introductions

Have you ever attended a speech by a well, renown speaker, where it is appropriate to have a big, bold introduction? Okay, an example might be "Monday night football." I can still here the voice from the television from when I was a kid. "Are you ready for some football? Monday Night Football!" Okay, maybe not quite like that, but at some point in life each of us have to introduce ourselves either to another or to a group. So... how do you introduce yourself? Depending upon the audience, some would claim titles, experiences, successes, achievements, etc. while other's would introduce themselves by who they know. "I'm such-in-such's friend, neighbor, coworker, etc." Wednesday night's women's study has grown from about ten people to over thirty. We wear name badges and typically each week we go around the room and introduce ourselves and all answer the same question that week. Questions such as, where were you born? or what's your favorite color? Just to share a little bit of yourself with the group. ...an introduction. I really liked a story a lady told me about her friend. This lady was well known in her community and was interviewed in the local newspaper. One of the questions were, "What do you do?" I would have answered the question, "I'm a graphic designer for a Christian division of one of the largest greeting card companies in the world." That sounds pretty good on paper. That title/introduction makes me look pretty good...no? I wish I would have thought of this and would have been as bold as this lady, but I can't take credit. She answered it, "I am a disciple of Christ. Within that, I sit on the city council and I enjoy working in real estate." WOW! That statement humbled me quickly. :)

Wednesday at church we are studying the book, Bad Girls of the Bible, by Liz Curtis Higgs. I was hesitant to read this book at first, but surprised at how much I am enjoying it. I guess I thought I would be able to relate too well to the ladies discussed in her book... Eve, Delilah, the Samaritan woman at the well, who remains nameless... you know, the conniving ones. Our discussion Wednesday night was incredible.

We talked about the nameless Samaritan woman at the well mentioned in John 4. Here was a Jewish man talking to a Samaritan woman. I tried to imagine being the woman at the well. What if Jesus is standing right in front of me. Would I be able to recognize Him? I know of the Messiah, I know of the Christ, but if I saw Him... would I know it was Him? Job said in 9:13 (MSG), Somehow, though he moves right in front of me, I don't see him; quietly but surely he's active, and I miss it.

I have a small plaque that I purchased at a fair in my kitchen window. It's a daily reminder to keep my spirit and actions in check. It reads: "How would you introduce yourself to God?"

How would I introduce myself to God? I asked that question at our table Wednesday. I heard a few people say, "Hi, God, I'm your child." For some reason, this particular response struck me as odd. I almost felt embarrassed thinking of answering this way. I guess I thought God would already know who I was, yet it's going to depend upon Him ultimately if "I'm His child."

Setting the stage at the well with Jesus and the Samaritan woman: in this time and age, women were not suppose to talk to men in public alone that's why in one of the verses Jesus politely asks her to go get her husband (which both of them knew she did not have). This is where this "bad woman" shines through. By Jesus' statement, I would conclude she didn't have high morals, but this is not the point I'm trying to get at. Also, Samaritans were not typically suppose to associate with Jews. So, in theory, there were a lot of laws/rules in place that show these two people should not to be having a conversation. There have been times when I have tried to avoid conversation. Maybe I'm in line at a local grocery store and the lady behind me sparks up a conversation. I'll be honest with you, I sometimes avoid eye contact with people so I don't have to converse. I know that's wrong, but that's my introverted side. I imagine this Samaritan woman being a bit caught off guard when Jesus started talking to her. For one, according to the "rules," he shouldn't have been talking to her. So I imagine, there she is, at Jacob's well to quench her thirst not there to strike up conversation.... just as I am at the grocery store...to buy groceries. What would be my reaction? Would I introduce myself? No, probably not, but I might bring up the weather or just curiously answer her question or respond to her comment. I don't think I would snob her off.

Now, Jesus asked the woman to give him a drink. She is caught off guard and returns with a question. "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" ahhh... the conversation is opened. :) This is prime time for Jesus to answer with, "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." Okay, I believe Jesus just told her who He really was, but I don't thinks she picked up on that. Physically speaking, the woman responds that it's impossible to pull water from this well since there is nothing to draw from. She even questions Jesus' authority. Again, Jesus responds with an offer, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The Samaritan woman intellectually tells Jesus she sees He must be a prophet and tells him that our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but that Jews claim worship is in Jerusalem. I think she was trying to show Jesus that she wasn't ignorant. I think she may have also been trying to shift the "blame" of wrong doings after Jesus brought up the fact that she has had five husbands and the man she now haves is not her husband. I know if someone started pulling my skeletons out of the closet I'd be back peddling too. I can see this woman getting a little sassy, maybe even swinging her head saying "uh hu, listen here mister."

I love Jesus' response... "Believe me, woman," Ha! I can just see him giggling under His breath seeing her get all worked up. "a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans (there's that little pun "You Samaritans") worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know." Okay... I see Jesus laying out the facts. "for salvation is from the Jews. (v23) 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. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." Here's where she's trying to show her intellect again, (v25) "I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." ...So there! She told Him! Hehehehehe!

I love verse 26. "Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."" I bet she was saying to herself "OH Crap! I just looked like a fool!" And I can just see Jesus' sweet face, politely smiling in all His peace and glory. No wonder we don't know her name. teehee!

Now, that, my friend is an introduction. :)

Oh, Lord, keep me humble. Thank you for being the Messiah... the Christ! As Natalie always says in her prayers, thank you for the world you have given me to walk around ~ so much is said in that statement alone! In Jesus, precious name!