Samaritan Church

We went on a trip to Samaria this weekend, and as with all the others, I received a deeper appreciation for the history of this land and these people. It’s so rich in the depth of past events. There is truly nothing like this in America, mainly because it’s only been “around” 300 years. Stuff gets thrown out here that’s 300 years old. That’s a joke to Israelites.

The thing I appreciated most in this field study was actually nothing we went over in class. What I enjoyed most was the Byzantine period church. I was able to stand in the same spot that my spiritual brothers and sisters worshipped nearly 1700 years ago! It was incredible. It brought forth deep passions of worship and praise to the triune God of the universe our deep-rooted history. It made me wonder so many things about this church building. How many people worshipped here? How were the services ordered? What kind of songs did they sing? How did these people pour their lives out for the sake of the Gospel? Were any of these people fruits of Paul or Timothy? Maybe someone’s great-great-grandparent actually saw Jesus. What was the persecution like this church faced? Were there any martyr’s? Who preached here? What was a sermon like back then? Did they experience relative peace? What did their discipleship model look like? Did they need one? What kind of music did they worship to? How strong were their affections in this building? Mine were overflowing with gratitude for our faith father’s that represented the things of Christ and the Gospel well- for the sacrifices they made and the persecution they went through for the Gospel to reach literally the ends of the earth and ultimately me. From Shiloh, Israel, to Cleveland, Ohio, the Gospel has spread and influenced hundreds of millions over the centuries. I was staggering as I thought about the church’s history in this small, ancient, mosaic-filled church.

In awe and wonder,

Sos