A spiritual kingdom lies all about us, enclosing us, embracing us, altogether within reach of our inner selves, waiting for us to recognize it. God Himself is here waiting our response to His Presence. This eternal world will come alive to us the moment we begin to reckon upon its reality. – A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God, Apprehending God

John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

Jesus, returning to Galilee from Judea, was traveling through Samaria. John, who often makes statements with more than one meaning, says that it was necessary for him to make the journey through Samaria. Of course, it was the most direct route, though strict Jews avoided traveling through the region of outcasts. They would opt for the longer route, crossing over the Jordan and traveling up the east side to avoid defilement. He also needed to go through Samaria to keep a divine appointment.

Jesus, weary from the journey, stopped at Jacob’s well, a historic site in the area. The tomb of Joseph lies near the well. It is situated at the base of Mount Gerizim near Sychar and that city lies near the ruins of Shechem, the city of Jacob’s day. Nearby is the valley between the two mountains, Ebal and Gerizim, where the curses and blessings of the covenant echoed in Joshua’s time. Perhaps, as Jesus rests there, he may still be able to hear the ringing of chanting voices rehearsing those words from the ancient past. He has sent his disciples to town to find something to eat since it is around noon, a hot time of the day. Jesus is the only visitor at the well until a woman approaches the well.

She comes alone and as we learn about her story we understand some of the reasons. Most women would come to the well in a cooler time of the day and would gladly join with other women to enjoy the fellowship, as well as the help. But this woman has several strikes against her. She is a woman in a man’s world, an inhabitant of Samaria which was lowly esteemed by Jews, and her personal history of broken relationships spoke volumes about the pain, disappointment, and possible abuse she had endured. After trying marriage five times, she had given up and was living with her current partner. She was an outcast among outcasts.

What intrigues me about this encounter is the depth of the interaction and the depth of spiritual teaching Jesus shares with this woman. Jesus uses the setting as an opportunity to point to a deeper thirst and a more substantial provision he could offer her: living water. Just like Nicodemus she mistakes his offer and thinks only in literal and physical terms, although we can certainly understand her error more readily because she did not have the religious background of Nicodemus.

The question she raises concerning the place of true worship highlights the differences between the views of the Jews and the Samaritans. The Samaritans had their own version of the Pentateuch, their own temple on Mount Gerizim, and their own rendering of Israel’s history. However, Jesus went directly to the heart of the issue rather than engage in religious wrangling.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.Joh 4:22   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. (John 4:21-23)

A new day is dawning. Gone are the tabernacle, temple, Levitical ministry, Aaronic priesthood, emblems and instruments used for worship, and sacrificial ritual as well as a specific geographic place for worship. Worship that pleases God must be true and spiritual.

True worship must conform to spiritual realities, and at the foundation of worship is the truth that it is spiritual in nature because God is Spirit. We tend to think of worship in material terms such as a building, music, preaching, ritual, activities, etc. In doing so we show that we have much in common with this woman. True worship is not about any of these things. Worship is simply connecting to, relating to, God spiritually. It is this simplicity that makes spiritual worship profound. Worship can take place anywhere, anytime, by anyone. Jesus has opened a new way, a spiritual way to approach God.

I will venture to share a pet peeve at this point, and afterward, seek your forgiveness for venting my personal frustration. I have been a pastor for 38 years and have heard many complaints about worship and worship leaders. The complaints involve the music, the preaching, the ritual, the forms, and the order of worship. The complaints usually reveal more about the complainers than they do about the deficiencies of our worship services. We reveal that we have been more influenced by a culture of entertainment seeking sensory gratification (excitement) and constant distraction than by any Biblical concepts of worship. We show by our complaints that we are more concerned with our personal preferences in musical tastes, preaching styles, and aesthetic concerns than we are with making a spiritual connection with God.

I am tired of dealing with concerns that have little to do with real worship. The truth is simply this: A person who is desperate to connect with God on a deeply spiritual level will be able to worship in spite of horrible music, dull preaching, and nagging distractions. Conversely, a person may enjoy inspiring music, moving preaching, and a focused environment without making a spiritual connection to God. We may leave satisfied that we have enjoyed a great worship experience unaware that we have failed to have a real spiritual experience with God. We have only been entertained. But, you say, at least we enjoyed it.

God doesn’t need more critics who point out the deficiencies in worship. We are human and to be human is to be deficient. We are weak, frail, prone to mistake and failure, prone to set an impossible standard and then become disappointed when we don’t measure up. The great news is that worship is the simplest and most sublime experience – no preacher, no band or choir, no designated building needed. All that is needed is a change of attitude from one that is expecting to be entertained to one that is desperate to meet with God. He is searching for, longing to meet with, those who are desperately reaching out to him. These are the worshipers that find him, and in finding him, they find all that they need.

Which would you rather experience: an exciting time of entertainment or a spiritual encounter with the living God? I hope you know the difference and choose the latter.

As we begin to focus upon God the things of the spirit will take shape before our inner eyes. Obedience to the word of Christ will bring an inward revelation of the Godhead (John14:21-23). It will give acute perception enabling us to see God even as is promised to the pure in heart. A new God-consciousness will seize upon us and we shall begin to taste and hear and inwardly feel the God who is our life and our all. There will be seen the constant shining of the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (John 1:9) More and more, as our faculties grow sharper and more sure, God will become to us the great All, and His Presence the glory and wonder of our lives. O God, quicken to life every power within me, that I may lay hold on eternal things. Open my eyes that I may see; give me acute spiritual perception; enable me to taste Thee and know that Thou art good. Make heaven more real to me than any earthly thing has ever been. Amen. – A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God, Apprehending God