Sometimes I Feel Like the Samaritan Woman at the Well

I realize that this is not a lectionary blog, but this week's lectionary reading prompts this thought. You can go to many lectionary pages and read thoughts about this woman. The woman was an outcast. She did not fit in. She was at the well at a time of day that women did not go to the well. There are times when I feel like an outsider. Some "church people" don't think I am "churchy" enough. Certainly not what they think a pastor should be. (Apparently pastors are supposed to only say "Hell" and "damn" when preaching about the opposite of heaven and warning of the damnation of those who do not repent. And pastors are supposed to dress a certain way and behave a certain way and be boring.) The not-church people assume I am not fun because I not only go to church - I am a pastor. There are church people and not-church people who do not approve of me being a pastor because I am a female. So I often I feel like an outcast. An outsider.

I guess the good news is that I know that my real friends know the real me and accept me. I don't have to be perfect. If my thoughts, actions, words are not always clergy-like or even Christian, they will not judge me or think less of me. And my real friends know, as the song says, "I may be a Christian, but I still know how to groove."

Jesus knew the real Samaritan woman. Most people in town knew probably knew about her or had heard about her. But when Jesus spoke to her he actually knew her. There is a real difference.

The other good news is that God will use me even though I am not perfect. Maybe because I am not perfect. Much to the surprise of many people, God will use a woman to share his word and introduce people to Jesus. The Samaritan woman went back to town and shared her Jesus experience and people listened to her and believed. Then they went to meet Jesus for themselves.

Imagine that. God will let some woman who is not perfect by human standards to tell others about Jesus.

Unfortunately so many people have been broken down by their church experiences. I read someone refer to it as "church-damaged." Those judgmental church people have made people feel like that Samaritan woman before she met Jesus, which hinders them from ever experiencing Jesus. How can they experience the change that woman experienced? How can they know true love and acceptance when the church people make them feel unworthy of coming to Jesus?

Just a thought.