Relationship vs Religion?

 

One of the heralded phrases that I have heard much of my life about being a follower of Jesus is, “it’s a relationship, not a religion!” I’m sure many of you who are reading this right now have at least heard this, if not subscribe to this in some fashion. 

It sounds good on the surface, doesn’t it? Let’s get rid of all the stuffy old stuff, and have our walk with Jesus be filled with life, joy and excitement! This has been the common phrase particularly the last 50 years of much of Evangelical Christianity in America. But is this call a good thing? Have we been thinking about this all the wrong way, and actually participated in much of the damage that is going on in the Evangelical world?

One of the things that I have so appreciated about the TV show The Chosen, is the portrayal of Jesus and the disciples as good observant Jews, practicing the rituals, liturgy and festivals. Every time there is a scene showing someone waking up, or going to bed, there is the common phrase, “praise be to you Lord God, King of the Universe...”. These practices would not have been jettisoned by the newly minted followers of “The Way” following the ascension of Jesus. Most followers of Christ were still Jews who followed the law, and saw Christ as the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies. 

The frank reality is that ALL of us, no matter what church we go to participate in some form of liturgy, or regular religious practice. The question is, do we recognize it or not? The danger is that for many, we have felt that we have gotten rid of formulated or patterned worship for “freedom in the Spirit”. What has really happened is that one form of liturgy has been replaced with a different form that goes by a different name. Certain things always happen at the same time, and things are generally practiced the same way every time. This is fine! But we must recognize it as a liturgy, lest we be deceived. 

Another phrase in this track that I have grown to appreciate is “those who don’t recognize their tradition are the most controlled by it.” We are all standing on the shoulders of the faithful men and women who have followed Christ before us. And there is nothing wrong with recognizing that we are following a certain pattern or way of doing things. 

So back to the question of religion. 

I have become increasingly convinced that the statement that Christianity is a “relationship, not a religion” fails to understand either word, and actually does the disservice of debasing Christianity from the reality of truth for all creation to be boiled down to essentially trying to feel good most of the time. Now, I do agree, Christianity has a relationship component that cannot be ejected from the conversation. But to reject the “religion” aspect is likewise to knock out one of the legs and then ask why the building is no longer standing. 

Humans are fundamentally religious beings. We were created to look for ways of connecting with God, the One who created us and desires a relationship with us. This reality is borne out of the plethora of religions that exist around the world that are merely shadows seeking to explain the reality of the world around us. 

With that, there is a need for us to be organized in not just our common belief, but also common practice of our worship of Christ. Essentially, any group of people following an organized set of beliefs is religion. Christ established His Church for the purpose of being a community together to pursue the spread of the Gospel, and the expansion of Christ’s Kingdom with the ultimate hope of resurrection and restoration of the creation. 

I think what many in our culture have become disenfranchised with is a false folk religion. There is a problem when we hold the forms and movements of religious practice without the truth and life that must be accompanied in the lives of the people. The Gospel is powerful and is meant to impact and transform every single part of our lives, and everything around us as well. But when we segregate our religious practice to an hour, one day a week it becomes neutered  and powerless. 

So instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, let’s see the beauty that there is in the tradition of the Christian faith. And instead of rejecting religion, embrace it and seek to live it to the fullest Christ intended it to be.