Time for a Religious Anonymous meeting?
Jason at “Bartender of Grace” has written an excellent post called “Religion Rehab, Part 1.” This is Part 1 because, you guessed it, there’s a Part 2 on the way, according to Jason.
In his post, Jason suggests several ways to help people move away from a life of religion and toward life in Jesus Christ. Like any good rehab program, he has included 12 steps, although he only writes about the first 6 steps in this post.
Here are the first 6 steps of his 12 step program:
- See Jesus for Who He Is
- Learn Humility
- Seeing Through New Eyes
- Submit to the Process
- Resist the Temptation to Become a Sacred Superstar
- Know the Difference Between Your Desire and God’s Will
If you’re interested, Jason describes each of these steps in detail, and I’m sure he’ll do the same for steps 7-12 in Part 2 of this series.
However, I’m not as interested in the steps per se. Instead, I was glad to see Jason include himself among the “religious”:
Most followers of Jesus have been contaminated by religion’s influence in one way or another. I certainly have.
Yes, we have all been “contaminated” by religion, and in certain ways we continue to be contaminated by religion, trying to reach God by the rules or processes that we keep.
To me, the importance of a post like this is not in the specific steps, although those are good. Instead, this kind of post is important because it reminds us that WE are guilty of religion. This is not just a problem with THEM (whoever is not like US).
We should be constantly and consistently testing our lives, our attitudes, our trusts, our plans, everything, to find that roots of religion that can cause problems. I know that I’ve found many in my life, sometimes in places where I least expected it.
What do you think? Can you be “religious”?
I try hard to avoid religiousity
I think personally I’m most religious about not being religious (or so I’ve been told)
I stand against things like christmas easter halloween building attendance and other sacred cows of christianity to the extent of being religious
Recently I deactivated my fb account to avoid all the “merry christmas” and other things this time of year seems to bring with it
Sometimes this avoidance may also be kind of religious
I think sometimes the more we try to not be religious we can end up being religious lol
Man what a struggle
At the end of the day I just want people to know that Jesus died for their sins and if they turn to Him from sin then He will save them from sin death hell and eternal judgment in the lake of fire
That for me is simple nonreligious biblical faith that saves……….
RA is long overdue. I am still plagued with addiction to self-consumption abuse rather than being controlled by the Spirit 7 days a week so I am prepared for “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God” when the saint gather. I squandered years dutifully merely listening silently rather than being prepared to speak, merely sang what I was told to sing rather than coming prepared to sing heart to heart with God’s people in true “one another” dynamic. I aggrandized the pastor rather than giving thanks to the Father through Jesus, and I submitted to a corporate board’s decisions rather than my brothers and sisters. I gave up the system but my flesh still wrestles with the Spirit in these old habits.
I am guilty of being religious AND of #5 on the list! Oh, how we do get caught up in ourselves, yes? Thanks for the post. I’m going to be watching the site for more.
Mike, Tim, and Trudy,
Welcome to the RA meeting and thanks for joining the discussion! I’m waiting for someone to assign sponsors…
-Alan
I have a sponsor……His name is Jesus =D
Best thing is I can truly tell Him anything…….
Alan,
What a refreshing post from Jason, and from your respondents.