October 19, 2020
Sharing from our Congregation – David Petty
“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, the time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem... Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth.” — John 4:21,23
About six months ago, just before the shutdown began, I referenced this passage in Sunday School. I had no idea how soon Jesus’ prediction would more or less come true for us. Within a few days we were no longer worshiping in our “temple.” (I hope we were still worshiping in the Spirit and in truth.)
As terrible as this pandemic has been, I do believe there are valuable lessons that we can learn from it. One lesson is that the Church is more than “church.”
Obviously I’m playing with different meanings of the word church here. When I say “church,” I mean in-sanctuary worship services. When I say the Church I mean the full range of ways that Christians can worship and serve the Lord. This definition is close to what Jesus meant by “the kingdom of heaven.” It’s also similar to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s idea “beloved community.”
As we begin the return to business as usual, I hope we won’t forget this lesson. I hope we will continue to “do church” in the broader sense, and in the Spirit and truth.
Gracefully Submitted,
David Petty