Thanksgiving has been in my thoughts a lot lately.  It is not the food or the day that keeps flashing through my mind. It has been the stories that are told- year after year.  These are great stories, told in elaborate details.  Some are important and some are not.  Most of them are embarrassing.  But they are great and the teacher in me was trying to figure out what made them great.  It is the details of the story that make it great- the who, what, where, when and why of it all.  So I think we should look at the details of this story to see what makes it great. 

Before we get to our text, let me make a few comments.  Jesus is having a discussion with a Samaritan woman a long time ago.  The Scripture is relevant today for us here at Shepherd of the Hills.  It is a simple truth that can change our lives.  The text is a bit awkward in the phrasing and there are some plays on words.  So to the make this text a bit more approachable, let’s answer those questions- who, what, where, when, why and how?  But we will answer those in a different order so it is more straight forward.  John 4: 21-24.  Hear the Word of God. … Let us pray.

First, “who”?  Jesus is the Messiah.  This is a foundational truth.  God so loved the world that He sent His only Son… Jesus makes the divine connection from Exodus 3:14.  This is where God is speaking to Moses and gives Moses the name by which God wished to be addressed and worshipped by in Israel.  By Jesus using this reference, He identifies Himself as the Messiah.  The “I Am.”  Our text says that we worship what we do know for salvation is from the Jews.  The “who” we worship is Jesus. 

In our text, the “what” is the point that Jesus tried to convey to the Samaritan woman and to us.  The “what” is true worship- not theoretical or abstract. It is tangible, concrete and based on a full understanding of God and theology.  The Samaritans and this Samaritan woman only used the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.  They had an incomplete idea of worship and of God.  We, as Christians, use al of the Bible.  We worship a God of law and of grace.  Worship, true worship, should be shaped by full understanding. 

So the “who” is Jesus and the “what” is true worship.  The “where” was a troublesome issue of the day.  The challenge for the Samaritans and the Jews is that they relied on a particular physical setting like a temple for proper worship.  Worship of God was tied to a particular place.  Jesus promised “A time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain or Jerusalem.”  The time that Jesus promised is here.  We worship God in this good place.  We worship God in the mountains.  We worship God in our homes.  The place of worship is not the priority. The God we worship is. 

What about the “when”?  Jesus says that the hour is coming and has come when true worshippers will worship the Father.  The Samaritans and many Jews expected a future Messiah.  But the hour is not anticipated. It has arrived.  The great thing about out theology is the covenant community.  We get to experience a bit of heaven on earth as we are in relationship with Jesus and other believers.  That relationship spans generations.  Jesus’ presence in the world changed everything.   

We spend a lot of time in the modern church discussing the “how” of worship.  We have discussed, in length, styles of worship.  But from our text, we see the “how”.  We worship the Father in spirit and in truth.  We worship in spirit using the inner person.  This God we worship, who knit us in our mother’s womb, made each of us distinct and unique.  God wants us to use all of who we are to worship Him.  So, my worshipping in spirit may look a bit different than yours.  We worship in truth with a clear understanding.  This is based on our knowledge of God, from our experience and on the Word of God. 

So, the “who” is Jesus.  The “what” is true worship.  The “where” is wherever you are at.  The “when” is now.  The “how” is in spirit and in truth. Last is “why”.  We want to be the kind of worshippers that God wants.  It’s all about God.  God created us; Jesus saved us; Spirit empowers us.  We are created to worship God and when we are faithful, we fulfill our purpose. 

So we are working through the pigskin church and my task is the marching band.  You probably do not know but I was very involved in marching band in high school.  I was in a traveling youth band that was state champion. I loved being in the band.  It is harder then it looks.  You must master the music and the choreography, but if one person is off, it is painfully obvious and the effect is lost.  When you are all focused, it is powerful.  You can tell a story through music and movement.  You can touch people’s hearts.  This clip will show you a bit of what I mean.  CLIP

This pigskin church is full of different band members with different gifts but we have the same half-time show.  We have the same purpose.  Jesus is the focus.  True worship is our desire.  God is with us wherever we go.  Today is the day to worship Him in spirit and in truth.  Because that is why we are here.  So let’s do our best.  Let’s tell the whole story and may our music and our movement change lives forever.  Amen.