What do you think the Samaritan woman would have thought of live-streaming worship? Of course, she would not have been able to begin to comprehend such an idea. The closest technology of the day to her at that moment was a bucket tied to a rope to let down into Jacob’s well. 

As Jesus spoke to her, he created a spiritual thirst that could only be met by the Life-giving Spirit of God as He remade her into a worshiper of the One True God. The issue Jesus settled for her was the matter of true worship, not of a right or wrong location. He said to her, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (v.24). We must worship Him in Spirit and truth. It is a Divine necessity to worship God.

With this understanding of worship, does live-streaming worship meet the criteria of worshipping in Spirit and in truth? The elders of Valley Bible Church have wrestled with this. Here is how we have reasoned from the Scriptures. 

Worship is a Divine necessity as it is the first commandment given by God. “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them” (Exodus 20:3-5). Jesus Himself repeated this command in the New Testament when He was tempted by the devil, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only’ ” (Matthew 4:10).

But God wasn’t just talking to individuals. There is a corporate component of worship that is part of that command. The biblical mandate to worship involves gathering physically (not virtually) together. The rest of the Law given in Exodus and Leviticus was a description of the physical gathering of God’s people to worship. Corporate worship is described, prescribed, regulated, and recorded throughout all the Scriptures, as well as demonstrated throughout all of church history. A key New Testament text we often cite is Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

We are not to forsake our assembling together. We are under obligation to God and to one another to physically gather for spiritual worship. We are fortunate to live in a time when technology allows us to worship through online video. And yes, it is indeed worship. It enables families to worship together in their homes. It allows individuals who live alone to join in and worship God through the singing and proclamation of God’s Word. In the end though, it is at best a temporary substitute and bridge to the time when we will once again physically worship together. 

For now, live-streaming is the best we have. But it does not fully meet the biblical responsibility we have to meet together. I can’t imagine how hard it would be if we did not have this technology. I hope and pray that live-streaming our services is creating a thirst within all of us for worshiping together in Spirit and in truth. When we gather again for the first time, our worship will be all the more sweet, all the more satisfying, all the more God-glorifying. Until that time, with the resources given you, I encourage you to continue to “assemble” on Sunday mornings and worship in Spirit and in truth.

But live-streaming from Jacob’s well? I don’t think so.