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By Mike Caton

John 4:21, “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.”

The woman has asked Jesus about the proper place to worship, the Samaritans had built a replica of the temple on Mt Gerizim. The Jews said the only proper place to worship was the temple in Jerusalem. Isn’t it amazing how we get so hung up on the where, the when and the how of worship that we forget to truly worship? We look down on others who are not doing what we think they should be doing or they are doing it in the wrong way. And so, somehow, we decide that their worship is somehow not adequate, not good enough. And yet we forget, they are not worshiping us, they are worshiping God and it is God who gets to be the judge.

Jesus is talking about a time when the Father would be worshiped in places besides those two mountains. No doubt, folks did worship God in other places in these days. The Jews had been scattered years earlier and were all over the world. But the temple still held a special place in their hearts. But Jesus is speaking about the coming of the kingdom, of the church. He is talking about everyone being invited to come in; not just the Jews, and not just those who were partially Jews, but the Gentiles as well. The gospel is a message for the whole world! And we are included and we are responsible to tell others this good news.

But maybe we sometimes forget that simple fact, we are called to worship, to honor God. This is not just about missing church, though as Christians we ought to long for the fellowship of God’s people. It is about being mindful of God each and every day. It is about spending time learning of him, about time speaking to him, about time listening to him on a regular basis. It is about worshiping God, by the way we live our life, wherever we are and whatever we are doing.

Father, help my worship never end. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Mike Caton is the preacher at Mount Olive Church of Christ in Belhaven. He volunteers at the Ponzer Fire Department and works part time with Hyde County EMS. If you would like to receive daily devotions in your inbox, email mikecaton@centurylink.net.

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