Worship as Witness

by Andy Carter

I’ve heard the passage of the woman at the well in John 4 preached my entire life. Jesus meets a Samaritan woman while getting some water, engages her in conversation, and hears her story. Historical context tells us how this conversation went against many Jewish conventions of the day, from rules about how genders should interact, expectations of divorced women, and the shame associated with breaking first-century near-east cultural norms. As Christians, we can pull lessons of the availability of grace, our posture toward the marginalized, and our own need for the gospel through Christ’s “living water” metaphor. All valuable lessons to learn, and of which to be regularly reminded, but that isn’t where John ends this story. 

In a recent rereading of this passage, I was particularly struck by what the woman did after her interaction with Jesus. John writes,

So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (John 4:28-29)

Her response is to immediately share her experience, to tell others about her interaction with Jesus. Seemingly, she has been so moved, so changed by this conversation, that she cannot help but tell everyone she knows. 

I think if we were to survey modern Christians and ask what action the woman took after her time with Jesus, most would say that her exclamations to the townspeople were examples of witnessing, sharing the gospel, or giving her testimony; all firmly in the “missions” category of good Christian behavior. But was this woman doing anything more than praise and worship? The woman had experienced something so precious, so unexpected, and so life-changing that she was utterly compelled to tell others. When we hear a good song, or see a good movie, or witness an unbelievable game-winning play, is our first inclination not to tell a friend or share to social media? Does one ever keep his best experiences to himself? 

Worship as Witness

In pondering the concept of worship, author C.S. Lewis wrote, "I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise. . . I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: ‘Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that magnificent?’. . .I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.” 

For the woman at the well, her worship was her witness. She didn’t read book after book hoping to sharpen her technique, she didn’t memorize the “Romans Road”, and she didn’t vaguely pray for ideal opportunities to share in the coming week. She simply told people how cool her experience with Jesus was. We can assume that she didn’t have all the answers, that she probably still had some problems at home to work on, and that her academic understanding of the complexities of theology was presumably rocky at best. But none of those discounted her experience or her excitement. 

Believe, Rejoice, Tell

Reading John 4, I had to ask myself two sets of questions. First, do I reflect regularly on the gospel and its transformative power in my life? Do I value the gospel enough that it overflows naturally into praise and worship? If not, what do I misunderstand about salvation that has led to it being either sidelined or ignored in my life? 

Second, what roadblocks have I placed in my head that distort and distract my understanding of my witness? If the woman at the well could transform her city with simple praise, why do I not believe that I can do the same?

Praise and worship are more than a setlist on Sunday morning, and witnessing is more than apologetics. God doesn’t give us commands that do not (or should not) flow out of a belief in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Belief leads to salvation, which leads to joy, which leads to praise, which should fall on the ears of everyone around us. 

Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” (John 4:39-42)

The woman in the well is more than a pariah; more than a lesson in grace. Her actions after her experience with Jesus are the intersection of worship and witness. Her testimony is her victory in Christ, and so is yours. Rejoice, and share the good news.