Worshiping in Community

Context

Theme: Engaging with Jesus

Week 3 (today): Jesus and the Woman a the well - the value of worshiping in community.

Our lesson is from the Gospel of John, ch. 4. (A lengthy reading as will be several of the Scripture lessons from here on into Holy Week. Whether the story is new to you or very familiar, I invite you listen patiently and notice the change that occurs over the course of the narrative.)

Jesus traveling from Judea back to the Galilee. Must go through region of Samaria. Samaritans estranged “cousins” to the Jews. Related racially, religiously, but there were deep tensions, even animosities, between the two groups that had developed over the centuries.

We are told this story.

Text

John 4:5–30 (NLT)

Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?” Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!” Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him. …

John 4:39–42 (NLT)

Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Living God, through the reading of the Scriptures and by the power of your Spirit, may we hear for ourselves the good news, and believe, because of your Word, that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. Amen.

INTRODUCTION

Recent social event here at the church. One member: I won’t be here on Sunday. The other: Oh, going to Bedside Baptist?

Pillow Presbyterian Church; Bedspring Assembly of God.

A humorous colloquialism for skipping attending church in person, in favor of staying home, to rest or do something else.

it is understood that video presence a benefit during COVID.

Stream now for those who cannot attend for health reasons.

Yet, we Christians have always prioritized gathering together to worship. Why?

Christians have gathered in times of pandemic, famine, and war. In places of persecution, Christians dodge authorities, hide from exposure, imprisonment, so that they gather together.

Why? What is so important. The story of Jesus and the woman at the well offers us an answer.

ANCIENT PROBLEM - Everyone is alone.

Our story this morning, begins with everyone being alone.

The woman is alone.

In ancient Samaria, women often went together each morning to get water. It was a cooler time of day. It was an opportunity for conversation. Away from the men and the kids. Their special time.

Not this woman. She comes alone. She comes in the heat of the afternoon.

She is shunned by the other women, and by the town in general.

She was adulterous. A fornicator. Serial bride.

A threat to stable homes and virtues.

Example: Hester Pryne. Shunned heroine of Scarlett Letter. A Red “A” on her chest for Adultery. Lived on the fringes of town, shunned, deep pain of alienation.

This Samaritan woman was the Hester Pryne of Sychar. Alone.

Townspeople are alone.

The Samaritans were

Partially descended from the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,

and partially from the Gentiles that the Assyrians relocated into the area after deporting the 10 Northern Tribes of Israel in 722 BC.

From Jewish perspective: They were not “fully” children of Abraham, did not merit all the honors of that status.

Notably, Samaritans not allowed to worship in the holy temple at Mt. Jerusalem. So the Samaritans built their own temple on Mt. Gerizim.

Jesus’ disciples are alone.

They have gone into the Samaritan town to buy food.

Probably the townspeople were surprised that this little band of Jews would have the nerve to come shopping among them.

The looks on the faces of the vendors said: No Jews served.

Jesus himself is alone.

He is sitting by a well. No friends. No disciples. No Mother Mary. No heavenly father, angels.

Weary, hot, thirsty. Alone.

CURRENT PROBLEM - we can feel alone in various areas of life

Loneliness is an experience we can all identify with.

We may feel alone like the woman who comes to the well.

Maybe we don’t have family or close friends

single person: “the hardest thing I’ve had to wrestle with is being alone. If something were to happen to me, no one would know …or care.”

If we are married and have a family, we may still feel alone.

Don’t have the intimacy we desire.

We are alone because of a shame we carry.

We are afraid of people really knowing us.

We may feel alone like the townspeople or the disciples

Marginalized because of our group, our tribe, our race, sex, gender, or our worldly condition.

We may feel alone like Jesus.

Spiritually: I feel far from God right now. No one and nothing to refresh me.

In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness an epidemic.

roughly 1 in 2 adults experiencing measurable isolation.

Mentally: anxiety, depression, poor sleep.

Physically: heart disease, stroke, dementia, premature death

Same risks as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

a crisis accelerating since the 2010s and peaking post-COVID.

Driven by technology, urban design, and weakened community ties.

Point: Despite all our social media, increased population, technical communication tools, we are incredibly lonely.

What can be done about this problem?

HINGE - Jesus is the community maker

Not clear to the woman at the well.

The woman says to Jesus, “one day the Messiah will come. He’ll teach us everything.”

In other words, a faith statement: “God will send someone who can show us another way.”

Jesus says, I AM (the Messiah). I’m here to make another way.

ANCIENT SOLUTION - Jesus establishes the community

Jesus reveals to this woman his divine identity — Messiah. The One sent by God.

He does this because it is exactly his mission to meet the need that the woman is articulating.

His mission as Messiah is to bring all people together into relationship with God and each other.

And as Messiah he begins immediately to do just that.

Jesus discloses this woman’s many broken relationships: you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband.

But he doesn’t condemn her.

Everything about Jesus communicates love to her.

This acceptance gives her a new dignity as a daughter of God.

Jesus says, “Go call your husband”, but she goes and calls the whole town.

Upon meeting Jesus the town leaders discern there is indeed something special about Jesus.

They invite Jesus and his disciples to stay with them.

So Jesus and his disciples stay for two days. Teaching, preaching, praying, perhaps working signs and wonders, as Jesus often did among those with faith.

At the end of time, the Samaritans say, “indeed this man is the Messiah.”

Stand back from the whole story we see: A Transformation has occurred.

Everyone was alone before. Now everyone is together. The townspeople, the woman, the disciples, all together.

Hearing the word of God together. Praying together. Seeing the signs of God’s kingdom together.

The center of community: Jesus himself.

This is a picture of what Jesus is all about.

Ephesians 1:10 “God had a plan for the fullness of time, to [bring all things together] in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.”

Jesus fully accomplishes this mission through his death and resurrection. Through his death he break the power that divides humanity from God and from each other. And in his resurrection he establishes a new community, in which reconciliation with God and among people is a reality.

At the well, the woman had said to Jesus, give me your living water so that I won’t have to come here to draw water anymore. He did not relieve her of going to the well in future days. In my imagination, He gave her what she really wanted: Which was not to go to the well ALONE anymore. l believe that after Jesus departed, she went with the other women.

In the events at Sychar of Samaria the church that Jesus would establish was pre-figured.

The church is none other than the community that recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and are brought together by him.

CURRENT SOLUTION - Christ calls us into community

And he still brings us together today.

He offers an alternative to the loneliness pandemic.

Friday Lenten luncheon, Jean led a topic on worshiping in community: when you came back church after the isolation of the COVID era, what did you notice?

Didn’t realize how much a missed coming to church.

Sense of the Spirit

Wherever 2/3 gathered, I am with them.

Hugs.

Energy of the room.

Better able to focus

Sharing in the sacrament together.

Get back involved in serving and working together.

reminder that I have a community when times are hard.

The church is a community where all kinds of connections are firing — social, emotional, work, purpose, spirituality.

This “togetherness” of church is not accidental to our religion, but is intrinsic to the very mission of Christ.

Christ’s mission is to bring everyone and everything together into the Kingdom of God.

When we are Growing together, we are experiencing Christ’s presence and activity among us.

In this community, each of us can say like the woman at the well.

He knows me, all that i have done, failed to do, and accept me.

Like the townspeople, each of us can say

I have come to know that Jesus is the Lord and Savior.

Like the disciples, each of us

can see that Jesus is working in the lives of those like us and those very different from us.

This is the new way of life that Jesus offers us.

As a church we are trying to live into that reality. Practical ways.

Worship attendance. God really with us and with each other.

Fellowship event. Not just fun. Shelter and nurture of the children of God.

Education. We need to hear Christ’s teaching together.

When we leave church, we have to go back to our work and challenges in life. Like the woman had to go back to the well. But we don’t do it alone.

Church is a gift from Christ, that we want to share with the people around us.

Our overall church vision statement is: to see our church full of God’s people of all ages and life stations growing together in the joy of the Lord and sharing in his ongoing mission to the world.

Practical: Mission team. Local to bring people in. Today Gordon college students. Evangelism work. As a local church we support them, so that when someone gets to know Christ, they can also find a community to belong to.

What greater joy to God than to see us gathered together in his Son and brining other people into it.

What greater joy for us to be in community with Christ and to bring others into our same joy.

Hebrews 10:24–25 (ESV) Let us not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, …

CONCLUSION

Bedside Baptist; Pillow Presbyterian Church; Bedspring Assembly of God.

Christians have always gathered together to worship.

Because when Jesus calls us into relationship with God he also calls us into relationship with each other.

A sign of the Kingdom of God to world.