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“True worshippers will worship in spirit and truth”
Tuesday, 1 August 2017
John 4:19 “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.”
25 The woman replied, “I know that Mashiach is coming” (that is, “the one who has been anointed”). “When he comes, he will tell us everything.” 26 Yeshua said to her, “I, the person speaking to you, am he.”
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Jesus talked with a Samaritan woman. “So what?” you might ask. First, most rabbis didn’t spend time teaching women—they tended to view them as simple creatures suited mainly for homemaking and childbearing. Second, Jews didn’t talk much with Samaritans—and vice versa. But Jesus took the woman’s question seriously. He didn’t argue the outward location for worship. He said what is in our hearts as we worship is what matters to God.
• Jesus said that beyond human disputes about the right place or right way to worship, the key was that people worship “in spirit and truth” (verse 24). How did “in spirit” focus attention on our inner being as shaping our worship? How did “in truth” point to the importance of honestly opening your whole life to God’s love and grace as you worship?
• Jews hated Samaritans; Samaritans hated Jews. The mistrust and dislike between the two peoples went back centuries. How does the way Jesus reached out to this Samaritan woman suggest ways that our openness to “worship in spirit and in truth” might bridge social, ethnic and cultural barriers in our world? In our city?
Prayer: Jesus, sometimes I shrink from being completely honest with you. Help me to embrace and trust the truth of your love and mercy so that I can more fully worship you. Amen.
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Brandon Gregory
Brandon Gregory is a volunteer for the worship and missions teams at Church of the Resurrection. He helps lead worship at Vibe, West and Downtown services, and is involved with the Malawi missions team at home.
When a Samaritan woman asked Jesus if it was truly necessary to worship God in Jerusalem (as she had been told by other Jewish teachers), he didn’t waste time with senseless debate--he got right to the heart of the matter. The Samaritan woman wanted to worship God correctly, and this was her motivation for asking Jesus the question. Jesus affirmed to her that her desire to honestly worship God in the most best way possible was, in fact, the correct way to worship. As with many of Jesus’ teachings, it wasn’t about a motion, but a mindset, and a humble desire to do good was a prerequisite to actually being good.
What’s interesting is that the raging debate of where authentic worship happened is never really resolved. People could do everything correctly, whether that was worshiping in Jerusalem or the mountain the woman mentioned, and still not find God. Conversely, if we worship in spirit and in truth, we can easily find God outside of Jerusalem, or church, or anywhere worship is “supposed” to happen.
I was on a flight back to Kansas City by myself a few years back when my two seat mates (whom I didn’t know) were discussing the mission trip they were returning home from. They talked about how what they did in Honduras would enable them to build Christian community, and spent some time talking about the importance of community in churches. I listened to them for a bit and actually got excited for what they were doing, so after awhile, I decided to introduce myself and talk about my background in missions. I asked them a few questions about their trip and got quick, curt answers. And then the conversation was over. That’s when I realized they had no desire to actually talk to me and build the community they had just discussed so thoroughly. Building Christian community was something they did on their mission trip, in that small Honduran church, but it wasn’t something they did in spirit and in truth, wherever their life was happening.
Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once told a story of a man who was given the task of entertaining himself for the entire day, and then at noon, he declared, “I’m done!” Finishing that task early doesn’t mean you’ve done a good job; it means you’ve failed the task. Kierkegaard went on to say that if you finish with life before your life is over, you’ve failed the task. I wonder how many times each of us does the same thing with our spiritual lives, though. How often do we go to church on Sunday and proclaim, “I’m done!” when the task is to worship in spirit and in truth every moment of our lives? How many opportunities do we miss because we’re spiritually off-duty?
Worship takes place in our hearts and minds, and often, the best worship occurs outside of holy buildings in moments of simple thanks or quiet contemplation. The trick is to be receptive to God’s gentle voice whenever it calls. Spending some time throughout the day to just calm yourself and be receptive to what God may have placed in your life can go a long way in catching these opportunities, but we also have to be willing to respond to the ones that may not be the most interesting or convenient. Always be on the lookout for a chance to experience God or do His work. You’ll find the opportunities are much closer than you thought.
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“The joy from the Lord is your strength!”
Wednesday, 2 August 2017
Nehemiah 8:8-10, 9:5-6
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Since Israel had been in exile in Babylon for a generation or two, Ezra and Nehemiah believed a public reading of God’s law (possibly the book of Deuteronomy) would help get everybody “on the same page.” At the reading, though, some people wept, seeing just rules and work. But Nehemiah told them that the path to being God’s deeply committed followers ran through what he called “the joy of the Lord.”
• When Persia first let Israel’s exiles return to Jerusalem, it brought dizzying joy (cf. Psalm 126:1-3). But for too many Israelites the joy was apparently just about their physical circumstances, not about God’s role in their lives. That kind of joy faded in the face of the challenges of rebuilding their ruined land and capital city. What has helped you to see following God not as a joyless burden, but as a privilege pointing the way to true joy in life?
• The Babylonians, like most Middle Eastern peoples of that day, worshipped numerous deities. Nehemiah 9:6 in Hebrew was worded to teach that Yahweh, Israel’s God, was in a class by himself. In what ways have you found that God is more worthy of loyalty and worship in your life than any of the “gods” (e.g. materialism, success, personal pleasure) that our culture tends to serve?
Prayer: Lord God, I want to experience your deep joy in whatever life brings my way, because you are in the center of my life. Help me grow in my comprehension that you are truly in a class by yourself. Amen.
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“Let’s love each other, because love is from God”
Thursday, 3 August 2017
1 John 4:4-10
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Who (or what) we worship shapes the kind of person we become. That was why John’s letter located the source of our ability to love, not within us (no matter how temperamentally “nice” we may—or may not—be), but in God’s self-giving, sacrificial love for us. We do not worship to earn God’s love, but in response to the amazing, saving love that God has already shown to us.
• Most Romans (we still have some of their writings) ridiculed a thought like “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” But we have the record of over 2000 years of history. How did God’s love, which lived in those early Christians through the Holy Spirit, not only survive, but in the end outlast, the Roman Empire’s military and economic power? Can God’s love, dwelling in us, still “defeat the world” today?
• The Christian message is truly “counter-cultural.” It calls us to draw our motivations and values from a God who exists before and beyond our culture. What are some ways, if any, that you have overcome hurtful cultural habits or patterns because of your faith in Jesus? What culture-based fears and pressures make it hard for you to offer your best to God? How can the principles in this passage strengthen you to resist those pressures?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you showed the transforming power of love and faith. Dwell in me, Holy Spirit, shaping the kind of love and faith that can change my world for the better. Amen.
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“You have drawn near to Mount Zion…heavenly Jerusalem”
Friday,4 August 2017
Hebrews 12:18-24, 28-29
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The letter to the Hebrews originally spoke to Christians who faced severe persecution (cf. Hebrews 12:3-4). Under those conditions, they wondered if it was worth holding to their faith in Jesus. In answer, the writer contrasted the fearsome scene in Exodus 19:9-25 with their joy in worshipping Jesus. When the believers worshipped, they were a part of something truly awesome—a cosmic, world-changing reality worth any price they had to pay. • Verse 28 invited believers to worship God “with reverence and awe.” Which of the images in these verses speak most powerfully to your sense of awe? What are the moments in a worship service (if any) that most evoke in you a sense of respect and awe, an awareness of being in the presence of “the living God”?
• As you prepare to worship this weekend, ask God to lift your imagination beyond the earthly building, musicians and speaker. Pray for a spiritual glimpse of “countless angels in a festival gathering,” of offering worship and praise to the living God in “the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem.” Picture how God desires to transform you, and your surroundings, in Leawood, Olathe, downtown Kansas City or Blue Springs or elsewhere.
Prayer: Great God, in the awe-inspiring beauty of a baby’s face, of a grandparent’s wisdom, of a good friend’s care and concern—touch my heart. In the glory of worship and praise, increase my capacity for awe. Amen.
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“Let every living thing praise the Lord!”
Saturday, 5 August 2017
Psalm 150:1-6
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The collectors and compilers of Israel’s psalms chose this vibrant poem/song of praise to cap the collection. In Israel’s context, it took in both traditional ways of worshipping (“the blast of the ram’s horn”) and more “contemporary” expressions (“drum and dance,” “clashing cymbals”). In the light of God’s “incredible greatness,” it invited God’s people to use the full range of their creativity to celebrate God’s mighty acts, to bring their best energy and skill to the act of worship.
• Pastor-scholar Donald Williams wrote, “This psalm is a little introduction to and summary of what real worship is: expressing joyful delight in the presence of God. Commentators identify this psalm as a hymn. Its author and date are unknown; it is timeless. The thought moves from what to do before God and where to do it (v. 1) to why to do it (v. 2) and concludes with how to do it (vv. 3–6).” * In what ways do your attitude about, and participation in, worship reflect the spirit of this psalm? In what areas do you want to ask God to help your worship experience grow toward this ideal?
Prayer: God of wonders and might acts, by your love draw me ever more fully into your awe-inspiring presence. Guide me to worship you more deeply in spirit and in truth. Amen.
* Donald Williams, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 14: Psalms 73–150. Lloyd John Ogilvie, gen. ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989, p. 530.
Family Activity: Create a special worship box or chest for your home. (You can use a shoebox or other container or buy a plain one at a craft store.) Design the outside with words, pictures and symbols representing your family and faith. Inside, place objects that help your family worship together. You might include a Bible, a prayer cloth, a candle, items from nature, pictures, art supplies, and music. Each week spend some time worshipping together at home using the items in your box. You might also try going on a nature walk and praising God for creation, serving in a nursing home or soup kitchen, or even giving a worship box to another family to design and use. Give thanks to God for the blessing of worship!
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You might also like
Beast: You came back. Belle: Don't leave me. I love you.
Lumiere: What if she is ‘the one’ who will break the spell?
Mrs. Potts to the Beast: “Must help her to see past all that”
Belle: He's no monster Gaston. You are!
Mrs. Potts to Belle: The master's not as terrible as he appears!
Or download this week's printable GPS.-------
Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
•Pat Tackett and family on the death of her mother Betty Grayson, 7/25
• Jon Chamberlain and family on the death of his sister Roberta Landreth, 7/20
•Cran Cederlind and family on the death of his mother Alme “Jackie” Cederlind, 7/20
•Ryan Aldis and family on the death of his mother Sarah Gillman, 7/20
•Family and friends of Melissa Owen on her death, 7/20
• Jim Smith and family on the death of his sister Joyce Winters, 7/19
• Mary Shewmake and family on the death of her brother-in-law James “Jim” Hess, 7/5
•Steve Hechler and family on the death of his father George L. Hechler, 7/4
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Tuesday, 1 August 2017
John 4:19 “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.”
25 The woman replied, “I know that Mashiach is coming” (that is, “the one who has been anointed”). “When he comes, he will tell us everything.” 26 Yeshua said to her, “I, the person speaking to you, am he.”
-------
Jesus talked with a Samaritan woman. “So what?” you might ask. First, most rabbis didn’t spend time teaching women—they tended to view them as simple creatures suited mainly for homemaking and childbearing. Second, Jews didn’t talk much with Samaritans—and vice versa. But Jesus took the woman’s question seriously. He didn’t argue the outward location for worship. He said what is in our hearts as we worship is what matters to God.
• Jesus said that beyond human disputes about the right place or right way to worship, the key was that people worship “in spirit and truth” (verse 24). How did “in spirit” focus attention on our inner being as shaping our worship? How did “in truth” point to the importance of honestly opening your whole life to God’s love and grace as you worship?
• Jews hated Samaritans; Samaritans hated Jews. The mistrust and dislike between the two peoples went back centuries. How does the way Jesus reached out to this Samaritan woman suggest ways that our openness to “worship in spirit and in truth” might bridge social, ethnic and cultural barriers in our world? In our city?
Prayer: Jesus, sometimes I shrink from being completely honest with you. Help me to embrace and trust the truth of your love and mercy so that I can more fully worship you. Amen.
-------
Brandon GregoryBrandon Gregory is a volunteer for the worship and missions teams at Church of the Resurrection. He helps lead worship at Vibe, West and Downtown services, and is involved with the Malawi missions team at home.
When a Samaritan woman asked Jesus if it was truly necessary to worship God in Jerusalem (as she had been told by other Jewish teachers), he didn’t waste time with senseless debate--he got right to the heart of the matter. The Samaritan woman wanted to worship God correctly, and this was her motivation for asking Jesus the question. Jesus affirmed to her that her desire to honestly worship God in the most best way possible was, in fact, the correct way to worship. As with many of Jesus’ teachings, it wasn’t about a motion, but a mindset, and a humble desire to do good was a prerequisite to actually being good.
What’s interesting is that the raging debate of where authentic worship happened is never really resolved. People could do everything correctly, whether that was worshiping in Jerusalem or the mountain the woman mentioned, and still not find God. Conversely, if we worship in spirit and in truth, we can easily find God outside of Jerusalem, or church, or anywhere worship is “supposed” to happen.
I was on a flight back to Kansas City by myself a few years back when my two seat mates (whom I didn’t know) were discussing the mission trip they were returning home from. They talked about how what they did in Honduras would enable them to build Christian community, and spent some time talking about the importance of community in churches. I listened to them for a bit and actually got excited for what they were doing, so after awhile, I decided to introduce myself and talk about my background in missions. I asked them a few questions about their trip and got quick, curt answers. And then the conversation was over. That’s when I realized they had no desire to actually talk to me and build the community they had just discussed so thoroughly. Building Christian community was something they did on their mission trip, in that small Honduran church, but it wasn’t something they did in spirit and in truth, wherever their life was happening.
Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once told a story of a man who was given the task of entertaining himself for the entire day, and then at noon, he declared, “I’m done!” Finishing that task early doesn’t mean you’ve done a good job; it means you’ve failed the task. Kierkegaard went on to say that if you finish with life before your life is over, you’ve failed the task. I wonder how many times each of us does the same thing with our spiritual lives, though. How often do we go to church on Sunday and proclaim, “I’m done!” when the task is to worship in spirit and in truth every moment of our lives? How many opportunities do we miss because we’re spiritually off-duty?
Worship takes place in our hearts and minds, and often, the best worship occurs outside of holy buildings in moments of simple thanks or quiet contemplation. The trick is to be receptive to God’s gentle voice whenever it calls. Spending some time throughout the day to just calm yourself and be receptive to what God may have placed in your life can go a long way in catching these opportunities, but we also have to be willing to respond to the ones that may not be the most interesting or convenient. Always be on the lookout for a chance to experience God or do His work. You’ll find the opportunities are much closer than you thought.
-------
“The joy from the Lord is your strength!”
Wednesday, 2 August 2017
Nehemiah 8:8-10, 9:5-6
-------
Since Israel had been in exile in Babylon for a generation or two, Ezra and Nehemiah believed a public reading of God’s law (possibly the book of Deuteronomy) would help get everybody “on the same page.” At the reading, though, some people wept, seeing just rules and work. But Nehemiah told them that the path to being God’s deeply committed followers ran through what he called “the joy of the Lord.”
• When Persia first let Israel’s exiles return to Jerusalem, it brought dizzying joy (cf. Psalm 126:1-3). But for too many Israelites the joy was apparently just about their physical circumstances, not about God’s role in their lives. That kind of joy faded in the face of the challenges of rebuilding their ruined land and capital city. What has helped you to see following God not as a joyless burden, but as a privilege pointing the way to true joy in life?
• The Babylonians, like most Middle Eastern peoples of that day, worshipped numerous deities. Nehemiah 9:6 in Hebrew was worded to teach that Yahweh, Israel’s God, was in a class by himself. In what ways have you found that God is more worthy of loyalty and worship in your life than any of the “gods” (e.g. materialism, success, personal pleasure) that our culture tends to serve?
Prayer: Lord God, I want to experience your deep joy in whatever life brings my way, because you are in the center of my life. Help me grow in my comprehension that you are truly in a class by yourself. Amen.
-------
-------
“Let’s love each other, because love is from God”
Thursday, 3 August 2017
1 John 4:4-10
-------
Who (or what) we worship shapes the kind of person we become. That was why John’s letter located the source of our ability to love, not within us (no matter how temperamentally “nice” we may—or may not—be), but in God’s self-giving, sacrificial love for us. We do not worship to earn God’s love, but in response to the amazing, saving love that God has already shown to us.
• Most Romans (we still have some of their writings) ridiculed a thought like “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” But we have the record of over 2000 years of history. How did God’s love, which lived in those early Christians through the Holy Spirit, not only survive, but in the end outlast, the Roman Empire’s military and economic power? Can God’s love, dwelling in us, still “defeat the world” today?
• The Christian message is truly “counter-cultural.” It calls us to draw our motivations and values from a God who exists before and beyond our culture. What are some ways, if any, that you have overcome hurtful cultural habits or patterns because of your faith in Jesus? What culture-based fears and pressures make it hard for you to offer your best to God? How can the principles in this passage strengthen you to resist those pressures?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you showed the transforming power of love and faith. Dwell in me, Holy Spirit, shaping the kind of love and faith that can change my world for the better. Amen.
-------
-------
“You have drawn near to Mount Zion…heavenly Jerusalem”
Friday,4 August 2017
Hebrews 12:18-24, 28-29
-------
The letter to the Hebrews originally spoke to Christians who faced severe persecution (cf. Hebrews 12:3-4). Under those conditions, they wondered if it was worth holding to their faith in Jesus. In answer, the writer contrasted the fearsome scene in Exodus 19:9-25 with their joy in worshipping Jesus. When the believers worshipped, they were a part of something truly awesome—a cosmic, world-changing reality worth any price they had to pay. • Verse 28 invited believers to worship God “with reverence and awe.” Which of the images in these verses speak most powerfully to your sense of awe? What are the moments in a worship service (if any) that most evoke in you a sense of respect and awe, an awareness of being in the presence of “the living God”?
• As you prepare to worship this weekend, ask God to lift your imagination beyond the earthly building, musicians and speaker. Pray for a spiritual glimpse of “countless angels in a festival gathering,” of offering worship and praise to the living God in “the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem.” Picture how God desires to transform you, and your surroundings, in Leawood, Olathe, downtown Kansas City or Blue Springs or elsewhere.
Prayer: Great God, in the awe-inspiring beauty of a baby’s face, of a grandparent’s wisdom, of a good friend’s care and concern—touch my heart. In the glory of worship and praise, increase my capacity for awe. Amen.
-------
-------
“Let every living thing praise the Lord!”
Saturday, 5 August 2017
Psalm 150:1-6
-------
The collectors and compilers of Israel’s psalms chose this vibrant poem/song of praise to cap the collection. In Israel’s context, it took in both traditional ways of worshipping (“the blast of the ram’s horn”) and more “contemporary” expressions (“drum and dance,” “clashing cymbals”). In the light of God’s “incredible greatness,” it invited God’s people to use the full range of their creativity to celebrate God’s mighty acts, to bring their best energy and skill to the act of worship.
• Pastor-scholar Donald Williams wrote, “This psalm is a little introduction to and summary of what real worship is: expressing joyful delight in the presence of God. Commentators identify this psalm as a hymn. Its author and date are unknown; it is timeless. The thought moves from what to do before God and where to do it (v. 1) to why to do it (v. 2) and concludes with how to do it (vv. 3–6).” * In what ways do your attitude about, and participation in, worship reflect the spirit of this psalm? In what areas do you want to ask God to help your worship experience grow toward this ideal?
Prayer: God of wonders and might acts, by your love draw me ever more fully into your awe-inspiring presence. Guide me to worship you more deeply in spirit and in truth. Amen.
* Donald Williams, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 14: Psalms 73–150. Lloyd John Ogilvie, gen. ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989, p. 530.
Family Activity: Create a special worship box or chest for your home. (You can use a shoebox or other container or buy a plain one at a craft store.) Design the outside with words, pictures and symbols representing your family and faith. Inside, place objects that help your family worship together. You might include a Bible, a prayer cloth, a candle, items from nature, pictures, art supplies, and music. Each week spend some time worshipping together at home using the items in your box. You might also try going on a nature walk and praising God for creation, serving in a nursing home or soup kitchen, or even giving a worship box to another family to design and use. Give thanks to God for the blessing of worship!
-------
-------
You might also like
Beast: You came back. Belle: Don't leave me. I love you.
Lumiere: What if she is ‘the one’ who will break the spell?
Mrs. Potts to the Beast: “Must help her to see past all that”
Belle: He's no monster Gaston. You are!
Mrs. Potts to Belle: The master's not as terrible as he appears!
Or download this week's printable GPS.-------
Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
•Pat Tackett and family on the death of her mother Betty Grayson, 7/25
• Jon Chamberlain and family on the death of his sister Roberta Landreth, 7/20
•Cran Cederlind and family on the death of his mother Alme “Jackie” Cederlind, 7/20
•Ryan Aldis and family on the death of his mother Sarah Gillman, 7/20
•Family and friends of Melissa Owen on her death, 7/20
• Jim Smith and family on the death of his sister Joyce Winters, 7/19
• Mary Shewmake and family on the death of her brother-in-law James “Jim” Hess, 7/5
•Steve Hechler and family on the death of his father George L. Hechler, 7/4
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©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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