amen.
Insights from Dr. Amy Oden
Dr. Amy Oden is Professor of Early Church History and Spirituality at Saint Paul School of Theology at OCU. Teaching is her calling, and she looks forward to every day with students. For 25 years, Amy has taught theology and history, pursuing scholarship in service of the church.
“All are welcome,” the banner outside the church building proclaimed. Jeff and Jessica visited three Sundays in a row and the only ones who spoke to them were the greeters at the door. When they didn’t come back a fourth time, no one noticed.
It’s hard to know what brings someone to church, or back to church, for the first time. But it’s often the things that brought this woman to the well in the middle of the day. Studies suggest that a high percentage of first-timers at church come in the wake of a difficult life event: a death, divorce, job loss, health diagnosis, move or financial crisis. They often come weighed down with shame, thirsty for mercy, for second chances, for grace. Hungry for good news. Thirsty for living water. The woman at the well was thirsty to be cleansed of shame.
We have so much good news and living water to share! Indeed, all are welcome at God’s feast! So we have to really mean it when we post banners of welcome. We have to mean it even (or perhaps especially) for those who cannot stay sober, for those who ask for money or for those who have had five husbands. We offer welcome in the name of the One who frees each of us from shame, who becomes in us “a spring of water gushing up to eternal life,” abundant life here, now.
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
“All are welcome,” the banner outside the church building proclaimed. Jeff and Jessica visited three Sundays in a row and the only ones who spoke to them were the greeters at the door. When they didn’t come back a fourth time, no one noticed.
It’s hard to know what brings someone to church, or back to church, for the first time. But it’s often the things that brought this woman to the well in the middle of the day. Studies suggest that a high percentage of first-timers at church come in the wake of a difficult life event: a death, divorce, job loss, health diagnosis, move or financial crisis. They often come weighed down with shame, thirsty for mercy, for second chances, for grace. Hungry for good news. Thirsty for living water. The woman at the well was thirsty to be cleansed of shame.
We have so much good news and living water to share! Indeed, all are welcome at God’s feast! So we have to really mean it when we post banners of welcome. We have to mean it even (or perhaps especially) for those who cannot stay sober, for those who ask for money or for those who have had five husbands. We offer welcome in the name of the One who frees each of us from shame, who becomes in us “a spring of water gushing up to eternal life,” abundant life here, now.
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
913.897.0120
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