Political Religion

There is a phrase that is used by many churches all over the world.  “It’s all about relationships and not religion.” I wonder what an unchurched person thinks when they hear that?  I wonder what those who have gone before us think about that statement?  I personally love the statement.  I love the meaning behind it because I know the meaning behind it.

It truly is all about a relationship with Jesus Christ and a relationship with others.  Building community between us and God and us and others.  It’s a very powerful and relevant statement.

It is not about religion, or is it?  I get what the statement is saying.  It’s not about the politics and the rules and the regulations.  It’s not about a list of do’s and dont’s.  It’s not about guilting people into a relationship with Christ.  However, for me I want to be careful that I just don’t throw out religion.

I work with people who are “religious” and they have questioned my thought process on this statement.  Many have shared a concern that when you say it is not about religion that you close doors to share about the relationship aspect of it.  Many are turned off when in one statement you marginalize potentially everything they have been taught to believe.  Perhaps they are right.

So many people, organizations and institutions have spilled blood, sweat and tears all in the name of religious freedom.  All of them have done that to give me the freedom to serve in a local church and share about a relationship with Jesus.  Christianity is a religion.  The church is a religious institution.  Christ died for everyone.  Christ died for those who would sit in a church and worship Him.  Christ died for those who would stand outside of a church and mock Him.  Christ died for everyone.

I think it is important to honor the past.  I think it is important to honor past spiritual giants. True some of the things in the past have hurt peoples perception of the church and Christ today.  However there is a negative past to almost every organization but does that mean you burn the history and forget where you came from?  Not saying anybody or any organization does that, it’s just a thought.

For me the statement goes like this in my head: It’s about relationships and not the politics of religion. For me it is about some aspects of religion.  The good parts of religion.  The parts that give me freedom not the parts that keep me in bondage of rules.  I’m not here to argue semantics, but it’s just a thought.

What’s your thoughts?

Baskin Robbins Churches

I had a friend mention to me the other day that he was fighting to have the Bible not be taught in their school because it would open the door for “other religions” to be able to do the same.  I immediately got upset internally.  I asked him why wouldn’t you want to open it up to other religions?  Will the Bible not be able to stand up for itself?  Will there suddenly be a mass exodus from religion to religion?  His response was, “I don’t know what those other religions are going to teach.”  We chose to end the conversation by agreeing to disagree.

Fear many times will keep us from understanding and embracing other religions.  The goal of a Christ Follower is not to convince everyone that “our” religion is right and “your” religion is wrong.  The goal of the Christ Follower is to live and share how to have a relationship with Christ.  I love the fact that there are so many different churches.  It’s like going to Baskin Robbins and picking from so many different types of flavors of ice cream.  Not everybody likes the same thing.  There are different styles and approaches for many different types of people on different stages of their spiritual journey.  Maybe instead of being afraid of other religions we can work together to help people find what they are searching for.  I believe at the end of the day Christ will make Himself known to those who are seeking the truth.

What Do You Look Like

My kids have begun to watch some of the movies that I grew up with.  One of their favorite series to watch now is Rocky. Tonight we were watching Rocky 4 where he fights the “big Russian” and right before he goes out to fight he is kneeling and praying in the bathroom.  Right then my son said, “I didn’t know Rocky was a Christian.”

Made me think.  What does a “Christian” look like?  How can you tell without someone telling you they are?

• Is it the music they listen to?
• Is it the clothes they wear? Maybe a WWJD bracelet?
• Is it the fact they have a Jesus fish on the back of their car?
• Do they say amen a lot? Maybe they say brother and sister with every sentence?
• Do they raise their hands while they pray publicly in restaurants?

How can you tell someone is a Christ Follower and not someone who is simply religious and going through the motions?

I think you can tell someone is a Christ Follower by what they find important.  By how willing they are to love others unconditionally.  By how they serve others without expecting anything in return.  By how they share their story with others.  By how they get convicted of sin.

John 13:35 says, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

As I write this I don’t think there is any one way to tell if someone is a Christ Follower because I don’t know if there is any one way to love.

What is your thoughts on this?

The Naked Gospel

Anybody who knows me knows that I love to read.  I love to read for personal growth not for personal entertainment, although I find entertainment in personal growth.  I started reading a book called The Naked Gospel that was recommended to me by Shari Kelly our Life Group Director here at Fellowship Church.   I want to share a snippet of one chapter that really challenged my thinking.  I think it made me angry, I think it made me question, I think the book did exactly what it was supposed to do, and it was only chapter two.  Check this out, it’s a quiz.  Try and take it as well.  Questions are true or false.

1. Christians should ask God to forgive and cleanse them when they sin.
2. Christians struggle with sin because of their old self within.
3. We should wait on God even before making everyday decisions.
4. When we sin against God, we’re out of fellowship until we repent.
5. Old Testament law is written on Christians’ hearts so we want to obey it.
6. The Bible tells us that Christians can obtain many rewards in heaven.
7. Christians will give an account for their sins at the great white throne.
8. Christians should tithe at least 10 percent of their income to the church.
9. God gets angry with us when we repeatedly sin against him.
10. God looks at us as though we’re righteous, even though we’re really not.

“The Biblical answers to each of the Naked Gospel quiz statements is false.  Yes, false.  So how’d you do?  Are you ready to peel away layers of religiosity in order to discover an exhilarating reality-always keeping in mind that truth is supposed to set you free?”

Interesting book so far but I will say that I disagree with him from a Biblical point of view on his interpretation and application of the scripture in this book and that’s okay that we agree to disagree.  I know where I stand theologically and that won’t waiver.  I am however open philosophically to a shift or change if I am wrong.  I do like to be challenged in my thought process and how I come to conclusions.  The quiz may leave you feeling the same way that I did with questions and even some anger that things I grew up learning were wrong according to him, but with thought prayer and a step-back approach I realize that this is one person’s point of view but I think for some who are not progressive at all it is one point of view to consider in that it may stretch your thinking.