Several years ago I spoke at a small conference for young women. The title of my message was "Religion vs. Relationship: Does God Really Love Me?" I shared with those young women the value of possessing a strong and healthy relationship with God based on a heart that was truly thirsty for God and not religion or religious acts. From what I could tell, the message was well received. Still, I had no idea that the questions I was asking about religion then would come to a head and cause me to challenge everything I'd ever learned about God now.
I firmly believe in Jesus Christ and the sacrifice that He made on the cross for me and all of humanity. What I no longer believe in, however, is the grotesque portrait of the Christian Church that religion, dogma and doctrine has painted. Religion is the reason Christianity is such a joke. I'll have no part in that anymore ... and I'm deeply apologetic for the part I played in the past.
Religion is the reason Christians all over the globe bicker and complain about doctrinal differences instead of coming together to celebrate the Focus of their faith. Religion is what people do to make them feel that they've done their part to win the heart of God when Jesus Christ did all the "doing" for them. We don't have to "do" anything. We just have to "be." But, alas, religion has taught us that if we are not "doing" for God then the blood Christ shed for us was in vain where we are concerned. Religion recruits us then tosses us out into the world and tells us to go "spread the news about God" and " be good" and "do good." And even though we go out into the world and do what Religion told us to do, we are plagued with a sense that we aren't doing "enough."
Religion is a box constructed in the minds of men to capture and harnass the absolute power of God only letting Him out to perform magic tricks like a "good trained monkey" when they need Him.. Religion has nothing to do with a relationship with the Creator whatsoever. In fact the very motive behind it is impure.
Maybe this isn't you. Perhaps you've scored all of the answers. But, I know plenty of people whose hearts are singing the same song mine is singing right now. So, next time you go to church ask yourself why are you doing it? Are you really going to worship God or going because the practice is rooted deep within you and because you just should. When you pray are you doing it because you truly want to communicate with Him or because you should? When you do good deeds do you do them because your heart is truly filled with the love of God or because you should?
I'm not knocking church, praying or doing good. In fact, anyone who knows me knows that I love my church and the spirit of freedom that abounds there. I love to pray because I believe God truly understands me like no one else. I love to do good things and be a good person because I love people and I love to be an encouragement to others. I don't like for people to hurt or to be sad and if there is any way I can help them to smile, I will. But, what I am knocking is the religious motive behind doing these things if you're not doing them simply because you love God and not because you think He'll be displeased with you if you don't.
I was listening to the radio a few days ago and a pastor was talking about religion versus Christ. He said that religion was spelled 'D-O' because religion tells you have to "do" to please God. He also said that Christ is spelled 'done' because Christ already did it. We just have to "be."
Look, what I'm trying to say here is: Religion is not God. Religion is man-made. Man is flawed. You see my dilemma?
If you're offended, I can't apologize. Maybe you should check your motives. If you agree, that's good ... you are truly on a journey to the heart of God ... not religion. That's where I am ... I hope to take some more people with me. But, if not ... I am fully prepared to go it alone even though I won't really be "alone."
I've committed the rest of my life to knowing God for myself and NOT what religion has taught me to think about Him. I'm entrusting my entire heart to Him and trusting Him to teach me the things I didn't know before ... without feeling like I haven't learned enough or done enough to please Him. I'm committing myself to Him and only Him ... not to religion, not to the church ... to GOD. I choose to believe and have faith in HIS ability to lead me and help me to "un-learn" the business of church as usual. And, in doing so, I believe that I'm going to find the true essence and heart of what matters ... God. Nothing more, nothing less. Just God ... without all of the religious theatrics.
Thanks for listening.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Don't Get it Twisted [from a previous blog]
Within the last year to a year and a half, I have grown very disinterested with organized religion. A few of you, being very close to me, have witnessed this metamorphosis of thought take place in my life and I am starting to see that my being so "vocal" about my thoughts on the subject has confused some of you.
This bothers me because (1) what I was going through was a personal revelation and perhaps, in my excitement, I shared that revelation too soon and (2) I think that maybe a few of you think I meant that I was walking away from my faith, which couldn't have been further from the truth.
If I were speaking on any other aspect of my life, I'm not sure that I would care enough what people thought about it to write a blog or FB note about it. However, when it comes to God, I like to make sure I'm absolutely clear on where I stand on the matter because He is real and I don't EVER want it to be said or thought that I believe otherwise.
So, don't get it twisted. I am a firm believer in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I do believe in His life, his death by crucifixion, His burial and resurrection. I believe that He is the only begotten Son of God ... PERIOD. What I do NOT believe in is the extremely embarrassing picture the modern day church as we know it has painted of Jesus and the Christian church. What I don't believe in is organized religion ... a box to put God in ... a box to put me in if I don't abide by the rules of the church (rules, I might add, that have little or nothing to do with the life of Jesus Christ or the Word of God).
I never said that I would never set foot in a church again. In fact, I know a few of you know that I "heart" my home church a great deal because it is unlike any church I've ever been too. With the exception of the two churches I belonged to as a child (because I was too young to truly understand what was going on) every church I have ever been a member of I left feeling condemned and completely unloved. But, the church I belong to now ... there are no words for how NOT condemned and how TRULY loved I feel.
STILL ... organized religion, generally speaking, is a joke ... and I'm still waiting on the punchline. Organized religion, again generally speaking, focuses on the institution of church rather than the relationship of the church as a whole and as individuals with God. I have a problem with THAT ... NOT God. It's not God's fault that His people "don't get it" or "refuse to get it."
I hope that's clear enough. And, please know that it is not my intention to offend either. These are just my opinions. I am NOT saying that I know everything because what I'm talking about is my own personal feelings. I just didn't want anyone to continue to be confused about my stance on the matter where God is concerned.
Thanks for listening. ;c)
This bothers me because (1) what I was going through was a personal revelation and perhaps, in my excitement, I shared that revelation too soon and (2) I think that maybe a few of you think I meant that I was walking away from my faith, which couldn't have been further from the truth.
If I were speaking on any other aspect of my life, I'm not sure that I would care enough what people thought about it to write a blog or FB note about it. However, when it comes to God, I like to make sure I'm absolutely clear on where I stand on the matter because He is real and I don't EVER want it to be said or thought that I believe otherwise.
So, don't get it twisted. I am a firm believer in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I do believe in His life, his death by crucifixion, His burial and resurrection. I believe that He is the only begotten Son of God ... PERIOD. What I do NOT believe in is the extremely embarrassing picture the modern day church as we know it has painted of Jesus and the Christian church. What I don't believe in is organized religion ... a box to put God in ... a box to put me in if I don't abide by the rules of the church (rules, I might add, that have little or nothing to do with the life of Jesus Christ or the Word of God).
I never said that I would never set foot in a church again. In fact, I know a few of you know that I "heart" my home church a great deal because it is unlike any church I've ever been too. With the exception of the two churches I belonged to as a child (because I was too young to truly understand what was going on) every church I have ever been a member of I left feeling condemned and completely unloved. But, the church I belong to now ... there are no words for how NOT condemned and how TRULY loved I feel.
STILL ... organized religion, generally speaking, is a joke ... and I'm still waiting on the punchline. Organized religion, again generally speaking, focuses on the institution of church rather than the relationship of the church as a whole and as individuals with God. I have a problem with THAT ... NOT God. It's not God's fault that His people "don't get it" or "refuse to get it."
I hope that's clear enough. And, please know that it is not my intention to offend either. These are just my opinions. I am NOT saying that I know everything because what I'm talking about is my own personal feelings. I just didn't want anyone to continue to be confused about my stance on the matter where God is concerned.
Thanks for listening. ;c)
Christian?
I recently made the following statement on a social network: "I think that if God thought like most Christians, we'd all be divinely screwed. Now, I (sort of) apologize if that offends you. However, once you get past your religious offense, I urge you to seek the deeper meaning behind the above statement and react accordingly. I'm just saying ... I'm convinced that God is not a Christian or a member of any other religious social club you can think of."
While it was honestly not my intention to do so, I was sure that the statement would cause a bit of controversy. Still, I made it because I wanted people, especially Christians, to think about what I said and inwardly examine themselves.
When people encounter you, are you a near-accurate representation of Christ's love for the world (a living epistle) or are you a perverse imitation? Are you a love letter from Christ to the world or a death warrant walking?
Most Christians tend to think that their lives reflect that they walk with God because they attend church service regularly, don't drink, don't smoke, don't go clubbing, abstain from pre-marital sex and/or sexual perverseness, don't use profane language, etc. But, what about your inward life? Does that reflect your walk with God as well?
Are you judgmental, haughty, prideful, hateful, unkind, gossipy, self-centered, etc.? The presence of any of these flaws in your life are evidence that you are, in fact, human and therefore prone to error like the rest of us.
The reason I say that "if God thought like most Christians, we'd all be divinely screwed," is because we truly would be. Judgmental Christians send people to hell in their minds everyday ... just think if God was that merciless and unforgiving!
*shivers*
Now, I believe in the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ but, these days, I'm not so quick to say I'm a Christian because I don't want to be associated with the ridiculous picture of Christianity most Christians have painted for the world to see. Still, for argument's sake, I suppose one would have to label me as such but I think I like the term "friend of God" better.
While it was honestly not my intention to do so, I was sure that the statement would cause a bit of controversy. Still, I made it because I wanted people, especially Christians, to think about what I said and inwardly examine themselves.
When people encounter you, are you a near-accurate representation of Christ's love for the world (a living epistle) or are you a perverse imitation? Are you a love letter from Christ to the world or a death warrant walking?
Most Christians tend to think that their lives reflect that they walk with God because they attend church service regularly, don't drink, don't smoke, don't go clubbing, abstain from pre-marital sex and/or sexual perverseness, don't use profane language, etc. But, what about your inward life? Does that reflect your walk with God as well?
Are you judgmental, haughty, prideful, hateful, unkind, gossipy, self-centered, etc.? The presence of any of these flaws in your life are evidence that you are, in fact, human and therefore prone to error like the rest of us.
The reason I say that "if God thought like most Christians, we'd all be divinely screwed," is because we truly would be. Judgmental Christians send people to hell in their minds everyday ... just think if God was that merciless and unforgiving!
*shivers*
Now, I believe in the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ but, these days, I'm not so quick to say I'm a Christian because I don't want to be associated with the ridiculous picture of Christianity most Christians have painted for the world to see. Still, for argument's sake, I suppose one would have to label me as such but I think I like the term "friend of God" better.
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