Morning Prayer
Contributor: Jay Graham
“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.” (John 4:29) What a proper response to a personal and meaningful encounter with our Lord! Most remember the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman as his initial contact to request a drink of water and the conversation between them that resulted in a most quoted quote from Jesus to the woman, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again...” Or the part where Jesus tells her to call her husband to come, to which she replied, she had no husband. Jesus told her that she was right to say she had no husband because she had five husbands and the one, with whom she lived, was not her husband. These two notables are what most people think was the root of her salutation to “see a man who told me everything I ever did...”
...but the Samaritan woman, as a Samaritan, also worshipped on the mountain where the well was found and where the ancestral fathers of the Samaritans formally worshipped...
Seldom included or recalled in discussion of this encounter is the woman’s rebuttal to Jesus on the right place to worship. Jesus responds and tells her that “You worship what you do not know; we (the Jews) worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Our worship is not restricted to a specific group, place or time but given to those who worship the Father in spirit and truth.
At the core of this exchange with the woman at the well is Jesus’ use of the word ‘worship’. Our word, ‘worship’, originates from the Old English word, ‘weorðscipe’, which meant worth-ship or worthiness, which is the act of ascribing ultimate worth or value to someone or something. Merriam-Webster notes that “it involves deep love, respect, or adoration, which can be directed toward a deity or applied metaphorically to people, celebrities, or ideas (e.g., “worship of wealth”).” Therefore, we may say that our worship ascribes ultimate worth and value to our Lord, our Savior, and our Keeper and involves our deep love, respect and adoration.
What does this look like individually and corporately? Individually, we are free to worship anywhere and anytime. Corporately, though, by definition, means to gather those who worship in spirit and truth. St. James, as an Anglican mission congregation, has embraced this freedom. As such, St. James offers worship opportunities both in traditional Sunday worship gathering as well as opportunities to spend time in worship, together, at corporate meals, in singing ministry, in the Daily Office of Morning Prayer, and other venue opportunities as they arise.
Currently, every Thursday morning, at 10am, St. James hosts Morning Prayer at the Oaks Coffee House, 2916 Silverdale Road, found across the street from where we worship every Sunday at Silverdale Cumberland Presbyterian Church on Bonny Oaks Drive. The Anglican Daily Office of Morning Prayer is included the Common Book of Prayer. It includes prayer, confession, and scripture reading in a form, developed over centuries by our ancestral Christian Church Fathers, that is trustworthy for our use and edification. It is a wonderful 30-45 minutes of corporate fellowship, support and encouragement as we individually strive every day to live ‘in this world’ but not be ‘of this world’. And for those who enjoy their coffee, the Oaks Coffee House offers great choices to pair with your time of fellowship and prayer.
If you have little ones, bring them! The upstairs of the coffee house is large and roomy. We usually meet at a table in the corner. A blanket or sheet on the floor would allow little ones to sit in an infant car seat (newborns), play with Legos, quietly read books or engage in other quiet distractions – all while learning the importance of spending time together before the Lord. Older children who can read are welcome to join us in the Morning Prayer. Come and see how one hour, once a week, can change your life!
In closing, scripture exhorts “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging on another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25). The ‘Day’ is drawing near. Join us as we meet together and share in the joy of encouragement and lift one another in prayer to our Father who loves us beyond what we can even imagine! Come, so that afterward, you too, may share with those you know “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.”
Therefore, “The Lord be with you.”
“And with your spirit.”
“Let us pray.”
