Welcome. It's time for encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading titled True Worshippers, was written by John Blaze.

She finally had the chance to visit the church.

Inside, in the deepest part of the basement, she reached

the small cave or grotto. Candles filled the narrow space, and hanging lamps illuminated a corner

of the floor. There it was, a 14-pointed silver star covering a raised bit of the marble floor.

She was in Bethlehem's Grotto of the Nativity,

the place marking the spot where, according to tradition, Christ was born. Yet, the writer Annie Dillard,

felt less than impressed, realizing God was much bigger than that spot. Still, such places have always held great significance

in our faith stories. Another such place is mentioned in the conversation between Jesus and the

woman at the well in John chapter 4, the mountain where her ancestors worshipped, referring to Mount Gerasim.

It was sacred to the Samaritans, who contrasted it to the Jewish insistence that Jerusalem was where true worship occurred.

However, Jesus declared the time had arrived when worship was no longer specific to a place, but a person.

The true worshippers will worship the Father, in spirit, and in truth. The woman declared her faith in the Messiah, but

she didn't realize she was talking to him. Then Jesus declared, I, the one speaking to you,

I am He. God isn't limited to any mountain or physical space.

He's present with us everywhere. The true pilgrimage we make each day is to approach his throne,

as we boldly say, our father, and he is there.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from John 4, verses 19 through 26.

Sir, the woman said, I can see that you are a prophet.

Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain,

but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.'

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