God Is Bigger!

September 2024

John 4:19 –24 

19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming and is now here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

True worship is no longer defined by place. The Samaritan Woman at the Well recognized Jesus as a prophet before her but was so caught up in modes or methods of worship mine (mountain) or yours (Jerusalem) that she forgot to remember that God is the object of our worship. Jesus reminds her that all of our previous categories, preferences, experiences, and histories do not matter in worship. God is spirit and not confined to location or indeed any one point in history. We are called to worship with a similar framework for worship; without conventional boundaries and in the truth that Christ is the Savior of the world. 

On September 22, we will have a joyous Building Dedication in the newly renovated Sanctuary. There will be a time of thanksgiving for some key leaders in the project, a brief history and a casting of a future vision, a Christ-centered message, excellent varieties of music with a guest choir, and Holy Communion. When we gather in the freshness of the Sanctuary building, this variety in worship styles enables people who worship in spirit and truth, but in a different style to know they have come home, that God is bigger than any place new or old, freshly renovated or in ruins. The Spirit is alive and, on the move,-come see!

In Christ,
 
Rev. Elyse Nielsen