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Friends in Christ Weekly Message
March 2, 2002

     But the time is coming - it has, in fact, come - when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter.
     It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself - Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.
John 4:23-24 (Message*)

Jews and Samaritans were bitterly divided about what was the divinely appointed site for the central worship and sacrifice of their religion. Jews believed it to be Jerusalem, and Samaritans believed it to be Mount Gerizim.

Jesus told the Samaritan woman in this passage that the site was not what was important. We also need to avoid focusing on the place or the building or particular symbols.

God cares not about the outward surroundings in which we worship, but what is in our hearts and the attitude with which we approach Him. We shouldn't put on a "religious" persona when we worship, but be simply and honestly ourselves. Our spirits need to reach out towards God, trusting that God will open up truth to us. Our whole beings need to be engaged in worship.

We need to examine how we approach worship. Do we bring ourselves simply and honestly before God, without any pretence? Are our spirits earnestly seeking God's truth? Is our very being deeply engaged in our worship?

Bill Samuel

* The Message version © by Eugene H. Peterson.

©2002 Friends in Christ, Inc.


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Document last modified on Saturday, 27-Dec-2003 11:59:48 EST