Living the Message

Today, Pastor Amy read from John 4. In this chapter, there was some reason why Jesus had to go through Samaria even though it was difficult for a Jew to do so. Here He told the Samaritan woman, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Pastor Amy asked where Samaria is today. She talked about the role and history of the Dutch Reformed Church in apartheid in South Africa. For more information, see this article by Eunice McGarrahan. Even in our county, it has been said that the most segregated hour is Sunday morning. Jesus has not created the barriers we see in worship - we have. He calls for true worshippers to worship in spirit and in truth.

Question of the Week: Where have you seen God's redeeming grace heal divisions in the church?