Today we
worshiped at Oak Grove Lutheran Church, 432 Harkins Mill Road, Zelienople, PA
16063, 724.774.6410, www.oakgrovelc.org,
Nathaneil Christman, Pastor.
Scripture
– John 4:1-42 NIV
Now
Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing
more disciples than John— although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but
his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
Now
he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar,
near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was
there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It
was about noon.
When
a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a
drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
The
Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can
you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus
answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a
drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
“Sir,”
the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can
you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us
the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus
answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever
drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them
will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The
woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and
have to keep coming here to draw water.”
He
told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
“I
have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus
said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you
have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you
have just said is quite true.”
“Sir,”
the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on
this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in
Jerusalem.”
“Woman,”
Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do
not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a
time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the
Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the
Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and
in truth.”
The
woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he
will explain everything to us.”
Then
Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
Just
then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a
woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
Then,
leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,
“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”
They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
Meanwhile
his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
But
he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
Then
his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
“My
food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his
work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell
you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now
the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that
the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and
another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others
have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
Many
of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s
testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to
him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of
his words many more became believers.
They
said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we
have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the
world.”
Bob’s
thoughts:
I
pass this church often and had a feeling God was leading us here…today was the
day.
The
sanctuary is pleasant with a dark wood paneled arched ceiling. There is a
slight alcove to the rear chancel wall displaying a round stained glass window
which seems to amplify the cross on the Communion table below. I also
appreciated the signage.
The
Scripture for the message was Christ at the well with the Samaritan woman. It
is probably lost on most of us what an outlandish thing this was at this time.
The pastor related how this was mission outreach, evangelism, and relationship-building.
I was
reminded of a biker church we visited in Ohio once. They told me that part of
the reasoning behind worshiping on Saturday evening is they were free to visit
other churches on Sunday but they were also free to go into the bars to witness
to those who did not know they needed Jesus. They were doing what we are all
called to do: tell our story. As much as I sort of joke about how much fun it
was to bring people to Christ by force, I have had better results by sharing my
story of how He claimed me.
This
was one of the most accommodating churches for Communion: grape juice and
gluten-free wafers were also provided. The elements were offered verbally and I
was pleased to see the pastor served at the end.
I met
a Marine during the passing of Christ’s Peace, which is always a joy.
There
were a number of cute children, including a most entertaining boy and girl a
few rows ahead. I enjoyed the voice of the young female who led the singing.
We
were thankful for the time the pastor took to talk with us after the service
and grateful for the discernment the congregation seeks for what God has in
mind for His church.
Jan’s
thoughts:
We
were greeted warmly and regularly throughout the service and afterward. Upon
entering we were immediately handed a presentation folder containing the order
of worship, the list of hymns and in which book to find them, the Scripture
reading, and the announcements. This was a unique format for this information.
The
atmosphere is traditional with lovely stained glass and dark wood, including
the ceiling.
Much
attention was paid to the children, for whom there were special programs and
who also took part in the service by ringing the bell in the tower.
The
sole musical instrument was an organ and hymns were led by a solo voice, which
was beautiful and enough. The hymns varied from the traditional (“I Know That
My Redeemer Lives”) to the Children’s Message (“The B-I-B-L-E”) to the closing
hymn (“Soon and Very Soon”).
The
pastor pointed out in this untitled sermon that although Jews specifically
avoided Samaria, Jesus specifically did not avoid it, He went right through the
center of that land. He made direct contact with the Samaritan woman, who had
been cast aside and left behind. But she then became an evangelist when she took
her story to the rest of the town, asking her question “Could this be the
Messiah?” Many came to believe in Him as a result of her outreach.
He
stated that is what evangelism is, telling our story, sharing our personal
experience, and asking questions that cause others to want to see for
themselves and draw their own conclusions.
I
was glad to be present for Communion and appreciated that grape juice was an
option for the sacrament.
We
also appreciated the conversation with the pastor following worship and hearing
about the Community Garden that unites the congregation and provides outreach
to the community for 3/4 of the year.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray Your church discerns Your guidance as to Your purpose and direction for
them now. Lead them in their goal of obedience to Your call. Amen.
