Worship in spirit and truth

Two of my guest bloggers over the last couple weeks used the same scripture for their post.

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

John 4:23

This verse comes up a lot when it comes to worship. What does it mean to worship in spirit and truth?

These verses are words straight out of Jesus’ mouth, spoken to the Samaritan woman at the well. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, read the whole thing here.

I love this story. I have a fond appreciation for stories of Jesus speaking lovingly (and in this case firmly) into a woman’s life. In a culture that looked down on women, I love seeing Jesus’ interaction with them. Add onto that the fact that she is a Samaritan, someone that Jews (like Jesus) do NOT associate with.

Jesus asks her for some water, calls her out on her promiscuity, and somehow switches the conversation around to worship, stating that location doesn’t matter for worship. Jews and Samaritans worshiped at different places, and I think Jesus was trying to say all that was about to change. And that’s where the above verses come in.

I have a Greek/Hebrew study Bible, so I can nerd it up in my quiet time and look up the original meanings of words. When I looked up the Greek word for spirit (pneuma for my fellow Bible geeks out there), it gave about an entire column worth of definition. When I scanned through it, I read this:

In John 4:24, in spirit and in truth means with a sincere mind, with a true heart, not with mere external rites.

It sounds to me like Jesus is trying to say rituals and the WAY you worship isn’t the important thing. HOW you do it is what matters. Are you merely going through the motions because it’s what you do at 11 a.m. on a Sunday? Is your heart really in it?

What does it mean to you to worship in spirit and truth?