I'm ready: Spiritual Evolution...Goodbye Religion

I've been pretty candid about my religious upbringing.  I grew up in the Church of Legalism.  It was just terrible.  I had no clue about Christ but I sure knew about the made up religious rules that one needed to follow in order for God to bless them and then maybe if you didn't miss a service you may squeak into heaven.

Well after breaking free from legalism, I found myself trying to detox from all of the negativity, false teaching of CHURCH and RULE FOCUSED salvation, and bashing of everyone who didn't follow made up rules.

I've visited a board for others who have left the Church of Legalism and they all say it may take a few years, but eventually it begins to fade.  It's been 5 years and I've still got remnants of my legalistic background.  I grew up listening to that for over 20 years before finally exiting for good, so to only have remnants after 5 years is an awesome testimony to the power of the Holy Spirit.

 In this new season I know that I need a new Paradigm altogether

Church Focused rather than people focused

Over the past few years I have been uncomfortable with how church-focused people are.  For many people church is a social club and their only everything revolves around church activities and programs.  

Church as the Social Club

For many people church is the center of their social life and social circle.  It's where they feel comfortable because everyone is just like them. 

Most of these church groups are not friendly to outsiders whether you are a transfer Christian and if you are a total outsider from the world...just forget it.  You will make people uncomfortable because they want everything to stay as it has always been.  We want our group to stay the same and outsiders may change things.I grew up in the same church for 20 years so I know how it works. People grow up together and they have built bonds over the years. 

 But there's another reason why church groups aren't friendly to outsiders:  Most people are wearing way too many masks and prevents authentic and real fellowship.

I tried to be a part of a group at church and I soon quit attending because I didn't like the vibe.  It felt forced and fake.  One person asked me if I was connected to anyone at the church.  I told them, I'm open to anything and if the vibe isn't organic or natural, then I'm good.  No harm and no foul. Connections just happen and are natural.  

I wasn't the only person to feel like this because one Sunday a gentleman got up and addressed the exclusiveness of the group.  When what he said appeared to be ignored and invalidated by the leaders of the group, I stopped attending the group.

There's a very big danger when a church has an "our kind of people" attitude.  THey become detatched from reality.  When all of your friends think, act, and are good Christians just like you you forget how to talk to hurting people.  I have watched as Pastors seem completely oblivious to the mayhem out in the world, but are steady focused on numbers for Wednesday Night Bible Study.  

Bible Study is important don't get me wrong, but I often wonder are you having it just because you've always had it.  Work life has changed now and maybe having Bible Study at 7:30 on a Wednesday doesn't work for our new reality.  Times have evolved and churches need to stop holding on to traditional 1950's and 1960's church and move forward into 2014.

Church Focused and Not People Focused

This entire past week I was thinking about how Jesus would probably be regarded as a terrible Christian at most churches.  He would miss Wednesday Night Bible Study and Saturday Morning Breakfast fellowship because he would be out teaching and changing lives.

Most churches teach people to focus on the CHURCH and the activities of the CHURCH.  I remember going to the altar for prayer one Sunday and this sister started lecturing me about how I needed to come to Wednesday Night Bible Study and be faithful to THIS HOUSE.  I thought to myself "Did you not just hear what this brother was preaching about?  He was talking about how we need to focus on changing lives and not getting caught up in church work."

After that I started to notice how many of the activities and programs were not only for members but also many were based on tradition and not real needs.

If I felt uncomfortable as a transfer Christian, I can't imagine how others feel as new Christians who don't know the rules and social etiquette of church.

In my calling, I have resolved to be PEOPLE focused.  At this point and time, I do not see myself called to a church because I love people too much. All People.  I love the People that churches don't like and make feel like outcasts and uncomfortable.

Jesus did not have a church

This was an a-ha moment for me this year.

Jesus did not have a church.  He went around teaching and changing lives.  That's what I want to do.

I want to teach, inspire people to change their lives, worship in various art forms, and help empower and uplift people.  

I feel that in church you are limited in the people you can reach, the mediums in which to express, and what you can/cannot say.  You can't be real.  It's all this fake stuff that leads to these meltdowns and inauthentic lives.

I can't lead anyone to Christ with a religious attitude

Earlier this year I talked about how I strongly identified with the older brother in the story of the Prodigal Son.  Like him, I followed the rules and I was angry because I didn't get my big party but yet others who I determined to be foolish like the younger brother got my party.

None of that rule following matters.  It's about my relationship with my Father.  I have access to all of his riches and power already. I don't need a big party because I followed some self imposed code of ethics trying to earn blessings.

Having a religious attitude makes us self righteous, judgmental, and conclusive.  You sit on judgment throne separating the lambs from the goats based on how YOUR rules and you give your recommendations to how you think people should be blessed.

Confession

• I was self righteous (I followed all of the rules and thus deserve to just float on up to heaven and receive my blessings)

• I was judgmental (That person did NOT follow the rules so why are THEY getting what I deserve)

• I was conclusive (Well this person is going to crash and burn because they are not up to my standards for blessings)

I'm saying WAS because I believe that there is an inner work going on that's changing all of this.  I'm repenting and turning away from the religious attitude.

Leading him to Christ

I have a MANDATE to lead my husband into a RELATIONSHIP with Christ.  Not religion or Churchgoing.  A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.

I cannot fulfill my mandate and mission with a religious attitude.  People are not drawn into religion, but drawn to Christ.  This year I have watched as someone who previously was agnostic and had no religious belief enter into a relationship with Christ.

Goodbye Religion

I really enjoyed the sermon today at Shiloh Church by Patrick Kitely.  It was entitled Who let the Dogs out?  It was taken from the text of Philippians 3:2 where Paul says to watch out for these RELIGIOUS dogs that want to get everybody on the rules of religion.

Paul could match them toe to toe on religion (He was a Pharisee remember) but Paul concluded that none of it matters because NOTHING COMPARES TO KNOWING CHRIST.

Nothing Compares to Knowing Christ

Pastor Patrick said that we are in a season right now where it's time to let go of religious attitudes, duties, and obligations.  If you want that stuff, then it's time to go.

After that I said I'm Ready to get on board with this.

This is where I am now on my sacred journey.  I don't want to attend a church where it's church focused and not centered on the needs of the people.  When I say people, I mean the outside people.  I don't want to go to a church that's inwardly focused and all about preservation of their traditional programs and the status quo.

If you're going to be like Jesus, then you've got to let traditions go.  It isn't the 1950s church where cultural pressures led to faithful churchgoing and we saw what happened in the 1960's...everybody rebelled and church turned even more inward.

It's time to let go of the emphasis of religion and rule following in my life and embrace the relationship with Christ.

I'm Ready

To God be the Glory