But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him.” vs. 23
John 4:16-25
It can be comforting to have a religion that we can rely on, and most people will claim an affiliation to some established denomination or faith community. So when asked by census takers or screen door evangelists we can give a religious preference, even if we haven’t been in a place of worship for decades. Even in Jesus’ day people had answers for such questions, and Jesus readily called himself a Jew. But in his conversation with the Samaritan woman, he looked toward a time when such easy designations would be erased. Someday, he says, true worship will be done in spirit and in truth, thereby implying that believers will someday eschew identification with a religion or cult. Some people in recent years have followed up on that notion by calling themselves “spiritual but not religious.” On the surface that seems like an idea that Jesus would affirm, but what passes for spirituality in these days of trendy clichés is often shallow and trite, an excuse for dropping out of organized religion, and that’s not what Jesus had in mind. He was instead inviting the woman into a personal relationship with himself, a deep connection with the water of life, and that will always include involvement with others in a community of faith. Believers are called into the Church, and not out of it!
Thought for the Day: Why do people say they are spiritual and not religious?
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