I am not sure I can get even the big rocks in terms of answering this question, but I have been grieved in my spirit more than once lately by how evil it is to degrade the joyful, love-infused relationship with Abba into performance-driven, shame-based religion. The "Christian Religion" creates some of the meanest and saddest people I have ever seen! Why? First, because that's what religion in any form always does (can you think of any "religion" where joy is the chief characteristic of its adherents?). But I also think that twisting the grace-drenched, love-fired message of the Jesus life into a religion does some especially harmful damage to those who are the victims of the twisting. How else can we explain the cruel things "Christians" say to one another or do to others (the Koran burning folks come to mind, along with those who carry those hate-filled signs condemning those who struggle with homosexuality)?
You see, when we twist a message about love and grace into the shame-permeated life that religion is based on, we create mutants! We create a people who live in constant and monstrous inner tension, whose lips are often proclaiming words of grace and relationship while in reality their lives are driven by the demands placed on them by others who tell them what a "good Christian" does. ("What would Jesus do?"!!!) Ironically, most of these sad and despair-ridden "mutants" started out healthy. When they met Jesus their lives were filled with the joy of childlike trust and wonder that a relationship with Abba brings. But then someone "discipled" them and it went downhill from there...!
So what are we to do about this? I don't have many answers--not many at all--but here's a few things Papa has given me. First, He encourages me to live the most love-bathed, grace-filled, Spirit-drenched life imaginable! The joy and peace that this produces gives birth to a life that is such a paradox that it creates a question that often leads to an invitation. (My life is a paradox the leads to a question that may lead to an invitation!) Second, Papa sees to it that my paradoxical life (What?!!! A believer who really is peaceful, joyful and kind???!!!) leads to opportunities to pray for folks, to build relationships with those who become hungry, to suggest a few key books to read (Truefaced and Bo's Cafe, So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore, He Loves Me, The Shack, all come to mind), and more. The joy of the relationship with Him inevitably leads to joyful relationships with others. Third, because I am free from having to perform, all of this "just happens" as Father works and invites me to join Him from time to time. This is so fun! No wonder I often find myself saying joyfully, "I love my life!"
Not sure any of this makes sense. I am a still smarting today because one of my dearest friends just got slammed by a "practitioner of the Christian religion," but perhaps some of what I wrote will trigger something good in some of you. My hope is that my words will invite you deeper into Father's embrace and farther away from the "Christian religion."
May God deliver all of us from that evil religion, the "Christian Religion"!
Drowning in His love and not planning to come up for air!
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
2 comments:
Hello Tom,
We had a bit of communication about "simple church" several years ago. I attempted a church plant - didn't work out - which was for the best! I am sad to hear of your loss, when my wife's darling mother died back in 1991, my sister-in-law sent an article stating it takes at least six months up to three years to have the wound of losing a close person to be healed. It helped my wife to accept and understand the physical/emotional/mental effects of grieving. It took in her case the full three years!
Now for my comments on your most recent entry. Jesus warned his disciples to be aware of the yeast of the pharisee. I am a bread maker and an interesting fact is that yeast is omnipresent in our environs. You stand a good chance of working with a batch of wet dough and have the already present yeast be sufficient to start an adequate yeast culture to bake with. I've done it. The default settings we have for spirituality is either some form of legalistic, rules and performance based religion or a variety of libertinism. It's all to easy for us to slide naturally into phariseeism and the discipleship we receive is usually some Christian equivalent of the buddhist eightfold path - the eightfold path is a list of mental activies, attitudes and behaviors that if followed will result in enlightenment. We are trained to become foolish Galatians. But the circumcision we are taught is a daily inner and behavioral one, actually worse than the physical as when that one is done the work is over! I have an attitude of mercy towards our modern pharisees, they have been infected unknowingly by the yeast and really don't know what they're doing. I'm afraid the infection is almost automatic and hard to avoid!
Jeff Alexander
Amen,
Thanks again!
Your insight and your openness are much appreciated.
It's sad to say that I find many of my Christian brothers and sisters to be more unforgiving, critical, and judgmental than any of my friends who are unchurched. Much of the love and support that I have received and felt over the last few months has come more from those around me who stay far away from organized religion, than any of those friends who religiously attend church every weekend.
But, I know that God will heal all wounds and He is my comfort and my peace.
Thank you again for your blog.
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